Admissions/Process

Introduction

This page describes the the overview of Graduate Admissions for the MSRED program

• Admissions portal opens 9/1
• Admissions portal closed 1/15

Admissions Committee 

•  Email the faculty listserv to seek application readers in late December (consult with grad officer first)

•  Set an admissions meeting date in late December for the first week in March + give faculty a deadline to read and score applicants

• Ensure all faculty have access to Slate and understand the process
• Soon after 1/15 deadline, assign applications in the Bin system to faculty to that they have access
• Once applications are assigned to faculty readers, they can log into their queue in Slate. 
• Please see 'Templates' for a sample email all readers receive with reminders/login info each year.

The goal is to have Four readers per applicant

• MSRED Director-reads all
• Grad Admin-reads but is not voting member and does not rate
• Three additional readers
• 
  

Ongoing Applications Administration 

• Applications really start to roll in during November/December/January.  
• By November/December, you should be checking Slate once a week.
• Mid-December through the application deadline (Jan 15) check every day, and likely will be emailing several times a day.
• Exam scores can be cross checked in  Grade20, though they will also be linked to Slate (though import can take some time) 
• Open all attachments (CVs, Statements, Recommendations Portfolios) to be sure files aren't corrupt.

Financial Aid

• ApplicationsAid applications are embedded in the Slate Application. 

•  Needing or not needing aid has no impact on the admissions decisions process
•  After a class is decided upon, then aid applications are reviewed with the Directors/Funding Committee. 
• Aid decisions are included in admissions letters via Slate. 
• Each year, before the 9/1 date of the application opening, available fellowships need to be updated and communicated to the Slate team.

Notifications

All letters are sent through the Slate System.

• Students are moved to the appropriate Bin (Accepted/Not Accepted) and then will receive the standard letter. For students receiving aid, their letters need to be tagged accordingly.
• You can decide the day/time to release the letters.

• Admitted Applicants: 
  • The Slate system will automatically send letters to Admitted Students. 
  • Students may request a hardcopy letter but that is not the default. 
• Waitlisted Applicants: 
  • The Slate system will automatically sent letters to students on the waitlist. 
  • We generally to not have a waitlist. 
• Rejected Applicants: 
  • The Slate system will automatically sent letters to students who were not accepted

• WHEN FINALIZING ADMISSIONS NOTIFICATIONS-WALK AWAY

  • Seriously.  Walk away for several hours.  Cross-check your work two or three times.  You do not want to be the news story about X school admitting the wrong people/attaching the wrong letter.  

• Slate moves candidates into "bins" (accepted, waitlisted, rejected). Review bins and set time for notifications to be sent.