Am I the only one who can't help but feeling a bit resentful?

[Provincial Cosmopolitan]

Okay: I understand that I'm not going to get into every school to which I apply, but it seems that many of the departments could be at least a little bit more courteous in the way they do things.

 

For example, one department clearly made all their decisions in early February, going by the posts here. There were about 10-12 posts by people saying that they'd been accepted. This is a top department, and clearly they weren't going to take more than 10 people. I called the department and inquired about this, as I wanted to make sure they were done with decisions. They said, "Oh no, we're still in the process of deciding." Then, sure enough, just the other day I received a rejection letter - as did many other people.

 

Why can't these schools, to whom we've paid at least $75 each to apply, at least give the courtesy of letting us know right away when they've rejected us, or keep us up to date on the process? A simple form email from an office intern would do the trick.

 

Several schools have done this to so far. Another school says they won't make a decision until April, "May the latest." What? Everywhere else wants a decision by 4/15 "the latest." And this is a school that charged a $125 fee for applying. That's money out the window no matter what, because I have to decide against them if they wait that long to let me know what they're doing.

 

With all the money that we have to pay for the application process, and given that the whole thing is quite important to us applicants, it would seem that these departments could make these few minor modifications to their process. Some departments have. I was rejected by a few schools in a very pleasant way.

 

I'm not bitter or anything; I did get into a school that I find exciting and that is offering me funding. Still, I can't help but feel slightly resentful toward these other departments.

 

[katieliz456]

Yeah, I think it'd be courteous to at least make the process more transparent.  I know some schools prefer to do rolling admissions, and others prefer to wait until Spring Break and take a whole week for the Ad Comm to review applications; some use a waitlist, while others admit more students than "real seats".  That's fine. However, they need to tell us what the heck they are doing!  I wish they would give us a specific notification date or range, and I think they should, to the best of their abilities, notify applicants simultaneously.  There is no reason to take your time and notify accepted students over THREE days. 

[Usmivka]

Some schools actually are still making decisions. In my program, they select their top admits right away, then take a couple weeks of horse trading to decide who (which advisor) gets their favored grad student applicant. Only when that is done do rejections go out. It can take a lot of time to separate the "just made it" applicants from the "barely didn't." Other admissions systems can be used as well. For example, when my partner was applying to a biology related field, at least half of the final admits at the places she applied to were not accepted until April or early May. This is because the same pool of top applicants was accepted everywhere, and the schools had to wait until that group made decisions (and thus opened up slots at the places they decided not to go) before filling up the class. The decision deadline is April 15, hence some folks on the waitlist didn't know until late April. Further down on the waitlist means waiting for higher choice applicants to decline, hence the early May final decisions--the timing is something somewhat outside the school's control, hence the vague deadlines and lack of transparency. In this case the schools aren't being malicious--rather your fellow applicants are holding you hostage by not making speedy decisions.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Usmivka

[selecttext]

if a department keeps you waiting and you have other offers, you should contact the poi or associate chair to inquire on your status as you already have some offers. if they want you, they will probably expedite the process.

[Provincial Cosmopolitan]

if a department keeps you waiting and you have other offers, you should contact the poi or associate chair to inquire on your status as you already have some offers. if they want you, they will probably expedite the process.

 

I actually did that, and that is how I found out that I was rejected at one of the universities I mentioned above. Why they couldn't have told me earlier, I don't know. He wrote something along the lines of, "Since you have other offers, I should let you know that the admissions committee at XXX University in Boston met and did not recommend you for admission." It was a good enough reason - the POI was leaving the faculty - but we could have been notified earlier.

 

Some schools actually are still making decisions. In my program, they select their top admits right away, then take a couple weeks of horse trading to decide who (which advisor) gets their favored grad student applicant. Only when that is done do rejections go out. It can take a lot of time to separate the "just made it" applicants from the "barely didn't." Other admissions systems can be used as well. For example, when my partner was applying to a biology related field, at least half of the final admits at the places she applied to were not accepted until April or early May. This is because the same pool of top applicants was accepted everywhere, and the schools had to wait until that group made decisions (and thus opened up slots at the places they decided not to go) before filling up the class. The decision deadline is April 15, hence some folks on the waitlist didn't know until late April. Further down on the waitlist means waiting for higher choice applicants to decline, hence the early May final decisions--the timing is something somewhat outside the school's control, hence the vague deadlines and lack of transparency. In this case the schools aren't being malicious--rather your fellow applicants are holding you hostage by not making speedy decisions.

 

I understand this, but as another commenter noted, there are a variety of different paths by which admissions committees come to decisions. It would simply be so much easier if they sent out a form email letting people know where they are in the admissions process. And really, I think any time after April 15 is indefensible. Basically, what the school is saying is this: If you would like to come here, you have to let the opportunity at all the other schools that accepted you and offered you funding pass you by for the simple hope that we might accept you. If they are going to do that, they really should let the prospective student know what's going on.

 

[tiarabun]

whats worst is when the department just completely ignores your inquiries. that's so rude!

 

(Yes, I'm talking about you UMD)

[skiby]

I had a bad experience with a very unprofessional program last year when I applied the first time, so I feel your pain OP. 

 

At the end of February, I had heard back from every program I applied to except for one, my top choice (of course). My second choice wanted a decision by April 1 so I emailed the head of the department that I hadn't heard from and politely mentioned that I had received other offers and was wondering about the status of my application.

