False alarm via postal mail

[casey825]

A few weeks ago I arrived home to find a small thin envelope from one of my schools sitting on my bed. My parents had not wanted to upset me when I called earlier that day to ask if any mail had arrived for me. My heart sank and my stomach churned. I was sure this was a (devastatingly early) rejection letter, and I was also ticked at my parents for not telling me the truth when I asked about mail. Then I opened the letter, and it was just confirming that the school had processed my application!

Has anyone else had this happen?

(I am still waiting for a decision from this school.)

Edited February 7, 2010 by casey825

[jose]

Haha, that's a relief! I had similar experience just yesterday - I checked my mail and saw an email from one of my top choices (also the school I attended as an undergrad) - the subject line said something like "Latino fellowship blabla" and I immediately got really excited thinking I had gotten in with a fellowship. I opened it and saw it was just a usual generic email from the school's latino alumni organization (I've been getting them every few months for years) outlining a bunch of different fellowship and grant options for various projects. Kind of a bummer that it wasn't an acceptance, but at least there's still hope. Quite a rollercoaster of emotions, to say the least!

[gildedProgressive]

Sorta! The other day when I checked the mail, I saw a letter with my top choice's logo (very very recognizable) on it. It just so happens that my DAD went to this same school, and the letter was an Alumnus letter for him. Frustration!

[socnerd]

A few weeks ago I arrived home to find a small thin envelope from one of my schools sitting on my bed. My parents had not wanted to upset me when I called earlier that day to ask if any mail had arrived for me. My heart sank and my stomach churned. I was sure this was a (devastatingly early) rejection letter, and I was also ticked at my parents for not telling me the truth when I asked about mail. Then I opened the letter, and it was just confirming that the school had processed my application!

Has anyone else had this happen?

(I am still waiting for a decision from this school.)

Wait... You still live at home with your parents? Lol sorry, I can imagine what a nightmare that would be. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with my parents being around when the mail comes in, just like college all over again! I did get a letter from one of the schools I'm applying to just letting me know about financial aid options, they just love to make us nervous!

[johndiligent]

Sorta! The other day when I checked the mail, I saw a letter with my top choice's logo (very very recognizable) on it. It just so happens that my DAD went to this same school, and the letter was an Alumnus letter for him. Frustration!

Haha, love it.

[rogue]

My dogs like to eat the mail. I'm deathly afraid they'll shred a letter before I get to read it, and I won't know if I was admitted or rejected!

[piccgeek]

In the same week I got a yes-we-are-processing-your-app email with a generic subject line from both the program I'm applying to AND the big summer job I've applied for. I was so nervous both times as I opened the email, and so frustrated when I read it (especially since it happened TWICE!), but still better than a rejection, eh?

[pea-jay]

I'm so glad the university that notified me that they deemed my application complete and ready for the next admission committee meeting did so via email and not the cursory thin envelope. They also went as far to say official notification will be made via mail.

[grad_wannabe]

I arrived home to a thick envelope from one of my schools on the dining room table, and my mom saying, "Honey, you got an envelope from [school X]!" only to find it was a measly brochure. This is the same school that sent me an email with "Admissions notice" in the subject line, with nothing more than "we are processing your application" in the body.

[mbs191]

Uggggh, I totally know the feeling you guys are going through. I cannot wait to (please, please please!!!!!) hopefully get into at least 1 of the 6 schools I applied to. On Thursday, while at work (a job at which I will HAPPILY say adios to when hearing from a school) I got an email saying "Congratulations, you are now.....welcome to attend our Open House..." and I was really excited but then at the very bottom it said "if you have not yet heard whether or not you have been admitted, please wait to make your confirmation to visit during the Open House." OMG, I went from elated to pizz-zzzed in a matter of 8.2 seconds. Oh well, better than a rejection!!!

[kohaku]

My dogs like to eat the mail. I'm deathly afraid they'll shred a letter before I get to read it, and I won't know if I was admitted or rejected!

OMG this is too funny! I have three dogs AND a large bird that like to shred paper, and you have just added another source of paranoia in me about this LONG (seemingly never-ending) waiting period.

[parapluie]

My dogs like to eat the mail. I'm deathly afraid they'll shred a letter before I get to read it, and I won't know if I was admitted or rejected!

That would freak me out as well. Here's to finding out via email instead!

I haven't gotten any mailings, however, I did get duped by the Application Notice!..."we are finally processing your application" email (over a month after the deadline though it was sent in quite a while before that haha).

Good luck everyone!

[varekai1018]

Luckily my puppy doesn't (yet) demonstrate a taste for envelopes! Yikes!

