Penn State (not acceptance post)

[erineileen]

Anyone else heard anything yet?

[user_name]

nope. looks like (from last year, though) denials have to wait until the end of march, just hanging on to the chance of being waitlisted

[CarolineSC]

Does anyone know when they usually notify for MAs?

[Stately Plump]

Does anyone know when they usually notify for MAs?

I'm not sure if this makes a difference to when they notify, but technically, anyone who applied to Penn State applied for the MA program. They do not do direct admits into the PhD program, or even the MA/PhD program. Anyone who applied has applied to the MA program, and those wishing to go on must "informally" reapply (whatever that means) to the PhD.

Like I said, I don't know if that makes a difference. I know some people have already received a notification that said something like, "If we have the funding, we will extend you an offer of admission."

[Timshel]

I'm not sure if this makes a difference to when they notify, but technically, anyone who applied to Penn State applied for the MA program. They do not do direct admits into the PhD program, or even the MA/PhD program. Anyone who applied has applied to the MA program, and those wishing to go on must "informally" reapply (whatever that means) to the PhD.

Like I said, I don't know if that makes a difference. I know some people have already received a notification that said something like, "If we have the funding, we will extend you an offer of admission."

Actually, they do admit at least 1-2 people to PhD directly, but they have to have an MA in hand. Anyone else is automatically admitted to the MA.

[Stately Plump]

Actually, they do admit at least 1-2 people to PhD directly, but they have to have an MA in hand. Anyone else is automatically admitted to the MA.

Right, I didn't mention that. That is really what I meant, that you need to have an MA in hand before being admitted to the PhD program. Some other schools, like BU, admit some students to the MA program and others to the MA/PhD program, whereas at Penn State, anyone without an MA enters into the MA program.

[Phil Sparrow]

As has been mentioned above, applying to the MA at Penn State is basically the same, for all intents and purposes, as applying to the PhD. Therefore MA apps and PhD apps are on the same timeline; one will Not come out before the other. But, they do tend to stagger their admits. Some years ago I was admitted in January, but they continued to trickle out admits until at least late March, and I think April, that year. I presume they will continue the same pattern this year.

Their recruit weekend is usually in late March.

[lascosmo]

I wish they'd at least send out the definite rejections earlier. This is the only school that I'm waiting on before finally accepting an offer at another school.

[Stately Plump]

I'm bumping this because I saw an acceptance go up today. I keep telling myself I didn't get in, because I have some other offers and I just want to move on, but I can't let the ghost die until I know for sure.

Reject me Penn State, please! (but what I really feel is + )

Positive vibes for those who want this one! +++

[Galoup11]

Really hoping to get accepted off of the wait list here, but need all the initial acceptances to go out first!

[impending]

Just FYI, the Penn State visit weekend is March 30, if that helps those on the pseudo-waitlist gauge a timeline of when they might hear at all. Although I'm currently questioning whether those pseudo-waitlist emails really meant waitlist. I thought I had been waitlisted (though my email was different--I had specifically asked my status because of an early decision deadline elsewhere, and got a reply that seemed similar to others'), but my phone call with the DGS didn't really confirm that--it seemed like there might have been some other funding hold up. So I'm wondering if that's the case for others who got ambiguous "We want you, but" emails as well.

[lascosmo]

There was an MA-acceptance-by-phone post on the results board yesterday, I think.

I wonder if this person also had previously received a quasi-waitlist email?

What I mean is, if I didn't get ANY email, does that mean it's safe for me to assume I'm definitely out? I just want to know! Didn't get any reply to an inquiry email either.

I should just presume rejection and move on right?

Edited March 15, 2012 by lascosmo

[jywayne]

I applied to Penn State two years ago. They jerked me around until something like April 18th before I ever got a rejection letter. It's against their religion to inform people one way or the other.

[impending]

There was an MA-acceptance-by-phone post on the results board yesterday, I think.

I wonder if this person also had previously received a quasi-waitlist email?

What I mean is, if I didn't get ANY email, does that mean it's safe for me to assume I'm definitely out? I just want to know! Didn't get any reply to an inquiry email either.

I should just presume rejection and move on right?

The acceptance by phone on Tuesday was me. I thought I was in the same position as those who got the quasi-waitlist email, but my email was a response specifically to my inquiry, so I could have just as easily been in some other amorphous category. Who knows. Unfortunately I don't think anything is "safe" to assume about this process!

[lascosmo]

Thanks for letting me know, "impending" -- and "jywayne." -- well, I feel a little less like a curmudgeon knowing that I'm not the only one impatient about their process.

Congrats to "impending"! Two awesome acceptances!

[lascosmo]

"Our admission committee is still reviewing applications and should have decisions mailed by the end of the month very beginning of April.

Thank you for your interest in Penn State."

Grrrrr.

[Dagny1984]

"Our admission committee is still reviewing applications and should have decisions mailed by the end of the month very beginning of April.

Thank you for your interest in Penn State."

Grrrrr.

I called and the person who answered the phone did not even ask my name but said the exact thing that you posted. I even said that I have to give my decision to another program. I would not care but judging from the posts from last year it seems that the later notifications were all rejections. So why not put us out of our misery and permit us to decide on our other choices or accept our fate for this year.

[lascosmo]

Right, Dagny1984! I went ahead and regarded it as a rejection, and sent my decision to go to another school.

I don't mean to be sour grapes, but it would have been nice if Penn just let their rejections know so, as soon as expedient

-- I mean, they must have at least SOME who are already clear rejections, most likely including me.

Edited March 19, 2012 by lascosmo

[Dagny1984]

Right, Dagny1984! I went ahead and regarded it as a rejection, and sent my decision to go to another school.

I don't mean to be sour grapes, but it would have been nice if Penn just let their rejections know so, as soon as expedient

-- I mean, they must have at least SOME who are already clear rejections, most likely including me.

I feel the same way and will probably accept my offer soon.

[dazedandbemused]

Has anyone heard anything yet? I'm starting to feel like they just take our application fees and sit around laughing at our stupidity. It's almost April!

[picnic_lightning]

AGREED! Does anyone know when the visit weekend is? I assume all of the shuffling will happen after that? Have they notified the waitlist yet?

[CarolineSC]

I'm just assuming I'm not in. They really need to get their act together. This is really inconsiderate.

[dazedandbemused]

Yeah, I've reached that assumption, too. I just can't give up the hope because Penn State is the perfect location for me out of all of the schools I applied to and my other acceptances all have various issues that don't make them ideal. Getting into Penn State would mean I don't have to make any tough decisions

[Stately Plump]

If I am accepted (which I can't imagine I am) I will be denying. It would have been great, but it's taken soooo fricken long that I've already accepted another offer.

I will tell them, if I am accepted, that I very well may have gone, but it took too long to hear back. If they need this long to sort through their applications, then they need to make the deadline earlier. It's not fair for people trying to make decisions about other schools, and it's not fair for other schools who are waiting to hear back about admitted students.

[Galoup11]

I believe visiting weekend was this weekend, FWIW.

And from talking with the DGS, wait-listers can probably expect to wait right up until the deadline, or even after, before hearing one way or the other, based on prior years.