If you lie about acceptances...why do you do it?

[Medievalmaniac]

I have only been here for a day, but I have noticed at least two clear cases of people who have stated they have been accepted at schools and specific programs within schools that a number of others have down as well. No one but these folks has heard from these schools/ programs one way or the other, according to the results board and/or signature counts. In other words, it seems pretty clear that these folks have put down that they are accepted, but could not yet know this...even if they were chosen early admit with fellowship/funding, SOMEONE else would have heard from these programs by now. I know for a fact at least one of the schools is not telling anyone anything until the first week of March, at the earliest, because I called and I also know several current doctoral students there who have talked to the professors about it and been told no decisions have been made yet - they're waiting on funding information for the department because of state budget cuts.

So, my question is - what does it get you to lie about something like that? Is it just mind games? Delusion? Wishful thinking? All of the above?

Somebody smarter than me...please, enlighten me. )

(I'm not giving names of schools/programs because...well, I'm new, and I don't want to be snarky and out someone who is doing this. If you want to know, just lurk a bit and I'm sure you can figure it out)

[Pamphilia]

A lot of programs only notify a small number of people (even one or two) at a time, spreading their acceptances out over a while. Some people receive unofficial acceptances via personal contact with a particular faculty member even though official or final decisions have not yet been made. I highly doubt that more than a twisted few, if any, are lying about their acceptances on these fora (stupid fake postings on the results board notwithstanding).

Let's all love and trust (with salt, if necessary) each other!

[johndiligent]

Haha, I doubt anyone's going to come forward, but y'know.

My cousin (my roommate and also a grad school applicant) showed me a post on a Livejournal community last week that showed that a woman had posted a false acceptance on Grad Cafe in order to get back at her husband for spending more time looking at the Results Page than he did talking to her. So it's possible that some of the posters aren't even applicants, just people screwing with someone else.

[JennyFieldsOriginal]

A lot of programs only notify a small number of people (even one or two) at a time, spreading their acceptances out over a while. Some people receive unofficial acceptances via personal contact with a particular faculty member even though official or final decisions have not yet been made. I highly doubt that more than a twisted few, if any, are lying about their acceptances on these fora (stupid fake postings on the results board notwithstanding).

Let's all love and trust (with salt, if necessary) each other!

I'm going to second this.

I applied fairly extensively, and I didn't see any suspicious acceptances (i.e. even the ones that were posted well before anyone else had other acceptances listed within the next few days)

Personal anecdote: I saw someone's admit possibly an entire week before I got my own to the same school. This caused an enormous freak out on my part, but wound up being meaningless.

The UCLA news was posted fairly early by one person, but this turned out to be followed up by a huge round of decisions.

I have yet to decide whether the information I've gleaned from this forum has been good or bad for my psyche, but I think it's hard not to get spooked when others have news and nothing has appeared in the ole inbox (as I well know!)

I could be totally missing something but nothing has seemed too improbable.

[Medievalmaniac]

If I had not spoken personally with one of the departments in question and been informed that no decisions had been made, I wouldn't be quite so distrustful, I think.

I can buy the idea that someone has received an unofficial acceptance or two, i.e. word of mouth - although, I wonder at the professor who would put him or herself in that position - if no formal decision has been made, then there's the possibility of major egg on one's face in that instance.

I don't think it is widespread practice, but it just caught my eye (I like research....! lol)

I'm not trying to cause trouble, I just really wonder why someone would post anything without a firm admit in hand. I laughed aloud at the suggestion that it might be a payback action! ;op

But definitely, I'm feeling the stress alongside everyone else and want to be supportive and supported here!!

[rev IT]

on the other hand, i know at least for a fact that 2 schools i applied to have sent admissions to early applicants. but i haven't seen any for the 2 schools on the results page. so this place is not representative of the applicant pool. i've posted earlier comments about this.

[tarski]

If I had not spoken personally with one of the departments in question and been informed that no decisions had been made, I wouldn't be quite so distrustful, I think.

