How will we know?

[hoviariel]

Hi all.

Trivial question but, how will we get notified of our application status?

I assumed that once the adcom of a school decides to accept someone, they'll send him an email with that 'We are happy bla bla', and if it's a reject then it'll be 'We are sorry to bla'. But, I saw around the Results Search that some people had to call their schools and constantly go on that applyyourself app to find out about their acceptance, rejection, or waitlisting.

So, does that mean that I will be forced to neurotically log in online for the next 2-3 months to find out?

 

[silver_lining]

My recommendation: just check your email and gradcafe results page regularly and if you really feel you MUST, check the application website once a day. 

[starofdawn]

I think everyone will eventually get an email, but rejection emails are such low priority, it might not come until well after the acceptance letters come out. Perhaps that's how people are figuring out their rejections through calling the office.

 

Edit: grammar

Edited January 15, 2014 by starofdawn

[Domino]

I've gone through two rounds of rejections now (third year applying... ugh) and in general the rejection notifications I received came so late that it was already obvious I had been rejected.  Some of the programs updated my online application with a generic "We're sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you admission at this time..." (and I received an email to notify me when that happened) but even those came in March/April.  I received a lot of single-page rejection letters in the mail as well, but those trickled in throughout the late Spring and some even in Summer.  In my field, I know that if I haven't been asked to interview by mid-Feb it's pretty much a rejection.