<p>Yeah I just finished applying to 4 schools and that was enough for me. Only 1 was an easy, online process not requiring official transcripts unless offered admission (which makes perfect sense). The most annoying part for me wasn't the letters (my profs gave them out quite readily) but badgering the office in Belgium where I studied for a year to send out official transcripts. They simply did not email me or claimed the money hadn't gone through, even though it had a month before.</p>
<p>About McGill, I hope that's not for every department. I just sent my package to them today, and sent the letters from my profs. But I didn't look at them and they were signed across the seal. It says right on their website that it's acceptable, so I don't know why they are giving you trouble...</p>
<p>I was really worried about getting transcripts from Spain. Then when I got them in a timely fashion, which totally caught me off guard, they didn't have any kind of explanation of grades or anything resembling a translation, so I had to grapple with that (my original undergrad. institution didn't require a translation, so I didn't have one).</p>
<p>Luckily all the programs I talked to said a translation done by the head of my department would suffice, and I got it all taken care of. After this whole process is over I'm probably going to feel like I can get through about anything (as far as dealing with administration goes).</p>
<p>I'll second what everyone has said. For me the worst part has been the SOP and GRE's. First the SOP you're supposed to write some magical personal statement that's unique and honest and sells yourself perfectly to a school. How freaking impossible is that, especially if you're pretty much an average person who hasn't survived a terrible illness or cured cancer or something else (great for those who have, but for the rest of us its frustrating!).
Also these educational tests are the biggest money scam ever! $140 for the privilege of being tested for three hours. $50 to reschedule your test? Only half of your money back if you cancel even weeks before the exam? $20 per extra score copy (seriously it cannot cost them that much if the first four are free)? Not to mention the time and money spend studying! All for something which makes you feel awful if you don't conform to their standard of intelligence. Ok rant done, boy it feels better to get that out!</p>
<p>When I was taking the test, I tried to be a little preemptive, so I raised my hand to ask for more scratch paper when I was about one page away from finishing what I had. I did this because I knew it would take a couple minutes to get the guy's attention, and I didn't want to sit there and wait when I was completely run out.</p>
<p>Well the guy came over, and when I asked him for more he looked at what I had and said I couldn't have more until I finished what I already had! I was on the verge of knocking this guy out cold, seriously. $140 and that is the kind of treatment you get? My blood still boils.</p>
<p>I think I officially gave up. As I see all my best friends being called and emailed about their interviews/acceptances, I see my chances dimming and dimming.
:( </p>
<p>Today has clearly been a bad day. I wish they would reject me already.</p>
<p>On the same note of eagerly awaiting the results (however they turn out), does anyone have an idea of when foreign language departments make decisions / send out notifications? Most departments' websites say something like "by March," but this is still vague enough!</p>
<p>If anyone's been through this for Romance Languages, please chime in! :)</p>
<p>Why are you getting discouraged? I feel like only a few have actually heard back. I have heard back from two, but of my friends most haven't heard anything yet.</p>
<p>Most schools seem to reply around the beginning of February.</p>
<p>The worst is all the insecurity and self-doubt generated by cryptic posts about getting interviews or acceptances at places you applied to. You think, "Oh, they've started to send out replies!" REFRESH REFRESH x 400... all to no avail. Then you wallow and sulk in fetal position, forgetting the fact that only yesterday, you were a sprightly, competent and hopeful young person. And after a few days, you end up getting the response you want, only to have that joy overshadowed by the same cycle with another program.</p>
<p>Nighthawkrao77,
You are right, but for some reason, everyone who has heard back (even if only few people have heard back) is either my friends or my coworkers... I think I am the last one in my whole group of grad school going friends who has not heard anything... that tends to do a number on my self esteem :) </p>
<p>And yes, ymmit is on the money with that one.</p>
<p>I think it seriously helps for admissions committees to keep a blog or something to notify people of what's going on so they're not e-mailing/bothering/fretting the admins all day every day...</p>
<p>"It says right on their website that it's acceptable, so I don't know why they are giving you trouble..."</p>
<p>I think the secretary of this particular McGill department has a personal grudge against international students. Or against anyone who does something as unheard-of as getting AP credits (after she emailed asking for an explanation of the "T"s on my transcript, I replied that they meant I tested out of the courses with APs. Her response: "AP testing? What's that? I just need documentation from somewhere to explain these hours"). I don't think she was asked to do this by higher-ups, or that she's following a protocol. She just finds something potentially wrong with my application and asks me to give more info because she doesn't know whether it will be important or not. </p>
<p>But I wouldn't think this is a university-wide phenomenon. This is an isolated bureaucrat who, contradictory to what you would expect, is kind of brightening up my graduate admissions process. I'm getting /some/ news from the school, you know? Plus, I get to be indignant. Who doesn't like to feel justifiably wronged every now and then? :p</p>
<p>Oh and to the McGill guy-- I went there as an undergrad. The bureaucracy is ludicrous, but it's still a great place to study. Don't let some ***** from the office put you off. She'll have no impact on your actual experience there. </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me with the dept to which you are applying-- I've got peops all around that uni!</p>
<p>You'd think, after undergrad applications, two previous rounds of grad school applications (for my MA, got rejected by all the first time around), and another 6 month long application process for a non-academic program, that I might have it pretty well together at this point, and be kind of used to waiting, right? Nah, not hardly. And it doesn't help that I've known friends and classmates to hear back about their applications anywhere from early January to late March, in the same field and to some of the same programs. I'm not going to make it that long - it's driving me bonkers already!</p>
<p>I don't even know if this belongs here, but I've just had to drop out of a huge theater production (in which I was a lead) because one of the performance dates clashes with an interview date at a very stubborn school. I know this sounds ridic to some, but theater is my other great love and this was my last production in college- it broke my heart to do this. </p>
<p>Isn't it just like graduate school, to already be ripping your life apart even before you get in?</p>