Got invited to an indisciplinary conference at Fordham; what to make of this email?

[drownsoda]

Not sure what to make of this. I got the email this afternoon and almost had a heart attack because I thought it was the "big email," but I'm not sure what to make of this. Does this kind of thing get sent to all applicants, is it an implied acceptance(??) so confused

Here's what it says:

"Dear Scott,

Thank you for your interest in the distinguished Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Fordham University. We see that you recently submitted an application and would like to encourage you to learn more about who we are and what helps GSAS foster its intellectual community.

Interested in meeting potential future colleagues? Want to learn more about current research projects that could inspire your own future accomplishments?

We cordially invite you to attend our Second Annual Interdisciplinary Conference, "Change and Its Challenges." This conference will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 8am-8pm in the 12th Floor Lounge of the Lowenstein Center at our Lincoln Center campus.

The conference will explore change as a theme gathering inspiration from both academic discourse and scientific exploration, spanning antiquity to the present day and beyond. Register here.

We’d be proud to have you join us as part of our incoming cohort of graduate students. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us as well as like us on Facebook.

Sincerely,

Lauren Carpenter Peter Murray

President Vice President

Graduate Student Association Graduate Student Association

Fordham University Fordham University

gsa@fordham.edu"

Edited February 5, 2015 by drownsoda

[NMLogan]

It's the "We’d be proud to have you join us as part of our incoming cohort of graduate students" part that seems most indicative!  But then the rest of it is unclear....  Is your online status changed?  I guess call them--but either way, this can't be bad!  And what a cool change from the usual visiting weekend...

Edited February 5, 2015 by NMLogan

[lifealive]

I wouldn't read too much into it. It's not a terrible sign, but it's also not from the department. Sounds like you've made it onto some mailing list maintained by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

 

I've been rejected from a lot of things only to make it onto their mailing list. Annoying and a good reason to then go in and strengthen my filters.

[Appppplication]

Looks like an implied acceptance to me.

It's from the Graduate STUDENT Association, not from the Graduate School. 

 

On another note that conference topic sounds a bit broad.

 

try to respond to the email.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Appppplication

[drownsoda]

Yeah, the phrasing of the last sentence is what puzzled me; everything leading up to that seemed really generalized and not indicative of an acceptance/rejection. I emailed them inquiring and explained that I was slightly confused by the phrasing of the email and what it was implying (or not implying). We'll see.

[Ramus]

I wouldn't read too much into it. It's not a terrible sign, but it's also not from the department. Sounds like you've made it onto some mailing list maintained by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

 

I've been rejected from a lot of things only to make it onto their mailing list. Annoying and a good reason to then go in and strengthen my filters.

 

Yeah, I think this is correct. Admission/rejection notice will either come directly from the department, or you'll be directed to their website. I also don't think it's a good idea to call them at this point; I would wait at least until the end of the month, when they traditionally contact graduate students. If you don't hear something more definitive by the first week of March it would be appropriate to reach out to them then. 

[drownsoda]

Yeah, I think this is correct. Admission/rejection notice will either come directly from the department, or you'll be directed to their website. I also don't think it's a good idea to call them at this point; I would wait at least until the end of the month, when they traditionally contact graduate students. If you don't hear something more definitive by the first week of March it would be appropriate to reach out to them then.

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath since it didn't come directly from the department. Those last two sentences though are enough to give a heart attack.

[jhefflol]

Maybe the "cohort" is the new "cohort" for this year's conference? I'd definitely ask for clarification.

[L13]

Hey, I'm a history applicant and I got that email too. I also got an invitation to apply for an FLAS scholarship from UChicago even though I'm not even American. I honestly don't think this kind of email means anything and would advise you not to read too much into it.

 

The result will come when it does. There's only a little while left

Edited February 5, 2015 by L13

[__________________________]

I got a similar email from Fordham (I applied to their Medieval Studies Master's program).  I thought it was strange too, but I honestly haven't read much into it, it seemed like a generic email to me.

 

The Fordham emails are kind of weird.  I got an email from M.S. program saying that my dossier was being reviewed and then invited me to come visit and crash on a graduate student's couch.  It seemed sort of personalized (saying that I should consider speaking to a specific professor), but I still wasn't sure what to make of it.  Like, "yeah, we just got your application, come visit us without knowing whether you'll get in or not!" 

[lifealive]

Yeah, I think this is correct. Admission/rejection notice will either come directly from the department, or you'll be directed to their website. I also don't think it's a good idea to call them at this point; I would wait at least until the end of the month, when they traditionally contact graduate students. If you don't hear something more definitive by the first week of March it would be appropriate to reach out to them then. 

 

I actually don't think it would be a terrible thing to call or contact someone after receiving such an email. They're the ones who opened the door by sending this email. I think it's really bad form to send an email like this if you're not willing to then deal with the obvious questions that arise from it.

[drownsoda]

Thanks guys, I'm not gonna hold my breath on it. I did email them already though, so that ship has sailed. They encouraged to email if you had questions, so I just inquired. Like everyone has said, the email is pretty generalized, but the end of it is a bit misleading, which I'm not sure if they are aware of or not.

[drownsoda]

***interdisciplinary, GOSH, I am so bad at typing on iPhones