Getting informal/unofficial notifications of acceptance?

[quick1]

I'm wondering if this is fairly common. I know sometimes I see in Results Search posts about being accepted by phone either told by an admissions staff person, POI, or professor and this date is often before the date when official notifications seem to go out. I know a few people who have experienced this as well.

 

If one recieves a phone call stating one is accepted and that the official notices still have to go out, is this as good as an acceptance or should it be viewed speculatively until confirmed?

 

 

[Sconnie]

I had a Graduate Coordinator call me last week with one of these.  She also invited me to their recruitment weekend with a travel stipend.  She did however also stress that the acceptance was still unofficial until the graduate school itself signed off on the department's decision.  Obviously, they wouldn't be paying money for me to come visit if they weren't very sure that the graduate school was going to accept me as well but there is still a possibility.  Even if it is a small one.

[quick1]

I had a Graduate Coordinator call me last week with one of these.  She also invited me to their recruitment weekend with a travel stipend.  She did however also stress that the acceptance was still unofficial until the graduate school itself signed off on the department's decision.  Obviously, they wouldn't be paying money for me to come visit if they weren't very sure that the graduate school was going to accept me as well but there is still a possibility.  Even if it is a small one.

Good to hear. I ask because I know someone this happened to and they ended up not accepting her. Although it was an issue of her not having the full requirements in coursework needed and someone put her file in the wrong pile.

[Olee_Beantown]

I received a "recommendation for admission" from the African American Studies department at Boston University a couple of weeks ago. I received the email notification days before the official deadline for application. I assumed this was due to my awesome conversations with the program admin and the head of graduate studies at the school, but now I'm getting worried. The deadline was 2/15, and it is 2/21. The few people I've told about this situation have reassured me that since the department wants me, the only way I would get rejected is if there were not enough funding or I didn't meet the school's admission requirements. According to the Arts and Sciences school website, the requirements for graduate study are a bachelor's degree and some background courses in the humanities. Since I meet both requirements, and my acceptance came earlier than the deadline, I think its safe to say I have been accepted. 

 

I think one has to be very careful how the perceive recommendations for admittance. It is not always cut and dry, and unfortunately doesn't always mean you're in. I am cautiously optimistic, and hoping to get my packet it the mail some day soon!