Advice to Avoid Panic COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Advice to Avoid Panic COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog As easy as we try to make the application process, I understand that there can be complications and questions.   Each year we receive panicked emails around the admissions deadline and no matter how easy we try to make the process, I am sure we will never eliminate every possible issue.   I thought I would highlight some examples of emails from the past in the hope that you can learn from others that have applied before you.   Names/data/etc. have been changed from the original emails. Do note that we will work with applicants if we believe a good faith effort has been made to submit documents by the deadline and there is a complication of some sort. In addition, many of the common questions we receive are answered in the online instructions so you can save yourself time and stress by carefully reading the instructions. Check the Appropriate Boxes/Links/Menu Items Email: I am writing to inform you that I unfortunately checked the wrong concentration in my application for the MIA program which I just submitted online. My apologies!  In the first part of the application I checked Human Rights. Instead it should read: Urban and Social Policy.”   Can you please make this change for me? Email: My name is Sally Applicant.   On the application I mistakenly entered Spanish as my undergraduate language of instruction.  The correct answer is English.  I would very much appreciate it if someone in the SIPA Admissions office would update my file accordingly. Advice/Answer: As you might imagine, it can be disruptive to our processing when we receive requests to amend information submitted in the application.   Make sure you pay close attention when clicking the options that are a part of the application.   Having to make manual changes slows the process down and may delay the processing of your application. Understand our Process Email: My name is Jon Applicant and I wonder if you could tell me if you have received a copy of my GRE report? Advice/Answer: At SIPA GRE scores are self reported on the admission application, we do not look for official test reports until after applicants have been admitted and paid a deposit.   For a dedicated entry on this topic, click here. Email: My name is Cinderella and I am concerned that my online application does not reflect that GRE scores were submitted.   I entered the scores on the application but the status reads “Not Received.” Why is this since I self reported the scores? Advice/Answer: We must print each application submitted and manually check it for accuracy and completion.   As you might imagine, with thousands of applications this can take a number of weeks.   We appreciate your patience and each applicant will receive an email when the completed application has been forwarded to the Committee for review.   Rest assured that we will work with applicants if there is an issue but we feel a good faith effort was made to get all of the required documents in on time. Respect the Deadline Email: My name is Peter Piper and I am a prospective student applying to your MIA program.   I will have all of the elements of my application completed and submitted by the deadline except for one letter of recommendation.   I had asked one of my professors on December 19 to write a letter of recommendation for me and he responded that he would be able to do this by the deadlines that I had given him.   Yesterday I wrote reminding him of the deadline, and I received a response this morning saying that he is traveling in Wonderland and would not be able to complete the letter of recommendation until he returns to the US next week. Advice/Answer: Make sure to communicate with those writing letters on your behalf well before the deadline.   Starting your application early is recommended because our system will allow you to send out reminders to your recommendation letter writers.   For instructions on how to send reminders, click here. Email: I have been unable to obtain my transcripts from my undergraduate institution because I contacted them and they are closed for the holidays.   What can I do? Advice/Answer: Applicants should contact the schools they have attended well in advance of the deadline to make sure transcripts on time.   Please respect that it can take schools some time to process transcript requests. Document Tracking Email: I submitted my application but mailed my transcripts.   It is one day after the deadline but my transcripts show as not received.   Please check and get back to me as soon as possible. Advice/Answer: During the busy portion of the application process (both before and after the deadline) we are unable to respond to each individual email we receive.   We have a process in our office and part of this process is to print a file, check to see if all of the documents/information were submitted online and if not, to match documents to the file. In order to process files as quickly as possible, we first seek to complete applications that were submitted 100% online. If an application is incomplete after we print it, we will set it aside and seek to match related documents after we have gone through all of the applications submitted.   It is therefore in your best interest if you can submit 100% of your documents on line.   If for some reason a document was mailed, we appreciate your patience as we complete the processing of files in our office.   As soon as a file is complete, we will notify you via email. Also note, we do not track documents submitted to our office prior to an application being submitted.   We will seek to match documents sent to our office after an application has been submitted. Status of Recommendation Letters Email: Can I submit my application if one of my referees has not yet uploaded their recommendation letter? I have been waiting for the letter to be uploaded before I submit and dont want to cut it to close. Will my referee be able to upload their letter if my application is already submitted (even if the letter is uploaded before the deadline)? Advice/Answer: The status of recommendation letters should not impact the submission of your application.   Recommendation letters are tracked in a different application module.   We link information in the two modules and thus submission of your application should be completed when you are ready.   Do not let the fact that recommendation letters have not been received stop you from submitting your application. Double Check Documents Prior to Uploading Email: My name is Ted Typo. I was checking the résumé I uploaded and realize I uploaded a draft copy with many misspellings and typos.   I know you are so busy now, but can I replace them? Advice/Answer: There are times when we may be able to add documents to a file after the deadline, however this is not always possible. Once a file is complete and printed, it makes a journey to several Committee members.   We cannot spend our time trying to track down files once they have been sent out for reading so make sure the documents you upload are complete and correct as of the deadline. We Accept only What We Ask For Email: My name is Extra Effort and I submitted an on-line application yesterday. I looked for a place to upload an addendum to my application but could not find a place to do so.   Can I email it to you? Advice/Answer: Applicants to SIPA should only submit the information we request.   If you wish to include an addendum of any kind, there are two possible places to do this.   First, we are not concerned with the length of the résumé submitted.   If you wish to include information you believe is important for the Committee to be aware of, you may include such information in your résumé. Also, if you feel the need you can use part 3 of the personal statement to include information you wish for the Admissions Committee to be aware of.   We do not allow for the submission of any documents beyond what we ask for on the application. If You Mail Something, Use a Tracking Number Email: Hello, my name is Porter Postal and I mailed my transcript to your address about a week ago.   It has not been tracked yet, can you tell me if you have received it? Advice/Answer: First, we prefer that 100% of your documents be uploaded to our application site.   If this is not possible and a document does need to be mailed, we highly recommend sending the document via a mail courier that provides a tracking number. We can receive hundreds of documents around the deadline and it takes a great deal of time to process and track.   If you ask for a tracking number, as soon as we sign for it the courier will provide you with notice that the document has been delivered and you only need to wait for us to track the document in our system.   For a dedicated entry on this topic, click here. Updating Application Files Email: My name is Sally Suspense and I just learned that I won a fellowship.   I know it is 5 days after the deadline but can I send you a new résumé to show this? Advice/Answer: Similar to the text above regarding double checking your documents before uploading them, it is not always possible to update a file once the deadline passes. Once a file is complete and printed, it makes a journey to several Committee members.   Unfortunately we cannot spend our time trying to track down files once they have been sent out for reading so while you are welcome to ask if we can update a file, understand that we might not be able to do so. _________________ My final piece of advice in this entry is this . . . Each year close to half of our applicants submit an application within 72 hours the deadline.   I understand human nature and that it is often common for people to wait until the last minute, but my advice is to submit your application a few days before the deadline.   Getting your application in early likely will keep you from last minute issues that have caused problems for others in the past.