"The committee and I sympathize with your disappointment . . ."

[blh53]

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The angriest I ever got over a rejection letter was last year when Drexel sent an accompanying invitation to their graduate school, telling me I should be an MPH or some **** like that. Funny thing is they accepted me this year.

 

[BBender716]

Favorite rejection wasn't from a med school but a telephone call from one of the big 3 consulting firms after final rounds:

"Hello BBender716, we cannot offer you the position. You were out-performed by your peers. Do you have any questions?"

 

[NickNaylor]

Favorite rejection wasn't from a med school but a telephone call from one of the big 3 consulting firms after final rounds:

"Hello BBender716, we cannot offer you the position. You were out-performed by your peers. Do you have any questions?"

That's hilarious.

 

[Kaustikos]

Favorite rejection wasn't from a med school but a telephone call from one of the big 3 consulting firms after final rounds:

"Hello BBender716, we cannot offer you the position. You were out-performed by your peers. Do you have any questions?"

lol wut?

THAT'S how you respond.

I think the worst are the ones that are forwarded to multiple people via email and it shows the other applicants email addresses. Nice job, Med School, way to fail!

 

[Suncrusher]

One of these things is not like the other..

I always thought that it was bad to teach little kids who watch sesame street how to discriminate with that song 😛

 

[premedfather]

I think we should start a thread compiling every school's rejection letter text! I sure have some to contribute.

LOL, I like self-deprecating humor. Good luck to you!

 

[OoEeOoAhAh]

FWIW, my take on the rejection letter matter: if you applied to a school, it's only logical for that school to assume you wanted to be accepted. It's not logical for them to assume that you're so immature that you can't handle a rejection from them. Saying "We hope you can cope" or "here, you can apply for our other program in _____" is just rubbing salt in the wounds. And in the case of some schools, it's just par for the course.

What would I prefer? I like the standard "We regret to inform you that were not chosen for a spot in our class." Saying you were "unable" to offer someone a seat is just wrong-- you were just as able to offer one dude a seat as you were another, but you chose not to!

That said, life is a lot funnier with these terribly worded letters!

 

[NickNaylor]

The angriest I ever got over a rejection letter was last year when Drexel sent an accompanying invitation to their graduate school, telling me I should be an MPH or some **** like that. Funny thing is they accepted me this year.

You are a bigger (wo)man than me. That would've been enough for me not to reapply there.

 

[Naquadria]

FWIW, my take on the rejection letter matter: if you applied to a school, it's only logical for that school to assume you wanted to be accepted. It's not logical for them to assume that you're so immature that you can't handle a rejection from them. Saying "We hope you can cope" or "here, you can apply for our other program in _____" is just rubbing salt in the wounds. And in the case of some schools, it's just par for the course.

What would I prefer? I like the standard "We regret to inform you that were not chosen for a spot in our class." Saying you were "unable" to offer someone a seat is just wrong-- you were just as able to offer one dude a seat as you were another, but you chose not to!

That said, life is a lot funnier with these terribly worded letters!

Exactly! That drove me nuts. Almost as irritating as people who say they can't do something when the truth is they just wont. Proper word usuage should not be too much to ask for. Use some of our secondary money and hire someone to edit your publications and letters.

 

[eablackwell]

OP I got the letter today and thought the wording was obnoxious too. Especially since I withdrew my application from Columbia months ago and they hope I'm not too disappointed that they don't want me now...

This happened to me with a different school. I received a rejection letter about a month after withdrawing (and getting a confirmation). It also happened to be one of those "We're sorry you won't be getting into med school this year, maybe try something else?" ones. It actually depressed me for about half a second before I remembered I was holding a spot elsewhere 😛

 

[SolitaireAddikt]

Better than Hopkins saying that they hope I can "cope" with their decision to waitlist me.

Hopkins is not very good with how they address their candidates in general.

Case in point: a friend of mine received an email invitation to interview from Hopkins, wherein they told her that the only reason she was being invited was because they had "exhausted their supply of qualified American applicants." (we're Canadian). Furthermore, this email went on to remind her that, despite getting an interview, as an international application her application would always be viewed less favourably than that of an American citizen/resident.

