Calling programs inquiring about application status?

[Coffeeat2am]

Hey everyone,

 

Out of curiosity, are program or department coordinators of the doctoral program I applied to required to provide feedback on my application status, either phone or e-mail, or is everything up in the air until I receive an official and professional e-mail from the school/program?

 

I've heard back from some programs (In Psychology), but I've also applied to doctoral programs that don't have an interview process, so I would like to get a sense of my options before making my final decision.

 

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

 

[FCP]

You could call or email and let the schools know that you have received offers else where, if you can get an updated on your status. 

 

To answer your question, I am pretty sure everything is just up in the air until they make their decision. Once they make their decision, you can ask for feedback of your application (either from your POI or department coordinator). . 

[Ipshita]

I wrote to Columbia regarding the status of my application. I had assumed that they were supposed to give the decisions within 6-8 weeks from application submission,.

Even in the midst of their hectic schedule, they replied back with the following 

 

That estimate is related to the application deadline not the application and again it is an estimate not a guarantee. We appreciate the time and effort you spent in preparing your application and want to assure you that the faculty are working very hard to give each application careful attention. We will contact you via email as soon as a decision is entered on your application. Thank you for your continued patience.

 

So i think one must have really a great deal of patience. You can go ahead and write though.

[sarab]

Have you checked the results search? If no one in the department for your major has made any updates then I'd say it's safe to assume there's no update yet (even though grad cafe represents a small sample of applicants). 

Also, as far as I know, they're not required to give you feedback. If things don't go well then you could ask for feedback then, but let's hope everything goes well!

[Loric]

A polite email to make sure nothing is "stuck" in the system is not out of order or rude. Just to make sure all the materials were received, etc.. and then you can tag on a request to clarify the timeline. There's nothing wrong with sending that sort of request.

 

I have a transcript from a hippie school that has no grades. Every time it is encountered by admissions things come to a dead stop until they contact me, or nowadays, I contact them preemptively to explain it. But for my second undergrad school, two accepted grad schools for my last attempt at an MFA, and now my current app group - all have questioned the hippie school and stopped the process because they didn't know what to do with it. Since the first change in undergrad, I've been proactive and it's been less of a hassle.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Loric

[Erudio]

Hello!

 

I'm wondering if it would be appropriate to call or email the school to see when I will have an answer regarding my application.

 

I had a job interview today that seemed to go very well.  

It was with a company and team of people I have worked for in the past and I DON'T want to burn bridges.

 

August and September are the company's crunch months and it would be enormously bad to leave them in the lurch at that time and go to school in the Fall.

 

Grad school would still be my preference, but I have no idea what my chances are of getting in.

If I knew I was going to school in September I think I would pull out of the competition in order to avoid leaving the employer on bad terms.

This way they could hire someone else they have interviewed.  I'm worried about starting the job and finding out a few weeks later that I am going to school and then they would have to hire someone they said no to.

 

The online application indicates that I am under admission review currently and, according to the school's website, I should hear from them in 1 to 3 weeks from now.  

 

Any thoughts?

[sarab]

Hello!

 

I'm wondering if it would be appropriate to call or email the school to see when I will have an answer regarding my application.

 

I had a job interview today that seemed to go very well.  

It was with a company and team of people I have worked for in the past and I DON'T want to burn bridges.

 

August and September are the company's crunch months and it would be enormously bad to leave them in the lurch at that time and go to school in the Fall.

 

Grad school would still be my preference, but I have no idea what my chances are of getting in.

If I knew I was going to school in September I think I would pull out of the competition in order to avoid leaving the employer on bad terms.

This way they could hire someone else they have interviewed.  I'm worried about starting the job and finding out a few weeks later that I am going to school and then they would have to hire someone they said no to.

 

The online application indicates that I am under admission review currently and, according to the school's website, I should hear from them in 1 to 3 weeks from now.  

 

Any thoughts?

 

Hmm, this is definitely about integrity, so maybe you should. Maybe you can just ask in general and don't say your name to avoid any problems, but a person with so much integrity definitely deserves a spot!