Sometimes Calling to Check on Your Status Does Matter...

[chickenlittle84]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that sometimes it does make a difference to call and check on your status...I have been complete at a school (would rather not say which) for over a month, and I was starting to wonder why I have heard nothing since they tend to have pretty quick turn around time...it turns our that for some reason, my application had not been reviewed yet..it had been left out when it should not have been, perhaps the electronic equivalent of falling behind a desk? In any case, they were very nice about it and put it in to be reviewed....but I just wanted to remind people not to get totally complacent...I think a monthly check-in is a good thing...

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[2008applicant]

this happened to me for yale, penn, and stanford

 

[hereIcome]

2008, did you call Stanford? There is no way to really check your status there (besides knowing they received your letters) online.

 

[bullishMD]

so you suggest calling and checking your status even if they have a status check online?

 

[chickenlittle84]

I guess so. In my case, this school has a status page that just showed I was complete...it was only after I called that someone looked a little deeper and realized I had been erroneously pushed to the side.

 

[Quix]

I'll actually be calling Temple tomorrow - I've been "Under Review" for a month and a half.

 

[zeus22]

How long after you are complete would it be OK to start calling? Is there any schools that really don't want you to call and it would hurt you?

 

[nick_carraway]

Same thing happened to me with two schools. I only wish that I had called a month ago.

 

[DocInProgress]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that sometimes it does make a difference to call and check on your status...I have been complete at a school (would rather not say which) for over a month, and I was starting to wonder why I have heard nothing since they tend to have pretty quick turn around time...it turns our that for some reason, my application had not been reviewed yet..it had been left out when it should not have been, perhaps the electronic equivalent of falling behind a desk? In any case, they were very nice about it and put it in to be reviewed....but I just wanted to remind people not to get totally complacent...I think a monthly check-in is a good thing...

out of curiosity, was it vcu?
i was completed for nearly 2 months and still, no response post secondary.

 

[Kingfish]

If it has been over two weeks and your status hasn't changed CALL! My L.O.R. were listed as not sent at a (nameless) school for about a month. I figured they would post them as completed when they were reviewing my file like many schools do. Turns out my file would have remained unreviewed unless I had called and had someone register the letters as submitted. This school does rolling admissions and its more than likely that this delay on their part affected my application. NOT COOL.

The school is nameless but apparently this is pretty common based on what I've read on SDN.

 

[MDee]

I'll actually be calling Temple tomorrow - I've been "Under Review" for a month and a half.

Same here...been complete since roughly late August and still under review. Keep me posted on what they tell you.

I also agree with calling to check your status. For one of the schools I applied to, I sent in everything at the end of August. However, too lazy to call, I get a call about 10 days ago that my application isn't received! Turns out, it was received, the check was cashed, but they couldn't find my LORs on VirtualEvals. After some searching, I FINALLY am complete (in October), when it could have been avoided if I had just called.

 

[Tourterm]

A school I e-mailed about a status check called back not just to notify me of my completion, but also to offer an interview. Might just be coincidental, but it may have helped. And there have been schools whose status checks online do not accurately reflect what they have in their office. So either way, it's worth checking up on.

 

[nick_carraway]

If it has been over two weeks and your status hasn't changed CALL! My L.O.R. were listed as not sent at a (nameless) school for about a month. I figured they would post them as completed when they were reviewing my file like many schools do. Turns out my file would have remained unreviewed unless I had called and had someone register the letters as submitted. This school does rolling admissions and its more than likely that this delay on their part affected my application. NOT COOL.

The school is nameless but apparently this is pretty common based on what I've read on SDN.

Yeah ditto. I'm a little annoyed at The System. So much for the benefits of applying early.

 

[Jacks Mannequin]

Hmm..I'm tempted to call Baylor. Been complete over a month and still nothing. Status says I've been complete and reviewed by the committee and that they'd let me know something whenever they could.

 

[bullishMD]

this thread scares the hell out of me...i have been complete at all my schools since the first week of august...there are probably 10+ of those schools where i havent heard a peep from it just says "application complete" online on my status pages. I have not ever bothered to call and check my status cause i was worried i would sound like an idiot because they would be like your status is posted online. Now i am worried and think i should call all those schools tomorrow.

