Rejection Feedback

[lolopixie]

I just sent an email to Kansas asking for feedback on my application. Of course, I am now having second thoughts about having sent this and still having decisions pending. I just want an explanation. Why do you think I suck at life and am not good enough for your program? It is just so odd to me that not one person on the board got accepted, or even waitlisted, to the program.

I will still have to wait for this response. As soon as I sent the email, there was an auto-response from the graduate secretary that she is out of office until February 1st. Which is only a few days, but I'm a typical American that wants immediate gratification.

[Venti White Choc. Mocha]

What school tells you why you weren't accepted in the letter? I think it should ALWAYS be in the letter. I didn't pay you sixty bucs for a question mark, do some more work beyond throwing my file in the trash eh?

[Jane_Eyre]

Hear, hear. As someone going through this process for the first time, I think feedback would be incredibly helpful. I mean, what if I'm doing something completely wrong in my applications simply because I don't know better? Seriously, people, help a girl out.

[coffeeplease]

What school tells you why you weren't accepted in the letter? I think it should ALWAYS be in the letter. I didn't pay you sixty bucs for a question mark, do some more work beyond throwing my file in the trash eh?

Your post made me laugh -- I don't know why you've got a [-1] -- but I do understand why they might not. Some programs get so many applicants that it would be impossible, or at least take far too long.

However, I've read that if you call the department and ask (politely!) why you were rejected/how you can strengthen your application, they will usually tell you.

[thestage]

most schools (at least most top schools) specify on their admissions website that they are under no obligation to tell you shit if you don't get in. which sucks, yes, but is nevertheless true. you're unlikely to get anything of substance.

[lolopixie]

Yea, I get it. I've only heard of one school, well not heard of actually experienced, indicating the rejection reason in the letter. I get that with 500 applications it would be a lot, but we all did spend a lot of time and money applying. Just have something general to go in the letter: non-competitive GRE scores, non-competitive GPA, no need for a postcolonialist this year...something!

[Phil Sparrow]

It would be nice for programs to include information about why one is rejected in the letter, especially if one has paid $60-$125 and spent a great deal of time working on an application. But remember that the members of adcoms have also spent an incredible amount of time on top of their already jampacked schedules, and usually do not get paid anything extra for it. Plus, it is almost always the grad school that gets the application fee, not the adcom or even the department. So it would be more time and money out of the adcom's pocket, as it were, to spend time personalizing everyone's rejection letter. It is just not feasible, and it's not really fair to ask of the professors and department administrators doing the work. I sympathize and understand that it is totally frustrating not to know, however.

I think it's also more polite (and more in line with general practices) to wait until the end of application season--until about April--to ask for feedback on an application.

Hang in there, you guys! It's very, very early yet.

[0000000000AAA]

Another thing to remember is that you can essentially be rejected for no reason, or no quantifiable reason. If a committee is considering 500 applicants and looking for 10 admits, they don't divide them into accept and reject piles: they pick 10 to offer admittance to. Rejection is a passive act; it is really better described as non-admittance. So the reason that anyone is rejected may have nothing to do with your application and everything to do with someone else's. A phrase in the statement, a novel paragraph on the third page of writing sample, a fond memory of one of your letter recommendation writers can make all the difference.

[Starlajane]

Well, just my $.02, but rather than wonder why you were rejected, ask why those who were accepted were accepted.

If no one was admitted, it's a funding issue.

For what it's worth, I think that it was prudent of you to ask why; you never know, you might just get an answer that makes you feel a whole lot better about the situation.

[lolopixie]

I think it is fine to ask, even now. The letter that was sent from grad school indicated that if you want to know further info on your application to contact the department directly. And I emailed, which allows time for them to get to me when they get to me. i get that it could not necessarily be that I did anything wrong and someone else was stronger, but the fact remains that I want to know what it was.

[Phil Sparrow]

Rejection is a passive act; it is really better described as non-admittance.

YES. This.

