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Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 3:38 pm
by thehairupthere
Hey all!

Am I overly excited? Of course. But what's more important than that "Congratulations" email from your dream school?

So, I decided to start this thread where we can all post admission status along with dates so people panicking that they didn't get a reply yet can panic some more (or at least get an insight on what's going on)

I'm assuming no one yet has had an acceptance or rejection, but most deadlines are tomorrow (15th December) so we can start panicking as soon as that (even though most admission results are sent starting late January/early February)

Good luck!

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:24 pm
by wimmi
Hey everyone!

I am quite unfamiliar with the US admission system and I would like to ask about the details of the admission offer. I have read that the official date until the offers must be denied or accepted is 15 April, however I also heard some rumors that schools try to press students to accept the offers asap. How much time do you have to consider an offer, wait for possible additional ones and to make your decision (I am especially interesting in UCLA and UMich)? Do they actually use methods like "If you accept the offer before x date then you get an additional y thousands bonus"?

Thanks!

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 3:53 pm
by astroprof
The Council of Graduate Schools' Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants http://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/fi ... ct2015.pdf sets the April 15 deadline for students to accept/decline financial offers. Almost all US graduate schools are signatories of this resolution, so it would be improper for a department to offer a signing bonus to encourage a decision prior to this date. At the same time, it is important that students realize that every department has a target enrollment number and thus will admit more/less people off of their wait list based on anticipated yield of their initial offers. The system breaks down if every student waits until the last minute to accept/decline all of their offers. So, while you are not required to make a final decision prior to April 15, responsible students will decline most offers well in advance of this deadline and be in communication with the few remaining schools between which they are deciding so that schools can make additional offers if necessary (thereby allowing wait listed students sufficient time to consider their options as well).

How much time you have to consider the offer depends on whether or not you are accepted in the first round (in which case you will usually have the opportunity to visit the school, if you are a domestic applicant) or if you are on the wait list. Because of the universal reply date, wait listed applicants are usually given the same reply-by date of April 15, even if they are not offered admission until that date. This can make the days around April 15 exceedingly stressful for wait listed applicants.

A second consideration is for international students, as the paperwork associated with getting student visas can be time-consuming. The earlier this can be started, the better. Depending on the country, the bureaucratic red tape may take many months to clear, and thus waiting until April 15 for a decision as to which school you will attend may result in a delayed start to graduate school if the visa cannot be obtained in time. You should consult with the appropriate officials to determine the expected wait-time for approval of student visas for students from your country.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 4:35 pm
by wimmi
Thank you very much for your answer! Few remaining issues: in most cases (or let's assume that in most cases) the programs add 2 new grad students annually. The admission comitte creates the list of the applicants and then the top 2 applicants are given an offer. If any one of them declines, then they make another offer to the 3rd person on the list etc. This is how the system works?

As for the interpretation of the statistics, for example at UCLA - Physics the average number of admits is 76 while the average number of new registrants is 25. Does it mean that 76 people were offered admission and eventually 25 accepted the offer?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:22 pm
by thehairupthere
They usually accept more students than places available. The number varies a lot by university and is based on observing the enrolled to admitted ratio throughout the years. (Say for example, UCLA initially accepts 50 students for 25 places. 30 reject their offers, they accept 10 more, 5 reject their offer, and so on.)

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:34 pm
by TakeruK
wimmi wrote: As for the interpretation of the statistics, for example at UCLA - Physics the average number of admits is 76 while the average number of new registrants is 25. Does it mean that 76 people were offered admission and eventually 25 accepted the offer?
Yes, that is how I would interpret the UCLA numbers. A 33% registration/matriculation rate (25 out of 76 admits) is about standard, from what I hear. When admits are made, the school uses past experience and information in order to determine how many admits to send out. This is because most applicants will apply to and get accepted into more than one school, and thus they have to account for some of their candidates choosing other schools.
wimmi wrote: Few remaining issues: in most cases (or let's assume that in most cases) the programs add 2 new grad students annually. The admission comitte creates the list of the applicants and then the top 2 applicants are given an offer. If any one of them declines, then they make another offer to the 3rd person on the list etc. This is how the system works?
Some schools might work this way. However, this is terribly inefficient because those 2 (or whatever number) students with acceptances might take a long time to decide, and meanwhile candidate #3 doesn't even know they are in the running and they might take another offer from another school while waiting. This is partly why astroprof encourages all of us to make decisions in a timely manner---take as much time as you need to decide, but don't procrastinate until April 15 just because that's the deadline.

