Status of Applications

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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bbsmitz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:31 pm

Status of Applications

Post by bbsmitz » Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:40 pm

I'm not sure if this has been covered, but I've looked around and I can't find it. Anyways, I was wondering what the deal on universities emailing when your application is complete and has been submitted for review is. I've received emails from three places, including one which told me a letter of rec was missing (now in) but I haven't heard from anywhere else and I'm getting jittery particularly because two of my recommenders were very late submitting (Jan 2nd and the 6th respectively). Are people receiving emails confirming their applications are complete or should I stop freaking out.... surely they would have emailed me to let me know my app was incomplete.

On a related note, are applications ever submitted for review before their complete? I'm wondering because I submitted 4 recs, and the one that was last (the 6th of Jan) was far and away the most important one. Would they see 3, say screw it, and ship it over?

Thanks for reading, sorry if this was a bit long winded for a 1st post, my nerves are on edge...

-BB

vesperlynd
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:28 am

Re: Status of Applications

Post by vesperlynd » Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:47 pm

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Last edited by vesperlynd on Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

t2kburl
Posts: 101
Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: Status of Applications

Post by t2kburl » Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:21 am

This is a good question. My applications are out to a wide variety of different schools. It seems as though most of the bigger programs give you a web portal to check, smaller ones may or may not contact you. Some programs (Colorado - Boulder APS) will not even acknowledge your existence.
You may be wish to email the department secretaries and ask. I have had some rather lengthy and entertaining dialogues develop with a couple of them.

bbsmitz
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:31 pm

Re: Status of Applications

Post by bbsmitz » Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:08 am

I received emails from both Chicago and Cornell saying my application was incomplete. My recommender submitted and then I got an update from Chicago saying it was now complete. I also got an email from Columbia APAM saying my application was complete and had been submitted for review.

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WhoaNonstop
Posts: 853
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am

Re: Status of Applications

Post by WhoaNonstop » Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:54 am

t2kburl wrote:I have had some rather lengthy and entertaining dialogues develop with a couple of them.
Stop flirting with the departmental secretaries. I can assure you they carry no weight in the admissions process. ;)

-Riley

vesperlynd
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:28 am

Re: Status of Applications

Post by vesperlynd » Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:50 am

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