How long to wait for a decision???

I applied to the University of South Carolina for ME in Nuclear Engineering. I’ve submitted all of my test scores, letters of recommendation, transcripts, fee and supporting documents. I waited three months for a decision. I’ve called the department and program coordinator for any results. I was told it would be week for a decision. This occur two weeks ago. My application status still reads pending decision. So what do should I do next and how have you (how would you) handle this?

From what I’ve heard state universities are generally very slow when it comes to admissions but I can’t speak for the University of South Carolina specifically.

It isn’t the university that matters here; it’s the department. At the graduate level, departments usually handing their own admissions and it just gets rubber-stamped by the university. Most likely it’s just a faculty or staff member or two who are running behind and haven’t finished up with finalizing the process.

It’s possible that you are on an unofficial wait list. They might be waiting to hear from those to whom they’ve already extended an offer. Most students are given until April 15th to officially accept or decline an offer. That deadline is approaching, so you should hear something soon either way. Good luck!

That’s also true about the “unofficial” wait list. I participate in the review process for my own department and sometimes we have a borderline candidate and we are waiting to see, for example, if a final reviewer submits their letter or other similar issues. There are a number of things that might cause the committee to wait on a particular candidate.

Here’s my question. If someone is wait listed at a preferred school and accepted by a lower school, and doesn’t want to lose the lower offer in case It is the only offer, when should that person accept the lower school offer? By April 15th? And what if a wait list school offer comes in after 4/15 and they have accepted elsewhere? Can they cancel their acceptance to take the better offer? How much of this happens and how long do these last minute offers go on?

Yes that’s what you should do. Put in a deposit and then back out if u get in the other place. You may lose your deposit though.

Call the department again. Talk to the program director and see what’s going on.