CarolineNC Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Caroline how did you structure your email? I'm on a couple of waitlists and haven't contacted them for about a month and I'm throwing around the idea of saying something, I'm just not sure what! I was very formal, Dear Prof. So and So, I'm writing to inquire about... UNC is my top choice [insert suck up fest here] I thanked her for her time, and signed the email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christakins Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Same question for you Christa.....what did you say to your POI? I'm planning to email the DGS at my top school again after a month (where I'm waitlisted) and I want to come across as strongly as possible! I'm a big fan of being genuine and honest, yet formal to start. Like CarolineKS, I kept my greeting very formal. However, I made a note to express how excited I was about my POI's work and how it's helped inform my own, where I think we might go in the future, etc. Our interests intersect beyond scholarship via activism and our personal stories, so I asked him more about that and shared my experiences. I'd say be as real as possible and as polite as possible without sounding like a robot. *insert "profs are people too" here* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfinch1880 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I'm a big fan of being genuine and honest, yet formal to start. Like CarolineKS, I kept my greeting very formal. However, I made a note to express how excited I was about my POI's work and how it's helped inform my own, where I think we might go in the future, etc. Our interests intersect beyond scholarship via activism and our personal stories, so I asked him more about that and shared my experiences. I'd say be as real as possible and as polite as possible without sounding like a robot. *insert "profs are people too" here* I was very formal, Dear Prof. So and So, I'm writing to inquire about... UNC is my top choice [insert suck up fest here] I thanked her for her time, and signed the email. Thanks so much, you guys! my contact is the DGS so I won't be able to make quite the same personal connections but I think I know where to head now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allplaideverything Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I hadn't heard anything from CUNY, and I just received an email to all "Prospective Students" following up on their open house events, and asking wait listers to be patient as they should have info soon. And the website still lists my application as "Submitted." Eep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramus Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Has anyone gotten in off the waitlist at UMD yet? I'm flying in for the open house next week, but I haven't heard any news regarding the chances of the waitlist converting. Little bit anxious about it -- I've more or less narrowed my decision down to Ohio State and Maryland, but I don't even know if the latter is really even an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Has anyone gotten in off the waitlist at UMD yet? I'm flying in for the open house next week, but I haven't heard any news regarding the chances of the waitlist converting. Little bit anxious about it -- I've more or less narrowed my decision down to Ohio State and Maryland, but I don't even know if the latter is really even an option. You were contacted personally about the waitlist, right? If you're comfortable with it, I don't think it would be inappropriate to contact the DGS to see if there's been any movement on the list (I did that with another program and received a good response). I'm also waitlisted at UMD, but I was told in my case it was unlikely to convert, so I feel like they would be fortright if asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundofworm Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Haha, you bet your ass I did. And I waxed poetic about how much I love their program. I really wanted in. Waxed poetic? How? Please teach me a thing or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squankabonk Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Has anyone gotten in off the waitlist at UMD yet? I'm flying in for the open house next week, but I haven't heard any news regarding the chances of the waitlist converting. Little bit anxious about it -- I've more or less narrowed my decision down to Ohio State and Maryland, but I don't even know if the latter is really even an option. Hooray for visiting places while still on the waitlist! (Awkward high five like a golfer with his caddy after a putt.) I feel like if nothing else it shows real interest in the program, which maybe could work out for us? Anyhow, I"m in the exact same boat with Rochester. Hopefully will get some answers next week when visiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katla Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sorry, late to the party but massive congrats on getting in at UNC Carolineks! I can totally relate to the post-acceptance cryfest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundofworm Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 How should I wax poetic in my letters? Should I write to DGS or to my poi? My poi said she didn't know anything about the waitlist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonessrampant Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Well, if your POI isn't on the adcom and doesn't have control over the waitlist, I'd contact the DGS. If you can't speak specifically about the DGS's research, you should talk about the program and things unique to the university that align with your research (Centers or Consortiums for example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramus Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 You were contacted personally about the waitlist, right? If you're comfortable with it, I don't think it would be inappropriate to contact the DGS to see if there's been any movement on the list (I did that with another program and received a good response). I'm also waitlisted at UMD, but I was told in my case it was unlikely to convert, so I feel like they would be fortright if asked. Ended up emailing the DGS yesterday and got some really encouraging news. While he said that he couldn't offer admission yet, he did suggest that it's pretty likely to convert. Hopefully that means I can forego most of the awkwardness of attending the open house as a waitlister. Or, at the very least, it'll allow me to calm down and be a little more natural. SilasWegg, 1Q84 and squankabonk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Congrats, Ramus! Here's hoping for a pre-open house conversion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnfantTerrible Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Waitlisted at Stanford, post-visit, so I've met all the other candidates and know there can't be more than another three people on the waiting list, competing for a total of four PhD spots (and how many people turn down Stanford?!). Reading this thread has encouraged me to send an email to the director of the dept (alas, all POIs mentioned in my SOP are not in the dept but elsewhere in the division...hardly surprising they put me in limbo!). However, is this a little bit precocious seeing as they clearly know who I am and are familiar with the (very disparate) research interests of the people on the waiting list? Should I email to reassert my enthusiasm or is that futile and embarrassing? As an international student, I find it hard to gauge the etiquette... