lazaria Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 What is the etiquette for getting feedback from departments that reject you? Respectful emails, I assume. Anyone done this before and have any tips they can share? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Old Bill Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Officially rejected at Rice. I had a POI personally flagging my application to the adcom, but to no avail it seems. Disappointed, but not shattered. Overall, Rice wasn't a perfect fit -- that POI in particular was a perfect fit, but institutionally it was near the bottom of my list. And hey, I don't have to move to Texas! (Bright sides, right?) echo449 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrial42 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm sorry, WT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Old Bill Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm sorry, WT. Thanks. It's okay! It's clear that the universe is telling me that the best job for me is to be a cheerleader at Grad Cafe! The universe wants me to get shut out now so that I can do my usual rah-rah for the 2016 cohort. pannpann, lyonessrampant and Katla 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyegurachka Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 On 2/12/2015 at 10:19 AM, lazaria said: What is the etiquette for getting feedback from departments that reject you? Respectful emails, I assume. Anyone done this before and have any tips they can share? I waited a few days, thanked the DGS/admissions committee for taking the time to read my application, and asked for some feedback on my application. I think the etiquette is to mirror the politeness of your rejection. If the department is polite/personal about the rejection (say, sending an email rather than a "check status on website" automated message), or you have been in contact with your POI or the DGS for a while, then writing them back seems like the correct thing to do. I am glad I asked for feedback and may do this at other schools once I receive official rejections. greenmt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Put a cat on it Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Adding another rejection to my pile. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Old Bill Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm very curious, in a macabre, masochistic sort of way, what the GC record is for the most applications made without an acceptance or waitlist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Q84 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Form Berkeley rejection. Huzzah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillyrabbit Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Berkeley rejection... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm very curious, in a macabre, masochistic sort of way, what the GC record is for the most applications made without an acceptance or waitlist... I was shut out of 11 in 2013... hopefully NOT the record, but it's a possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilasWegg Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm very curious, in a macabre, masochistic sort of way, what the GC record is for the most applications made without an acceptance or waitlist... I saw someone post that they had been rejected from FIFTY programs. I do believe this poster did eventually receive an offer. The learning curve is really steep for this process. It seems like very few get an offer their first go around. I got shut out in 2013 and I have had two more rejections in the past 24 hours. Now I'm probably moving to Texas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmt Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I waited a few days, thanked the DGS/admissions committee for taking the time to read my application, and asked for some feedback on my application. I think the etiquette is to mirror the politeness of your rejection. If the department is polite/personal about the rejection (say, sending an email rather than a "check status on website" automated message), or you have been in contact with your POI or the DGS for a while, then writing them back seems like the correct thing to do. I am glad I asked for feedback and may do this at other schools once I receive official rejections. This is what I did last year, and the feedback, while hard to hear at the time, resulted in better applications this time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyegurachka Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 This is what I did last year, and the feedback, while hard to hear at the time, resulted in better applications this time around. The funny this is, at least at Berkeley, there wasn't anything wrong. I just wasn't what they needed this year. He told me that I was clearly talented and serious about my work and should just keep going what I'm doing—the implication being that eventually I will get in somewhere....though probably not Berkeley. Anyway, I think it confirmed what everyone has been telling me, that it is a matter of fit + luck, especially with these hot-ticket programs. It was nice to know that I made it to the short list despite having a mediocre undergrad GPA and okay GRE scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowMoreSerious Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm very curious, in a macabre, masochistic sort of way, what the GC record is for the most applications made without an acceptance or waitlist... What's more interesting to me, and this happens every year, are the people who start off something like 0 for 9, lose hope, and then suddenly get accepted to a top program. This famously occurred on this board like 2 or 3 years ago and the person got into Columbia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 First official rejection came in (Brown). Totally expected, but still a bit sad (there is always that little bit of hope regardless, right?). C'est le vie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgt28 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Brown rejection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pol4ris Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 For Brown rejects, did you get notified via email or do a random site check? I wasn't accepted so fully expect a rejection but when I logged in just saw the general applyweb menu with the option to view details and then recs listed at the bottom. Nothing in my email or spam folder either :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slightlymoreanonymous Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Officially rejected at Rice. I had a POI personally flagging my application to the adcom, but to no avail it seems. Disappointed, but not shattered. Overall, Rice wasn't a perfect fit -- that POI in particular was a perfect fit, but institutionally it was near the bottom of my list. And hey, I don't have to move to Texas! (Bright sides, right?) Sorry, Wyatt's Torch:( Houston is icky, so you dodged a bullet there. Haha but my irrepressible state pride has to put in a positive word for Texas. We're friendly and (aside from some grad admissions committees, I guess) generally really welcoming folks! And to add to the general woe, I'm one of the multitude of Berkeley rejects. I think I still prefer actually knowing to waiting hopefully though. Query: at what point can we email and ask for an update? I've got one school with a fairly early (mid-March) acceptance deadline, and I'm not sure if I'll have even heard back the other 6 schools on my list by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 For Brown rejects, did you get notified via email or do a random site check? I wasn't accepted so fully expect a rejection but when I logged in just saw the general applyweb menu with the option to view details and then recs listed at the bottom. Nothing in my email or spam folder either :/ I got an e-mail saying a decision was available. About twenty minutes later the decision showed up on the front page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pol4ris Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I got an e-mail saying a decision was available. About twenty minutes later the decision showed up on the front page. Thanks so much for responding. Still nothing. I'm trying really hard not to be piss-my-pants hopeful for a waitlist but it was my top choice so I shall hold out hope whilst obsessively refreshing my email~* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echo449 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Query: at what point can we email and ask for an update? I've got one school with a fairly early (mid-March) acceptance deadline, and I'm not sure if I'll have even heard back the other 6 schools on my list by then. If you cannot avoid this deadline (and the school is just ignoring the April 15th agreement), then I would say the end of this month is a fair time to request more info, letting the person you are talking to know that you would not be doing so if not for this deadline's urgency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InHacSpeVivo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Thanks so much for responding. Still nothing. I'm trying really hard not to be piss-my-pants hopeful for a waitlist but it was my top choice so I shall hold out hope whilst obsessively refreshing my email~* NP. What department? I applied to MCM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pol4ris Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 NP. What department? I applied to MCM. English Lit. My interest is in Gothic lit during Romantic Era Britain which puts me at an odd position straddling 18th and 19th century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omensetter Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Re Brown: I applied in English and haven't received anything either. There's also nothing on the results board for English, so maybe the rejections for that program haven't been released yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pol4ris Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Re Brown: I applied in English and haven't received anything either. There's also nothing on the results board for English, so maybe the rejections for that program haven't been released yet? Seems logical. Also I was just looking at postings for last year and didn't see a single entry for waitlist. On my phone so could've missed it but I've talked myself out of hoping now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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