Maybe a dumb question, but if I am rejected will I be notified?

[professorwiki]

I'm starting to drive myself a bit nuts waiting. I have not heard anything about acceptance or rejection. I have seen many people state they were notified of rejection, so I assume this is universal for them to tell you you did not get in? Sorry if this is a stupid question. 

[professorwiki]

Generally no news is good news - standard practice is to notify you of any decision! So if you haven't heard anything yet, the waiting game continues Good luck!!

Thanks for letting me know! I just wanted to be sure. The only activity I have heard is MUSC let me know one of my letter's of recommendation never made it to the school, I assume USPS had lost it, and had the professor send it again. They received it last week. My University of SC applications (three programs there I applied to) all still say "Decision Pending". I see all the people here starting to hear news and the lack of news in light of that fact is getting at me, haha

[gliaful]

I'm starting to drive myself a bit nuts waiting. I have not heard anything about acceptance or rejection. I have seen many people state they were notified of rejection, so I assume this is universal for them to tell you you did not get in? Sorry if this is a stupid question. 

It seems like the rejection notifications that are going out are for those who weren't invited to interview. Acceptances follow interviews -- in my experience, I've been notified of acceptance anywhere from 1 day - 2 weeks post-trip. However, no news really is good news, as emmadreher said, because being on a waitlist is better than being rejected.

[Sigaba]

I'm starting to drive myself a bit nuts waiting. I have not heard anything about acceptance or rejection. I have seen many people state they were notified of rejection, so I assume this is universal for them to tell you you did not get in? Sorry if this is a stupid question. 

 

FWIW, there are many posts on this BB in which members tell of not receiving notification of rejections.

[professorwiki]

It seems like the rejection notifications that are going out are for those who weren't invited to interview. Acceptances follow interviews -- in my experience, I've been notified of acceptance anywhere from 1 day - 2 weeks post-trip. However, no news really is good news, as emmadreher said, because being on a waitlist is better than being rejected.

Yeah, I have not even heard anything about an interview yet. 

[MidwesternAloha]

I met a guy who didn't get his rejection letter from one school til August of that year. What a mess.

[scarvesandcardigans]

FWIW, there are many posts on this BB in which members tell of not receiving notification of rejections.

 

I've also heard that some people don't hear of rejections. I've been waiting on a school's decision for three months and am beginning to believe it.

[Zoethor2]

Yeah, 8ish years ago when I was on this merry-go-round the first time, I applied to 15 schools.  There were at least a handful that I simply never heard anything from after the "application received" notification.  And there were another handful that I had to call up basically a day or two of April 15 to get them to admit I had been rejected.

[nonickname]

So is it possible that your online application status says "decision pending" but you're unofficially rejected and never hear back from schools you applied to?

Edited February 24, 2015 by nonickname

[MidwesternAloha]

So is it possible that your online application status says "decision pending" but you're unofficially rejected and never hear back from schools you applied to?

Correct. Depends on how expedient the school is. It's certainly not the case for all schools, but it does happen.

[professorwiki]

Correct. Depends on how expedient the school is. It's certainly not the case for all schools, but it does happen.

At what point might it be appropriate to contact someone in the program to find out if I am likely to be rejected?

[MidwesternAloha]

Probably after April 15.

[rodd5268]

For one of the schools I've applied to (UT Houston), they have the dates on which the interview weekends will happen posted on their website. The last one available is March 5-7, as in next weekend! How have I still not heard anything back from them? Has this happened to anyone else? Would they realistically offer me an interview position within a week or less of the interview? (I mean I would still definitely go ha)

[TheMercySeat]

Not notifying post-interview is trashy.

[P0cketS1ze]

FWIW, there are many posts on this BB in which members tell of not receiving notification of rejections.

 

This is the case at a lot of schools, unfortunately. My master's labmate never heard anything from the program our PI is in. 

[Holly44]

Not notifying post-interview is trashy.

I agree! I can't believe some schools are so unorganized! 

[smcg]

You should get a notice. It goes something like this:

 

You're sitting at home playing with your dogs (or XBOX or checking email.... you get the gist). The doorbell rings (doorbell is a metaphor for the *ding* you hear on your phone as an email notification). You open the door (email). The carrier is there with a certified letter that you have to sign for (you open the the email). You sign and are handed a letter which you open (you click on the link in the email). The carrier immediately kicks you forcefully in the balls (the school website tells you that you suck and don't even think about setting foot on their campus).

 

Notification complete.