 

[ADeadLois]

It's generally a good idea to call if you feel there may be some logistical problem with your application materials. Otherwise, the online status pages is likely to be just as accurate as the information the person on the phone has.

 

[chickenlittle84]

this thread scares the hell out of me...i have been complete at all my schools since the first week of august...there are probably 10+ of those schools where i havent heard a peep from it just says "application complete" online on my status pages. I have not ever bothered to call and check my status cause i was worried i would sound like an idiot because they would be like your status is posted online. Now i am worried and think i should call all those schools tomorrow.

Yeah, I worry about this too. I think this is why you cannot call too often, but I think a once-a-month check-in is fine...and I think it's especially fine if you have yet to call...it's perfectly reasonable to say, Hi, I have been marked complete for X amount of time, and I was just hoping to check my status to ensure the committee has all the information they need to evaluate my candidacy. At the school I called today, they didn't seem to think it was weird that I called or anything...a lot of times the status pages just tell you what info is in your file and if a decision has been made, but it doesn't give you details like WHY your decision hasn't been made (such as, your app got left out of the review pile). Don't make a nuisance of yourself, obviously, but no one cares about your application as much as you do....and clearly, there is good reason to follow-up because things do go wrong sometimes...

 

[bellacnella]

Yeah ditto. I'm a little annoyed at The System. So much for the benefits of applying early.

remember all those threads telling people that August was too late to be filling out secondaries? People on here create such a dire sense of urgency, panic and desperation sometimes. i just thought it was funny that you said this.

anyway, i am gonna call a few schools and make sure all is okay, since i too have yet to hear from quite a few of them. i think part of the reason this process is so hard is that all of this money is shelled out, yet there is nothing immediate to show for it. psychologically, i need more evidence that my stuff is being processed, as a result

 

[drizzt3117]

remember all those threads telling people that August was too late to be filling out secondaries? People on here create such a dire sense of urgency, panic and desperation sometimes. i just thought it was funny that you said this.

I'm happy with the results of applying early. I've received five interviews before Oct 1, and I've been in the first possible interview group for three of the schools I've applied to, and the second for the two others. That's not too impressive compared to some of the people with 15+ interviews, but I'm happy with it and considering how tired I've been from my two trips eastwards, I'd just as soon not have too many more trips than the two more I have scheduled if I can get an early acceptance.

 

[bellacnella]

I'm happy with the results of applying early. I've received five interviews before Oct 1, and I've been in the first possible interview group for three of the schools I've applied to, and the second for the two others. That's not too impressive compared to some of the people with 15+ interviews, but I'm happy with it and considering how tired I've been from my two trips eastwards, I'd just as soon not have too many more trips than the two more I have scheduled if I can get an early acceptance.

That's good. I think early acceptance is the goal, if not only for peace of mind. But there may be other reasons you were interviewed earlier than others while others weren't despite turning things in early. Better safe than sorry I guess just nowhere near the urgent situation it was made out to be, I think

 

[namsoon]

Definitely agree about calling up schools (instead of just e-mailing). I had my letters sent out via Interfolio two weeks ago, and they weren't posted at one of my schools after a week (the school specifically said they have a two day turnaround on posting materials), so I e-mailed them. They gave me the typical "please be patient" lecture. They still weren't posted as of today, so I decided to call. Yup, they never received my letters. Bah!

 

[Quix]

I called Temple earlier today, and was told that they received 8,000 applications, so it was impossible to get an update on mine. Further, in response to a follow-up question, they said that it was, indeed, common to be "Under Review" for as long as I have been. w00t.

 

[doinmybest5840]

Same here, I called Temple and asked what is the regular amount of time to be under review since mine's been that way for almost 2 months and she said there's no limit.

 

[thoffen]

I strongly encourage everyone to do this. I called USF this morning and it turns out there was a glitch with interfolio where they didn't receive my letters. There's no way I would have known without calling. It's a PITA since I just burned 2 weeks at my first choice, but now it's all good there.

 

[arwilli3]

What about schools that say not to contact them, but rather "the first contact you get will be our emailing you to tell you you are complete" type things. I think Temple has something along those lines. Do they actually care if you call, even when they say not to?

Thanks.