Why haven't they let me know yet?

[Ph(ea)D]

I have been offered admission to a PhD program to a university and I need to confirm my acceptance by April 15, which is tomorrow. I haven't confirmed because I'm waiting for ICR, UIUC to let me know of their decision regarding my application. Their website says they usually let people know by March 1, which is long gone. I sent multiple e-mails to their office but I have received no information thus far. I just want them to let me know if I am in or not, so that I can decide on the next step.

 

Do you guys know if the admission process is already done? Why could it be that I have not got any news yet? Please do help.

[brown_eyed_girl]

I would call them and give a last follow up email ASAP, but if they don't respond positively by tomorrow, assume rejection and accept the other offer. 

 

Have you checked the results board to see whether other people have heard back from these schools in the relevant department? 

[Ph(ea)D]

Yes, I did. A couple of people have been admitted and a few others waitlisted and they all received notification by late Feb or early March. I don't know why any communication, even saying no, was not sent out to me. I guess I will accept the other offer.

[brown_eyed_girl]

That's pretty frustrating. For whatever it's worth, the PhD program that took the longest to get back to me did so (after some acceptances and rejections had gone out on the boards) because they had not accepted me to their PhD program but had accepted me to their freestanding MA program (which I wasn't interested in in the first place). Schools that do this may notify their MA admits after their PhD admits, so instead of sending an outright rejection with their wave of PhD rejections they wait to do it with their MA wave of acceptances/rejections. Not sure if that's what's going on in this case, but it could be a possibility and explain in part why they haven't responded yet. There could also be an unofficial waitlist situation. In either case I wouldn't hedge my bets on schools that can't bother to respond by now when you have a firm offer. 

Edited April 15, 2015 by brown_eyed_girl

[perpetuavix]

If a department hasn't contacted you, you're not admitted. Some schools are very slow about sending out rejections; I got one in May last year (and received no notification whatsoever from another school). If they wanted to admit you or had you on the waitlist, they would've responded to your multiple emails. Take the other offer and write them off. 

[Ph(ea)D]

Thank you. I think I will do just that.