For information, here are some other models of managing admissions that I think are more efficient and more common than your example:

1. If a school has X spots and know that only 1/3 of offers are accepted, they might just initially make 3X offers. On average, they will get the right yield and if one year is exceptionally large/small, then they can compensate for that in later years. This works better when schools have enough money in reserve that having a class of 1.5X instead 1.0X isn't going to be that bad. And, the relative difference in cost is smaller when X is larger. Example: My current program has 20 spots and makes about 40 offers every year. There is only one round of offers and sometimes we have big classes and sometimes small. Schools that admit this way tend to make decisions pretty early (my program usually decides by the 3rd week of January).

2. A variation on the above would be to make multiple rounds of offers. So if there are X spots, maybe the initial set of offers will admit 2X students. They wait for responses and then based on how many spots are remaining (call it Y), make additional offers to 2Y students (or whatever empirically determined values make sense). This method is less risky but it does require more work to follow up with students. And, it usually means decisions are made later on (especially for the 2nd round) so the second round candidates may have already decided to go elsewhere. A school following this method might contact students in their original round of offers prior to April 15 and ask if their school is still in the running. Students can help this process along for everyone by sending timely decline notices when you're sure you won't attend there (i.e. if you applied to a school but already got offers from your top 3 choices, you can probably decline this school before you decide on which one of your top choices you'll attend).

3. This happens more in Canada, but another variation is for professors to directly admit students (like "hiring" for a job). An admissions committee might simply identify the 20 top candidates (or 30 or whatever) and send the profiles to all professors looking for graduate students. Then, each professor decides which students they are interested in, and either contacts the students directly or the admissions committee gets the names and determines when/how to make offers. In Canada, only the really big schools follow the April 15 guideline (to match the US), so for other schools, you will often get an offer in say, February, and given 3 weeks to decide (because once you say no, they'll go to the next person on the list). I'm telling you this because if you are applying to a Canadian school along with US ones and you encounter this, you'll understand why it isn't an April 15 deadline. However, depending on how competitive you are, you may be able to ask for more time to decide if you are still waiting for a US school. This is more likely especially if you are the only student the professor is interested in (so it's not like they are afraid that their 2nd choice will go elsewhere while they wait for you).

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 6:09 pm
by wimmi
Thanks again for the detailed answers!
So essentially I must be extremely quick and accept the offer asap from my top school to overcome the other applicants, right? (e.g. in principle it can happen that I wait too long after getting an offer and all the places are taken or the department runs out of TA/RA positions)

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:00 pm
by TakeruK
wimmi wrote:Thanks again for the detailed answers!
So essentially I must be extremely quick and accept the offer asap from my top school to overcome the other applicants, right? (e.g. in principle it can happen that I wait too long after getting an offer and all the places are taken or the department runs out of TA/RA positions)
No, that's not what I meant, sorry if it was not clear! When you get an offer, it should come with a deadline. Your offer should be valid up until the deadline---they should only make as many offers as they have funding for. As astroprof pointed out, for most US schools, this deadline is April 15, but you should always read your offer letter carefully.

The reason you should make your decision in a timely manner is that the entire system relies on students actually making decisions when they know enough information. If every student waited until April 15 to decide, then there would only be one wave of offers prior to April 15 and then an intensely crazy few days after April 15 as everything else gets sorted out. This would probably result in the removal of the "April 15" rule, which would likely hurt students more (now you might have to act fast and take an offer that's not the best for you!).

So, you should not be hasty and make a decision in fear of a school running out of spots (unless the letter says this is the case), but you should also not procrastinate on the decision. As soon as you know you will not be attending a school, let them know! You don't have to decide on what school you will attend before you start declining offers from schools you know you won't attend.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:07 pm
by wimmi
I see, now it is clear, thx
TakeruK wrote:they should only make as many offers as they have funding for.
I did not consider this.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:03 pm
by astroprof
As TakeruK outlines, most schools will make more offers of admission (and financial support) than they expect to have in their entering class. How much a department 'over commits' depends on their past history (do they typically have a 30% yield or 50% yield?) and the financial risk that they are able to absorb (do they have financial reserves that could be tapped to cover the stipends for extra students this year, or a favorable dean that will grant additional TAships for a year?). A department that recently over-enrolled may be more wary of accepting additional students this year, while one that has under-enrolled in the past may be more aggressive this year. Thus, the exact details will vary depending on the circumstances. In all instances, however, if your admission letter states that you are offered an assistantship (teaching/research/fellowship) that covers tuition and provides a stipend, the University is obligated to provide that financial assistance as long as you reply by the date specified (usually April 15, for US graduate schools). It is the department's responsibility to figure out additional ways to cover those financial packages if they get too many students in the entering class.

