Time to move on? Confusing e-mail!

[tirralirra]

I am waiting on a UK program (Oxford), and it's part-time distance learning except 2 summer terms, so there isn't a whole lot out there! I haven't been able to find anyone online who has applied...it's designed for working people, so most probably aren't as obsessive as I am! Anyway, there were 3 deadlines for application, the final one on March 9th. Previous years it looks like people were admitted in early April, so I was hoping to hear something despite the official mid-May deadline. Due to the conflicting information, I e-mailed the department just to clarify when they hoped to have decisions made. This is what they said...word for word, and it's a bit confusing...

"The response time is meant to be approximately 6 to 8 weeks and there are still decisions to be made on applications so around mid-May is about the time that we hope that to be able to tell everyone. As we are not able to tell realise any information until all decisions have been finalised."

My first thought was that they have made some offers and I am essentially waitlisted (the part about there are still decisions to be made). But the last sentence really confuses me! Obviously someone wrote it up in a hurry, so any guesses as to what it means?? I'm a little hopeful in that perhaps they're saying they don't notify anyone until ALL decisions are made and there are still applications to sort through.

[go3187]

I don't think it means you were waitlisted.

No clue what that last sentence means though. From the way the email is written, the person who wrote it didn't check your application status. To me, it reads like an email she would have sent to anyone asking your question. I wouldn't know more from this email than I knew before sending it...

[tirralirra]

I don't think it means you were waitlisted.

No clue what that last sentence means though. From the way the email is written, the person who wrote it didn't check your application status. To me, it reads like an email she would have sent to anyone asking your question. I wouldn't know more from this email than I knew before sending it...

Haha, that's how I felt! They definitely typed it up in a hurry. Sigh. Oh well! I guess more of the same is better than rejection, but I really wish schools put a few minutes of thought into how agonizing the process is!!

[-hermes-]

I am waiting on a UK program (Oxford), and it's part-time distance learning except 2 summer terms, so there isn't a whole lot out there! I haven't been able to find anyone online who has applied...it's designed for working people, so most probably aren't as obsessive as I am! Anyway, there were 3 deadlines for application, the final one on March 9th. Previous years it looks like people were admitted in early April, so I was hoping to hear something despite the official mid-May deadline. Due to the conflicting information, I e-mailed the department just to clarify when they hoped to have decisions made. This is what they said...word for word, and it's a bit confusing...

"The response time is meant to be approximately 6 to 8 weeks and there are still decisions to be made on applications so around mid-May is about the time that we hope that to be able to tell everyone. As we are not able to tell realise any information until all decisions have been finalised."

My first thought was that they have made some offers and I am essentially waitlisted (the part about there are still decisions to be made). But the last sentence really confuses me! Obviously someone wrote it up in a hurry, so any guesses as to what it means?? I'm a little hopeful in that perhaps they're saying they don't notify anyone until ALL decisions are made and there are still applications to sort through.

I'm guessing the last line was meant to be "As we are not able to release any information until all decisions have been finalised."

Maybe the early April acceptances last year were results from the second application deadline, so if you applied by the final deadline, mid-May might well be the first wave of decisions for that deadline.

[Yoshite]

I was about to start a similar thread so I decided to put it here, hope you don't mind.

I emailed my POI to ask about my application status. He said he has forwarded his recommendation to the program director, then it will be passed on to the dean's office and I will be notified in a week. The word 'recommendation' kinda confuses me. Is it possible that he has passed on his recommendation by not recommending me to the program and I will be rejected? He should've used the word 'decision' instead. It really freaks me out right now. but still have my hopes up tho

Edited April 14, 2012 by Yoshite

[mirandaw]

"decision" sounds like he has the final say. He doesn't. If hes interested in having you, and if the funding is there, youll get in.

[washdc]

I am waiting on a UK program (Oxford), and it's part-time distance learning except 2 summer terms, so there isn't a whole lot out there! I haven't been able to find anyone online who has applied...it's designed for working people, so most probably aren't as obsessive as I am! Anyway, there were 3 deadlines for application, the final one on March 9th. Previous years it looks like people were admitted in early April, so I was hoping to hear something despite the official mid-May deadline. Due to the conflicting information, I e-mailed the department just to clarify when they hoped to have decisions made. This is what they said...word for word, and it's a bit confusing...

"The response time is meant to be approximately 6 to 8 weeks and there are still decisions to be made on applications so around mid-May is about the time that we hope that to be able to tell everyone. As we are not able to tell realise any information until all decisions have been finalised."

6 - 8 weeks from the March 9 deadline is Mid-May, which is why she's saying you'll hear back in Mid-May. I agree with someone else that perhaps earlier notifications were a result of early-submits on the app deadline. I don't think you've been accepted/waitlisted/rejected yet.

[tirralirra]

I was about to start a similar thread so I decided to put it here, hope you don't mind.

I emailed my POI to ask about my application status. He said he has forwarded his recommendation to the program director, then it will be passed on to the dean's office and I will be notified in a week. The word 'recommendation' kinda confuses me. Is it possible that he has passed on his recommendation by not recommending me to the program and I will be rejected? He should've used the word 'decision' instead. It really freaks me out right now. but still have my hopes up tho

Perfect We should just make this the thread for confusing and unhelpful e-mails! We'll fill it up in no time...

I think it sounds like he recommended you to the program, but I agree that it's a confusing way to word it! I think it sounds promising, though. It sounds to me like he passed on his approval to the next step, and it's a good thing you should have a definitive answer soon!! Keep your hopes up and hang in there!

Thanks to everyone who responded to this...feeling a bit better now. I think they did mean that they hadn't finalized decisions and couldn't admit/reject anyone until all decisions were made. But to add to my confusion, I got an e-mail from housing yesterday introducing me to the options even for those of us who haven't heard from our departments. But it looks like other graduate applicants had gotten previous e-mails from the housing office, so I'm not sure I understand sending them out in shifts.