Difficulties with application materials?

<p>Has anyone else had similar problems?</p>

<p>I sent in all of my application stuff in early November. A few weeks ago, I got an email saying that I was missing a few documents. I checked my status on the Pioneer page and it said that I was only missing one item - my ACT scores. I sent back an email with that information and noted that I sent in my scores through the ACT website in early November.</p>

<p>Their (polite) reply was that they had everything except the ACT. ...okaaaay</p>

<p>So I sent in a photocopy of my ACT report along with a copy of my official receipt from ACT.org showing that I sent in my scores to them months ago. As a sidenote, all of my other schools got my scores just fine.</p>

<p>Then the other day, I get another email from Grinnell saying that they're still missing my ACT! What gives guys?</p>

<p>I want to know if this is a common occurance. Because between this whole mix-up and having an alumni rep be 47 minutes late to a 50 minute appointment (no exaggeration!), I'm getting a little soured on Grinnell. Please tell me that they're not really this disorganized!</p>

<p>I'm having similar issues.</p>

<p>Maybe they didn't process the new info before they sent the information?</p>

<p>Or do the ACT people have to send an official report? I don't know if it works like SATs, but if it does, maybe they want an official instead of a copy sent by you? You could call and ask what the issue is.</p>

<p>I havent even received any notification!</p>

<p>i haven't received any notifications either! I only found out that they were missing my SAT reports when i signed onto mypioneersweb and checked my status.. </p>

<p>I was sure I sent in the SAT scores and even have a receipt, so I called the admissions office and they said that they were about 2 or 3 weeks behind on the applications.. But i guess they managed to accept some ppl already...</p>

<p>I had to email them telling them I had sent my ACT scores before they realized they had indeed received them. But I'm having application issues with them, too, and as somedumbnoob said in another thread, Grinnell Admission's disorganization does not reflect well on the school at all. That said, though, I'm glad I'm not the only one having problems with them.</p>

<p>Thet weren't having these problems last year. They have a new director of admissions and I've heard they had a big increase in apps this year, maybe because they improved their financial aid.</p>

<p>yeah, a lot of my stuff is still listed as missing also.</p>

<p>they did not have my ACT for a long time--when i said that i had it officially sent they said to just wait--but they had it the whole time and just did not have time to post it --busy with ED stuff they said</p>

<p>My D's were all received without a hitch. She did the common application and the teachers, etc mailed off in October. Her school mailed the midyear report on Feb 1st from the West Coast (first semester ends the middle of Jan) and it was logged as received on Feb. 25th. Even though that took over three weeks, we figure they are swamped. We have been very impressed with them actually. </p>

<p>Just to make you feel better, two of my Ds other schools sent out letters that they had not received the midyear report. The letters were dated mid January. As noted above she doesn't even end until mid January.</p>

<p>Now, if she can just make it to the end of March!</p>

<p>Bethievt, A big increase in applications? Great.......</p>

<p>Supposedly apps were up 17%, although I'm not sure how those numbers could be finalized since I heard them a few weeks ago.</p>

<p>With regards to lost materials, I agree that it doesn't reflect well on the school but I suppose it's kind of something you have to expect from a school with a brand new director that's pretty tiny when they see big app increases. If it turns you away from the school, though, then I don't blame you. What you need to keep in mind is that while they may lose things, you being late is not as big a deal with Grinnell as it would be with a state school with 30k+ undergraduates and 15k+ postgraduates. If they say they're missing something, even if they screw it up more than once, they probably haven't filed it yet or they'll let you send it in again and won't let it impact your decision.</p>

<p>As long as your common app is in (essay + educational background + test scores are all on it, even if the latter two aren't official) I wouldn't be very concerned, but keeping in touch with them is probably the way to go.</p>

<p>I can understand the frustration and anxiety because I was a wreck last year. I'm imagining they probably had a lot more ED apps and just have had to focus on them. I've heard the 17% number too, but was that over-all or international? Anyway, I think apps are up most places, partly because kids who might once have sent out 5 may now be sending out 10. They can't go to 10 schools though, so what we'll probably be seeing is more wait-listing. Good luck to everyone. I know the waiting period feels like forever, but in a little over a month, you'll know where you're in.</p>

<p>I understand that having a new director is what's causing the problem. I'm just frustrated that they said I had five parts to my application missing while they actually had one and lost the other four. And then, when I resent those four, they say that one is still missing.</p>

<p>Does it mean, i should send my materials?</p>

<p>Have your school fax them. I had everything except my essays missing and my counselor faxed them and then the next day I got an email saying that m application was complete.</p>

<p>I thought they were just too busy to update my app status, but it has been a week and the status still indicates that some materials that I surely sent are missing.
Should I e-mail and ask them? I could not call because the international call will be so expensive.</p>

<p>Son applied EDI. Pioneer web showed he was missing his test scores, a teacher rec and the application. We know all three were sent well in advance of the deadline and emailed the admin officer for his geographic area. She confirmed that they were swamped, but she got back to us that they had found everything but his teacher rec. The teacher faxed it and we confirmed receipt. Pioneer web was subsequently updated.</p>

<p>They were always very helpful and responsive-but I think they are really snowed under this year. So, to get to the main point, I'd be patient but a polite email may get them to focus on you.</p>

<p>Now i started to hate Grinnell...</p>

<p>it took a LOOOONGGGGG time for my Common app online submission to show up on pioneerweb. like, 3 weeks maybe. they must be really stressed.</p>

<p>After early disappointments (many college's admission offices don't seem to have systems in place to reliably manage the material they receive) we <em>never</em> send anything without a delivery-confirmation number, at least. It was a great relief to see that each article was delivered. I don't suppose the colleges handled the priority envelopes any differently, and it was merely coincidental that nothing sent that way got lost, but at least we knew it had gotten there and could have quoted dates and times to the schools in self-defense, if it had come to that. </p>

<p>More on-topic here, it was interesting to watch mail to Grinnell languish at a way-station in Anaheim, CA for a week, waiting for a break in the winter storms (or a braver pilot).</p>