Now, we know that most schools prefer Americans to international students- there's nothing wrong with that. I just don't think it was necessary to put that information in the freakin INVITATION to interview!

 

[yankeesmed]

Less is always more when writing and communicating. Sure, the Canadian above had a worse shot, but what was gained by disclosing that?

These rejection letters that fumble around for the right words are just as awkward. "We wish we could be in the position to give you better news." I don't need to see your thought process. Just deliver the pertinent info.

Imagine a doc saying, "You have pancreatic cancer, which really is my least favorite disease. It is such an ugly killer and I wish it could be eradicated." Sure, he's not saying anything inherenty wrong, but the patient will feel uncomfortable hearing his commentary.

 

[Grom]

Favorite rejection wasn't from a med school but a telephone call from one of the big 3 consulting firms after final rounds:

"Hello BBender716, we cannot offer you the position. You were out-performed by your peers. Do you have any questions?"

Lol, that's the way to do it.

 

[BBender716]

Lol, that's the way to do it.

A more accurate representation of my response was:

"No... I don't have any questions. I think I'm going to go to medical school anyways."
"Wait, what?"
"Thanks for the opportunity!"
click.

 

[oldyogurt]

Haha BBender I had a conversation that went exactly like that. They called me months after I interviewed at the company to see if I was still interested.

 

[mauberley]

Saying you were "unable" to offer someone a seat is just wrong-- you were just as able to offer one dude a seat as you were another, but you chose not to!

One could think of it this way: they want to offer spots to everyone who applies, but are unable to do so because of financial constraints.

 

[UbuntuGM]

Gerogetown's rejection was an email telling me to check my status.

motherfuc.................

 

[MCAT guy]

A more accurate representation of my response was:

"No... I don't have any questions. I think I'm going to go to medical school anyways."
"Wait, what?"
"Thanks for the opportunity!"
click.

Lol, BBender. Enjoyed the story.

So funny, "outperformed by your peers."

In our PC world, I don't mind that stuff. Give it to me straight.

These med schools sugarcoat everything.

 

[NYBills987]

Better than Hopkins saying that they hope I can "cope" with their decision to waitlist me.

I got this too and I remember you posting about it! It didn't seem so bad to me... They were saying that we had to 'cope' with the uncertainty of not knowing when they would get to the waitlist.. at least thats how I took it.

 

[Parts Unknown]

"The committee and I sympathize with your disappointment . . ."

A sentence from my rejection letter from Columbia. It's pretentious to think I'm at all disappointed by their inability to "act favorably" on my application. Nobody died--to offer sympathy when I haven't expressed disappointment is absurd.

Also, the pdf file they sent is titled "Well Cornell." I guess they figured I would have to settle for Cornell. A misspelled Cornell, that is.

You should try and get onto the admissions committee at whatever school you attend. After seeing how a lot of applicants do respond to rejection, you may be able to sympathize with whoever drafted that letter.

 

[BBender716]

Lol, BBender. Enjoyed the story.

So funny, "outperformed by your peers."

In our PC world, I don't mind that stuff. Give it to me straight.

These med schools sugarcoat everything.

But what about our precious feelings?!

 

[yankeesmed]

You should try and get onto the admissions committee at whatever school you attend. After seeing how a lot of applicants do respond to rejection, you may be able to sympathize with whoever drafted that letter.

Applicants on this thread deal with rejection well. When you have already achieved your goal, expected rejections are brushed off without emotion.

Columbia's rejection letter was funny to me because I had not interviewed there and there is no reason why I would be thinking about Columbia at this point. A formal acknowledgment that my application is closed would be proper. Columbia sent a tearjerker.

Most of my other rejection letters have stuck to the facts: "no spot, many applicants, good luck in the future." Even if some were too wordy, they avoided making assumptions about the applicant. GW, for instance had some gem of a line saying "we are painfully aware that many more excellent candidates are being denied . . . " Though a bit colorful, this line reflects upon the writer, not the applicant.

