UPenn Application Update

[Kojuk]

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Just had this status update on my UPenn Application:

"The Committee on Admissions reviewed your application but has deferred an interview decision. Additional reviews will occur between now and March 2007 to see if your status changes within our applicant pool."

Does this pretty much mean a rejection? How many people do they interview from their "deferred applicant pool"

 

[BucsFan813]

Can't answer your question, but apparently you can have your interview decision deferred more than once...

 

[szhao]

i just want an update sigh.

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

and the consensus interpretation, I believe, is that it means a rejection. Of course, Im hoping that's not accurate, as I have the same status page info. :-(

 

[omegaxx]

I just got the same thing today. First rejection of the cycle, *ouch*

 

[Eric Lindros]

Yep, that's a rejection. I got it too

 

[lalala618]

.

 

[photo_girl07]

uPenn = HATERS 😡

 

[Rocket3004]

for the ppl who got the update... how long have you been complete there?

 

[photo_girl07]

for the ppl who got the update... how long have you been complete there?

since late Aug...

 

[Hednej]

Yep, that's a rejection. I got it too

Is this really a rejection? Do you know for sure?

 

[omegaxx]

for the ppl who got the update... how long have you been complete there?

I was complete on Oct 30. It took them exactly 36 days to reject me =)

 

[GreenCenter]

so much pessimism here...

 

[Eric Lindros]

Is this really a rejection? Do you know for sure?

I am 99.9% sure.

 

[GreenCenter]

I am 99.9% sure.

what happened to the last .1%?

 

[Hednej]

what happened to the last .1%?

Lol, I refuse to give up all hope. I know I will be disappointed terribly though 😛

 

[Trismegistus4]

I just logged in and found that I have this too. I thought they would send an email any time there was a change, but apparently not.

Those of you who are saying it means rejection, how can you be sure? If they knew they wanted to reject us, they would say so and get it over with. Still, it's hard to see how our statuses could change. What, is my application going to magically get better on its own while it's sitting in their applicant pool? Or are others going to get worse?

 

[Severus]

Great. Now I'm going to worry about my status page being all tricksey and changing on its own without my knowing. *grabs another tub of Ben & Jerry's* Hey... don't you judge me!!!

 

[photo_girl07]

I think I'm going to pull the plug on Penn....WITHDRAW (before they have a chance!!!) Yes....

 

[Neuronix]

Those of you who are saying it means rejection, how can you be sure?

As a current student, I can say that in past years it's almost certainly been a rejection, except in a few cases. It's very rare for someone to come off of that pre-interview hold.

If they knew they wanted to reject us, they would say so and get it over with.

You'd think so, and everyone wishes they would, but they hold off on all decisions until March just as a matter of "policy".

Still, it's hard to see how our statuses could change. What, is my application going to magically get better on its own while it's sitting in their applicant pool? Or are others going to get worse?

There's two possibilities as far as I can tell from the years of reading about this on SDN (i.e. this is nothing new):
1) They didn't get enough applicants or interviewees this year and go back to the pre-interview hold pile (very rare).
2) You do something earth shattering that now gets your application an interview (also very rare)

That being said, that's speculation. I applied to be a student adcom, but didn't get it 😉

 

[Trismegistus4]

As a current student, I can say that in past years it's almost certainly been a rejection, except in a few cases. It's very rare for someone to come off of that pre-interview hold.

I think I see: because they don't use rolling admissions, not only do they not accept anyone until March, but they also don't reject anyone, even people they have no intention of interviewing, until March? That's really annoying.

2) You do something earth shattering that now gets your application an interview (also very rare)

So that would mean sending updates--letter of interest, additional letters of recommendation, notifications of publications, etc.--while on pre-interview hold? I thought that was something people only did post-interview, to try to get themselves bumped up on a waitlist.

That being said, that's speculation. I applied to be a student adcom, but didn't get it 😉

Did they tell you they reviewed your application but deferred making a decision? 😉

 

[Neuronix]

I think I see: because they don't use rolling admissions, not only do they not accept anyone until March, but they also don't reject anyone, even people they have no intention of interviewing, until March? That's really annoying.

If this year is no different than previous years, yep.

So that would mean sending updates--letter of interest, additional letters of recommendation, notifications of publications, etc.--while on pre-interview hold? I thought that was something people only did post-interview, to try to get themselves bumped up on a waitlist.

This is again speculation, but it seems to me that's what they're implying every time they say "We'll be reviewing your application again..." Why not add to your app if they're going to look at it again?

Did they tell you they reviewed your application but deferred making a decision? 😉

Nope, generic e-mail BCCed to everyone who didn't get selected.

 

[Eric Lindros]

what happened to the last .1%?

Standard error of rejection certainty I suppose

I just logged in and found that I have this too. I thought they would send an email any time there was a change, but apparently not.

Those of you who are saying it means rejection, how can you be sure? If they knew they wanted to reject us, they would say so and get it over with. Still, it's hard to see how our statuses could change. What, is my application going to magically get better on its own while it's sitting in their applicant pool? Or are others going to get worse?

To my knowledge, Penn does not give out decisions until March. This is when they give out ALL decisions. People do, however, start interviewing early. If you got this message, it is basically their way of saying you will not be getting an interview and just sit tight and wait for your rejection letter in March.

 

[szhao]

lol i really want to go to upenn haha, but o well too bad for me, grrr tell me my status

 

[Neuronix]

Sorry szhao,

MD/PhD goes through a completely different screening process. You guys likely won't get application updates the same time as the MD guys will. There's a number of different factors at play there.

 

[photo_girl07]

I've officially pulled the plug (withdrawn) ...who needs Penn? It snows over there...

 

[diosa428]

Last year they actually updated the website twice, the first one was the message you all got, and the second one said that they had rereviewed your application and still had decided not to interview you or something. It was definitely a rejection.

 

[omegaxx]

Last year they actually updated the website twice, the first one was the message you all got, and the second one said that they had rereviewed your application and still had decided not to interview you or something. It was definitely a rejection.

So ONCE is not enough... They have to have the pleasure of rejecting us TWICE😀
We paid them to be amused

 

[Gabujabu]

Last year they actually updated the website twice, the first one was the message you all got, and the second one said that they had rereviewed your application and still had decided not to interview you or something. It was definitely a rejection.

If that is, in fact, the case, then they probably do look at the application once again, as the woman I talked to had said. Statistically speaking, it is unlikely that one who was passed the first time gets an interview the second time. However, they wouldn't bother to re-review applications if absolutely nobody was picked the second time, as that would be a waste of time/resources on their part.