I received an email from my top choice, and in the subject line it was just the name of the university's college of public health. When I anxiously clicked to open the email, it told me to become a fan of the public health program on facebook! Seriously??? I did, on the off-chance someone on their end will notice my unending devotion...but if things don't work out, it's a definite "unfriend"!

[rogue]

Luckily my puppy doesn't (yet) demonstrate a taste for envelopes! Yikes!

I can't quite tell from your avatar, but it looks like you might have a westie? I have two of them. One freaks out when he hears the mailman coming, runs to the door and assumes the position: paws on either side of the mail slot, mouth open and waiting. As the mail comes through the slot, he rips it from the guy's hand and shakes it like some sort of prey he's trying to kill. When my mail guy finally saw the dogs one day, he laughed and said, "that's it?" He thought I had rottweilers. I probably should have noted this on my applications somewhere--"Don't send mail, just call or email!"

[varekai1018]

I can't quite tell from your avatar, but it looks like you might have a westie? I have two of them. One freaks out when he hears the mailman coming, runs to the door and assumes the position: paws on either side of the mail slot, mouth open and waiting. As the mail comes through the slot, he rips it from the guy's hand and shakes it like some sort of prey he's trying to kill. When my mail guy finally saw the dogs one day, he laughed and said, "that's it?" He thought I had rottweilers. I probably should have noted this on my applications somewhere--"Don't send mail, just call or email!"

That's hilarious, Rogue! My guy is an Old English Sheepdog puppy - quite a handful, and I imagine that I'm lucky I have my mailbox on the side of the house. If my mail came through a slot, I would definitely be coming home to shredded envelopes!

On a side note, becoming a fan of my program on facebook has led to daily, almost crippling, anxiety. Every time I see a program-related status update, I wonder why my school can manage to get their FB page together, but can't be bothered emailing me with a decision!

Edited February 15, 2010 by varekai1018

[murpstud]

Got a letter from New Mexico on Saturday telling me that they forwarded my application to the department...what a teaser!

[American in Beijing]

Luckily my puppy doesn't (yet) demonstrate a taste for envelopes! Yikes!

I received an email from my top choice, and in the subject line it was just the name of the university's college of public health. When I anxiously clicked to open the email, it told me to become a fan of the public health program on facebook! Seriously??? I did, on the off-chance someone on their end will notice my unending devotion...but if things don't work out, it's a definite "unfriend"!

LOL, this cracked me up! I fortunately have not had any of the above things happen to me. Although I did almost delete an e-mail from a professor asking for a phone interview. The subject was: "Phone call?" and the sender was some ambiguous screen name that I did not recognize. Thank God my ultrasensitive spam blocker did not put it in spam!

[Tiglath-Pileser III]

A few weeks ago I arrived home to find a small thin envelope from one of my schools sitting on my bed.

Ha ha ha... It reminds me of what happened to me when I first applied for my MA back in 2005.

A week after I submitted my last application item, I got a 'thin' envelope that scared the heck out of me. It was stamped in blue "final decision" on the outside. Talk about terror. It was a letter congratulating my on my acceptance and that the full acceptance packet would be sent in the mail in a few weeks.

[kobe36]

haha just had one today. called my so because I had a package coming today and wanted to make sure he was home to sign for it for me. It turned out the package had already arrived .... and also with it, a letter from fordham. he says it was thin and I totally thought it was going to be a rejection. I told him to just open it for me to spare me the agony of having to wait until I get home to see the rejection. He refused but after I threatened him multiple times (in a loving way of course ), he finally opened it and it just says that they have received all my application materials and will be processing my applications shortly. I panicked ... for nothing unless of course I go home later and it was really a rejection but he just didnt want to ruin my day ...

[joro]

haha just had one today. called my so because I had a package coming today and wanted to make sure he was home to sign for it for me. It turned out the package had already arrived .... and also with it, a letter from fordham. he says it was thin and I totally thought it was going to be a rejection. I told him to just open it for me to spare me the agony of having to wait until I get home to see the rejection. He refused but after I threatened him multiple times (in a loving way of course ), he finally opened it and it just says that they have received all my application materials and will be processing my applications shortly. I panicked ... for nothing unless of course I go home later and it was really a rejection but he just didnt want to ruin my day ...

Maybe he wants to surprise you and it was actually an acceptance.

[kobe36]

@joro that would be sweet or cruel, i am not sure which one. haha

it turns out to be exactly like he said, it was just a confirmation of my application materials. not sure if i am grateful that its not a rejection or sad that there is still no decision YET. oh wells, back to obsessing over the results page