CUNY application status

[RandomDood]

Hi fellow 2013 applicants,

I'be been lurking on this forum since November, and lately I found myself spending an hour a day reading post after post, ranging from sociology (my intended field of study) to Computer Science and Chemistry. Yes, I am crazy.

I just wanted to know if anyone figured out how to check CUNY 's application status. I just got an email from a guy at the admission office saying that I should check often if all my documents get processed in time, but the link they sent me seems just a link to the online application.. I can't view my submitted application, just start a new one. Should I start freaking out?

Agh. Too late.

[jacib]

If no one else answers this, email the department secretary/graduate secretary and politely ask how to do this.  They'll be happy to help.

[RandomDood]

Yes, you are right...

It's just that I'm afraid that everything I say could be used against me in the application process...

That's kinda paranoid.

[gilbertrollins]

Secretaries aren't gossiping to the committees about who's calling up with dumb questions.  You'd have to work pretty hard (unless it comes naturally to you) to make a bad enough impression for her to say something to the committee.  I've had wonderful experiences with these women so far -- they've all been in my corner and extremely helpful.  As with anyone in a "customer service" sort of role -- being extra nice and talking to them like a real person will take you a long way.

[jacib]

I've talked with my department secretary about the applicants.  She thinks a lot of you are borderline incompetent children and you ask so many dumb questions, she'd be astonished if you can all feed yourselves.  Which is fine, that's pretty much how she thinks about us (in a sweet, semi-maternal way).  It definitely doesn't get to the committee or anything like that that you were having trouble with the sign-in thing.  Just email her (and I have a strong feeling that the CUNY secretary is a "her"), and just be like, "I'm having this problem.  I got this email that says to check.  I can't check.  Sorry to take up your time but I just want to make sure everything is.  Is everything in?  Is there another way to check thing?"  Keep it short, give your full name (obviously), and be polite.

[gilbertrollins]

They only get really annoyed if you ask questions that are directly addressed on the webpage somewhere, or if you pester about a particular issues more so because you don't like the answer you got than because it doesn't address your question.  

 

And you'd have to crank pretty hard on both (1) or (2) to get noticed around the department.  At the end of the day secretaries answer a lot of dumb questions and pick up everyone's stupidity slack all day - from all levels.  That's why they're such an incredible species.  That they still have any faith in anyone's intelligence, and haven't developed a large community online commiserating about everyone's stupidity yet, is amazing.  

[ohgoodness]

I've talked with my department secretary about the applicants.  She thinks a lot of you are borderline incompetent children and you ask so many dumb questions, she'd be astonished if you can all feed yourselves. 

Could you please tell whoever you were talking to you (secretary or assistant) to redirect this critique to whoever came up with, what seems to be, a rather arbitrary way of accepting students? Only a person drunk on blind faith would not e-mail/doublecheck things when it comes to something important and this does feel rather important.... At this point - I would not be surprised if someone told me that x school actually randomizes the whole thing; all names in a pot and then ask the sea lion to select 8 names from the draw. If accepted - you have to wrestle a spider for the possibility of funding.

btw - this large online community sounds exactly the internet..

Edited January 13, 2013 by cherub

[RandomDood]

At this point - I would not be surprised if someone told me that x school actually randomizes the whole thing; all names in a pot and then ask the sea lion to select 8 names from the draw. If accepted - you have to wrestle a spider for the possibility of funding.

Ahahah, which reminds me of this post in another thread:

1) Application piles are thinned using quantitative criteria - those with low GPAs, GREs, get weeded out.

2) Applicants are further eliminated based on how much research experience they have - lack of experience means you're out.

3) A number of applicants are selected based on their personal statement and recommendations - this still leaves a sizable number of applications to deal with

Thus,

4) Faculty meet in a conference room, each equipped with a bow and arrow. The program chair gives the signal, and throws all the applications in the air. The faculty fire their arrows simultaneously, and applicants whose files get hit are called up for interviews.

5) To decide who gets offers, the faculty are given a series of challenges. These range from challenges of skill (e.g., who can perform an ANOVA by hand the quickest), to games of chance (e.g., winning a dice roll while juggling bowls of gold fish - the person who rolls the highest and comes within half a standard deviation of the average number of goldfish in each bowl wins). Based on their performance, faculty then get assigned priority to choose who they would like to invite to the program.

As you can see, there is a lot of randomness in the selection process, especially in the latter stages. As such, I would advise you to apply to multiple programs. "

(Source: QxV, 15 April 2012. )

Edited January 13, 2013 by RandomDood