Uh..WWYD--if you called a Ms. Adcom a Mr.

[Shpamme]

So..um... hypothetically speaking.. if you accidentally addressed a admissions officer as a Ms. in a email, when they really are a Mr..
(and you've been accepted at this school)..

Would you email back and apologize?
Call and apologize?
Just make sure you address them properly in the next email?
Just not mention it?
Apologize in person when you finally get there in the fall?

My personal inclination is to email and apologize, and then apologize AGAIN when I get there in the fall, but I have no idea if that's the best thing to be honest..

What would I even begin to say in the email?!

Any help please.. I'm absolutely mortified.

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[Oceaner]

I would kiss the school goodbye.

 

[Surf Rx]

Any help please.. I'm absolutely mortified.

I thought you said you were hypothetically speaking.

 

[mountainhare]

I vote for "Don't mention it; just make sure you address them properly in the next email." What kind of hypersensitive people get offended when addressed by the wrong title? It's an understandable mistake. They probably forgot about it 5 minutes after it happened.

 

[spicedmanna]

I vote for "Don't mention it; just make sure you address them properly in the next email." What kind of hypersensitive people get offended when addressed by the wrong title? It's an understandable mistake. They probably forgot about it 5 minutes after it happened.

I agree, hypothetically speaking, of course.

 

[StringerBell]

So..um... hypothetically speaking.. if you accidentally addressed a admissions officer as a Ms. in a email, when they really are a Mr..

First of all, I totally miss the "I Hella <3 Oakland" Avatar. Good to see it again, as we haven't crossed paths in some time.

I doubt if he even noticed it...even if he did, he probably just thought "wtf?" and kept reading.

If I were a gunner, I'd look at all the admission staff members in the country for gentlemen named "Leslie" or "Jaime" or "Pat" of "Robin," etc. and try to steal your seat.

 

[Grace2002]

I vote for "Don't mention it; just make sure you address them properly in the next email."

i agree...that's what i did and it wasn't a big deal

 

[Oceaner]

oh additionally they could be trans-gendered and further offended if you begin a chain of awkward apologies.

ps. studying for an exam, pulling all nighter... going nuts... ha ha ha :|

 

[Shpamme]

Haha.. thanks for all the input guys! I.. um.. I mean my "friend" who's impersonating me on this board.. is still mortified but tremendously grateful for your advice. I'll be sure to address the admissions officer properly in the next email.

I ain't a gunner in the least so that's why this is especially mortifying..

StringerBell!!! How have you been? Good to see you again! I was off SDN for some time because I got sick..not to mention really sad over waitlists. But I'm back now. =)

 

[StringerBell]

StringerBell!!! How have you been? Good to see you again! I was off SDN for some time because I got sick..not to mention really sad over waitlists.

I've been Super Hyphy, of course. Is there any other way to be?
I too, have been fretting over waitlists. I got a call yesterday, and now I'm at 2 D.O. acceptances with no M.D. acceptance (1 waitlist, Wayne State.)
Still waiting patiently, but if not, I have somewhere to go this year, and it's a place I really like, too!

 

[Shpamme]

Hey StringerBell,

Wait--what does super hyphy mean?

CONGRATS on the DO acceptances!! I'm really happy for you! I hope Wayne State pulls through for you still, so you have even more choices. When did they tell you that you will hear by? Have you been writing LOI's? Good luck!! I'm rooting for ya..

 

[StringerBell]

Wait--what does super hyphy mean?

Oh..."Hyphy" is a bay area word, describing a certain kind of hip-hop music and subculture. Like how the south has "Crunk." Hyphy is up-beat, flashy, and supposed to be non-gangsta. The word is also used to describe being hyper and/or out of control. It's usually used as "hyphyhyphyhyphy or Super Hyhpy."

Popularized by Bay Area rap figures like Too Short, E40, and Keak da Sneak (who is responsible for the song "Super Hyphy," and apparently the etymology of the word hyhpy, in the first place.)

All those people hella heart Oakland, too.

 

[Shpamme]

Haha..you are like a walking Wiki Stringerbell! =)

So the reason I thought I had incorrectly addressed the ad officer, was that a second year had emailed me and said "he.."

But I told him how mortified I was because I'd been referring to the ad officer as "Ms", and the 2nd year wrote back and said HE (e.g. the 2nd year) had made a mistake in his email. The Ms is indeed a Ms..

