Do Graduate School Admission offices reject students who are nominated for admission by the department?

[la sarar]

Do this kind of things happen?

 

I heard hints, some of which are quite obvious, that I the sub-field I'm applying to wants to admit me (have some insiders' news), and I recently heard from a professor that the decisions seem to be under review (or being processed) by the admission office. He said that he hopes that "the admissions will keep you here and that you'll choose to stay with us" (I'm studying here right now in a master's). Does this mean that the admission office will choose again from those nominated and offer admission only to a few (that is, whether they'll keep me is uncertain), or that these are just some procedures that everyone can safely go through (assuming that all the materials are authentic and accurate, such as transcripts, scores, etc.) 

 

Thank you for your insights in advance.

[Usmivka]

The University as a whole may have certain admissions requirements (minimum GPA, required coursework, etc). A department rarely nominates someone for admission that doesn't meet the requirements, but it does occasionally happen. I know a of only a couple instances.

[Physwimic]

There are some rare cases of admissions denying an applicant admission after the department recommends them; however, they are usually pretty rare.  It usually occurs when something is not acceptable with the application (ie the GPA doesn't meet a cutoff or something similar).

[uromastyx]

I'm a bit confused. Why would the graduate school review admission after a department?

[Eigen]

I'm a bit confused. Why would the graduate school review admission after a department?

 

That's how it happens almost everywhere. You submit your apps to a department, the department reviews, and picks candidates, that they send on to the dean of graduate studies for the school, or to the dean of the graduate school to review. Formal offers of admission then come from the graduate school, rather than the individual department, usually. 

[uromastyx]

That's how it happens almost everywhere. You submit your apps to a department, the department reviews, and picks candidates, that they send on to the dean of graduate studies for the school, or to the dean of the graduate school to review. Formal offers of admission then come from the graduate school, rather than the individual department, usually. 

Ah, thanks for that!

[narcisso]

I'm a bit confused. Why would the graduate school review admission after a department?

Also somethimes the grad schoold is responsible for tuition, fees and stipend (information that is sent along with the offer of admission).

Edited February 10, 2013 by narcisso

[lacanadiense]

I am really worried about this also. I got an email from Georgetown Public Policy Institute saying that my admission has been "recommended" to the Graduate School at large, and that I should be expecting a formal offer in a few weeks. The subject of the email was "Welcome to GPPI," and I got an email the next day congratulating me again and asking me to write an essay for scholarship consideration. I read through previous year's threads about GPPI, and this seems to be their MO. Nobody posted (as far as I could tell) that the Graduate School rejected them after this provisional acceptance. I have a GPA above 3.0, good GRE scores, and no criminal record or anything shady like that. But I am still paranoid!

[selecttext]

uh your fear is baseless - you said so yourself.

[la sarar]

Thanks very much for everyone's responses. 

[la sarar]

uh your fear is baseless - you said so yourself.

 

Well the thing is that I have not yet received anything like an "unofficial admission", so everything is based on hints. The most direct one is from my POI, who is also my current academic adviser. He said that "it's very likely that you can stay, if that's your desire. But it's not final yet". Something like that. A current PhD student told me something more certain, saying that "Prof. X wants to take you, A and B, three students this year". So I don't even know if the department has approved of their nominations. It's only from another professor that I heard something like "the admission office is doing their work now".

It turned out that last year they did not send unofficial admissions so everyone had to wait till the day. It might be the same this year so I have to wait for another month. This is killing me. 

[la sarar]

I am really worried about this also. I got an email from Georgetown Public Policy Institute saying that my admission has been "recommended" to the Graduate School at large, and that I should be expecting a formal offer in a few weeks. The subject of the email was "Welcome to GPPI," and I got an email the next day congratulating me again and asking me to write an essay for scholarship consideration. I read through previous year's threads about GPPI, and this seems to be their MO. Nobody posted (as far as I could tell) that the Graduate School rejected them after this provisional acceptance. I have a GPA above 3.0, good GRE scores, and no criminal record or anything shady like that. But I am still paranoid!

That's understandable. One has to see the letter to be 100% assured. 

But your case sounds a lot more certain than mine. 

[Neem217]

Do this kind of things happen?

 

I heard hints, some of which are quite obvious, that I the sub-field I'm applying to wants to admit me (have some insiders' news), and I recently heard from a professor that the decisions seem to be under review (or being processed) by the admission office. He said that he hopes that "the admissions will keep you here and that you'll choose to stay with us" (I'm studying here right now in a master's). Does this mean that the admission office will choose again from those nominated and offer admission only to a few (that is, whether they'll keep me is uncertain), or that these are just some procedures that everyone can safely go through (assuming that all the materials are authentic and accurate, such as transcripts, scores, etc.) 

 

Thank you for your insights in advance.

 

La Sarar, I don't think your fear is baseless. I have known individuals that were recommended by a chaired professor or perhaps chosen by the individual department that were not admitted based up on the general admissions committee's review. Specifically, a good friend of mine was rejected for a doctoral program in religion though a chaired professor fought for her admissions. He said afterwards something to the like of "I wish you gotten to know more professors out of your area." 

