Decision Dates for Last Year (UPDATED WITH DING DATES)

[jeb240]

Schools that send out rejections before sending out acceptances = Not Cool.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Schools that send out rejections before sending out acceptances = Not Cool.

Seriously.  That's awful.

[zenpeaceofmind]

It kind of surprises me that Penn is among the guilty! What kind of logic would have you send out rejections before acceptances? It seems so backwards in any context.
 

[A.]

It kind of surprises me that Penn is among the guilty! What kind of logic would have you send out rejections before acceptances? It seems so backwards in any context.
 

Lol, makes sense to me.  While going through the apps, you come across several rejections for every acceptance...might as well send them out.  Acceptances require phone calls, special e-mails, welcome packages, etc.  A rejection letter just requires cheap paper and an envelope.  Were I an admissions officer, I'd send out rejections as I made them...best not to lead people on, right?

[zenpeaceofmind]

It doesn't make sense so early in the process ... I mean, those people must really not have anything to offer to be rejected so early. I agree that it's best not to lead people on, but I imagined their mentality in November admissions to be "tra la la ... who do I love today? who is just jumping off the page ... so exciting?!?" not to be sitting down with the serious business of making final decisions for the entire admissions season.

[A.]

It doesn't make sense so early in the process ... I mean, those people must really not have anything to offer to be rejected so early. I agree that it's best not to lead people on, but I imagined their mentality in November admissions to be "tra la la ... who do I love today? who is just jumping off the page ... so exciting?!?" not to be sitting down with the serious business of making final decisions for the entire admissions season.

Yeah, I didn't mean you reject the people who might have a shot once you get a picture of what the entire pool is like.  But there are some people where you'd be like, "Hahaha.  Right.  Reject!"

[jeb240]

It doesn't make sense so early in the process ... I mean, those people must really not have anything to offer to be rejected so early. I agree that it's best not to lead people on, but I imagined their mentality in November admissions to be "tra la la ... who do I love today? who is just jumping off the page ... so exciting?!?" not to be sitting down with the serious business of making final decisions for the entire admissions season.

Yeah, I didn't mean you reject the people who might have a shot once you get a picture of what the entire pool is like.  But there are some people where you'd be like, "Hahaha.  Right.  Reject!"

But even with those people for whom it's like, "What?  Nooo!  Reject," I'd like to think that a little human understanding enters into the system at least at this point and they hold off until 1) the required notification date or 2) after the New Year.  After that, the kids are on their own.  But before then... I dunno, I've applied EA 4 places where I don't have a shot so I'm shooting myself in the foot, but to start the season off with a rejection is just... I'm sure it's not easy to deal with.  This whole process turns you inside out and makes you doubt everything you've ever done (it seems).  LUCKILY I'm a genius and it's the case that by the time I've heard from my last EA school, classes will be over and I'll have a month to galavant around Paris and Europe as I see fit to either console myself or celebrate myself before returning to the States.

[zenpeaceofmind]

Ha ha ha, I was thinking that when I wrote it, and then I figured it was probably applicable, so I left it in!

 

[corky]

I think it's nicer to send out the rejections earlier. It would be so much worse to apply in september and get rejected in may than to be told in january; you'd spend so much time obsessing and getting your hopes up before they were crushed. Though I agree it would be horrible to have your first response be a rejection.

[UGAfootballfanatic]

I understand the reasoning behind sending out early rejections, and as an applicant I would apprecciate that. By getting a reject in December, you still have to time to apply somewhere else (perhaps more appropriate a target?) to make up for the reject if you must. I know we all apply to super-reaches in the hope the adcomm is having a good day, but do you blame them for wanting to get the easy rejections out of the way and off their desk? Let's put it this way- with my 160 LSAT, harvard woudl probably laugh at me and send me a reject before my file is complete.