 

He answered almost immediately, saying that they were still making decisions but that upon reviewing my information they felt I was a strong candidate for their program and should wait to hear from them before I make any other decisions. That was fine, considering I had until April, so I thanked him and went on my merry way.

 

About three weeks later, I still hadn't heard from them and time was running out to make a decision. I sent him another email, to which he responded that the program was "currently in a holding pattern." Ok....what? I requested further explanation and he only said that they were waiting to place three of us but I was still a top choice and shouldn't make any other decisions.  

 

As annoying as that was, I should have accepted my first offer, but it was out of state and making it financially possible was going to be very difficult. So I waited. The deadline to make a decision for my first offer came and went. I didn't end up hearing back from the program I had been emailing until early May...and they rejected me.

 

This process is already draining enough without adding mind-games into the mix. All things considered, this year off allowed me to gain more experience in my field, but that isn't the point. I wish these programs would be a little more conscientious of their applicants...especially, as you mentioned, since we are paying so much money JUST TO APPLY. 

 

Ok...I'm done ranting (I'm still a the tiniest bit bitter apparently!  )

[thunderchunky]

That's horrible, skiby. I'm incensed on your behalf.

[Provincial Cosmopolitan]

That really is awful skiby. I'm also incensed on your behalf! But thank you for the cautionary tail. With that in mind, I'm going to plan on giving CUNY another week, and then if they don't respond with some kind of decision, simply accept the offer at the other school that is currently tied for top choice.

 

Or maybe this is a good thing: if the department is such an incredible mess that they can't make decisions by now - or maybe until May! - even though their deadline for applications was January 3, then it seems likely that the department might be a five-year nightmare if I do get in and accept. I mean, they also did tell me that the person to talk to is only in on Wednesdays!

 

Do I really want to spend half a decade with these people?

 

[skiby]

I do think it's worth it to email them if you haven't heard back...especially with other offers pending. There are certainly ways to email departments without bugging them incessantly, and even though most of my friends told me not to continue emailing the program I was ultimately rejected from I am glad that I did. And I agree that spending that much time in a disorganized program would probably prove to be very frustrating!

 

Good luck and I'm sure that you will end up in the right place!

[hopeful80]

You are NOT the only one. Trust me.

 

Some schools have been very sweet with the application process, but others have been downright miserable.

 

I feel like grad schools know they hold "the power", so they can afford to have rude secretaries who ignore you or dangle your decision in front of you like torture. I agree - paying almost 100 dollars to apply (I have spent over 1000 on this whole procedure) I would expect more understanding, promptness, and politeness.

 

But nope, they know you want them more than they want you (well, I would think) so they can treat you however they'd like. You're just another name and number.

 

It's like dating someone you like a lot more than they like you. They string you along like a puppy, ignore your texts, and don't even have the courtesy to end it - they just disappear ...

Edited March 1, 2013 by hopeful80

[hopeful80]

Skiby - that is TERRIBLE. How dare they ... that seriously had me fuming. Especially the fact that he led you on ... and then off of a cliff!

 

I'm sorry best of luck this time around.

[Archae-lol-ogist]

Skiby, my jaw literally dropped when I read your post. I am so sorry that happened to you, that really is completely awful. 

[Provincial Cosmopolitan]

I feel like grad schools know they hold "the power", so they can afford to have rude secretaries who ignore you or dangle your decision in front of you like torture. I agree - paying almost 100 dollars to apply (I have spent over 1000 on this whole procedure) I would expect more understanding, promptness, and politeness.

 

It was actually $125 for the school that's waiting until maybe May to let people know. I did want them more than they wanted me, but my desire for them is slowly waning, and my good feelings toward what would have been my third choice is sort of becoming equal to this former tie for first place...

 

[OhMySocks]

Its a very innefficient process because all parties only have partial information and everybody's decisions are tightly interconnected. The grad schools are holding out making decisions on everyone because they're waiting on a a few students who are waitng on other grad schools who are waiting on other students and so on. In the perfect world every student would submit their school preferences and every grad school would submit their student preferences to a giant computer which would calculate pairings that make the maximum amount of people happy.

[ak48]

Minor annoyance: when schools don't send out emails telling us to check the website when decisions are ready.

 

Especially if you are a top computer science school. Sending out a form letter to everybody on the application list should be common courtesy, and easily feasible for the top minds in the country.

[nope]

Last time I applied for graduate programs I had a school that didn't even contact me to tell me they'd rejected me. I called and the person asked for my name, and then they said,  "Check your inbox." It was a PDF of the rejection letter. For that same school, my friend got both an email and a letter. As he put it, "It was like they really wanted to know I'd been rejected." It was his top choice, so I'm guessing he felt a little bitter about it.

 

This time around, when applying for a PhD, one school didn't send out letters until like three weeks after they'd rejected me. I only found out I'd been rejected from them through checking the website after I saw on TGC that someone else had randomly checked the website and saw they'd been rejected.

 

I also interviewed at a school three or four weeks ago and everyone was told they'd start letting people know two weeks after the interview... I know a friend who goes to a law school there and he said the administration there tends to take forever, so it's possible it's just a delay, but I wish we'd know that.

 

I do recommend emailing/calling. I like to say, "I'm starting to hear back from other schools [if I have an offer I say I'm starting to get offers from other schools] and I'm still interested in your program, so I was just wondering if there's an estimated date for decisions." It tends to get a good response.