Home stretch...

Feels good to be nearing the end of another admissions cycle. It seems like the interviews were so long ago -- in reality, it's been only about four weeks.

I've gotten a several calls this week about our notifications being sent out -- which made me think about a blog post I wrote a few years ago that addressed admissions decisions.

Perhaps I should do another to keep the information fresh, yah? (I think last time I wrote on this topic, we sent notifications out via hard copy -- so there's definitely some updates since then!) So, in the style of a Q&A (my favorite), here goes:

How are notifications sent out?
Email.

Have you sent admission offers out yet?
Yes.

Have you sent all admission offers out yet?
No.

Have you sent deny notifications out yet?
Yes.

Have you sent all deny notifications out yet?
No.

Are you behind?
Absolutely not! We are right on track. (In fact, I was able to listen to -- while working, of course -- a few NCAA tournament games today. Normally, I can't have that kind of noise/distraction in the background... but since we are so ahead-of-schedule, our staff/office has been quite chill this week.)

When will all applicants be notified?
By April 1. If you haven't heard back from us by then, definitely contact us! (Make sure you are checking your email spam folder. With the words "pharmacy", many emails are directed to spam folders.)

Is there a certain day of the week notifications are sent?
No. It's totally random. There are lots of other things we juggle -- meetings, presentations, other responsibilities, etc.

Is there a certain time of the day notifications are sent?No. Again, it's totally random.

If someone is offered admission, does that person's acceptance/decline affect another person's admission offer?
No. (Only in the case of the wait-list will that occur, which happens after all candidates are notified of their status. In other words, we do not wait to hear whether an offer is accepted before making another offer.

Do you have rolling admissions?
No.

If someone is offered admission somewhere else, does that affect their admission offer with UCSF?
No.

Will notifications be sent out during spring recess?
Spring recess? What's that?  Ha! We do not get a spring break. We will be working. (But I do get a kick out of students asking "How was your spring break? What did you do?"  Uh, worked....!) Yes, we will continue with sending out notifications on "spring recess."

What is your opinion on sending thank-you notes following an interview? Is there a preference for hard-copy vs. electronic notes?
I recently participated on a panel with other pharmacy school directors and this was one of the questions asked. We all had VERY DIFFERENT responses. I'd like to use this topic as a blog post topic in the near future. I think it's an interesting question and I'd like to provide more insight and thoughtful response than here.

Would you be willing to entertain us with some more blog entries/picture posts in the coming days? Like musings on this year's admissions cycle! We do miss your updates.
Thanks for the feedback. My posts have been limited since the fall. November through March is a very busy time. I hope to get back in the blog-game in the coming weeks.

If there's something I'm missing, let me know! I'd love to add it to this list.

Finally in the spirit of March Madness, what anti-anxiety medication do you suggest?  I'm stressed that my brackets are already falling apart and it's only the first round. Grrrrrr....Ugh!