Email Heart Attacks

[PsychGradHopeful14]

Last year I applied to a school in Texas, and apparently there was a law or something that students under 30 had to submit bacterial meningitis vaccination records before attending in that state (I had not even been admitted yet and it was not required for the application to be considered), and I frequently got emails from that university, would have a mini-heart attack and then see the subject line was reminding me of the vaccination requirement..... 10-12 times during the application cycle I received this email, sometimes at 3 in the morning.  Finally got a letter in the mail in April (informing me of the obvious as I did not interview) and the emails stopped.

[rj16]

Last week I got an email from the graduate studies department of a University I applied to, with the title starting ...'Application'. After waiting (& sending up prayers) for about 10 minutes, I finally opened it and...they were only telling me that their system had an issue that caused some of my application information to be visible to other applicants!!! WTH!! But I shouldn't worry as they have fixed the problem!

 

I was sooo mad - not at all about my info being exposed to others, just that it wasn't an acceptance letter! I had to restrain myself from getting a lawyer to threaten them to accept me or face a lawsuit! "Accept me immediately with a full tuition waiver and sizeable stipend and all will be forgiven."

 

I had to finally come out of lurking for this

 

I got that too!! I was so annoyed. 

 

Also, I've taken the email notifications off my phone, it was more than I could handle. 

Edited February 27, 2014 by rj16

[kittyk]

rj16 - Ugh! it really irked me!!

 

I too have disabled the email notifications on my phone. Although, I still end up checking it like 500 times in 1 hour.

Edited February 27, 2014 by kittyk

[meep15]

Just got an email two minutes ago with the subject: "UW Master of Social Work: Applicant...." Oddly enough, it was when I started to read this particular board. 

That was all I could see in the mobile app, so I got frantically clicked it. 

Ends up being a survey. 

"In an ongoing effort to meet student needs, we would appreciate your help with an online survey.  Your response to the survey will be strictly confidential and will not affect your application. We will use the results to improve our service to you and other applicants to this degree program."

I got so excited.   
 

Edited February 27, 2014 by meep15

[VioletAyame]

In order to prevent these heart attacks, I have carefully set up a separate mailbox just for applying to grad schools. I thought since I did not use it for anything else, did not fill out forms or subscribe to things or sign up for accounts with it, it will be spam free and any notification I received must be school-related. I was wrong. I forgot that as a Gmail account, it is not exempt from random emails from Google plus and YouTube. Freaking Google plus and YouTube.

Fortunately though, none of my schools sent me teaser emails. Some stories here sound horrifying.

[Varangian]

Last year I applied to a school in Texas, and apparently there was a law or something that students under 30 had to submit bacterial meningitis vaccination records before attending in that state (I had not even been admitted yet and it was not required for the application to be considered), and I frequently got emails from that university, would have a mini-heart attack and then see the subject line was reminding me of the vaccination requirement..... 10-12 times during the application cycle I received this email, sometimes at 3 in the morning.  Finally got a letter in the mail in April (informing me of the obvious as I did not interview) and the emails stopped.

 

Was that North Texas? I got those same emails.

 

I especially love when I get an email telling me not to forget to fill out a FAFSA...for a school I was rejected from. 

[Kaitri]

In order to prevent these heart attacks, I have carefully set up a separate mailbox just for applying to grad schools. I thought since I did not use it for anything else, did not fill out forms or subscribe to things or sign up for accounts with it, it will be spam free and any notification I received must be school-related. I was wrong. I forgot that as a Gmail account, it is not exempt from random emails from Google plus and YouTube. Freaking Google plus and YouTube.

Fortunately though, none of my schools sent me teaser emails. Some stories here sound horrifying.

 

You're a genius. I'm definitely doing this when I go through the PhD application process.

[sunroza]

Last week I got an email from the graduate studies department of a University I applied to, with the title starting ...'Application'. After waiting (& sending up prayers) for about 10 minutes, I finally opened it and...they were only telling me that their system had an issue that caused some of my application information to be visible to other applicants!!! WTH!! But I shouldn't worry as they have fixed the problem!

 

I was sooo mad - not at all about my info being exposed to others, just that it wasn't an acceptance letter! I had to restrain myself from getting a lawyer to threaten them to accept me or face a lawsuit! "Accept me immediately with a full tuition waiver and sizeable stipend and all will be forgiven."

Also received this email, and my reaction was the exact same! Don't really care who saw my application info as long as I get accepted...

[disba]

I got an email the other day on my phone where the subject line read : "YOU'RE ACCEPTED!!!!!"

 

Needless to say I freaked out, and it turned out to be a spam email.   

 

I was not impressed. 

[DGChaos]

IEEE notifications are the worst. They have all the buzzwords graduate schools would use.

[marsmat]

I got an email the other day on my phone where the subject line read : "YOU'RE ACCEPTED!!!!!"

