Thin or Thick Envelopes

Of course, you are hoping to receive nice, thick acceptance letters from all the schools to which you apply. But many grad schools are very competitive, receiving far more applications than they have spaces. Knowing how grad programs select their students can help you avoid the dreaded thin envelope.

Each grad program has different criteria for evaluating students, but they all go through several stages of evaluating and cutting applicants. The first applicants cut are generally those who:

• Sent incomplete applications.
• Sent in their applications after the deadline.
• Do not meet the minimum grade requirements.
• Have negative recommendations.

In later stages, members of a review committee look over applications in detail and advocate for the applicants they view most favorably. If your application has made it this far, positive contacts you have made with members of the committee, whether during campus visits, at conferences, or even through phone calls and e-mails, can work in your favor. If you impressed a professor while visiting the campus, that professor will be more likely to want to work with you and will champion your application.

Your personal statement can also make a big difference at this late stage of the selection process. A personal statement that highlights your unique gifts and that clearly displays a match between your interests and the school's specialties can help you make the first cut.

Students who are applying for fall admission generally learn in March if they have been accepted. It is also possible to be 'wait-listed,' which means you may be offered admission if other applicants turn down their spots.