<p>@AUAdmissions, I recognize that this is not your area of responsibility but can you direct me to the person responsible for the university’s website? It falls short on so many fronts and for a school that is investing in and promoting it’s Communications program, that doesn’t seem to make sense.</p>
<p>Hey, how will the Admissions office notify ED1 applicants? will it be through the student portal, email or correspondence?</p>
<p>@pushydad – Try University Communications. Or email Vice President of Communications and Marketing Teresa Flannery at <a href=“mailto:flannery@american.edu”>flannery@american.edu</a>, but I’m guessing she will be very busy. She did respond very kindly to an email I sent her this summer.</p>
<p>Edit: Lots of the communication issues on the website occur because each office or department, etc is responsible for their own section so that can cause some confusion and inconsistency. I think AU definitely recognizes this is an issue having updated the general layout of the website this summer.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that EDI applicants are often notified by the week December 15, can we expect that this year? If not, when will EDI applicants be notified?</p>
<p>lkel1401- our family is in the same boat as you. AU is my son’s first choice by a country mile and we’re nervously awaiting the ED1 decisions.</p>
<p>Based on a reading of old messages on this board, AU has typically notified ED1 applicants on or just after December 15. The typical pattern has been that the Admissions Office will tweet a picture of the acceptance packets sitting in a mail room ready to go out. Later that same day, the Admissions officers will make calls to some of the accepted applicants in their regions, giving them the good news. However, not everyone who was accepted receives a call and based on CC, it is impossible to figure out how they decide who gets the calls.</p>
<p>Earlier this week on Twitter, all they would say is that ED1 applicants will be notified before December 31, which is the official position.</p>
<p>Last year, when the deadline for ED1 was pushed back due to Sandy, decisions were released on Monday, December 17, so the decisions were not delayed by the extension of the deadline. As you know, the deadline for ED1 was extended a week due to problems with the Common App website, but based on last year, decisions may not be delayed.</p>
<p>December 16 is a Monday. If I were a betting man, that’s where I’d put my money.</p>
<p>As for how the notifications are provided, historically, it’s only been the phone calls mentioned above and regular mail. No emails, nothing on the portal. That hasn’t stopped my son from logging in to the Prospective Student Portal on a regular basis though. There’s no way to know, unless they tell us, if notifications will come by a different method this year.</p>
<p>LDK, my son was accepted ED at AU a few years ago (he just graduated!) and I remember his excitement when he got the phone call from his regional admissions rep. His call came on a Friday afternoon just before dinner, a few days before the announced date for ED decisions. </p>
<p>AU was my son’s choice by a country mile as well, and he graduated as enthusiastic about his choice as when he began.</p>
<p>Wishing good results to all of the students waiting to hear!</p>
<p>@Boysx3 - Do you remember if Admissions tweeted the photo of acceptance packets the year your son was admitted? Did he get his phone call before they sent that tweet? Do you recall what phone number they called - your home number or his cell phone?</p>
<p>Sorry for the number of ridiculous questions. It’s just a way of trying to gain some control of a process that is now out of our hands. (I think at this point I’m more anxious than my son is. Yes, he is my oldest.)</p>
<p>For the Douglass scholarship, is it futile to apply if you are neither underprivileged nor a minority?</p>
<p>I’m an International Student, so will I get a phone call, does anyone know? thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t think twitter existed/was as omnipresent back in the fall of 2008, so no tweet.</p>
<p>LDK, I think I remember my son getting the call on our house phone because I believe that is the number he used on his applications (sent in the fall of 2008–it seems so long ago). He would be gone from the house from about 6:30 a.m. (for “0” period, the lab time for AP science classes for athletes) til either 7 pm (days with practice, no games) or 11 pm (away game days, with the bus getting back to the school around 10:30 pm). The high school had a very strict no phones policy back then, and at practice/games the phone would have been in his gear bag anyway and he never would have heard it.</p>
<p>The call probably came around 7:15.</p>
<p>I am not sure how the calls are made. I don’t know if all the admissions reps make calls, or if it is a matter of choice for the reps, or if there is a rhyme or reason to the calls that they do make. I do know that my son and his rep had established a very good relationship. I remember thinking that was why he got a call, which was a few days prior to his receiving his snail mail package.</p>
<p>I also think his high school guidance counselor was notified in some manner, because the following Monday she congratulated him.</p>
<p>Boysx3: Thanks for the info. And the PM - I don’t have enough posts yet, so the system won’t let me reply to you privately.</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted ED1 last year. She heard via a phone call from her rep on I believe 12/17. I don’t recall a picture or anything on the portal. The joy on her face after that call was priceless.</p>
<p>My daughter is applying ED1 and is on pins and needles waiting to hear if she is granted admissions. Today she received a Christmas card from her admissions rep, personally addressed to her and signed by him. I told her this was a good sign but she feels I’m reading too much into it. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Only a few more days to wait…good luck to all of you who are waiting on ED decisions.</p>
<p>Friday the 13th would be a great day for good news! </p>
<p>Best of luck to all those waiting to hear!</p>
<p>I, too, applied early decision and am extremely nervous for my answer next week</p>
<p>Greg, our family will be traveling during the holidays (22/21-1/5). Would it be possible to arrange for an email notification or phone call at the time the decisions are mailed out?</p>
<p>Mama A, unfortunately, we’ve got plans for the break too. And I’m sure we’re not alone. Mailing out decisions right before winter break is borderline disrespectful.</p>
<p>The suspense is overwhelming. I can’t concentrate on schoolwork, and it’s hard to sleep. But I do find some comfort in the fact that the long wait probably means the admissions committee is carefully reviewing every application. It’s incredibly stressful, but it’s better than the alternative: rejection because they didn’t have time to review my application closely enough. I’m fine waiting a few more days for something that will affect my life for years if it means I’ll get a more accurate decision.</p>
<p>When my kid applied to AU, there were a dozen things or more that the admissions office did badly or ineptly or inconsiderately. I think it probably hurts AU’s curb appeal that the web site and admissions are two of the least organized, least helpful features of the university. (OK, I’ll admit, I don’t know how admissions is now. I hope it’s better. But in 2010, American’s admissions office was conspicuously less impressive than those of the four other universities she applied to.)</p>
<p>But, honestly, disrespectful to send out notifications right before winter break? Because you’re going on vacation? Perhaps they should just hold onto everybody’s decisions–including those of applicants who won’t be taking a vacation–until they can find a time that works for you. I’m not quite sure any applicant merits that kind of respect.</p>
<p>Oh…and FWIW, our experience has been that the rest of AU was much better than the web site and the admissions office. (I do know some folks have had issues with AU Central. So far we haven’t–knock wood.) My daughter is still very glad she chose AU.</p>