So in short I'm glad you guys restrained me. I can't imagine the awkwardness that would have resulted had I emailed.. =)

 

[jochi1543]

Ahhhhh, this reminds me of a faux pas I made last year. Luckily, it was made while talking to the other person about the individual in question, and not to that individual himself. I made an uneducated assumption that someone named "Rene'" is a female. Unfortunately, this demonstrated my lack of familiarity with all things Quebec, where "Rene'" is a fairly common male name. *dies in embarrassment* I'm glad the person I was talking to corrected me before I showed my lack of aptitude in an e-mail to Mr. Rene'.

 

[Jonesie]

I vote for "Don't mention it; just make sure you address them properly in the next email." What kind of hypersensitive people get offended when addressed by the wrong title? It's an understandable mistake. They probably forgot about it 5 minutes after it happened.

I vote for this option, too. I'm sure that AdComs have too many other things on their minds to obsess over a small, honest mistake that an incoming student made. Just make sure you don't do it again.

 

[Pretty POHA]

People call me by the wrong name all the time... seconds after I say "This is Ash," people are calling me "Ashley" and whatnot.
I think it's the same thing with gender.
Honestly, if you have enough time to fret over someone not getting your name/gender right via communication that is not in person, you need to come over and help me with the five bazillion things that I'm doing right now. Worrying about something as petty as that means you need more to do!

 

[alwaysaangel]

What kind of hypersensitive people get offended when addressed by the wrong title?

Doctors do. I work at UC Berkeley and we mail a lot of stuff to high muckety muck professors on campus who are on some boards we're involved in. We have to QUADRUPLE check the mailing labels because if someone is addressed wrong (missing degree after name, wrong title, etc. etc. etc.) THEY DO CALL. AND THEY DO PITCH A FIT. Professors and doctors are pains in the ass in that regard (yes generalization - its most but not all).

But since the OP said Mr. vs. Ms. they're not a doctor and won't care as much. So I wouldn't worry about it.

But seriously - when addressing doctors - get it right. They do get pissed.

 

[Pretty POHA]

Doctors do. I work at UC Berkeley and we mail a lot of stuff to high muckety muck professors on campus who are on some boards we're involved in. We have to QUADRUPLE check the mailing labels because if someone is addressed wrong (missing degree after name, wrong title, etc. etc. etc.) THEY DO CALL. AND THEY DO PITCH A FIT. Professors and doctors are pains in the ass in that regard (yes generalization - its most but not all).

But since the OP said Mr. vs. Ms. they're not a doctor and won't care as much. So I wouldn't worry about it.

But seriously - when addressing doctors - get it right. They do get pissed.

Some do!
I have decided that there are two types of doctors: The ones who think they're uber special, and the ones who are normal, educated human beings.

It's been eye-opening to work in the field of surgeons-- I'm learning what kind of doctor I want to be by being surrounded by all sorts. I definitely am not going to care if someone gets my "title" wrong. Yes, I will have earned it, and that's why I'll be able to do for a living what I want to do... but whether or not another person writes/says it correctly, I couldn't care less!

 

[baylormed]

What's the difference between a physician and God?


































That God doesn't think he's a physician.

 

[jochi1543]

Doctors do. I work at UC Berkeley and we mail a lot of stuff to high muckety muck professors on campus who are on some boards we're involved in. We have to QUADRUPLE check the mailing labels because if someone is addressed wrong (missing degree after name, wrong title, etc. etc. etc.) THEY DO CALL. AND THEY DO PITCH A FIT. Professors and doctors are pains in the ass in that regard (yes generalization - its most but not all).

But since the OP said Mr. vs. Ms. they're not a doctor and won't care as much. So I wouldn't worry about it.

But seriously - when addressing doctors - get it right. They do get pissed.

Yeah, a couple of my classmates got unofficially blacklisted when they addressed our prof by her first name in an e-mail (she never mentioned any preferences in regards to address in class). Apparently, she shot back an e-mail that contained an entire paragraph describing her pride in getting that doctoral degree (PhD), how hard it was for her to obtain it as a woman, etc, and then signed off with "DOCTOR (name)." All caps!


I was glad to have found out before I e-mailed her the first time. I constantly address her as "Dr.", and she's been very helpful, and I've got a 98.8% on the midterm. The other kids said she treats them like **** now. I find the whole situation absolutely pathetic, to be honest. If any of you see me act like that in the future, please feel free to smack me.