Waitlist Thread

[JuniusBattius]

2 hours ago, RumHaven said:

I have some more information about what might happen at UNC. One of my letter-writers contacted some friends at UNC and they told him that I am waitlisted and will be notified of my status on April 2nd. In conjunction with the other information on this forum, I figure that the visit days probably end on the 1st or 31st, and at that point they will feel comfortable making the hidden waitlist explicit. (One piece of information that doesn't fit into this picture is Witsclaw being waitlisted just last Wednesday, after the first-round waitlists who were presumably funded to visit, and before the unfunded hidden waitlist is revealed. Maybe he has more info?)

Is this regarding all programs at UNC? I have come across different information corresponding to each program...
Also, I have posted this email response (which I received on 3/21) in other threads but was wondering how everyone else interprets it:

"Apologies for our long silence.  The reason you haven’t heard from us yet, is that we are trying to sort out our funding issues.  We do not accept students into our PhD program without being able to fund them and because we are a state school it often takes us longer than we would like to hear about our budget for the upcoming year. This is the case this year.  We hope to have a sense of what we will be able to do in the next week or so.  I know you have other offers you are considering and decisions you must make, and I apologize that we are complicating this process.   I will let you know as soon as possible."

As there was no address of my specific application, I worry about investing too much hope in this response.

[foodnerd]

14 minutes ago, JuniusBattius said:

The reason you haven’t heard from us yet, is that we are trying to sort out our funding issues.  We do not accept students into our PhD program without being able to fund them

I got some very similar language in my original waitlist notification from UNC in February. I've been in touch with the department chair (AmStu) and she said she'd let me know as soon as she can if someone declines their offer. I'm still hopeful if it's any consolation

[Witsclaw]

20 hours ago, RumHaven said:

I have some more information about what might happen at UNC. One of my letter-writers contacted some friends at UNC and they told him that I am waitlisted and will be notified of my status on April 2nd. In conjunction with the other information on this forum, I figure that the visit days probably end on the 1st or 31st, and at that point they will feel comfortable making the hidden waitlist explicit. (One piece of information that doesn't fit into this picture is Witsclaw being waitlisted just last Wednesday, after the first-round waitlists who were presumably funded to visit, and before the unfunded hidden waitlist is revealed. Maybe he has more info?)

Hi there! I haven't been told about the visit days, but I too am puzzled by this. I'm planning to ask more about the waitlist and a possible visit soon, so I can let you guys know once I have a little more info. Do we know who was sending out the first round notifications? Maybe that affected when I was notified?

[Gnothi_Seauton]

UNC's prospective student visit was March 19th-21st.  We had something like 12 students attend, a few of whom were on the waitlist.  I'm not sure, but I would bet that we're shooting for an incoming class of 6-7.  If you recently made it to the waitlist and eventually get accepted, then you won't have the opportunity for a formal visit, but if you'd like to come to the department, I know the faculty and grad students would be happy to meet with you and talk about the program.  (I'd also be happy to answer questions about the program via PM).

[RumHaven]

I don't really know what's going on then. Maybe they are just releasing the hidden waitlists in a relatively ad hoc manner, or they are basing their timings off of things we just don't know about.

[Dialectica]

Everyone see the hidden waitlist post on Leiter this morning? LA Paul's comment is illuminating (at least, for UNC). I think there might now be an argument to try and schedule visits sooner (and so to release initial decisions sooner).

Edited March 29, 2017 by Dialectica

[Duns Eith]

1 hour ago, Dialectica said:

Everyone see the hidden waitlist post on Leiter this morning? LA Paul's comment is illuminating (at least, for UNC). I think there might now be an argument to try and schedule visits sooner (and so to release initial decisions sooner).

High time someone call out PhD programs about this.

Happened to me, and three of my colleagues.

Unlike Tim O'Keefe, I can see one good reason for the practice: the dept can stay non-committal when it comes to tough decisions, and why should the dept take on risk when they need not? The flexibility is valuable to the department. But I agree with To'K that it could at least be communicated.

Edited March 29, 2017 by Duns Eith

[Dialectica]

8 minutes ago, Duns Eith said:

High time someone call out PhD programs about this.

Happened to me, and three of my colleagues.