If I am on an admissions committee, I might help the administrative staff avoid making glaring grammatical errors in their secondary application (Stony Brook). I might also help them keep all correspondence with applicants clear, concise, and professional.

This is what happens to you when you major in English.

 

[Parts Unknown]

Even if some were too wordy, they avoided making assumptions about the applicant.

Yes, that was an egregious assumption. If I were in your shoes I would be considering legal action to seek compensation for damages made to my sensibilities.

This is what happens when you major in English.

Unemployment is generally what happens when you major in English.

 

[yankeesmed]

Yes, that was an egregious assumption. If I were in your shoes I would be considering legal action to seek compensation for damages made to my sensibilities.

Nothing egregious, just laughable. I thank Columbia for tickling my sensibilities.

Unemployment is generally what happens when you major in English.

I am not your usual English major: fruitfully employed for over a year and all set to begin med school. I don't know what my fellow English majors have been up to since graduating. The shelter is in a rough neighborhood, so I don't get out there much.

 

[Parts Unknown]

Nothing egregious, just laughable. I thank Columbia for tickling my sensibilities.

No no, this is serious. Very serious. It could be just the tip of the iceberg. Columbia may send out dozens or hundreds of similarly assumptive form letters each year... just from the medical center!

I strongly suggest you examine your legal options for a defamation lawsuit, and contact elected officials at both the State and Federal level to demand a full investigation of this slander.

In the meantime I would start looking around for other rejection letters from Columbia, perhaps from the dental school, nursing school, graduate school, public health program, and even undergrad.

Godspeed.

I don't know what my fellow English majors have been up to since graduating.

I drive past them at intersections from time to time. They stand out because their cardboard signs always carry correct punctuation.

 

[Mr Hippopotamus]

I was rejected in an interview once. It had a great personal feel, because she was able to really add some scorn. It was a university in England, and she said, "You sound like an American, why don't you go there instead?". So I did.

 

[rhcarolina]

dartmouth's rejection letter was fairly amusing:
"I am writing to share what I believe will be disappointing news."

 

[slatermd]

dartmouth's rejection letter was fairly amusing:
"I am writing to share what I believe will be disappointing news."

Lol, I like that. It is much more down-to-earth.

 

[BBender716]

dartmouth's rejection letter was fairly amusing:
"I am writing to share what I believe will be disappointing news."

I remember that one from last year. Definitely gave me a chuckle. "This may not be upsetting, in fact, you may have been hoping for this, but just in case you weren't.... sorry."

 

[runawayclock]

Not nearly as bad as my Hopkins interview..

Near the end of the interview:

Interviewer: "Well....with this application you will probably get in somewhere"

LOL Had the same thing at my Columbia interview.... "Yes, but will I get in HERE?"

 

[NickNaylor]

Had to bump this with the Columbia waitlist letter I received yesterday. I was amused.

Yes, those are handwritten edits to a waitlist letter. I like the attempt at a personalized touch.

 

[slatermd]

Lol at the edits.

 

[dbeast]

Had to bump this with the Columbia waitlist letter I received yesterday. I was amused.

Yes, those are handwritten edits to a waitlist letter. I like the attempt at a personalized touch.

This is weird on so many levels. The person writing the letter seems to really like you and care... but not enough to give you an acceptance? 😕

Unless he writes that on every letter.

Edit: I just remembered Columbia's rejection letter was titled "Cornell" when opened in Google docs. Strange things are afoot in that school's admissions office.

 

[Wolfman89]

I definitely loled at the edits.

 

[slatermd]

This is weird on so many levels. The person writing the letter seems to really like you and care... but not enough to give you an acceptance? 😕

Unless he writes that on every letter.

Edit: I just remembered Columbia's rejection letter was titled "Cornell" when opened in Google docs. Strange things are afoot in that school's admissions office.

This was my exact thought process. Then I thought a third thing, which is, maybe Mr. Alex Cole has very nice hand writing?

I assume the person who wrote that was an admin or someone who liked Cole, but doesn't have the authority to render an admissions decision.