Even with that, I'd be careful about being certain that someone isn't telling the truth. Example: couple nights ago I got a call admitting me to OSU; calls were spread out over a week. Today, some people who haven't heard anything emailed the department to ask them if they made any decisions, and got this response: "The admissions committee is in the final stages of reaching decisions. You may expect to hear something by the end of the month."

[Medievalmaniac]

Even with that, I'd be careful about being certain that someone isn't telling the truth. Example: couple nights ago I got a call admitting me to OSU; calls were spread out over a week. Today, some people who haven't heard anything emailed the department to ask them if they made any decisions, and got this response: "The admissions committee is in the final stages of reaching decisions. You may expect to hear something by the end of the month."

Tarski - you're right, it's always a good idea to practice healthy skepticism. )

Edited February 17, 2010 by Medievalmaniac

[rising_star]

I have only been here for a day, but I have noticed at least two clear cases of people who have stated they have been accepted at schools and specific programs within schools that a number of others have down as well. No one but these folks has heard from these schools/ programs one way or the other, according to the results board and/or signature counts. In other words, it seems pretty clear that these folks have put down that they are accepted, but could not yet know this...even if they were chosen early admit with fellowship/funding, SOMEONE else would have heard from these programs by now.

Honestly, as someone that got a bunch of early acceptances before anyone else had heard, I think you're unclear about how/when departments make decisions. Often the deadlines to nominate incoming students for university-wide awards are in February and require that a student has already been admitted. So... no, I wasn't lying when I posted my acceptance notifications even though I heard in January for Jan 1 deadlines. It's not my fault if no one else has heard yet.

[coyabean]

Honestly, as someone that got a bunch of early acceptances before anyone else had heard, I think you're unclear about how/when departments make decisions. Often the deadlines to nominate incoming students for university-wide awards are in February and require that a student has already been admitted. So... no, I wasn't lying when I posted my acceptance notifications even though I heard in January for Jan 1 deadlines. It's not my fault if no one else has heard yet.

Yeah, one of the reasons I took my posts down a notch is that I was told that I was being notified before all the other decisions had been finalized (for f'ship purposes).

And to the matter of professors not telling you before it's "official" for fear of egg on their face, I doubt that's an issue. If someone from a program communicates with you about admission there's been a group decision to do so; they're just the one to contact you. Everyone I know in real life that applied this year have been contacted informally first -- some weeks ahead of the letter. If a place wants you then they want to be on your mind early in the process or a prof liked you and wants to be the one to tell you.

[chimerical]

If I had not spoken personally with one of the departments in question and been informed that no decisions had been made, I wouldn't be quite so distrustful, I think.

That could just be the official line until all decisions are released. Early informal admits are par for the course and are no less "real" than official notifications. I was notified of one acceptance soon after the faculty met and well before anything official was passed on to the school and DGS. Someone else who called and asked about the same program after I'd been notified was told they were still making decisions.

[subrosa]

That could just be the official line until all decisions are released. Early informal admits are par for the course and are no less "real" than official notifications. I was notified of one acceptance soon after the faculty met and well before anything official was passed on to the school and DGS. Someone else who called and asked about the same program after I'd been notified was told they were still making decisions.

This seems to be the case in my experience, too. One of my schools began recruiting aggressively early January, more than a month before official results came out. I didn't know about early admits then, either, and they kept saying things like "while official decisions have not been made yet" while obviously treating it like a foregone conclusion. I didn't post my results then, because the whole situation was rather confusing to me, and it didn't seem appropriate, given that people were still very jittery about the school in question on the discussion boards and posting about how there would absolutely be no decisions until months later.

[monkeefugg]

When I was accepted into my Master's program a few years ago, my professor told me personally when I bumped into her in the department office.

I'm sure a lot of this type of thing is happening, and then acceptees post their admit on the forum.

Also, don't assume that departments make all decisions at the same time. It's not necessarily a synchronized process.

Good point with the fellowship discrepancy.