What is the Real DEADLINE?

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tau1777
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:42 pm

What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by tau1777 » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:28 pm

So I've been wondering if a school says their deadline is the Jan 15th, does that mean only the application has to be there by 11:59 Jan 15th, or do they also want recommendations, transcripts, GRE scores etc. all by that time?

I've been under the impression that most schools will give you a week or two to get in all of the extra materials. Is this is wishful thinking on my part?

Also some schools say you should submit the application way before the deadline. Is this really necessary? I mean if the due date is Jan 15th and lets say you've gotten all of the necessary material to them, does it really matter that the application wasn't received earlier? I mean its not like there going to look at the ones that arrived their by the jan 1st, first right? I mean its not fair. Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

tau1777
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by tau1777 » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:14 pm

I just submitted my app for Penn State. and they are saying they haven't received any of the extra materials. now the deadline is the 15th and of course today is the 13th. is it simply a matter of them not attaching my application to the extra materials that I already then them while ago?

excel
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 am

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by excel » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:21 pm

Based on talking to a couple of admission directors, most programs do not reject or negatively mark applications on grounds that there was a delay in receiving transcript, GRE score or recommendation letters. So, no, it is not wishful thinking on your part. However, if your application is completed so late that the committee members do not get the time to read it before their first meeting, your chances will obviously suffer. How late is that is something that I dont know, and may vary from program to program.

At this stage, I dont think you have the option of submitting any application way before its deadline, so maybe you better not worry about that.

tau1777
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by tau1777 » Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:52 pm

thanks excel. yeah i guess i should just take it easy. i mean i've sent all the schools the necessary supplementary materials, I guess its a matter of luck now. and i can only sit back and hope that they get there on time. all i really need is like a one week grace period. other than that my complete application should not be that late. thanks again. :)

evilclaw2321
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by evilclaw2321 » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:39 am

so on kind of a related note, do you guys know if a school has an early deadline, ie december vs january or february, do they actually meet/decide any earlier or is it just to make you jump through hoops earlier?

tau1777
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by tau1777 » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:38 am

i guess it really depends on the school. i mean some of the bigger ones had deadlines around dec 15th. however this is when finals and other things are going on. after that there is Christmas/new year's break. i think that dec. 15th deadline is done so that they can start looking at it when they get back in January. also i think for the schools that have deadlines in Jan 15, they look at it around Feb, b/c most schools are out during the month of january right? i think its set up so that everything arrives by the time they want to look at it. this seems like a fair and logical system. and that's usually how physicists like to operate. so here's to hoping that's how its done.

vaibhavtewari
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:04 pm

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by vaibhavtewari » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:41 am

Dont worry about the deadline too much, Duke has set 15th dec, they started reviewing this monday only, almost 1 month after deadline, same is true for other universities too...as far as physics is concerned deadlines are quite relaxed...

abeboparebop
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:26 am

Re: What is the Real DEADLINE?

Post by abeboparebop » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:25 pm

I thought you would all be interested to know this. One of my recommenders told me that he submitted his letters on December 25th, just before going hiking in Chile for four weeks, and somehow failed to do so. I've been emailing him fruitlessly (no internet in the Andes, I guess).

I've emailed the schools for whom the rec letters are late, and Columbia informed me that the deadline only applied to my portion of the application, and that a late letter won't affect consideration at all.

Of course I've also had something of an ETS nightmare as well, but the affected schools have mostly informed me that that is also not a big deal, and happens not infrequently.



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