Emailing departments about application status

[mathgrad]

I'm still waiting to hear from two schools (Columbia and Michigan) before I can make my decision, but it seems as though both of these schools have already given out most (if not all?) of their acceptances, so I would rather not be waiting to hear if I'm just going to be rejected. How soon do you think I could contact these departments without it being rude?

[someDay]

I'm not sure Columbia and Michigan are done. Columbia does not waitlist people, so the lack of rejections seems to suggest they're not done yet and might make some more offers. Could be bullshit, but it gives me hope.

In any case, I think anything before March is a tad too early.

sD.

Edited February 19, 2010 by someDay

[highanxiety]

I would hardly expect it would be rude if you've been rejected, unless of course you intend to reapply at a later time - by that time, the grad secretary may have even moved on. On the other hand, if you've been accepted, you've been accepted - how could it hurt?

I haven't heard from my #1 choice yet - I'm planning on calling tomorrow.

[aditi123]

I'm not sure Columbia and Michigan are done. Columbia does not waitlist people, so the lack of rejections seems to suggest they're not done yet and might make some more offers. Could be bullshit, but it gives me hope.

In any case, I think anything before March is a tad too early.

sD.

Does that mean not hearing anything until Feb is a good sign?Why is it so?

[kman3201]

Hey guys,when you say you are going to call, who are you calling exactly? Just the most general department number you can find, or the graduate chair, or who? I want to call UCLA and see what the hell is going on.

[kdilks]

There's no point in e-mailing because they're just going to tell you that your application is "under review", which it will be until they get a full class and get around to mailing rejection letters sometime in March/April. I wouldn't say it's rude, but it's fruitless and bothersome to the graduate secretaries. Only contact them about having received all of your application materials, if there is some legitimate concern that they have not.

Ask yourself if there's any real reason that you need to know right away, and if not, quit being impatient and suck it up like everybody else does.

[kman3201]

There's no point in e-mailing because they're just going to tell you that your application is "under review", which it will be until they get a full class and get around to mailing rejection letters sometime in March/April. I wouldn't say it's rude, but it's fruitless and bothersome to the graduate secretaries. Only contact them about having received all of your application materials, if there is some legitimate concern that they have not.

Ask yourself if there's any real reason that you need to know right away, and if not, quit being impatient and suck it up like everybody else does.

Point well taken.

[Kathryn]

I would probably wait until at least mid March to start asking.

[Mathk1d]

There's no point in e-mailing because they're just going to tell you that your application is "under review", which it will be until they get a full class and get around to mailing rejection letters sometime in March/April. I wouldn't say it's rude, but it's fruitless and bothersome to the graduate secretaries. Only contact them about having received all of your application materials, if there is some legitimate concern that they have not.

Ask yourself if there's any real reason that you need to know right away, and if not, quit being impatient and suck it up like everybody else does.

Woo! That was the quote of the day for the grad cafe!

The situation is precarious. Schools don't require an answer until April 15. I think we are all anxious, but from a distanced perspective, hearing earlier will not change our future, except for our own adrenaline levels in our blood hehe.