JMoo Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Someone posted this on the results page: received email from a lowly office secretary with three sentences saying I am not on the new admitted student list. Not written on an official letterhead or attachment just three sentences in an unsolicited email. Plain rude Given that there is no way a professor is going to have time to send out a couple of hundred personal notes to the people who don't get in, what do you consider a polite method of rejection? Or is there one, given that the news is going to suck no matter what? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comfect Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Personally, I think that it should include 1) a statement of how many applicants they had/how many they accepted (we deserve the consolation of knowing how small that percentage is, since it's ALWAYS small) and 2) A decent facsimile of a signature; it really isn't hard to scan something well. But 3) and most important, it should be sent via email relatively promptly, rather than 2-3 weeks afterwards by mail. C'mon, if you know I'm rejected, let me know too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 An official email with school logos/lettering with a general explanation of how the applicant pool looked. For example, low funding this year due to economic circumstnaces, we reduced class size, applications increased by 35% and most were exceptional etc. We did pay $80 and invested countless hours of effort, I think it's the least they could do. Just because you're an academic doesn't mean you have the right to be an asshole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feisty Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Someone posted this on the results page: um. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridgey Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 um. Yeah, that made me angry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbbgurl Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I dont really care how Im rejected, just so long as they tell me in a timely manner. Send it by e-mail not snail-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meankney Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I dont really care how Im rejected, just so long as they tell me in a timely manner. Send it by e-mail not snail-mail. Agreed!!! I don't want to wait around for weeks. Just tell me so I can get on with my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miratrix Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Agreed. A short paragraph's worth of damage control would be nice too ('we had such a competitive applicant pool," etc.). But anything would be better than a rejection I got for summer funding one year in college - they sent out the list of successful applicants (around 100) to everyone's mailbox, and my name just wasn't on it. If it doesn't involve public humiliation, GREAT. Also, I wonder if it's too late to switch fields to Volcanology/Igneous Pet. That's exciting. (I've always been one of those archaeologists who secretly wants to be a geologist.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readyforachange Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Almost anything other than me seeing a rejection posted on the results page here, and signing into the Web site to see my own rejection. No e-mail or communication from the department (it's been weeks at this point). Thanks. Not only did I pay $100 to apply to your school for application fees, GRE scores and shipping materials, as well as the time to work on my application - and the department doesn't even have the decency to notify me that I was rejected? Forget that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlattheHelm Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Well, no one said we had to be nice and since no one is ever nice to us I'd not gripe about it. Don't allow an emotional response to it. I keep the cigars lit and a solid "Don't talk to me unless you like to be bitten" look across my face - squinty eyed, with reading glasses and all... I am lowly - and I will bring everyone down with me! Anyway, no, there really is a hierarchy to the job and a secretarial person should NOT be giving out informal anything. Whenever they do something on behalf of the department, it comes from the department and any representative ought to know that professionalism is of utmost importance. What probably happened was a student worker (even lower than the lowly secretary) was forced to write the rejections. I've seen crap like that done - a student does a mail out of something and it goes haywire after they're told to write something up, unfamiliar with printing on stationary and no one around to babysit. As head office administrative assistants everywhere know, student workers are simply a pain in the ass.* :wink: *Note: It's a joke, guys. I'm a student secretary. But, all said and done, I've seen how awful most of my counterparts are - namely freshmen and sophomore "helpers" who are on staff. I have asked several times for people to go home early because I don't need an extra obstacle while working (quite literally). The head secretary has worked with me for two years - I know how this place rolls. Other people are a pain in the ass. Case in point: A young lady trying to help writes up a memo for all majors in the department. She was asked to have me proofread it before we started packaging but she was all in a hurry to leave early so she went ahead and packaged all the envelopes, did the labels, etc-etc... She screwed up the ENTIRE letter. Well, when I arrived I found a litter of typos, grammatical errors, no heading and it was written very nonchalant. I had to re-do all 85 envelopes after retyping the f*cking letter~! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illinoisellie Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 As head office administrative assistants everywhere know, student workers are simply a pain in the ass.* :wink: *Note: It's a joke, guys. I'm a student secretary. But, all said and done, I've seen how awful most of my counterparts are - namely freshmen and sophomore "helpers" who are on staff. I have asked several times for people to go home early because I don't need an extra obstacle while working (quite literally). The head secretary has worked with me for two years - I know how this place rolls. Other people are a pain in the ass. Case in point: A young lady trying to help writes up a memo for all majors in the department. She was asked to have me proofread it before we started packaging but she was all in a hurry to leave early so she went ahead and packaged all the envelopes, did the labels, etc-etc... She screwed up the ENTIRE letter. Well, when I arrived I found a litter of typos, grammatical errors, no heading and it was written very nonchalant. I had to re-do all 85 envelopes after retyping the f*cking letter~! I work at the Registrar's Office at my school and I've run into this problem. So many of them just sit and play on the computers all day long - at least I get my work done first! Heck yeah they are!!! Jeez! The freshman and sophomores this year are completely awful!!! hahaha.... anyways, I would prefer to be rejected by email, then by paper - and it doesn't have to be difficult - a tier-based mass email is just fine... weekly emails/paper mailings to rejects or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreams Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 lowly huh? Such a poor attitude. Anyway, I have only one preference for rejection: for it to be done quickly and not dragged out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc11505 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 call me old fashioned (just old?) I like the letters that come in the mail. I've already gotten two so I don't think it delays things that much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow#5 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 By a nude man in the process of dusting my mini-blinds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belowthree Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 By avian carrier, preferably one that was compliant with RFC 1149 or RFC 2549. