Timing of Decision Information

[mjgm]

The grad school admission result season's here and it can be nerve wracking. Each time the inbox gets a mail it seems like this may be it - the make or break deal for a grad school. And yeah, PhysicsGRE.com and thegradcafe.com are SO addictive in such times.

So the question's simple: is there any time during the day when information about admission results are communicated? Or is it any time during the day?

[catharsis]

The grad school admission result season's here and it can be nerve wracking. Each time the inbox gets a mail it seems like this may be it - the make or break deal for a grad school. And yeah, PhysicsGRE.com and thegradcafe.com are SO addictive in such times.

So the question's simple: is there any time during the day when information about admission results are communicated? Or is it any time during the day?

Agreed, agreed and agreed. It might have just been coincidence, but all four of my acceptances have arrived after 5pm; and two of them after 7:30pm on a Friday night! I get more nervous now closer to evening time. However, yesterday Stanford Applied Physics sent out acceptances and rejections in the early afternoon, around 2pm. So I'm not sure my evening trend will hold for too long.

[mjgm]

The grad school admission result season's here and it can be nerve wracking. Each time the inbox gets a mail it seems like this may be it - the make or break deal for a grad school. And yeah, PhysicsGRE.com and thegradcafe.com are SO addictive in such times.

So the question's simple: is there any time during the day when information about admission results are communicated? Or is it any time during the day?

Agreed, agreed and agreed. It might have just been coincidence, but all four of my acceptances have arrived after 5pm; and two of them after 7:30pm on a Friday night! I get more nervous now closer to evening time. However, yesterday Stanford Applied Physics sent out acceptances and rejections in the early afternoon, around 2pm. So I'm not sure my evening trend will hold for too long.

Do you stay in the United States? I live in Asia. So evening there is probably in the morning half here.

[catharsis]

The grad school admission result season's here and it can be nerve wracking. Each time the inbox gets a mail it seems like this may be it - the make or break deal for a grad school. And yeah, PhysicsGRE.com and thegradcafe.com are SO addictive in such times.

So the question's simple: is there any time during the day when information about admission results are communicated? Or is it any time during the day?

Agreed, agreed and agreed. It might have just been coincidence, but all four of my acceptances have arrived after 5pm; and two of them after 7:30pm on a Friday night! I get more nervous now closer to evening time. However, yesterday Stanford Applied Physics sent out acceptances and rejections in the early afternoon, around 2pm. So I'm not sure my evening trend will hold for too long.

Do you stay in the United States? I live in Asia. So evening there is probably in the morning half here.

Ahh yes sorry, that's close-minded of me! EST, NY

[mjgm]

Agreed, agreed and agreed. It might have just been coincidence, but all four of my acceptances have arrived after 5pm; and two of them after 7:30pm on a Friday night! I get more nervous now closer to evening time. However, yesterday Stanford Applied Physics sent out acceptances and rejections in the early afternoon, around 2pm. So I'm not sure my evening trend will hold for too long.[/quote]


Do you stay in the United States? I live in Asia. So evening there is probably in the morning half here. [/quote]

Ahh yes sorry, that's close-minded of me! EST, NY [/quote]

Yeah. Thanks for the information.

Anyone else who wants to share?

[TakeruK]

Usually the first information you get is from a professor in your department, sometimes someone that you mentioned in your SOP. So, a phone call or email will happen whenever they have some free time. If you live far away, a phone call is less likely since they are not going to call if it's 2am your time! But whether it comes in the morning or afternoon probably depends the most on whether the prof likes to do his/her admin work in the morning or afternoon.

[mjgm]

Usually the first information you get is from a professor in your department, sometimes someone that you mentioned in your SOP. So, a phone call or email will happen whenever they have some free time. If you live far away, a phone call is less likely since they are not going to call if it's 2am your time! But whether it comes in the morning or afternoon probably depends the most on whether the prof likes to do his/her admin work in the morning or afternoon.

Ok

[mjgm]

Usually the first information you get is from a professor in your department, sometimes someone that you mentioned in your SOP. So, a phone call or email will happen whenever they have some free time. If you live far away, a phone call is less likely since they are not going to call if it's 2am your time! But whether it comes in the morning or afternoon probably depends the most on whether the prof likes to do his/her admin work in the morning or afternoon.

Do you always get such a mail from the prof since I guess in quite a few cases you just get the admit or rejection, without any interaction, purely based on credentials.

[catharsis]

Usually the first information you get is from a professor in your department, sometimes someone that you mentioned in your SOP. So, a phone call or email will happen whenever they have some free time. If you live far away, a phone call is less likely since they are not going to call if it's 2am your time! But whether it comes in the morning or afternoon probably depends the most on whether the prof likes to do his/her admin work in the morning or afternoon.

Do you always get such a mail from the prof since I guess in quite a few cases you just get the admit or rejection, without any interaction, purely based on credentials.

The faculty who have contacted me so far have only done so once I had received word of my official acceptances

[mjgm]

Do you always get such a mail from the prof since I guess in quite a few cases you just get the admit or rejection, without any interaction, purely based on credentials.[/quote]

The faculty who have contacted me so far have only done so once I had received word of my official acceptances[/quote]

Oh Ok. Fine.

[TakeruK]

Do you always get such a mail from the prof since I guess in quite a few cases you just get the admit or rejection, without any interaction, purely based on credentials.

It seems like other people have had different experiences, but for me, all of my acceptances came like this:

0. Phone call from a prof [most cases, but not always]
1. Email from either a prof in the department, or the prof in charge of grad students/head of admissions committee. This email will say something like "congratulations, we have selected you for admission and have forwarded your application to the graduate school for final approval". This usually just a formality. The email might also mention a visit and some information about the program. It's usually a start of a conversation where you can ask any questions you might have etc. They might also be able to give you some details like funding etc.
2. Email from the Graduate School with the official offer letter stating the funding info, deadline to respond etc. This might come with more information about the school in general (brochures etc.)
3. Physical copy of #2 arrives in the mail a short while later.