[ComeBackZinc]

I wonder if there isn't some fear of liability-- that is, if they indicate the reason why applicants were rejected, they might provide the fuel for a lawsuit claiming bias or similar.

[lolopixie]

Possibly. I don't know. I don't think there could be a law suit unless it came down to a discrimination issue based on race, sex, religion, etc., which I'm sure is not the case.

[Timshel]

I think it is fine to ask, even now. The letter that was sent from grad school indicated that if you want to know further info on your application to contact the department directly. And I emailed, which allows time for them to get to me when they get to me. i get that it could not necessarily be that I did anything wrong and someone else was stronger, but the fact remains that I want to know what it was.

I thought about contacting them, but I figured I would wait. If you do hear back from them, lolo, let us know.

[lolopixie]

Will do.

[perrykm2]

Wellspring is totally right. I think that if you're looking for an admission board to tell you that your GPA or GRE scores weren't up to snuff, that probably isn't going to happen. As horrible as it sounds, most members of an adcomm probably wouldn't be able to look at your application again and remember exactly WHY your application was dismissed in the first place. Except in a few circumstances (like a GRE/GPA too low for university funding,) I'm sure almost all admissions departments will tell you that they had 100000000 qualified applicants but only X amount of spots, and that is why they couldn't offer you admissions. I don't think that anwer will be particularly satisfying, either, because you already know this process is competitive. Still, it's probably the truth. I doubt any admission commitee looks at an application someone spent a lot of time on and says "well, this person isn't good enough at all." The application just doesn't get selected.

[Loimographia]

Wellspring is totally right. I think that if you're looking for an admission board to tell you that your GPA or GRE scores weren't up to snuff, that probably isn't going to happen. As horrible as it sounds, most members of an adcomm probably wouldn't be able to look at your application again and remember exactly WHY your application was dismissed in the first place. Except in a few circumstances (like a GRE/GPA too low for university funding,) I'm sure almost all admissions departments will tell you that they had 100000000 qualified applicants but only X amount of spots, and that is why they couldn't offer you admissions. I don't think that anwer will be particularly satisfying, either, because you already know this process is competitive. Still, it's probably the truth. I doubt any admission commitee looks at an application someone spent a lot of time on and says "well, this person isn't good enough at all." The application just doesn't get selected.

While I agree that it may (indeed, probably) be simply the case of "there just wasn't enough room for all the awesome people," I don't think it's a wasted effort to contact and ask, because if it IS true that you've made an error somewhere, you can resolve it for next time. The truth is, if someone's GPA or GRE isn't competitive, they probably already know that. But I *have* read stories where people were told their proposed research was too narrow, or their writing sample's sources too out-of-date, or their work experience too insufficient. These are things that may have never occurred to an applicant, but they can learn are things that adcomms see as reflections of an applicant's potential. So yes, I think that it's not feasible to give every single person a "why you were rejected" answer, but it still doesn't hurt to ask, in case there actually is a reason.

[Sparky]

Maybe: don't ask why you were rejected. Ask how you might improve your application for next time. That leaves the door open in case it really was just a matter of, 'have your POI not draw the short straw.'

[ComeBackZinc]

Well, I can think of a straightforward reason that people get rejected that has nothing to do with discrimination but is nonetheless not the kind of thing grad departments want to disclose: they lost out to other candidates who had more personal sway or networking in their favor. Happens all the time.

[bfat]

I helped out in the grad admissions office of the university where I work last year, and I know that Peoplesoft (which many schools use) has a field for "reason for rejection" that is mandatory--anyone in admissions should be able to view this field and tell you that info over the phone if they're using Peoplesoft. However, the categories are really generic: "Insufficient GPA," "Insufficient test scores," "Space limitations," etc., which probably isn't helpful, since all the really competetive programs usually just default to "space limitations."

But most ad coms probably do list a "reason," even if it's very generic.