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToldAgain Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) If you haven't emailed them in a while, I think it is fine to send a reminder that you are interested in their program. In my opinion, it isn't embarrassing or futile. You have to keep in mind that a waitlist isn't less than an acceptance, as far as the program's belief in your abilities goes. In my case, I was accepted at one program and waitlisted at two. I sent an email to the two WL schools reinforcing my interest but letting them know I had a funded offer somewhere else. One of them got back to me right away, and I was accepted into the program the next day. The other sent me a very kind reply detailing their situation and urging me to wait it out a little while longer. It can't hurt to politely remind the program you're there. When you start banging on the door and ringing the bell and shouting through the windows, it's a different story. Edited March 22, 2015 by ToldAgain InHacSpeVivo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fancypants09 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Checking in after a long hiatus here. I'm still on the waitlist at Harvard. Emailed the department secretary and got the generic response that they're not sure when or how the waitlist will move, but that they will let me know by April 15. I do have a pretty sweet offer from UCLA, and would like to respond to them but for this waiting business at Harvard, and as we all know the national deadline is April 15...any suggestions on how I could try to get a definitive answer regarding the waitlist? Would it be (un)kosher to let Harvard know of my UCLA offer? I haven't said anything to them yet about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echo449 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Checking in after a long hiatus here. I'm still on the waitlist at Harvard. Emailed the department secretary and got the generic response that they're not sure when or how the waitlist will move, but that they will let me know by April 15. I do have a pretty sweet offer from UCLA, and would like to respond to them but for this waiting business at Harvard, and as we all know the national deadline is April 15...any suggestions on how I could try to get a definitive answer regarding the waitlist? Would it be (un)kosher to let Harvard know of my UCLA offer? I haven't said anything to them yet about it. It can't hurt if you do it politely! But their hands are tied until someone actually declines a spot, so they probably can't give you any info about movement until it actually happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Q84 Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Not sure if I mentioned it already in this thread but one of the schools for which I am wait listed told me that after the initial round of acceptances, the committee actually revisits the wait list and re-arranges the order, if necessary. I had never heard of this practice before but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened elsewhere. I mean, who would do you think the committee would rather have at the top of the wait list, someone they never even heard from after the wait list notification, or someone who emailed and expressed continued interest and said that school was their top choice? tl;dr: Don't be shy--contact the school and express your continued interest in attending! You want these schools to know you're serious about accepting an offer (that is, if you really are). As for quietly mentioning that you have other offers, I think you can go about that by mentioning that the other program has asked for your decision as soon as possible and you're wondering if there's any chance that you might hear back about the wait list before April 15. That's a sly way of dropping the info that you have other offers (you can name the school if you want) and also lighting a small fire under their butts, in the case that they really want you on board. There are always things that can be done behind the scenes, as I mentioned above. greenmt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramus Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 In off the waitlist at Maryland! So glad I can go to their open house on Friday with this under my belt. CarolineNC, 1Q84, empress-marmot and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fancypants09 Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 In off the waitlist at Maryland! So glad I can go to their open house on Friday with this under my belt. Congratulations!!! Ramus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnfantTerrible Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Congratulations! That's so exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katla Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Congratulations Ramus!!!!! That's amazing news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfLorax Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Fantastic news, Ramus! I hope you join us at UMD! I may not be at the open house on Friday. My daughter caught a cold when we were in Tampa for CCCC, and I seem to be catching it from her. Still, feel free to ask me questions about my time at UMD; I'm happy to talk about my experiences! Ramus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Q84 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 goldfinch1880, HelloThisIsDog and fancypants09 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatrizBear Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I'm getting anxious now that it's getting to the end of March. =/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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