As an international student (I assume that you are international, since you specified that you did not understand the US system), you should also verify that your offer letter includes some statement regarding continued funding (beyond your first year). A student visa will require evidence that you will be able to afford the cost of your education for the duration of your stay in the United States. While some schools cannot officially guarantee continued support (for legal reasons), most schools will include a statement along the lines of 'students in good standing are expected to receive continued support at a comparable level for the extent of their graduate studies.'

Finally, I do want to emphasize the importance of timely notification of your decisions. Every year there are wait listed students on this site pleading for folks to turn down their offers at specific schools. While a declined offer does not necessarily translate directly into a new offer (since departments make more initial offers than they expect to enroll), the earlier a department knows that they are not going to make their target enrollment numbers, the earlier they can extend additional offers to those wait listed applicants. It is everyone's interest to reduce the uncertainty as we get closer to April 15. Thus, even if you have not made a final decision, notifying those schools that you have ruled out, as soon as you have decided not to attend them, will help everyone in the process. And, of course, if you have made a decision to accept an offer, by all means let everyone know as soon as you have reached that decision - there is no need to wait until April 15 for a positive decision either!

And, an additional finally: domestic applicants will be encouraged to visit schools during February and March. This can be an excellent opportunity to evaluate the program, see if your potential research advisors are good matches (it is not just science, personality counts!), and to explore the town. However, for students who are fortunate enough to be admitted into multiple schools, you may want to consider whether you need to attend all of the department open houses. Such visits are time consuming (for both you and the institution) and have real monetary cost (to the institution). If you know that you are absolutely not going to attend that school (because it was your super-duper-safety-I-just-want-to-go-to-graduate-school school), then please do not waste your time scheduling a visit. Not visiting also means that you can say 'no' sooner, since you do not have to wait until after the visit to do so!

Best of luck to everyone this admissions season!

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:41 pm
by Dishsoap
As a follow-up question, say I am admitted to seven schools (in my dreams!). I am considering three of them and am waiting to hear back about other information (for instance, a fellowship, which may not come until April 1). Do I somehow communicate with all three and say I am waiting on additional information, and then decline the other four? I understand declining the four, but emailing the three seems like it doesn't do much good...

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 11:44 am
by astroprof
In this scenario (7 offers, but only 3 schools still under consideration), you should absolutely notify the 4 schools that are no longer of interest. For the other 3 schools, how much continued contact depends on what additional information you need to make a decision. We do not need a blow-by-blow accounting of your decision making, but we want to assist you in making a good (for you!) decision. If you are waiting to hear about an external fellowship, you may want to know if you will still be required to teach (or will have the opportunity to teach) even if you have full external funding for the extent of your studies. You may want to have additional information as to whether the stipend associated with the fellowship is sufficient for the cost of living in each city, and if not, whether there are opportunities to supplement the fellowship stipend. Making a final decision is hard/scary (it's only your future career that we are talking about hereā€¦), so we want to make certain that you have sufficient information to make a sound and timely decision. Thus, if you have questions, you should contact us. If we contact you ("to check in"), it is helpful if you reply that you are waiting to hear about X before making a final decision, but you are not obligated to tell us anything until April 15. In my experience, however, it is beneficial to all involved to have open communication - if only to help resolve some of the 'unknowns' about the atmosphere and opportunities at each graduate school.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 5:46 pm
by thehairupthere
Not an American uni, but I noticed a fair amount of people on this forum apply to the IMPRS in Astrophysics in Munich. I got an invitation for an interview in February :D - I assume everyone shortlisted should have gotten one today.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:49 am
by Dishsoap
I'm so glad that someone else is as anxious about hearing back as I am. It feels great that my paranoia is in good company.

