Question about emailing them

[i_like_snow]

hi Can I email one of the schools i was rejected from and ask her like how many ppl actually applied this year vs. how many actually got in. Cause on gradcafe they got like 50 ppl all saying they got in even though the program is supposeddddddd to be sooooo competitive or whatever.  i hate that school now

Comments

[historychick49]

What would be the point of knowing the ratio of applications to acceptances? (I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm genuinely curious.) I would think it'd be much more useful to politely ask for feedback on *your* application.

[i_like_snow]

oh i want to know cause i think they did false advertising by saying that its a competitive program and the ppl on gradcafe are making it look like its so easy to get in and then when everyone asks me 'oh u didnt get in -it seems like everyone got in' it makes me feel bad

[historychick49]

Yes, but - as noted above - if they got around 500 applicants, and 50 got in (assuming everyone who was accepted posted on gradcafe, and no one lied), that's still just a 10% acceptance rate. That's competitive.

[acommonreader]

And I know of multiple programs that had over 700 applicants (or around there) this year, and so for them to only let in even thirty or so of those people (which is a fairly BIG incoming class) would make them even more competitive, statistically (which, of course, is how all of this is determined).

Why not?

[waldorf75]

The department may respond. The worst they can offer is silence. Besides, for all 50 people saying they got in, there could be hundreds who did not. Competition is indeed that tight. Just don't tell them you hate them in the e-mail ...

postacademic.wordpress.com

Re: Why not?

[i_like_snow]

k but how come nobody on gradcafe posted 'Rejected' except me/ like 50 accepted and just 1 rejected

Re: Why not?

[drivelikejehn]

I'd also wager that more people are eager to post their acceptance than their rejection.

Re: Why not?

[kuniklos]

I would think many people would be ashamed to post about being rejected. They may have also been accepted into another school that was higher on their list, so the rejection from your school may not have been post-worthy to them.

But also, not every single person who applied to your program is going to be on the same communities either. I'm sure it's not "just you". You want to post about it, but not everyone does.

I would only inquire about your application, but not who did and didn't get in. Digging for a reason to blame them is not constructive (if anything you should be looking at how you could have been a stronger candidate). Also, if you only want this program and want to apply next year, you never know who will remember your reaction to rejection.

Some schools may accept 100 people, some only 10. It depends on the program how many get accepted. 50is may have been normal. But who knows how many applied?

[drivelikejehn]

I agree with what has been said above. Not everyone will post on GradCafe--this is the first year I have even heard of such a thing and I started grad school in 2005.

Regardless of your school's specifics, this season has seen an alarming number of applicants coupled with ridiculous budget cuts. I've seen several schools in my field report an upwards of 500 applicants this year for maybe 5-10 admits. Those who have been admitted, competitive or not, were probably exceptionally qualified and maybe fit into the program/department in a way you haven't considered.

If you are frustrated by the number of acceptances and feel you have been needlessly overlooked, ask for feedback on your application and try again another year. That's how this works.

[detache]

I'd honestly be more interested in asking why I was rejected and how I could improve my application for consideration next time etc. I don't even know if this would be allowed, but I think I'd try it out.

[roseofjuly]

It is allowed. The worst you can get is nothing, or the school saying they can't provide that information. But a lot of applicants who ask for this information actually get it, especially if you can connect with a specific professor who was on the admissions committee.

[circumfession]

Although you may not get an answer, it isn't bad form to try...as long as you're polite and understanding. I've asked 4 programs and received *really* helpful feedback each time. However, I was careful to only ask my top choices (where fit wouldn't be a cutting factor) and made it clear that they were indeed a top pick for me.

Good luck!

[endxgame]

I would be careful about composing the e-mail (i.e. don't write like you do in this community

[endxgame]

This. Seriously, and without intended snark, if you write this email be very careful to present yourself in a professional manner. Do not write like you have in this community.

Also, I would seriously examine your motives for asking. If you are doing this for any reason other than to gain honest feedback about your application and to understand how to do better, don't bother writing the e-mail. And if you do want sincere feedback, as people have already suggested, you'd do better to ask about your application specifically rather than percentages of admitted students.

[i_like_snow]

i know what u mean k, but i just want u to know that i dont write this way to schools or profs or anythin k

[coaldustcanary]

that it isn't the same person accidentally posting multiple times

Oh, this. I know when I was posting my acceptances a few years ago I accidentally multiposted at least once. Their database is not all that stable, or at least wasn't then.