<p>My application to one of the top schools did not reach at all. I had sent it by mail. Now it is probably too late.<br>
I called them to find out why I didn't get my interview date and the woman couldn't find my name in her computer. She put me on hold for 10 minutes, went to talk to somebody, and came back to say that my application file had everything (recs, SATs, transcripts, etc), there was no application there, so they didn't process anything. I am way past deadline which was Jan 1.
Has this kind of thing happened to anybody else? Just curious.</p>
<p>Happened to me at emory sortof.... I sent my transcript three times, and the fourth they said just to fax it... funny thing is is that it was in the original envelope with everything else they got... They said they would "consider the application" (the fax was a week after the deadline) so who knows</p>
<p>Did you speak to anyone in authority at the admissions office to explain to them what happened, & to ask them for consideration anyway?</p>
<p>We had several instances a few yrs. ago when D#1 was applying, where other parts of file were sent ahead. (Naturally; this is most typical) When she got an EA acceptance somewhere, she did not withdraw her other apps immediately because she didn't need to. Long after the app. deadline, some of those colleges were still sending letters to us, "We have everything else. Where's the app?" (She had forgotten to notify one or 2 of the colleges, & the point is, she assumed that her <em>lack</em> of an application would automatically remove her from the list. It didn't.)</p>
<p>If you have any proof from your h.s. as to the date of sending materials, but more importantly any proof of your own mailing, I would use that, too. Can your GC get involved? If not, a parent? (Adults can often make the case more persuasively in a situation like this.)</p>
<p>Not trying to make you feel bad, but Lesson Learned: The minimum I recommend for sending your materials to colleges is an inexpensive Certificate of Mailing from the U.S.Post Office. We sent everything Express Mail, not for time reasons as much as <em>tracking</em> reasons. Even where the signature has been waived by the sender, there will be a record stating when the package was delivered. That is not up for argument, & then in that case the college lost it somehow & should honor your resubmission of your app.</p>
<p>Similar for FedEx, but FedEx will not deliver to post office boxes, & some admissions offices do not have street addresses. Express Mail's a little cheaper too. </p>
<p>Cheapest: Certificate of Mailing, which will provide proof of date sent.
Next cheapest: Certified Mail. (About 5 dollars for letter-size.) Always get "Return Receipt Requested," which is additional proof.
Next: Express Mail.
Next: A commercial courier such as FedEx, DHL, UPS.</p>
<p>Good luck. I would suggest having the appropriate adults go to bat for you as well.</p>
<p>Priority Mail (via US Post office) is another cheapo alternative, one of the 3 cheapest methods, along with Certified Mail & Certificate of Mailing. One can Track & Confirm online, which again is proof of delivery which a college should honor. (The bar code will be electronically verified, a time/date will be indicated, etc. That can be printed out & mailed & called in to admissions.) </p>
<p>One of these 5 methods of delivery should always, i.m.o., be employed when sending any imp. document anywhere -- including undergrad or graduate admissions materials. Then, if your doc gets lost in the stratosphere you may still have to time to resubmit if you're within the deadline, & also outside of the deadline when proof of timely receipt is available.</p>
<p>Yes, the 6th method would be hand delivery but I doubt most people are in a position to do that, & certainly not to multiple locations.:)</p>
<p>The cheapest and fastest method of submitting the application is electronically. For the common application schools you also get an indication of when the application was submitted and when the college downloaded your application. If the college claims not to have your application you could point them to CommonApp.org to confirm the date the application was submitted.</p>
<p>Good point, "dad," Electronic submission should also be accompanied with electronic confirmation. (And is free.) If that delivery method allows for attachments sent electronically, that would also cover supplements sent at the same moment. </p>
<p>So there are 6 ways of sending with some kind of confirmation. (The 7th way (hand delivery) would be actually least provable, because even if it's stamped "rec'd," there would probably be no proof given to the applicant or applicant's family.)</p>
<p>Thanks, Epiphany. I guess it is a lesson for the Juniors. In my case, they promised to let me know on Monday. They may process my app which I mailed again yesterday.</p>
<p>I would beg and plead, honestly. And ALWAYS send ANYTHING important via mail and get a tracking number! Getting a tracking number is really all you need, since you cal simply log on to the website and see what happened to it. If it says delivered, then its the office's fault. If it says lost in transit, then you can simply print that out and forward it on to the admissions office.</p>
<p>Or submit everything online. So much easier.</p>
<p>the same thing happened to me, but the application was sooooooo long (UIC's GPPA) and i didn't really even want to go, so I decided not to re-submit.</p>
<p>Too bad, allinhappyland....their loss!</p>
<p>D Submitted app to Susquehanna University electronically on 12/30/06; GC & teacher recs and transcript followed by snail mail a few days later. </p>
<p>Mid Jan: got an acknowledgment from their FA Dept. Nothing from Admissions. We expected to hear by end of Jan....nothing. </p>
<p>I finally called yesterday a.m. and the gal on the other end said she couldn't explain it, her app was complete.</p>
<p>Moral: It pays to call and check up on things. You never know what can happen.</p>
<p>Delivery confirmation receipt is $.50 or so and can be used for first class or priority. You can't track your packet in route but it will show date, location and time accepted online plus you get a receipt with a postmark date on it. It will then show date received. And, after 10 days or two weeks (can't remember exactly) you can fill out a lost mail report with PO. They will then look for mail in sending PO, receiving PO, the University you sent to and the dead letter office. </p>
<p>This happened with one of my kid's scholarship applications. Contacted the school when we saw no delivery date. They suggested they were swamped so give them a few days. Nice part is, being able to say we were checking because PO showed no deliver was helpful in working with the University. When still not found a week later, I filled out missing mail report and kid started to resubmit application (couldn't be done online). Just before going to PO to mail, notified they had received it and sure enough, had the priority mailing date. That lost mail report got someone looking. Don't know where it was found, just glad we had the receipt and for $.50 it was well worth it.</p>
<p>Actually - USPS offers a service called 'Delivery Confirmation' and it is only 60 cents. You get a receipt with a postmark on it, and have 'tracking' online. I don't really get what the certified mail does for you - I'm pretty sure the delivery confirmation does the same thing...</p>