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterpat Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Though none of my 5 have been in this manner, and I doubt it is common practice for any program, a personal letter, with a reason, would be my PREFERRED way of being rejected. E.g. Blah blah blah Your writing sample left something to be desired. or Your statement of purpose could have been more specific in area x. I realize this would make the already painful admissions process even longer for profs, so no one needs to point this out to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fields&charts Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I think a small bottle of bourbon should be overnighted with the rejection notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkle456 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I'm all for letting us know quickly!! I prefer it to be in the regular mail, then I can't check it in my email at work. I definitely want to know how many people applied and some sort of reasoning. It's hard to get this w/the top schools w/many apps but like a previous poster mentioned, we put in so much time and money that it seems like they owe us that at least. It doesn't have to be from an individual professor, but something...! Interesting topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthcat Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I think it would be nice if they included in the paper rejection (which, provided it's timely, doesn't need to be heralded by an email) a small pin that said "I was rejected by X University, but I am still an exceptional student" Then you could at least collect them. :roll: ... I'll tell you how I DON'T want to be rejected, though - with LAST YEAR'S form email. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Berkeley anthropology PhD - yes, you, Ned, whoever you are! The email itself was very sweet and easy on the self esteem, but then I notice it says that they couldn't admit me for FALL 2008! :x What, did you not have time to edit a single digit of your saved template before sending it to 400+ prospective students?!? I work as an office manager, mister, and I know exactly how long it takes to make that kind of change. All of about 30 seconds. *@!^)(&$#(*^$*#^&!!!!! :evil: :twisted: :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugaku Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 By a nude man in the process of dusting my mini-blinds. Is that a euphemism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I think a small bottle of bourbon should be overnighted with the rejection notice. Agreed, though the size of the bottle should reflect the application fee and involve compensatory damages. The $110 I paid to receive a rude rejection addressed to Mr. X when I am a) a woman, and holding a degree from a well-known women's college, AND a phone call ("Hello, Mr. X?") stating the same should earn me quite a few mint juleps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow#5 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Re: How would you prefer to be rejected? by sugaku Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDLee Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I would prefer to be rejected with a large lump sum refund of all of my expenses incurred and with a hand written apology on official letterhead by the head of the department and the president of the university. This I would like hand delivered by their own personal courier service attached to a check for $10,000 in "we're sorry we couldn't accept you" money. Barring that...I'd go with an actual REASON other than the canned "There were many qualified applicants" bull.. :mrgreen: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dherres Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 "We regret to inform you that we are unable to approve your application for our doctoral program. As your application was a strong one, however, we have forwarded it to the admissions committee of #1SchoolInCountry on your behalf, where you have been accepted with full funding and PrestigiousFellowship. Additionally, Dr. S/He'sAPerfectFitForYou has made plans to move from our program to that of #1School for the upcoming fall semester and will be taking you on as his student. Please find enclosed the acceptance letter from #1School. We wish you all the best in your endeavors there." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotf629 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 My top choice was also the school at which I had gotten my MA (though in a different field), so all four of my recommenders were from that school, two from the department itself. Said school (wicked competitive) has almost certainly rejected me. A couple days ago, after emailing one of my recommenders/advisors with a question about the schools that had accepted me, I got an email back that said (paraphrased): "Many congratulations; how thrilling to have so many options! [Lots of very specific advice about said options]. As far as [top choice program], I'm not on the committee this year so I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure you would already know by now if you were in, or even if you were on the wait list, so you can probably scratch us off. For what it's worth, I would have advised you to turn down an offer from us (or tried to force myself to do so). [several specific reasons about why top choice program is actually quite wrong for me]." It really sucked to get cut from a program at which I actually knew people...somehow it seemed much more personal...but as far as not getting in, I think that this was about the easiest possible let-down. Now that I hit this thread, actually, I realize just how lucky I was on this score. Conversely, the Yale rejection *sucked*. Please go log in to our system in order to see our generic rejection letter?? Why the hell not just email said letter? Somehow, the extra step of forcing me to log in made it that much less personal. Generally, I'd say that the more personal the rejection, the better: frankly, that's true whether it's personal in a good way (even though we did not let you in, we thought x in your application was great, or your y other options are great), or personal in a bad way (you did not get into our program for a, b, and c tangible and specific reasons). Also, the less personal...and especially, the more impersonal, redundant, and automated the steps of actually being rejected (coughYalecough)...the tougher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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