 

[circulus vitios]

Had to bump this with the Columbia waitlist letter I received yesterday. I was amused.

Yes, those are handwritten edits to a waitlist letter. I like the attempt at a personalized touch.

Send them a personalized "go f yourself" letter.

 

[yankeesmed]

That's a nice gesture, being that Mr. Cole invested time and effort into interviewing at Columbia. The person who wrote in pen obviously liked him.

Thank god he didn't write,

"We know you are really disappointed that we can't offer you a spot right now, but don't let your frustration cripple you. Let's see how you cope with this "waitlist" period. If you need help managing, Columbia has a world renowned Psych department. You can pay us a "second look" while you seek the help you will need during this difficult time."

 

[MCAT guy]

Had to bump this with the Columbia waitlist letter I received yesterday. I was amused.

Yes, those are handwritten edits to a waitlist letter. I like the attempt at a personalized touch.

Well, at least you know you were very highly ranked.

 

[MCAT guy]

I remember that one from last year. Definitely gave me a chuckle. "This may not be upsetting, in fact, you may have been hoping for this, but just in case you weren't.... sorry."

Wow, you get the best rejection letters.

I need to remember these when I need to reject someone later in life.

 

[UpperEastSide]

Columbia is wack, that is so funny that their letter was entitled "Well Cornell." I prefer Cornell anyways 😎

 

[BioBA]

I'm kinda excited now to receive rejection letters from the remaining schools that I applied to!

 

[UpperEastSide]

I'm kinda excited now to receive rejection letters from the remaining schools that I applied to!

i'm not

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Classic letter..I don't know how "personalized" it actually is considering I know someone who got a "personalized" letter too with basically the exact same wording and apparently from the Columbia thread theres a couple other people who got the same thing.

 

[NickNaylor]

In Columbia's defense, Dean Nicholas is horribly nice and has that grandpa type of feel. I was just hoping the application fee might get "personalized" comments that are seemingly on every letter simply typed into the body of the text. But hey, I appreciate the time and effort.

 

[TooBright]

Was the rejection really titled "Cornell"?


That is the most unprofessional thing I've ever read a top ranked medical school has done. I find it very hard to believe.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Was the rejection really titled "Cornell"?


That is the most unprofessional thing I've ever read a top ranked medical school has done. I find it very hard to believe.

It's very likely that Cornell's admissions office assisted the Columbia office in setting up the emails (we are all part of NYP after all). The title is probably from the initial tutorial and they probably just kept on using the file without thinking to change the title.

 

[yankeesmed]

Was the rejection really titled "Cornell"?


That is the most unprofessional thing I've ever read a top ranked medical school has done. I find it very hard to believe.

Yes, it was titled "Well Cornell." Note the misspelling of Weill.

It certainly isn't the most unprofessional thing a top ranked medical school has done. It is a humorous oversight by the medical school's admissions office. They probably wouldn't know how to fix it if they wanted to, as it is in the properties of the document, not the file name.

 

[mauberley]

Yes, it was titled "Well Cornell." Note the misspelling of Weill.

It certainly isn't the most unprofessional thing a top ranked medical school has done. It is a humorous oversight by the medical school's admissions office. They probably wouldn't know how to fix it if they wanted to, as it is in the properties of the document, not the file name.

Not surprising, either. This isn't med school-related, but I seem to recall a government agency getting in trouble for releasing an Excel spreadsheet that had private info removed... by hiding the columns.

 

[dbeast]

Yes, it was titled "Well Cornell." Note the misspelling of Weill.

It certainly isn't the most unprofessional thing a top ranked medical school has done. It is a humorous oversight by the medical school's admissions office. They probably wouldn't know how to fix it if they wanted to, as it is in the properties of the document, not the file name.

See I read it as "Well, try Cornell instead" not Weill misspelled

 

[Wolfman89]

See I read it as "Well, try Cornell instead" not Weill misspelled

That's how I read it too. It sounded like "Well you aren't good enough for us but you seem like the ideal candidate for Cornell, even if they do lack prestige that Columbia has"