On a side note, I already got an invitation from the University of Nebraska to come visit in early January. It sounded sort of informal - I got to choose the date, so it doesn't seem like a group thing. I wouldn't at all mind going to Nebraska, so I'm relieved that I've heard back. At least now there's something else to funnel my nervousness into for the next two weeks :?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 6:22 am
by thehairupthere
Dishsoap wrote:I'm so glad that someone else is as anxious about hearing back as I am. It feels great that my paranoia is in good company.

On a side note, I already got an invitation from the University of Nebraska to come visit in early January. It sounded sort of informal - I got to choose the date, so it doesn't seem like a group thing. I wouldn't at all mind going to Nebraska, so I'm relieved that I've heard back. At least now there's something else to funnel my nervousness into for the next two weeks :?
You are definitely not alone at that! I've already been checking application status on websites even though I know I'd get an email about it anyway.

Good luck with the interview!

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 8:41 pm
by Dishsoap
thehairupthere wrote:
You are definitely not alone at that! I've already been checking application status on websites even though I know I'd get an email about it anyway.

Good luck with the interview!
I would also be doing that, but
a) I swear some of these universities make it as difficult as possible to log into their system, and
b) My biggest fear is that somewhere on my SoP I forgot to change "University of Illinois" to "Cornell University" or some such. If I start logging into admissions websites, I'll frantically start proofreading my stuff and I'm afraid I'll find a mistake. So, like a good scientist, I'll pretend like the mistake isn't there as long as I don't see it :roll:

Also, I did read on some of the profiles that the websites were updated first, and then e-mails sent out as much as a week later. Or by mistake, some emails didn't go out. So maybe you aren't SO insane 8)

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 1:25 pm
by Izaac
Just got a first rejection, by mail from Cornell's Biophysics program. A very merry Christmas! :roll:

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 7:52 pm
by Dishsoap
Izaac wrote:Just got a first rejection, by mail from Cornell's Biophysics program. A very merry Christmas! :roll:
By snail mail? But the application deadline was just two weeks ago or so! That's scary :?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:08 am
by Izaac
E-mail it was. They mentioned that my application didn't fit the program and that they're telling me that soon so that I can still apply to programs more suitable to my interests. Guess I was too "physics" and not "biology" enough.

By the way, Berkeley told me as well that they'd start reviewing applications as soon as one week past the deadlines. Guess they're doing the same in most biophysics courses. Maybe something to do with funding?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:43 am
by thehairupthere
Izaac wrote:E-mail it was. They mentioned that my application didn't fit the program and that they're telling me that soon so that I can still apply to programs more suitable to my interests. Guess I was too "physics" and not "biology" enough.

By the way, Berkeley told me as well that they'd start reviewing applications as soon as one week past the deadlines. Guess they're doing the same in most biophysics courses. Maybe something to do with funding?
Is the biophysics department separate? (or are you applying to the biology department?) If neither, usually funding is department wide, at least for first year students.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:50 am
by thehairupthere
Dishsoap wrote: I would also be doing that, but
a) I swear some of these universities make it as difficult as possible to log into their system, and
b) My biggest fear is that somewhere on my SoP I forgot to change "University of Illinois" to "Cornell University" or some such. If I start logging into admissions websites, I'll frantically start proofreading my stuff and I'm afraid I'll find a mistake. So, like a good scientist, I'll pretend like the mistake isn't there as long as I don't see it :roll:

Also, I did read on some of the profiles that the websites were updated first, and then e-mails sent out as much as a week later. Or by mistake, some emails didn't go out. So maybe you aren't SO insane 8)
Both very valid points! I'm totally avoiding looking back into my applications or old letters. Luckily though, my frantic-excitement is slowly turning into healthy enthusiasm, I'll at least wait a couple more weeks before I go back to it again.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:17 am
by Izaac
thehairupthere wrote: Is the biophysics department separate? (or are you applying to the biology department?) If neither, usually funding is department wide, at least for first year students.
I don't really understand how Cornell works. Biophysics is called a "Graduate field," regrouping faculties from different departments. So, no idea where the funding comes from.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 6:48 pm
by kennicutt
Berkeley astro emailed at least some people today about scheduling Skype interviews:
The committee has completed its initial assessment and, while no decisions have been made, we read your application with great interest and were impressed with it. This year, as a routine part of our process, we are planning to speak with applicants by phone or Skype. One of the Graduate Admissions Committee members will contact you later this week to set up a time for a phone/Skype conversation.
According to TGC, Ohio State astro has sent out the first round of acceptances.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:27 am
by damdum
For astro folks at AAS (this info is from various people): Wisconsin took a group of students to dinner and representatives from Caltech, Berkeley, Vanderbilt, UCSC, and Washington have been going to the poster sessions and talking to the folks who applied.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2016 4:22 pm
by Izaac
Rejected from Berkeley's biophysics program...