 

I think it is key to remember that a self-respecting university would probably manage to contain their excitement to max one exclamation mark.

[engphiledu]

If I had a plus one to give, I'd give it to you, marsmat. I never would have taken into account punctuation amounts as an indication of a true application response. lol

Related to email, but in a more tangible way, is the lovely mailbox. I just realized today that this is probably the most I have ever checked my mailbox. That's saying a lot, especially since I have a mom who still likes to send "treat boxes" while I'm away at college. 

Sorry, mom. <3

[DGChaos]

I just got a HUGE heart attack, and it is the best one I've had so far. Duke sent me an accept!

 

Dum dee dum dee dum dee doo...

[Stressica]

It's hilarious reading about these experiences. Sometimes it's too easy to feel like you're the only one. I tried setting up filters to catch some of the more predictable mail, but alas, those filters couldn't prevent my heart from skipping a beat each time a new mail came in.

[VioletAyame]

You're a genius. I'm definitely doing this when I go through the PhD application process.

 

Aren't I? I've always suspected it, but never got the confirmation

 

On a serious note though, you can set up that account early and use it to contact POIs, check admission info with the office and nag your profs about your LORs too. Everything in one exclusive mailbox

[VioletAyame]

I just got a HUGE heart attack, and it is the best one I've had so far. Duke sent me an accept!

 

Dum dee dum dee dum dee doo...

Congrats! That's awesome!

[gingin6789]

It's hilarious reading about these experiences. Sometimes it's too easy to feel like you're the only one. I tried setting up filters to catch some of the more predictable mail, but alas, those filters couldn't prevent my heart from skipping a beat each time a new mail came in.

Ah, the inevitable heart flutter...

The day I learned one of the programs I applied to was sending out acceptances via email, I was engaged in a lengthy email thread with my thesis advisor, former professor, and classmate. We were arranging logistics for a conference that weekend, so I couldn't ignore my email, and I DEFINITELY couldn't suppress the heart flutter.

[ballerina18]

Anyone getting snail mail heart attacks? I received a very thick envelope package today in the mail that simply said "First Class" and the return address was from one of the states where I've applied for admission.

 

Yeah...it was just junk mail.

[engphiledu]

I haven't received any snail mail heart attacks, yet (though an image of a snail-ninja just popped into my head. Delirium? I think so). 

However, my roommate did receive a package the other day. It was on our front porch and had the word PERISHABLE stamped on the front.

I asked her if it was a puppy. I had hoped it was a puppy. Puppy cuddles would make this application process better.

Instead, it was girl scout cookies from her family. As if I need another outlet through which to get fat.

[engphiledu]

It's funny how irony works.

You know how I just responded that I had not received a heart attack via snail mail just four hours ago? Yeah. . . so. . . about that.

Mom called saying that I had received a letter from one of my schools. At first I said, "No, no. Don't open it. Just wait until I get home. I don't want to know," but, finally, I told her to go ahead and open it, bad news or not.

Yeah, it was a letter from the financial aid department saying that, as of February 26, I did not have confirmed admission to the school, so all my FASFA information was not viable yet.

At least that tells me that, as of February 26, I had neither been rejected nor accepted lol. 

[VioletAyame]

It's funny how irony works.

You know how I just responded that I had not received a heart attack via snail mail just four hours ago? Yeah. . . so. . . about that.

Mom called saying that I had received a letter from one of my schools. At first I said, "No, no. Don't open it. Just wait until I get home. I don't want to know," but, finally, I told her to go ahead and open it, bad news or not.

Yeah, it was a letter from the financial aid department saying that, as of February 26, I did not have confirmed admission to the school, so all my FASFA information was not viable yet.

At least that tells me that, as of February 26, I had neither been rejected nor accepted lol.

Wow that's kind of amazing. Maybe you should post here "I have not received an acceptance yet" or something like that and see what'll happen. Edited March 2, 2014 by VioletAyame

[engphiledu]

I have not received an acceptance yet.
I have not won the lottery yet.

I have not had a puppy show up at my door yet.

I have not had Bill Gates give me a free computer yet.

I have not found the secret to having rock-solid abs without working out yet.

I think that covers some bases at least.

Edited March 2, 2014 by engphiledu

[katiegud]

I just got an email rejection for a studentship I didn't apply for. They are now rejecting me from things I didn't even know I could get. 

[krishnalynn]

Anyone getting snail mail heart attacks? I received a very thick envelope package today in the mail that simply said "First Class" and the return address was from one of the states where I've applied for admission.

 

Yeah...it was just junk mail.

 

I got one of these. Big thick envelope that looked like an admissions one, but it ended up being some information about a retirement account. 

[JBums1028]

I was just talking about this earlier today with one of my friends!

 

One of the schools I applied to said that they were going to begin sending out grad assistant acceptances this week. I got two emails this week from the program. None of those emails were acceptances. Why the hell would they do that to their applicants??