 

Thus, there will be people who are recommended by the department in their "Top 5" or what not, and do not get admitted. The professor who recommends you may not be part of the general admissions committee. I think part of this is that the general admissions committee is always much broader in its interest than the department's, but of course, most of it is politics. It's also hard to know who is part of the admissions committee at certain schools, as the positions may change annually.  I don't think its necessarily about meeting requirements, language, GPA, recommendations, etc. - as many applicants do.  

 

I apologize. This post gives you no solace, but I relate to your situation. Here's to the admissions committee seeing the talent your professor and the department see in you!! 

[lilam]

I'm in the same position, currently waiting for an official letter which the official informed me would "hopefully" arrive in a few days. Hopefully...

[la sarar]

La Sarar, I don't think your fear is baseless. I have known individuals that were recommended by a chaired professor or perhaps chosen by the individual department that were not admitted based up on the general admissions committee's review. Specifically, a good friend of mine was rejected for a doctoral program in religion though a chaired professor fought for her admissions. He said afterwards something to the like of "I wish you gotten to know more professors out of your area." 

 

Thus, there will be people who are recommended by the department in their "Top 5" or what not, and do not get admitted. The professor who recommends you may not be part of the general admissions committee. I think part of this is that the general admissions committee is always much broader in its interest than the department's, but of course, most of it is politics. It's also hard to know who is part of the admissions committee at certain schools, as the positions may change annually.  I don't think its necessarily about meeting requirements, language, GPA, recommendations, etc. - as many applicants do.  

 

I apologize. This post gives you no solace, but I relate to your situation. Here's to the admissions committee seeing the talent your professor and the department see in you!! 

 

Thank you very much for your insights! Honestly this is not comforting news but I do appreciate your comments. It is, I believe, always better to be cautious. 

 

Actually I'm wondering what this "general committee" consists of. It sounds like my application is sent back to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for review. Are professors from this department part of this committee? Who are reviewing this nominees right now? Administrators? Professors from whatever department? 

 

At my department there are three sub-fields. In the ancient field I know and have taken courses with all of the four full professors and two of them wrote my recommendations (the other two I didn't ask because I didn't take classes with them until the application season). I heard positive hints from three of them, the other one is technically from a different "school", though also part of the university. I'm not sure if he participates in the review process of this department. Anyway, I had a talk last week with my POI, he said that his concern is that he is going to retire in two years. I had known this before and asked him if I should apply, and he told me that it's fine since the university will replace him and he can still supervise dissertations after retirement. However, I realized that this could be used as an excuse to cut down the ancient field's quota in the department. The other two have stronger faculties, a lot more professors. 

 

They said that I'm high on the list. But I think now the problem is if they have made a departmental list. If so, then the question is again: who are those people who review the recommended ones at the GSAS. 

[Neem217]

I assume you're referring to Harvard. They don't release who is on the admissions committee, probably for good reason. I believe the admissions committee is composed of selected professors (or those who volunteer as I heard the scrambled to find people who were willing!) from the faculty of the Committee on the Study of Religion which is a lot of people. It is not the standing committee members of the Committee of the Study of Religion. 

 

It is a definite mix of people from various departments across the university, thus, its composed of people from this list: 

http://studyofreligion.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70796&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup161173

 

Short answer: Yes, it's probably professors from whatever department. 

 

For example, the ThD Admissions Committee Chair is a person who doesn't teach at HDS but in the EALC (East Asian Languages and Cultures) department  in the Yard. If Chair means anything - then perhaps he read applications. I am sure few applicants' interest will overlap with his, but he will have to review all those that were nominated. 

 

That being said, I do believe the admissions committee for the ThD and the PhD are the same. I am not sure though, but if they are the same why don't they just send out ThD and PhD letters at the same time, instead of the almost two week gap? Perhaps the GSAS as different regulations/rules/etc. But, I am going to double check by asking a professor. So, I'll get back to you.

 

You seem to be wanted, so take that compliment, and dwell in it. I am sure you are a fantastic candidate. I wish you the best of luck. 

Edited February 21, 2013 by Neem217

[Neem217]

La sarar: My POI got back to me. 

 

My Question: "One quick question, is it the same admissions committee for both the ThD and PhD at Harvard?" he said:

 

He said: "Yes.  However, rankings might be different for each." 

 

Hope this helps! 

[quick1]

I would imagine that they mean the graduate school as a whole has it's own admission requirements and thus if you meet those then sounds like the department wants to accept you. I've heard of schools doing it this way before but seems odd to me. Many schools do the "overall graduate school reviews application to ensure applicant meets minimum school requirements" then submit apps that "pass requirements" to the individual departments for review. To me that makes more sense than allowing a department to select applicants than having to wait on approval from the school to see if requirements are met. I do know many schools who use this ideal process still have the department needing to get final approval from the graduate school itself even after deciding who they want but usuallt that involves someone signing off on it and making it official.

[lilam]

Finally received the official notice from graduate admissions!