Rice University

[MarketingPhD2012]

Well, I received an email from Rice on February 13. I wasn't accepted or rejected. According to the letter, Rice decided not to admit any new Marketing PhD students due to departmental needs and constraints.

I am okay with their decision, but I am not ok with the fact that perhaps Rice should have decided they weren't going to accept any new students BEFORE we all wasted time and money applying to them. I applied to 10 schools, but the spot that I wasted on Rice could have been used on another school. Part of me wants to ask for a refund of my application fee, but I am not!

[hungry]

i would absolutely ask for a refund, that's crap!

[MediaMom]

I would ask for a refund. Why not? You'd be asking the graduate school, not the department, and even if it got back to the department, who cares? By the time they're ready to admit any students you'll be happily installed elsewhere, so big deal if you ruffle their feathers. It's not right for them to keep your money when there isn't any spot to apply for in the first place.

[cyberwulf]

I'm sure they intended to admit some students, but some expected chunk of money didn't come through. But even if they didn't do this on purpose, I agree that the right thing would be for them to refund you the application fee. It's a perfectly reasonable request, and I wouldn't think anybody there would hold it against you.