Hewwo!

[Loric]

Hi hi!

 

I recently graduated from the "Application" portion of this website to the "Waiting it Out" section. I'm all excited - everything is going so fast! In just a few weeks I can go bum around the "Rejected - Now What?" area!

 

But seriously, I'm happy to finally be waiting on them instead of them waiting on me.

[k_angie]

Well I am not. I have no idea what to do. I mean I am waiting for my top choices to get back so that I can decide what to do next. If I don't get in there, I will start applying for other schools and fellowships. I am just waiting. And the wait is really a buzz kill. Doesn't even let me do anything else. Sigh. *sucks*

What are you doing Loric to stop checking your application status and not losing your mind over this?

[Loric]

Who said I'm not? I googled acceptance and rejection letters from my school and I know what size package to look for, typical turn around time, and what office it gets mailed from. Oh and I tried logging into their student systems - no such luck. My theory being if I was accepted if have an account and know it maybe a few days prior to getting the mail.

[k_angie]

Hahaha. I too did the same. I mean with the whole logging into the system thing. I thought I was crazy for doing so. Guess I am not the only one

And yes I have read my schools website and attended so many info session just to get something about applications and results. No luck so far. Not only do I know the curricula and course names but I have looked on web about the city and other various stupid things.

[Loric]

I have to keep myself from looking seriously at apartments so I won't get my heart set on anything.

And my admissions advisor sent an email when my file was complete saying to contact him if I had any questions. What questions do people ask at this point?

The only question I want to ask is what questions people ask.. But that doesn't seem like a good idea..

[k_angie]

Well I applied to this one school last year but was refused admission. I applied again, and so I am more than anxious about it. The whole what if I am rejected again deal is blowing my mind into pieces.

For your questions thing, idk what can you ask, I mean esp at this point. There is actually ntn as such cuz I am sure you would know about your course and profs and everything and therefore you applied to that particular school. So well, not until and unless you are admitted can you have any questions.

[Loric]

I keep getting the automated emails to do their open house campus tour days too. Get all excited before realizing its spam.

[k_angie]

Hahaha.

Btw what course are you applying to? Where?

[Loric]

I don't talk about it on here really - some people have been really mean about when I did mention it, and I'm sure some programs fish around in these forums to see what the word on the street is.

[k_angie]

Really? Mean?

I didn't know about that. :|

Edited December 11, 2013 by k_angie

[Loric]

They called it unicorn studies, among other derogatory terms.

[k_angie]

Well I am sorry to hear that. Didn't know people can be that stupid.

[TakeruK]

Who said I'm not? I googled acceptance and rejection letters from my school and I know what size package to look for, typical turn around time, and what office it gets mailed from. Oh and I tried logging into their student systems - no such luck. My theory being if I was accepted if have an account and know it maybe a few days prior to getting the mail.

 

This is a good tactic for mailed decision letters. But your department might inform you electronically too! I am guessing you would probably know how your target schools inform their successful applicants from the Results Search or Google, but I think one common method is first a phone call to let you know, followed by an email with a PDF of the letter, and then finally a hard copy of the same PDF, with maybe a brochure from the school. Most of my rejections came via email, only one school sent a hardcopy only rejection.

[Loric]

This is a good tactic for mailed decision letters. But your department might inform you electronically too! I am guessing you would probably know how your target schools inform their successful applicants from the Results Search or Google, but I think one common method is first a phone call to let you know, followed by an email with a PDF of the letter, and then finally a hard copy of the same PDF, with maybe a brochure from the school. Most of my rejections came via email, only one school sent a hardcopy only rejection.

 

It seems the school intentionally changes tactics constantly. Some people get a simple letter, some people get a FedEx package with all kinds of other info (and sometimes a t-shirt), and further still there's sometimes just an email. 

 

I think they know how to play this game and it's infuriating. 

 

My acceptances the first time I went to grad school were via email. But I also had a dialogue going between a "POI" (i didnt even know that term back then) and myself going and was "asked" to apply after interviewing. 

 

This whole "put in an application and wait" thing is very new to me. 

[Loric]

God the first time around I just scribbled out my "SOPs" (again, term I didn't know) in 10mins and didnt even spellcheck them. I typed them right into those little boxes. Back then the whole process took a week, mostly because my LOR writers had to get the letters emailed. 

 

Admittedly the school search, portfolio showings, and on-site interviews with multiple faculty took months. 

 

Back then it was the consensus in my peer group that if you emailed a POI and they didn't write back, that was a "don't bother." But we're talking programs that may take 1 person in my old field once every 2-3 years, and my old university was proud of it's ability to place students in MFA programs (as the university didnt offer one itself.) The whole last year of the program was "some" education but 75% portfolio, interview, conference, etc.. prep. 

 

I didn't even think about "if" i was going to grad school or "if" i'd get in anywhere, with my old program the day you signed on and passed the first hurdle that was your intended goal and assumed position (every year you were evaluated for your work in the department as a whole and each year there were cuts.)

Edited December 11, 2013 by Loric

[Loric]

Blah. I'm almost at the end of the third week of the 1-3 weeks the rolling admissions mentioned as a timeline. Then I think "well 1-3 to decide, then they'd inform "immediately." But I also submitted just before a major holiday and when the advisor said was their busiest period - gee, I know how to pick 'em.