MechE Waiting on Berkeley

[JerusalemG]

Hi all. I'm starting this topic so that those applicants who are still waiting to hear from Berkeley can discuss their experience thus far. Please feel free to post below stating which degree you applied for, if you have been in touch with the department at all and what you know (if anything) about when all final decisions will be made.

[blackhole_gravity]

Does any body know how many are still being held without decisions at UCB ?

[yangq3]

My status on this site https://gradadmit.berkeley.edu/apply/MechEng-MS/f2014/apply/login.html, is still submitted. Let me know I am not alone.

[JerusalemG]

My status on this site https://gradadmit.berkeley.edu/apply/MechEng-MS/f2014/apply/login.html, is still submitted. Let me know I am not alone

Yep mine has said that since early dec.

 

Also I know that Berkeley has a strictly enforced enrollment cap. My hunch is that they are at the point where they admit someone every time someone else declines an offer. I've had a really difficult time getting in touch with the office although I did speak with someone on the phone on Thu. I told him I had expressed interest in  Energy Science and Technology and he seemed surprised that I hadn't heard anything yet. Then when I gave him my name he informed me my application is still under review.

Edited April 12, 2014 by JerusalemG

[JohnJay]

I emailed the department on Monday, 4/7, and got a reply 24 hours later stating that they'd be sending out admission decisions until the end of the week, and please be patient as they are processing over 1000 applications.  Basically the same response from the previous week.

 

At this point I don't think those getting offers really have enough time to consider their decision and accept or not by the 15th.  I'll be accepting another offer this weekend and if anything comes in from Berkeley rejecting that.

[blackhole_gravity]

My status since Dec 2013 is "Submitted" ! I contacted UCB earlier for an update on the receipt of my scores, as the portal did not update my IELTS results as 'received'.

UCB does not receive IELTS results electronically and they require a printed certificate. I was informed that receipt of such mails may not be updated.

 

I hope that the wait is not longer any more, at the most a week ! Patience is the biggest virtue ! But.. A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.. always !!

Edited April 12, 2014 by blackhole_gravity

[JerusalemG]

I'll be accepting my Stanford offer on Monday assuming I don't hear from Berkeley over the weekend. I think its fair to say we've waited as long as we can.

[realnomoney]

The situation for me is the same. But what I hear is that they deal with the applicants alphabetically, and it seems true in my case.

[harukanishinjiteru]

I also think that they are waiting for the reply of the applicants who have got the offer. If they want to reject a list of applicants, I don't think it needs two weeks.

 

I am applying for MS/PhD Program. I don't know what's the process of their admission. They told me nothing about the progress. Have they conducted the interview?

[JerusalemG]

The situation for me is the same. But what I hear is that they deal with the applicants alphabetically, and it seems true in my case.

 

Well my last name starts with an "M" so if that is true it looks like they still have a ways to go

[realnomoney]

I also think that they are waiting for the reply of the applicants who have got the offer. If they want to reject a list of applicants, I don't think it needs two weeks.

 

I am applying for MS/PhD Program. I don't know what's the process of their admission. They told me nothing about the progress. Have they conducted the interview?

If you are right, there is still hope here.

[ycloulin]

Same situation here

[matrix]

Same here. The status still says 'submitted'. I will be accepting another offer and will reject Berkeley in the unlikely event that they offer me admission.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Heisenberged

[JerusalemG]

Does anyone know if schools like Berkeley ever make offers after April 15th? It wouldn't make much sense to me if they do, but then again maybe they assume if you really want to go there you'll wait that long to find out.

[Sangin Park]

Master's degree program. Same here

[mahesh227]

Same here. Applied for masters program, and the portal shows submitted status since december. I have no option but to accept an offer from CMU or UCLA by the 15th. This is really disappointing! Also, I was going through previous grad cafe results for Mech-Berkeley, people sailing in the same boat as us had received the following reply by april 12th - 

 

" The Admissions Committee have completed their review and final decisions were sent to the Graduate Division. We have already notified applicants who we have accepted into our graduate programs. If you have not already heard from us, it is most likely not positive news. The Graduate Division will be notifying you of your official status in a few days."

 

We may either receive a response similar to the one above or a highly unlikely good news. I just hope its not too late!

