Is it a bad sign if you haven't heard back at this point???

[khart16]

I applied to 5 grad schools (PhD programs) for history and the two that were at the bottom of my list already contacted me with rejections. However, i'm dying waiting on my top three schools to get back to me and I received an e-mail almost 6 weeks ago from one school saying that they received all my information and that they would look at it within a few weeks time. Yet I haven't received a decision. My deadlines ranged from January 1 to January 15 so they were all submitted around the same time. I'm freaking out. This entire process sucks, I know I'm a great student but you just never know what they'll be looking for in particular and why they reject you. It definitely takes a toll on your self esteem!

[aucinema]

If I've learned anything about graduate admissions, it's that it ain't over till it's over. General wisdom is that a long period of no news probably means a waitlist or a rejection, but that's not a hard and fast rule and varies from school to school and season to season. 

 

I don't think any of us could possibly give you a satisfactory answer at this point. 

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

It probably isn't a good sign. I would check the results board at the other schools and post this in the history board.

[Chui]

For what it's worth, I applied to 4 history Master's programs and have been accepted to 3 at this point.  The first came in December (my safety school, they were rather eager) and the second in late February (second choice, no funding).  I just got acceptance with a full assistantship to my top choice earlier this week.

[RandiZ]

Short answer: no. Long answer: it depends. I found that the Results Search on my particular school and program gave the most accurate idea. If there is not enough data from previous years, you're SOL, and have to suffer along with another unknown in this process full of unknowns.

[evolution786]

I think it's varies greatly from school to school. I called my top school last week (it's also the top grad school for my major) since I hadn't heard anything yet. They said professors haven't even looked at most of the applicants yet. They've only found the top ~10 students and accepted them, otherwise nothing else. So I wouldn't lose hope yet by any means. It just suggests that you're not in the top 1% that has applied there, but you might still have a good chance. It's frustrating to wait this long, but there's nothing we can really do at this point. 

[panda7488]

I have been rejected from two schools, accepted to one, and rejected to one school's PhD program but then told my application was sent along to be considered for a Masters. One school I haven't heard from yet. It's all a "wait and see" situation, I think.

[ELM616]

I applied to 8 schools. Accepted to my top 3 choices (with funding to one) in early February, but haven't heard much of anything from the other five schools.

 

Except, one of my safety schools apparently called my advisor with some rather detailed questions about my profile. And its one of the lowest ranked schools in my pool of applications. So go figure.

 

I think each department is different at every school. Try not to sweat it. It aint over till its over.

[nackteziege]

I'm still waiting on one too.  I think we're definitely getting into the end of decision season, but I would say you'll hear within two weeks.  Also, consider if your schools are on spring break; you probably won't hear over that week.

[toby42]

I think each department is different at every school. Try not to sweat it. It aint over till its over.

 

BINGO. It all depends on the school. Check the acceptance page and see how many have already posted acceptances or rejections from the school (and program) of your choice.

[stephchristine0]

BINGO. It all depends on the school. Check the acceptance page and see how many have already posted acceptances or rejections from the school (and program) of your choice.

What do you mean by acceptance page? Of the school or of gradcafe? Do they post their acceptances? 

[toby42]

What do you mean by acceptance page? Of the school or of gradcafe? Do they post their acceptances? 

 

Sorry I wasn't more clear about this! There's a helpful little page here at thegradcafe where students can post their acceptance/rejection from different schools and programs - http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php. You can look through the postings according to school, date, etc. There's a lot of schools that haven't sent letters yet. I'm still waiting to hear from mine and when I go to the page, I can see that no one else has posted that they've heard from the school yet. When people start posting a bunch of acceptances or rejections and I still haven't heard anything... then I'll start to worry.

Edited March 12, 2013 by toby42

[kiki123]

I am still waiting to hear back from three of my schools, one being my top choice. I've been accepted into three schools so far, but waiting to hear back from my top choice has been long and disheartening. 

[Boril]

I submitted an application with a Jan. 10 deadline.  Typically this department sends out offers mid-February, but this year I know the department's admissions committee hasn't even met and it's now past the middle of March.  If the school has had earlier response times in the past it is no guarantee that it will be so this year.  Best of luck to all still waiting.

[tiphanai]

Hi all, I'm a lurker who has been reading everyone else's experience as a way to cope with my own stress in waiting to hear back from schools. I have been waiting patiently to hear from my #1 choice but after reading some suggestions here I decided on March 18th to contact the department I applied to in order to check on my status (they do not update online). After two days I received a response asking if I knew the deadline to apply was Jan. 15 and had I submitted an application?

I am an international applicant and applied in December. Fast forward to today and its official that they have lost my application. LOST!!!! The main person I have been in contact with is out of the country until April. The admissions dept says they see some record of my submission but are unable to retrieve the actual application. But they're working on it.

I have been through several phases of emotion over this entire process but I share this story to urge those who have not heard back to check in with the schools!! Mistakes happen. I believe I still have a chance to get in should they find my app, but if I had waited another few weeks then who knows.

Nothing wrong with a friendly request for a status update. It will let them know you're still out there. Especially if they don't know you exist :-/

Good luck everyone

[lypiphera]

I have already accepted an offer of admission, but there is one school I never heard a thing from.  I submitted, paid the fee, and saw my status as "submitted", but I never once got an email from them about my application, either acceptance or rejection or confirmation or anything.  Since I've already accepted an offer elsewhere, I don't think I should bother following up about it, but it is certainly frustrating.  I understand schools have until April 15th (at least for funding offers), but it would be nice for them to at least give some indication before that.  I would assume in this case that I have been/will be rejected, since they held interviews I wasn't invited to, but I would not assume that for all schools.  If they had interviews and you haven't heard anything, there's probably a low chance of acceptance, but if they did not do interviews and/or if professors are accepting students on their own time, it's possible they are just still working on applications and you do have a chance.

[sansao]

If you're rejected, it can be much later than April 15 before you find out, too... if they tell you at all. One school never did bother to let me know. Not even an email. Other rejections took well into July. Idk if I was internally waitlisted, or what, but it was demoralizing as all hell, and I think it was really tacky on the part of the one that never notified me.

[kiki123]

If you're rejected, it can be much later than April 15 before you find out, too... if they tell you at all. One school never did bother to let me know. Not even an email. Other rejections took well into July. Idk if I was internally waitlisted, or what, but it was demoralizing as all hell, and I think it was really tacky on the part of the one that never notified me.

That sounds awful. I'm waiting to hear back from one, my top choice. Agh.

[sansao]

That sounds awful. I'm waiting to hear back from one, my top choice. Agh.

Funny how they seem to know, and then make your sweat for it, eh?

[kiki123]

Funny how they seem to know, and then make your sweat for it, eh?

Yeah, it's quite the stressor.