Waiting Game Fall 2015

[brown_eyed_girl]

So are we all pretty much done for this application season? Is anyone still waiting to hear back from PhD programs?

 

I'm actually still waiting to hear back from one PhD program (if the boards are correct I'm not alone), though it was my "safety" and I already accepted an offer from my top choice so it's not an anxious wait.  

[qwer7890]

I'm actually still waiting to hear back from one PhD program (if the boards are correct I'm not alone), though it was my "safety" and I already accepted an offer from my top choice so it's not an anxious wait.  

 

Once you've accepted an offer officially, it's the right thing to let the other programs know, even if your application is still pending -- that way they can offer the spot to a student who is more likely to accept. 

[Gundohinus]

^^ Yes. ^^ It's a real breach of ethics (not to mention courtesy to your peers) to officially accept an offer and not tell other schools that are still considering you. Your safety school might be someone else's top choice. Please, everyone, if you have already accepted an offer, notify the other places immediately!    

[brown_eyed_girl]

I don't appreciate my ethics being called into question. I am aware (and compliant) of the rule to notify other programs to which you've been accepted as soon as you accept an offer, but if a school hasn't gotten back to me by now (or been in any contact since I submitted my app - no interview, no contact with POI, etc.) I assume I have not been accepted anyway. Correct me if I am mistaken and I'm happy to resolve the issue with a quick email... but let's not put this in grave moral terms. And I'm not sure why these responses are to me rather than Happy Little Pill or Kantekst? 

Edited April 3, 2015 by brown_eyed_girl

[qwer7890]

... And I'm not sure why these responses are to me rather than Happy Little Pill or Kantekst? 

 

sorry brown_eyed_girl... certainly didn't mean to pick on you! i just didn't read very far up into the thread... there's no harm dropping a line to your POI and/or the department admin. at the school you haven't yet heard from to let them know you've accepted an offer elsewhere, but you hope your paths cross in the future...

[happy little pill]

I actually did let McGill know that I had accepted another offer almost a month ago (along with the other school that accepted me outright) but they just never changed my status from waitlisted to rejected until the 1st. I didn't know where I was on the waitlist just that I was on it so I'm assuming that my status didn't change until the first because it didn't matter - they knew I wasn't going there so updating my status on the portal probably wasn't their top priority.

 

Good luck to all of you who are still waiting on schools! I hope you all get positive responses and they arrive as soon as possible.

Edited April 3, 2015 by happy little pill

[Gundohinus]

Sorry, brown_eyed_girl, I didn't mean to pick only on you either! And what I said should not be taken personally. What I was talking about was a generally unspoken rule that everyone should be aware of. I've seen it happen many times that people knowingly wait and wait to tell other schools after they've already made a decision, while other people get left on the waitlist until the last possible second. Sometimes departments don't even have a chance to tap into their wait-lists at all because candidates wait until the very last day to submit their decisions. So, the decision to linger and not tell schools that are still considering you about your decision can have serious repercussions for other people.

 

Even if you haven't heard from the place in question, you could very well still be on a wait-list. It sometimes happens that committee members are not allowed to contact people on a wait-list until they know that they can make them an offer. By all means, just drop them a quick line and let them know that you're out of the pool. In the meantime, I wish you (and everyone else who has gotten into a program of their choice) heartiest congratulations and much success in your studies!

[brown_eyed_girl]

Thanks, quer7890 and gundohinus. Sometimes unspoken rules need to be clearly explicated. I emailed the department admin and let them know that IF I'm still under consideration they can take me out of the running. You both make good points; in my case I really just presumed rejection if I hadn't heard by now, so I wasn't intentionally holding out for some reason. I certainly agree that once you make a decision you shouldn't string anyone along and you should promptly step aside to give the waitlists a shot. I admired a friend who told the interviewer at one program that they had gotten into their top choice and would not attend if admitted. 

 

PS I didn't mean to be insulting by saying it was my "safety" or imply that I wouldn't have considered it, had I been admitted or waitlisted in a timely manner. The POI was an excellent fit for my esoteric interests, which is why I applied in the first place. I really do hope I'll get to work with them in the future. 

[GhostsBeforeBreakfast]

I'm curious to know if anyone is still waiting on any acceptances or rejections, this late in the season?