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:09 am
by Dishsoap
UMich sent out some acceptances today for physics. Woo!

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:51 am
by cwr
Dishsoap wrote:UMich sent out some acceptances today for physics. Woo!
Congrats! It's nice that they sent word out so soon, before some of the application deadlines, even.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:02 pm
by sjewalkers
I'm not quite sure how these committees work, but my physics application at Purdue was given to the committee today. I got an email in regards to my application materials and then told it would begin review today. Seems like that's quite a bit longer after the deadline even though my application has been there for a few weeks.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:34 pm
by sjewalkers
Accepted into RPI for Nuclear Engineering! :D --- Atleast I have one acceptance, and much sooner than I expected!

Looks like they're sending out their letters two weeks after deadline.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 11:03 am
by Catria
sjewalkers wrote:Accepted into RPI for Nuclear Engineering! :D --- Atleast I have one acceptance, and much sooner than I expected!

Looks like they're sending out their letters two weeks after deadline.
Perhaps nuclear engineering has a smaller volume of applications vs. physics... that might account for them taking just two weeks to send out acceptances. :D

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:04 pm
by broo
Looks like the University of Washington is starting to send out acceptances.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:30 pm
by nousernameavailable
I was recently admitted into Caltech's GPS program.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:20 am
by thehairupthere
Ohio State Astro is sending out decisions.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:31 pm
by damdum
Illinois Physics just sent out some acceptances. Visit dates: March 11-12.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:02 am
by dianav91
It's so soon for UIUC... deadline was 01/15... I'm scared

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:45 am
by svssvs1490
Dose any body received an offer from Kansas state or Emory university yet

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:11 am
by Dishsoap
I got a call from someone at UIUC on Monday. It was a professor just wanting to chat with me (he wasn't even on the adcomm, but he was my POI). His research was super interesting so I got really excited about wanting to work with him but I didn't get an acceptance (yet?) :(

Also, I JUST NOW found the "supplemental form" in my email from UIUC, where you fill out your preferred research areas. OOPS.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:22 am
by damdum
Don't lose hope! This is probably just the first round of acceptances; from last year's trends (http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=physics*), it looks like they have more than one round of acceptances.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:27 pm
by frozen_stair
Does anyone know whether results are ever sent out on weekends?
It would nice to be able to stop compulsively checking my email for a few days. :)

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:15 pm
by Dishsoap
Generally not, but sometimes there are exceptions. Looking at gradcafe results, this weekend last year about 3-4 acceptances were sent out. Consider it a time to relax and not check your email compulsively 8)

Also, I got an acceptance to CU-Boulder today. A bit earlier than in past years... I can't sit still :D

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 6:03 am
by damdum
The first Harvard Physics acceptance showed up on Gradcafe.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:05 pm
by asphodelus
Just got my UW Madison acceptance.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 6:38 pm
by Taco_Night_98
Acceptances (at least the first round) for Michigan State University have gone out on the 15th of January with a scheduled campus visit on 2/19. I also got an email today for a campus visit for NCSU.... also on 2/19 :( .

For those who have gone through this process, is it common for invitations for campus visits to go out before acceptance offers?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 12:15 am
by ashishdastro
Got rejected from the University of Arizona. :cry:

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:45 am
by damdum
Got an acceptance from Berkeley Astro earlier tonight :D

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:51 am
by Cho'bal
According to gradcafe UMD seems to have offered interview to an international applicant in hep-ex.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:29 am
by sjewalkers
Got a second acceptance into Nuclear Science & Engineering at Oregon State University and before their deadline! :)

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:06 pm
by Dishsoap
Does UIUC just send out one acceptance every once in awhile instead of sending them in rounds?

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:22 pm
by pgrethrowaway
Got into Duke today. Not a top choice but still exciting to be in somewhere! Came as an email. The letter doesn't mention an open house date.

Re: Decision Dates 2016

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 12:11 pm
by damdum
Has anyone heard back from Harvard or Caltech astro?