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[hairylarry]

A few weeks ago, I sent my application into a grad program whose deadline is December 15; they're supposed to mark online whether they have received it or not, but they still have not marked that it has been received (this includes GREs, letters of rec., transcripts).

I have tried calling the admissions office to which it was sent to see what's going on, but the secretaries are very short, crabby, and gruff with me even when I'm trying to be my friendliest, and they have not told me what is going on with my application. I don't want to call back, because I don't want to upset them, but I'm not sure what to do. At other schools, the secretaries have been very gracious, but it is not the case at this particular school, which is my top choice!

[malingered]

I would send an e-mail. Give them a few days to respond. If the deadline was on Saturday, that means they're probably doing a lot of work this week gathering together application packets and updating the status on the web site. If they don't respond to your e-mail, and if the status page still hasn't been updated to show that your application materials have been received, call towards the end of the week.

[renee]

Several of the schools to which I applied said it could take them 10 days to post whether they have materials. I'm taking that to mean 10 business days and, in the case of December, even longer given what must be a flood of applications.

Another program said they would only be in touch if I was missing something and that the online updates are not necessarily accurate so assume everything is in unless told otherwise.

It's definitely nerve-wracking, but I'm trying to trust the process and assume that they will alert me if they don't have everything.

If it makes you feel better, I sent everything with delivery confirmation in order to know that everything arrived at all schools. Most were delivered. One currently says that it arrived in the city but hasn't been delivered. That's the one I'm trying to work out since I mailed via Priority Mail more than 10 days before the deadline. The post office claims that it means it's somewhere in the university, but that makes no sense since they would have had to scan the barcode before giving it to the university. There's not much I can do though, except cross my fingers...

[dr_prephd]

I understand and empathize with your neurosis (because that's what it is). I can be similarly obsessed.

But, in reality, the deadline was Saturday. The department admin. person got to work at 7 a.m. The mail wasn't in yet, and she knows that she has to wait until all the applications are in before she starts to copy and assemble the materials. She knows her deadline for copying and distributing everything is Friday, before the break. She knows she's got a ton of Christmas shopping to do before Friday, when she and her family are going out of town. She went to the mail room at about 10 this morning, and chatted with the postal worker for 15 minutes. When she got back to the office, she started to sort the mail. She did manage to pull out all the large-ish envelopes and put them into the "job application" file. Then she got busy with a deluge of seniors needing overrides for a class in the spring so they can graduate in May. At 11, she went to lunch. At 12, she entered 45 sets of info. from students into the computer. At 2, she chatted with a visitor, answered 5 phone calls, and took a bathroom break. By that time it was 3:00, so she checked her e-mail, chatted with a co-worker, put on her coat, and left to go finish her Christmas shopping and pick her son up from day care, totally oblivious to the fact that the very being of your existence was in one of those envelopes.

Hang in there... waiting is torture.

[scheherazade]

My general rule was that I would give them two full days before I called to see if stuff was missing.  As far as the online stuff, some are updated better than others.  One of mine stayed at "incomplete" for a month and then went straight to "accepted."  So don't worry, but do call if it isn't marked in a few days.  Be nice, not neurotic - an almost impossible task for applicants!

[vardahilwen]

As a student in a Ph.D. program who was once an academic department secretary, I would advise the following:

1.  Be patient.  Prephd gave a pretty good rundown of what a secretary's day is like.  You are not his/her biggest problem right now. 

2.  Things move at a snail's pace in academe.  A December 15 deadline means they'll probably wait a couple of days for stragglers.  In the meantime, as was suggested, said secretary is probably sticking all of the apps in a folder or drawer or a box under the desk.  When s/he finally DOES open these up, update the database, and make copies of everything for the committee members, half of them will already be gone for the holiday.  The files will languish on desks until the new year, at which time they will be pushed aside in the mayhem of the first weeks of the new term.  It sucks but it's true. 

3.  I concur with the suggestion to use "delivery confirmation" - that's what I did, and at least I knew the stuff had arrived at the university mailroom, if nothing else.

4.  Even though this school is your top choice right now, it might not be the best place for you.  Sometimes employees are crabby and snippy because the school is in turmoil and is a lousy place to work.  I assume you have other irons in the fire.  I applied widely, and the school I ultimately chose "fit me like a glove".  One of those other schools might turn out to be a gem where you'd be really happy.

I remember when I stood in your shoes, and I was going stir-crazy too.  All you can do is let things unfold.  And always have a "plan B."  Best wishes.

Vardahilwen