<p>Ok, so maybe I haven't spoken to the right people or maybe I'm just stupid, but I recently discovered that some chemistry programs are rolling admissions even though all claim to start the review process AFTER the program deadlines.</p>
<p>For example, I come from a small LAC and 4 of the chem majors in my year are applying to UWisconsin-Madison. UMad has a deadline of Jan. 15, and I completed my app a week before the deadline. The three other chem majors applied in October and already had decisions by the first week of Jan......BEFORE the deadline.</p>
<p>There is no mention on the website of such decisions and it's really frustrating.</p>
<p>At first I thought it was because we were applying to different subfields of chem, but the deadline and app are the same for all chemistry fields.</p>
<p>Anyone else come across this? How is it that I never found out about this during my grad school research?</p>
<p>All admissions are “rolling” given the yield management grad schools have to do to ensure that they get the most desirable applicants to matriculate. I don’t see how an application due date precludes them from looking at applications ahead of time. Your classmates were probably in the “definitely yes/no category” and so they could make a decision immediately. People in the “maybe” category often have to wait much longer for their decisions.</p>
<p>If you turn in your application earlier, you may hear earlier, but when you turn in your application shouldn’t affect whether or not you get in (as long as it’s by the deadline).</p>
<p>I understand your frustration because I am also applying for chemistry and also turned in my apps close to the deadlines. It sucks hearing about other people getting in places when you’re not, but if they really are rolling admissions, you just have to give them time to roll to you.</p>
<p>I am chemical engineering, but I applied nearly a month before the deadline for most schools. I have not heard from anyone officially yet, but I have had verbal feedback.</p>
<p>eisenmann, what do you mean by “verbal feedback?” I’ve heard from some of my friends that certain schools in ChemE (I’m chemE applying, btw) that they’ve already given out acceptances. I really hope that they don’t mass mail acceptace letters out because I’m probably out of luck…</p>
<p>One of the Deans is a family friend and has said several professors would love to have me. The deadline for that school has not passed yet.</p>
<p>I think schools should make this clear or at least way of letting applicant know. My dad is a biochemist and he has never heard of this and neither has my advisor, who got her PhD only 6 years ago.</p>
<p>I know in my department at my school all the professors on admission committee sit down for two days and go through all applicants at once. I believe it was similar at my undergrad school.</p>
<p>Being accepted early (i.e. before deadlines) happens but the best students should still receive admission later provided they apply on time. For instance, I am applying for chem PhD programs and I’ve been accepted to 3 programs 2 of which accepted me before applications were due. I have a friend who is just as competitive for spots as I am if not more and he hasn’t heard back from any programs. We were also applying to the same tier of programs (top 25, mostly top 10 programs…according to rankings although those mean nothing at that point). He, however, applied a few weeks later than I had, and is looking at different specializations. </p>
<p>I’d be very surprised if he did not get accepted to similiar programs as I have, but his will come later most likely. Think of it this way; if they accept earlier people will (hopefully) decline offers they dont want earlier and they will be able to get through more acceptance offers without risking over-enrolling the program. </p>
<p>I feel that rolling admissions does not truly happen in a general sense, however, extenuating circumstances can affect when your application is reviewed. For the programs I’ve been accepted to I had contacted professors extensively or had other connections to that may have helped my application dramatically.</p>
<p>Some people have started to report decisions over at the [Grad</a> Cafe](<a href=“http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php]Grad”>Grad School Admissions Results for 2006–2023 • thegradcafe.com). You can take a look if you’re curious, but don’t worry too much about it.</p>
<p>I have friends who have applied to various chemistry departments, and it appears that there is definitely rolling admissions. I had two friends get into UCSD for chemistry, but one of them got their notification of admission by email a full 2 weeks earlier than the other. </p>
<p>In ChemE, it seems to be working pretty much the same way.</p>
<p>This should be added to a sticky thread about grad admissions.</p>
<p>I got my first acceptance last week and it was only a month after I submitted the app. I wish I knew this and applied earlier to all my other schools.</p>
<p>In regards to advantages to applying early, I have no idea if it helps, but knowing earlier is definitely a plus.</p>
<p>Dauntless- you have heard from UCSD chemE?</p>
<p>yeah, acceptances come as schools decide to. I was accepted to my first school (top 10) on Dec. 7, three days after my application was sent in. I did however have connections through a recommender in the field from my school whose lab I work in whose alma mater was this school. I had not contacted the school or faculty or anything though.</p>