[Eigen]

My advice would be to wait until March or April (when things are winding down), and then contact someone from the admissions committee and ask what you could do to make your application more competitive for next year.

Sending an e-mail now probably isn't going to get the best responses, everyone is focussing on getting the admits to come to their school, and that's where all of the energy is going.

And, as has been mentioned, there often isn't "a reason" why you weren't admitted. But they can probably give you some advice on what to do to make yourself a better candidate next year.

[Mistral]

Last year, I was waitlisted at a school, and I asked for suggestions on how I could improve my application. The DGS responded that my application was strong, but I wasn't a great fit with any professor's interests. I had an idea that might have had something to do with it, but it was nice to hear it from the DGS (who seemed happy to respond). Hopefully, that information will prove beneficial in my results this year; I tried to pay special attention to fit in my selection of schools.

I do remember other applicants posting about their requests for feedback last year. Some DGSs will give feedback, other won't. It seems like it's worth a try, especially if you felt like you were a strong applicant. I also remember someone posting that they received feedback that no applicants were accepted in their subfield last year (perhaps it was a modernist applying to Duke??). I think that would be helpful information, even if it's only to soothe the ego a bit.

Edited January 30, 2012 by Mistral

[Starlajane]

Last year, I was waitlisted at a school, and I asked for suggestions on how I could improve my application. The DGS responded that my application was strong, but I wasn't a great fit with any professor's interests. I had an idea that might have had something to do with it, but it was nice to hear it from the DGS (who seemed happy to respond). Hopefully, that information will prove beneficial in my results this year; I tried to pay special attention to fit in my selection of schools.

I do remember other applicants posting about their requests for feedback last year. Some DGSs will give feedback, other won't. It seems like it's worth a try, especially if you felt like you were a strong applicant. I also remember someone posting that they received feedback that no applicants were accepted in their subfield last year (perhaps it was a modernist applying to Duke??). I think that would be helpful information, even if it's only to soothe the ego a bit.

This. Other than funding, this is the other reason why an applicant wouldn't be accepted into a particuar program.

When I applied this year, I really took to heart the three F's recommended here on the "personal statement" forum: focus, fit, future. And all of a sudden I realized why I was rejected last year. The one school that did contact me for an interview this year specifically replied with a long list of profs who shared similar research interests--even more than I had mentioned in my SOP--followed by a statement such as "we feel that we can support your research interests." I think that fit is probably the most important factor in acceptances.

[lolopixie]

Look, the email was already sent. And no, I did not say "why did you reject me?" I asked for feedback on my application and if there were any weaknesses that hindered my acceptance to the program. Even if I do get a generic response, it is better than nothing. The "decline" letter from the grad school specifically stated that if you want specific reasons for your decision, contact the department you applied to. So I did. Everyone has their opinion on what is best to do. My opinion for this program was to contact them and ask. It doesn't change any of the other applications I have out. Or my chances of getting in any other program. I understand. Bottom line - I want to know the reason. Generic or not.

[yank in the M20]

Look, the email was already sent. And no, I did not say "why did you reject me?" I asked for feedback on my application and if there were any weaknesses that hindered my acceptance to the program. Even if I do get a generic response, it is better than nothing. The "decline" letter from the grad school specifically stated that if you want specific reasons for your decision, contact the department you applied to. So I did. Everyone has their opinion on what is best to do. My opinion for this program was to contact them and ask. It doesn't change any of the other applications I have out. Or my chances of getting in any other program. I understand. Bottom line - I want to know the reason. Generic or not.

I asked for feedback last year right when I found out I was rejected. Two schools said they didn't provide any while the third gave me feedback that was simple for them to write up, but very useful to me: that the time period in my writing sample was different from the time period in my SOP so it was hard to access my abilities in my chosen field. I don't think these people are going to remember you if you apply next year and you might end up deciding to apply elsewhere so I really don't think all that strategy as to when to ask is necessary--my caveat being that I'm talking about straight-up rejections, not waitlist then reject.