[JerusalemG]

Sounds like just about every one here just applied to for the MS degree (myself included). Did anyone apply to the M.Eng, MS/PhD, or the PhD program?

[JohnJay]

I applied to the PhD program, as I already have my MS.

[JerusalemG]

I applied to the PhD program, as I already have my MS.

Thanks for sharing

[devwizard]

I too am a direct PhD applicant.

 

Comparing the reception I have gotten from the other UC schools, and how incredibly slow our decisions have been from Berkeley, it seems logical that the previous comment about us being effectively waitlisted is in all probability correct. 

 

Most grad program directors (esp in UC system) have their own equations for acceptance or rejection based on a combination of GRE/GPA etc. Using these, they initially accept and reject applicants using just these raw equations, leaving a gray area in the middle. These gray area students are then further weeded out through LOR, resume, and SOP scrutiny, ultimately leaving us. Poring over Berkeley's acceptance/rejection data, it seems apparent that they had an initial round of automatic acceptances in Jan/Feb/early March, then knocked out all the rejects in late March/April. The fact that they have completely overshot their own (and the national graduate program standards no less) notification deadline with our apps means we must have been waitlisted somehow; no matter the number of applicants, they are not the kind of program to miss their deadline due to laziness. In my case, I also applied to two other UC schools, and that same 'equation, gray area refinement, waitlist' flow was also evident in those programs. 

 

With that in mind, I do honestly think most of us here have a decent shot of acceptance; given how long Berkeley is stringing everybody out, as mentioned by other comments, lots of students are being forced to accept offers to other schools. But....even in the fortunate circumstance we should get accepted off the waitlist....funding may be nonexistent at this point

[thedude2]

Most grad program directors (esp in UC system) have their own equations for acceptance or rejection based on a combination of GRE/GPA etc. Using these, they initially accept and reject applicants using just these raw equations, leaving a gray area in the middle. These gray area students are then further weeded out through LOR, resume, and SOP scrutiny, ultimately leaving us. Poring over Berkeley's acceptance/rejection data, it seems apparent that they had an initial round of automatic acceptances in Jan/Feb/early March, then knocked out all the rejects in late March/April. The fact that they have completely overshot their own (and the national graduate program standards no less) notification deadline with our apps means we must have been waitlisted somehow; no matter the number of applicants, they are not the kind of program to miss their deadline due to laziness. In my case, I also applied to two other UC schools, and that same 'equation, gray area refinement, waitlist' flow was also evident in those programs. 

 

devwizard, do you have any sources on this?  This sounds like wild speculation...

[devwizard]

All the process details direct from the mouth of my thesis chair/ ME dept grad advisor and confirmed with my dept (AE) advisor. I have had a few long-winded discussions with the ME grad advisor on his and others' methodology.

[blackhole_gravity]

Hey.. I found out this piece of info... from UCB earlier fall sessions. I hope you all will find it informative...

 

_________________________________________________________
Dear #####:


Applicants offered admission and who have also been awarded a fellowships will be sent a letter of admission and award by April 1.

Applicants offered admission only, or admission with financial support administered by the department, will be notified as the department makes its recommendations, usually by the end of April for the fall semester.

Applicants who are not offered admission will be notified by the departments as they make their decisions.


Best.




_____________________________________________

[harukanishinjiteru]

Hey.. I found out this piece of info... from UCB earlier fall sessions. I hope you all will find it informative...

 

_________________________________________________________

Dear #####:

Applicants offered admission and who have also been awarded a fellowships will be sent a letter of admission and award by April 1.

Applicants offered admission only, or admission with financial support administered by the department, will be notified as the department makes its recommendations, usually by the end of April for the fall semester.

Applicants who are not offered admission will be notified by the departments as they make their decisions.

Best.

_____________________________________________

Interesting...So does this mean that an admission without funding (or a little) is the most possible result we will get?

But I can't find any result posted after 415 in the previous few years on GradCafe...

[blackhole_gravity]

Interesting...So does this mean that an admission without funding (or a little) is the most possible result we will get?

But I can't find any result posted after 415 in the previous few years on GradCafe...

Everything I hoped is a successful admission.. I am still hopeful about it !