VCU cannot locate my reference forms *PISSED

[CSUMNER813]

I'm going to try and summarize this in a neat little package via bullet points.

- Submitted my application and supplemental materials to VCU Educational Leadership (Administration and Supervision Program) in Feb.

- According to my Online Application Summary everything had been received by Feb 29th and tagged "Complete and ready for review."

- I was contacted in March and informed that the application due date has been delayed from March 15th to May 1st. I was also asked to sumbit a few other supplimental materials, which I did prior to March 15th.

- In April my school administrators bring me new reference forms that VCU had them fill out and place in sealed envelopes. I knew nothing about these forms until that day; regardless, I dropped them in the mail to VCU that afternoon.

- May 1st comes and goes.

- I decide on May 6th to send a follow-up email to the head of the department to keep my name out there and to see when I should expect to hear something.

- May 7 - 9th I am informed that they don't have one of my references (where I can see on my account that all 3 were received on Feb. 22, & that my administrators submitted additional references last month).

- By the end of May 8th I'm informed that they can't locate any of my reference forms and that they're going to contact the Graduate School.

- I followed up with them today and they still cannot locate my references.

- I have contacted all of my references, asked them to resubmit their recommendations, and sent them directions on how to submit them electronically.

- I have also emailed VCU's Educational Leadership Dept. and asked them to let me know, by the end of the day tomorrow, if they have received my references.

- I told them that my dad works for VCU's Health Systems and if they haven't received them I'll get hard copies and have him hand-deliver them to their department.

All of this has me feeling sick to my stomach. If I had not followed up then I would have never known that they didn't have my materials and it would have gone unquestioned. If I don't get in because of an error on their end I fully intend to appeal. I have been printing and documenting every email that has been exchanged. I've also started tagging emails for delivery and read confirmations.

Is it possible to take legal action in a situation like this? If so, and I'm unjustly denied admission, I may seriously consider speaking with a lawyer.

Has anyone else been faced with this kind of craziness?

[prettyuff1]

I have been faced with this. It was a similar situation. The graduate college recieved my application before the application date and forwarded it to the department before the application deadline.. after numerous contacts with the department, they said they lost my application. Since i was accepted some where else i let it go. If i were you, I would discuss this with an admissions director and department chair and all higher ups... Consider contacting the dean of students as well.. I would get all of my emails and files in order as proof. I wouldnt go to legal action with them right away, but i would emphasize that you really want to attend their school and that you met the requirements and that it was a fault on their end that caused the delay

[We regret to inform you]

Getting a lawyer and trying to take some sort of legal action would probably do a lot more harm than good. You'd most likely burn a lot of bridges. And if word of that got out to other programs that you were to apply to in the future, that would be a huge red flag against you.

Try to do your best to politely resolve the situation in as non-confrontational of a manner as possible. If it doesn't get you anywhere then you've got to just let it go, as much as it hurts.

[CSUMNER813]

We regret to inform you - I see where you're coming from with the ramifications of taking legal action, and quite honestly I believe you're right. So far I've tried to remain stern yet diplomatic. The part that is the most frustrating is that I received my undergrad degree from VCU ~ a decade ago. Hopefully all will work out. I called this afternoon and I was told that my application has already been reviewed, but they are waiting on my references (I'll be even more irritated if I jump through these hoops and it turns out I'm not accepted). I would like to believe that my reference forms would have been considered during the adjudication process; although, at this point very little would surprise me.

I went to my lead administrator after work today and told her what was going on. She told me that she knows she had already sent in two sets of forms, but it wasn't worth an argument. She told me to just have my references resend their forms. I've contacted all of my references and asked them to resubmit. I also contacted the Educational Leadership department @ VCU and told them they were on their way. We'll see what happens.

[CSUMNER813]

Wondering if I should contact VCU to follow up on my application status? The last time I heard from them was on May 11th. I asked them if they had received my reference forms (his the 4th time they were sent) via fax. I was told that they will accept what they have from my references (Not really sure what that's supposed to mean, do they have what they're supposed to or not?) I know I bugged the snot out of the receptionist trying to make sure they had what they needed. At one point I was told that they had already reviewed my application that they were just waiting on the reference forms. What's taking them so long??? Should I contact them again or not?