JotCast | Applied Graduate Student Chat, January 15, 2020

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Zhenyang Jia

10:07

When would you expect the decision to finalize for PhD in Chemical Engineering?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:13

Zhenyang Jia, we do our best to finalize all decisions prior to the April 15 national deadline.

Akshata Naidu

10:10

How to check whether I have qualified for early decision review? My status shows that my application and the documents are ready for review.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:14

Akshata, when you log into your application account and click on your "checklist," it should say Ready for Early Decision." If it doesn't, it means your application didn't qualify for the Early Decision period.

Andy

10:10

Hi Will! Is the admission into ESE PHD program handled by a powerful committee or individual faculty has a strong say in it? Typically, when will the majority of decisions be released?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:16

Hi Andy, the decisions are usually handled by both a faculty member or two AND a faculty review committee. And the majority, if not all decisions, should be released prior to the April 15 national deadline.

Smita

10:10

Ok Will thank you for the help. I shall send the e-mail. I have checked the account an sir says the scores have not been received yet.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:17

Ok. Please send that email, Smita. However, we do begin initial review based on the unofficial scores you have supplied on your application, so if the checklist says your application is "Ready for Revew," that means we've sent it to the department to be reviewed.

Amanzhol

10:11

Hello Mr. Fenton! I've applied to Bioengineering Ph.D. program, and I was wondering if you have any information on the total number of applicants? Also, regarding the process of reviewing the applicant's profile: if the PI of my primary choice is not willing to accept me (or does not have an opening), is my application also considered by other faculty members?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:19

Hi Amanzhol, I can tell you that we received 513 applications this year. And it is up to the department regarding admit decisions, but I can tell you that your application is looked at by more people than just your potential PI.

Yiyuan Yang

10:11

I have not received any interview invitation yet? Does this mean I'm less likely to be admitted as of right now?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:20

Yiyuan, most of our PhD programs do not have official interviews.

yasaman moharrer

10:12

Hi, I have applied for the PhD program in Mechanical engineering. couple of weeks a go I received an email saying the application will reopen from 13th of Jan to 15th, I was trying to make some changes and updates in my PhD application yesterday night however, every submitted information was locked and I could not do any changes, can you please help me with this issue.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:21

Yasaman, are you an iranian applicant? This is for people to submit new applications. If you have information for an application that was already submitted, you need to submit that to admissions1@seas.upenn.edu.

Kyungsene

10:12

Hello sir,

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:21

Hi Kyungsene.

Yiyuan Yang

10:12

I applied to CS Phd program

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:21

The CIS PhD program does not hold formal PhD interviews.

Guest

10:12

How many admits this early decision for MSE in CIS?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:22

Hi Guest, I'm sorry, but we don't give out those numbers for a process that is still ongoing. I can tell you that last year we admitted 53 applicants, or approximately 10% of applicants.

Guest

10:13

If I want to apply to another program, but keep the same LORs what to do?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:24

Hi Guest. We don't recommend doing this, but if that's what you want, you should fill in the same recommender information on the 2nd application, but then select "NO," to the question, "Will this provider be submitting the letter of recommendation online?" Then send an email to admissions1@seas.upenn.edu, telling us you'd like to reuse the letters of recommendation from your previous application.

Owen Porth

10:14

Good morning, Will! I have applied for a PhD in Bioengineering. I know the decisions are rolling, but do you know the approximate time frame that I can expect to hear back?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:25

Owen, decisions usually start going out 6-8 weeks after the application deadline, and we do our absolute best to get decisions out prior to the April 15 national deadline.

Fang

10:14

Hi Will, I intend to waive the TOEFL since I have met the waiver requirement and thus I didn't report any TOEFL scores in my application.

However, I noticed the application status says the TOEFL score has been received which is because the system automatically matches the old scores from 4 years ago from the database to my application. To whom should I contact to remove the score from the application so that they do not appear during the review process?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:25

Hi Fang. Can you tell me the program to which you applied?

Jae Won

10:14

I am an applicant in chemical engineering (PhD). Can I updated my CV? Because I recently submitted my paper in a journal.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:25

Hi Jae Won, yes you can. Please send the updated CV to admissions2@seas.upenn.edu.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:14

To which program did you apply?

Master's (13.2% | 5 votes)

PhD (86.8% | 33 votes)

Both (0% | 0 votes)

Total Votes: 38

Kyungsene

10:14

Hello sir
I have applied for Ph.D. program in BE. Do you inform that I am in waiting list?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:26

Kyungsene, we do not normally use waiting lists. Decisions are released on a rolling basis and you will receive a decision.

Guest

10:16

hi, the application status shows that it is ready for review. Does it mean my application has no missing materials?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:26

Guest, that means that we do not require further materials from you at this time and it has been sent to the department for review.

Yikai Zheng

10:16

Hello, Fenton! I am an international student who applied the MSE PhD program. Do you know what is usual date to release the decisions?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:27

Yikai, hello! Decisions are released on a rolling basis, so really any time between now and April 15, our national deadline for decisions to be released for PhDs.

Jiaqi Yuan

10:19

Hello Mr. Fenton, I have applied for the PhD programe in Electrical and Systems Engineering. I am wondering when the admission decision would be made generally. Thank you!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:27

Jiaqi, they're made on a rolling basis, usually starting 6-8 weeks after the Dec 15 deadline.

Gurleen

10:19

Mine checklist says material needed for GRE score, but I had asked in mail and they said the scores were received.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:28

Gurleen, it may be that the official scores haven't been matched to the application yet. If we have your unofficial scores and all of the other materials, we will have most likely begun the review process.

Guest

10:19

Do you know what time decisions for MCIT on campus will be released. And are both acceptances and rejects going out today or only acceptances?

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