Unlike Tim O'Keefe, I can see one good reason for the practice: the dept can stay non-committal when it comes to tough decisions, and why should the dept take on risk when they need not? The flexibility is valuable to the department. But I agree with To'K that it could at least be communicated.

Right. That seems to be the important upshot here: communication. Even if, for instance, we received an email from those limbo programs communicating what Dr. Paul did in her comment, that would be an improvement. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by Dialectica

[JuniusBattius]

59 minutes ago, Dialectica said:

Right. That seems to be the important upshot here: communication. Even if, for instance, we received an email from those limbo programs communicating what Dr. Paul did in her comment, that would be an improvement. 

Cannot agree more. It seems ethically irresponsible of the institution to avoid contact, but I suppose we are at their mercy. 

I sometimes wish that I could get a solid "no" instead of occasionally feeling a glimmer of hope.

[JuniusBattius]

Update: I had added a comment on this post on Leiter (as "(Another) PhD Applicant"), noting that after emailing to inquire, I had received a response from the director of my program and that she had stated that the lengthy silence was due to budget issues. I suggested that despite that this communication was still rather hazy, it was better than silence and it's likely  less time-consuming to email en mass than it is to respond to individual applicants soliciting their satus. It was (strangely) deleted... 

... anyway, it seems that a lot of people have received their rejections from UNC Chapel Hill today, but I am still in the dark and my application status has remained the same. Is it time for me to send a follow-up email?

Edited April 3, 2017 by JuniusBattius

[Ibycus]

13 minutes ago, JuniusBattius said:

Update: I had added a comment on this post on Leiter (as "(Another) PhD Applicant"), noting that after emailing to inquire, I had received a response from the director of my program and that she had stated that the lengthy silence was due to budget issues. I suggested that despite that this communication was still rather hazy, it was better than silence and it's likely  less time-consuming to email en mass than it is to respond to individual applicants soliciting their satus. It was (strangely) deleted... 

... anyway, it seems that a lot of people have received their rejections from UNC Chapel Hill today, but I am still in the dark and my application status has remained the same. Is it time for me to send a follow-up email?

I would wait until the current cycle of notices is likely done going out (later today or tomorrow I guess), then solicit. 

[Ikari Gendo]

Got an e-mail from Alberta saying that they will decide whom to accept out of the wait-list. My application is for MA but I guess it is safe to assume that it is the same for PhD as well.

[sleepingsusurrus]

PARDON THE ALL CAPS.. I AM ON THE TOP OF THE WAITLIST AT VANDERBILT. 

[Ikari Gendo]

Apparently I am ranked #2 on the waitlist for Alberta MA. If you are considering not to attend their program, please feel free to let them know.

[Thrasymachus]

I'm currently on the waitlist at Fordham and was told where I stood back in February, but no news since (and it doesn't seem to be a school many people post about). I'm wondering if there's anyone who would be so kind as to share whether they have accepted/declined an offer there to help me sort out my situation.

[MentalEngineer]

On 4/12/2017 at 2:36 PM, Thrasymachus said:

I'm currently on the waitlist at Fordham and was told where I stood back in February, but no news since (and it doesn't seem to be a school many people post about). I'm wondering if there's anyone who would be so kind as to share whether they have accepted/declined an offer there to help me sort out my situation.

I know two people who got in; one has definitely taken the offer and the other is almost certain to do so.

[RumHaven]

USC sent me an email today outlining the offer they would make to me tomorrow, if they are able to make it. But apparently they won't know if they can make it until tomorrow, so some people must still be deciding. Haven't heard anything from Princeton about the status of the waitlist. Still haven't had a word from UNC, even though their graduate administrator told me she forwarded my inquiry to LA Paul several days ago(and my thesis adviser told me he personally contacted her as well). This is really coming down to the wire.

[Dialectica]

Anyone know if Austin's (hidden) waitlist is still moving? Just waiting on them at this point, and it's difficult to get a detailed answer out of them. 

[Duns Eith]

I'm dying here. I'm 3rd in line and there's 1 not-accepted offer out. It is possible that I get off the waitlist, but not by the deadline of my other program.

[whatamidoinghere]

5 minutes ago, Duns Eith said:

I'm dying here. I'm 3rd in line and there's 1 not-accepted offer out. It is possible that I get off the waitlist, but not by the deadline of my other program.

Ugh this sounds really frustrating. I wonder what that person is thinking about.