How often do schools reverse a rejection?

[InquilineKea]

And in what circumstances does this happen?

One example here: http://www.mathematicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=495#p2294

Edited January 29, 2012 by InquilineKea

[wlkwih2]

That's just another parallel dimension in which I go through a nervous breakdown, get better, and then go through another one and die somewhere inbetween because of disbelief.

That's cruel.

[Seeking]

I think that's an unusually exceptional case, if it's correct. Never came across another one like this.

I also find it curious that one should decline straightaway acceptance offers from MIT, Columbia, Berkeley and Cornell (and a wait-listed-turned-acceptance from Princeton) and wait for a wait-listed status to turn into an acceptance status at Stanford, while 3 Ivy Leagues and 2 great schools such as MIT and Berkeley wait to get a decision from the candidate.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Seeking

[Grunty DaGnome]

I think that's an unusually exceptional case, if it's correct. Never came across another one like this.

I also find it curious that one should decline straightaway acceptance offers from MIT, Columbia, Berkeley and Cornell (and a wait-listed-turned-acceptance from Princeton) and wait for a wait-listed status to turn into an acceptance status at Stanford, while 3 Ivy Leagues and 2 great schools such as MIT and Berkeley wait to get a decision from the candidate.

Right. You probably did very well on the GRE word problems.

[DoggieMom]

Not often enough?

[finknottle]

I had heard of a funding related case. Dept. was willing to offer admission, but grad school didn't since the applicant had probably mentioned that he can't attend unless funded. Funding related questions tend to be a bit ambiguous in some of these forms. If you fail to distinguish between 'needing' assistance and 'being considered' for assistance, such a problem can arise. After clarifying that he can fund himself, they reversed it.

[Seeking]

Finknottle,

the case you cite is quite credible. That can happen.

But the case above seems to be completely different.

[Seeking]

Grunty DaGnome,

Yes, I did!

[InquilineKea]

I think that's an unusually exceptional case, if it's correct. Never came across another one like this.

I also find it curious that one should decline straightaway acceptance offers from MIT, Columbia, Berkeley and Cornell (and a wait-listed-turned-acceptance from Princeton) and wait for a wait-listed status to turn into an acceptance status at Stanford, while 3 Ivy Leagues and 2 great schools such as MIT and Berkeley wait to get a decision from the candidate.

Hmm... Interesting... For a while, I thought that it was the work of a troll, but then I saw that she had 180 posts on the forum, so now I'm not sure what to believe..

[DoggieMom]

A little away from PhD programs, but I know of a student who applied to Vet School and was rejected, and then was called right before classes started to join the program because someone had withdrawn and they had no one left on the waitlist to fill the spot!

And apparently that has happened a few times.

Conversely, there have also been cases when too many people accepted, the yield was too high, and they UN-accepted some students because they couldn't handle the numbers!

[Seeking]

InquiliniKea,

Some people find it very difficult to accept rejection.

[quinquenion]

Hmm... Interesting... For a while, I thought that it was the work of a troll, but then I saw that she had 180 posts on the forum, so now I'm not sure what to believe..

As a semi-regular this application season over at MathematicsGRE.com, I thought I'd jump in and say that I'm personally inclined to believe owlpride's profile. She explained what happened (and her thought process behind choosing schools) in this thread:

http://www.mathematicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=574

[Seeking]

Thanks for that thread link!

But read again - she doesn't explain there her rejection of Columbia and Michigan, after saying in the beginning that she is seriously considering them.

She regards Princeton and MIT as not suitable for a liberal arts college person and Cornell as not desirable because it lacks rigour - why apply there then in the first place (I seriously doubt that Cornell Graduates think of their education there as a 5-yrs long vacation)?

Anyway, she has got the program she wanted and I wish all the best to her.

PS - I'm not a believer in the rankings either, but the search committees for academic positions believe in them and we have to play by their rules. Otherwise, I have seen some pretty dismal students from the Ivy League and some very good students from the "lesser" schools.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Seeking

[quinquenion]

I obviously can't speak to her thought process, but my guess is that she didn't form those impressions of MIT, Princeton, and Cornell until visiting. Also, Stanford is generally considered to be better ranked than Columbia or Michigan in math, which might have played a role. Or maybe she just fell in love upon visiting, meshed well with the professors, etc.

Edited January 29, 2012 by quinquenion

[Grunty DaGnome]

What about this, how often does this stuff happen? Thanks god none of us applied to Vassar.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/education/vassar-applicants-are-mistakenly-told-they-are-accepted.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=vassar&st=cse