Informal Notification of Acceptance?

[Platonist]

I saw from the results page that a guy got an *informal* notification through a faculty member he knows in the department. I am not sure if he got to know this by checking with that faculty member or by receiving an email from the latter. *Informal notification* is too vague. (If we define formal notification as one that comes from the director of the graduate school or from the director of the graduate program, then all the other forms of notification should be counted as informal. So informal seems a so broad term.) 

 

I know a faculty member in the department, who may or may not be on adcom. I do not know if the adcom has made the decision. Is it appropriate to write to him asking if the decision has been made and if I am accepted? I feel very hesitated to do so. Your thoughts?

Edited January 31, 2014 by Platonist

[Griswald]

I think it's much too early to do that. 

[Platonist]

I think it's much too early to do that. 

Yes, aduh, I agree. But I called and learned that the adcom has already met to review the applications, though I do not know if decisions have been rendered. Anyway, I think it is good not to do so. 

[katethekitcat]

Admittidly, I am not in this field, but that seems VERY inappropriate. Like, get yourself discussed in the department as, "Guess what this crazy applicant did," kind of inappropriate. Having a professor whom you know reach out to you is one thing; using your personal connections with faculty to try to get an earlier answer is completely different. You put them in a very akward position of being asked to provide inside information that others don't have to yet - you're basically asking them to go behind the admissions committee's back and do their work for them. And if the answer was "rejected," that's a whole new level of akward.

 

Wait for the admissions committee or the professor to contact YOU. Waiting is agonizing, painful, and stressful, but not fatal. You will survive.

[Platonist]

Admittidly, I am not in this field, but that seems VERY inappropriate. Like, get yourself discussed in the department as, "Guess what this crazy applicant did," kind of inappropriate. Having a professor whom you know reach out to you is one thing; using your personal connections with faculty to try to get an earlier answer is completely different. You put them in a very akward position of being asked to provide inside information that others don't have to yet - you're basically asking them to go behind the admissions committee's back and do their work for them. And if the answer was "rejected," that's a whole new level of akward.

 

Wait for the admissions committee or the professor to contact YOU. Waiting is agonizing, painful, and stressful, but not fatal. You will survive.

Yes, that is completely right. Thanks, Kate. 

[TheVineyard]

The informal notifications are reported when a faculty member reaches out to the accepted student and tells them that they have been recommended for acceptance, which essentially means there is only a couple days of red tape between now and the official acceptance. It is meant to personalize the acceptance process and make you feel special as an applicant.

[Platonist]

The informal notifications are reported when a faculty member reaches out to the accepted student and tells them that they have been recommended for acceptance, which essentially means there is only a couple days of red tape between now and the official acceptance. It is meant to personalize the acceptance process and make you feel special as an applicant.

 

Yes, that is a very nice gesture. It is also good for the applicant to know the results as early as possible! 

[ianfaircloud]

I saw from the results page that a guy got an *informal* notification through a faculty member he knows in the department. I am not sure if he got to know this by checking with that faculty member or by receiving an email from the latter. *Informal notification* is too vague. (If we define formal notification as one that comes from the director of the graduate school or from the director of the graduate program, then all the other forms of notification should be counted as informal. So informal seems a so broad term.) 

 

I know a faculty member in the department, who may or may not be on adcom. I do not know if the adcom has made the decision. Is it appropriate to write to him asking if the decision has been made and if I am accepted? I feel very hesitated to do so. Your thoughts?

 

Yeah, don't do it.  You are hesitant because you know there's something not right here.  You'll come off as overly confident and immature.  What's the hurry?  You can wait just like everyone else.  (At least that's what this member of faculty might say to herself.) 

 

Unless you have some special reason to reach out to this person, some reason that other applicants (in the good case) don't have -- e.g. you worry that your application was improperly submitted, you worry that you may have overlooked an email from the admissions committee, or something like that -- then you shouldn't reach out to this person.

 

That's advice.  I could be wrong.  Also, I don't think it's silly that you asked about it on this forum.  Hell, if I knew someone on an admissions committee, I'd be tempted to ask, too.

[ianfaircloud]

I saw from the results page that a guy got an *informal* notification through a faculty member he knows in the department. I am not sure if he got to know this by checking with that faculty member or by receiving an email from the latter. *Informal notification* is too vague. (If we define formal notification as one that comes from the director of the graduate school or from the director of the graduate program, then all the other forms of notification should be counted as informal. So informal seems a so broad term.) 

 

I know a faculty member in the department, who may or may not be on adcom. I do not know if the adcom has made the decision. Is it appropriate to write to him asking if the decision has been made and if I am accepted? I feel very hesitated to do so. Your thoughts?

 

Also, I agree that "informal notification" is vague.  Could mean lots of things: (1) The committee has told you that only the dean can extend formal offers. (2) The committee hasn't formally decided, but a member of the committee is certain that you are among the admitted students.  (3) The committee has formally decided but has not released the information.  Etc.

Edited January 31, 2014 by ianfaircloud

[alethicethic]

I received an unofficial notification. I definitely did not reach out to the department. Rather, a faculty member contacted me to tell me that I have a formal offer forthcoming. Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything. But, it seemed that others were posting their unofficial notices, so I did as well.

[Hopephily]

Well, this is my informal congrats! 

Edited January 31, 2014 by Hopephily

[alethicethic]

Thanks! It's official now, though. I received the offer letter.

Edited January 31, 2014 by alethicethic

[TheVineyard]

Thanks! It's official now, though. I received the offer letter.

 

I'd like to formally upgrade your contrats...to formal.

[alethicethic]

Congratulations to you as well! I think the interview weekend sounds like a blast--I'm sure you'll have a great time meeting everyone.