TTPB: Congratulations on your offer. Don't take the offense to the following statements - just trying to save you time in the future. I attended a peer school to CBS, and it's highly unlikely you will get an offer from either CBS or HBS. Your GPA is well into the bottom 10%, your GRE is likely below the lowest in the class (and GREs were largely used as a backdoor for admissions until recently), and it sounds like you have no work experience. I would recommend getting 3 to 7 years under your belt before applying and showing a strong trajectory. Otherwise, you are just gifting them application fees.

Hello, fellow Columbia polisci MA rejects...I mean, applicants. This is the same person that left the comment on May 8th. Today is May 10th and Columbia finally reached back. I have been rejected. Our long arduous journey of waiting has finally come to an unfortunate end. I suppose when a university takes this long to provide a response it only signifies the applicant has been rejected...who knows? Anyway...Columbia was the last university on my list I needed to hear back from. I've accepted an offer of admission from American University in Washington, D.C., therefore, for the next two years of my life, I'll be residing in America's capital instead of America's City (AKA New York City). I have ambitions of one day attending a top business school after completing my first master's degree and now that I have much experience in riding this roller coaster of applying to graduate schools I will use my newfound knowledge to return to Columbia and apply to Columbia Business School. I swear it...I will return and, this time, I will return victoriously (however, if I apply to Harvard Business School and get accepted by them, then I will reject Columbia's offer of admission just like how they rejected me today). To everyone out there that was rejected this year, I know it hurts and you all probably feel like you're not good enough. Please, don't believe that for a second...I am here to say you are all great! Keep your heads held high, never give up, and years from now, show the world why Columbia University made a disastrous mistake today.

At long last, a decision. Unsurprisingly I was rejected. I have been considered for another masters program at Columbia, so I will wait and hear from them (hopefully sooner than this one). 3.7 GPA and strong letters of recommendation. However, little research experience, which may help explain the rejection. Good luck to everyone!

Aight guys, I finally got a decision and it wasn't what I was hoping for. Top grad from top uni in the UK, so obviously a bit disappointed. Turned out no news actually was bad news for me... Anyways, never give up on your dreams etc etc... Wishing those of you who are still waiting to hear back the best of luck!

International Applicant

NOT WAITLISED! Hello, again, fellow Columbia polisci MA applicants. This is the same person that responded on April 28th. Today is May 8th and still no response from Columbia. Holly Martis is the political science department's Graduate Program Coordinator (dropping her name here in case anyone is interested in contacting her about the application review process). I've decided I will not reach out to the political science department or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences because we all know what they will tell us if we inquire about our applications! They will respond by stating we, the applicants, must wait until we receive an official email indicating a decision has been made on our applications because, under university/graduate school/department policy, the status of an application cannot be divulged to the applicant until they receive that official email. There really exists no point in reaching out to the graduate program coordinator, department, or the graduate school...we all just have to wait...there is nothing we can do but wait. Here is something I found on the political science department's website: "The department continues to admit students through the spring. Hence, notifications to students who are declined admission usually are not sent until the early summer. Although the department recognizes that this is less than ideal for most candidates who may be weighing other options, the department cannot respond to applicant inquiries until the admission process is complete". Whether I'm rejected or accepted, I'll be returning to Grad Cafe to inform you all. My final analysis: Columbia seriously needs to hurry up...I'm sure an admissions committee position calls for a lot of work and I'm sure it's exorbitantly difficult to decide which students will be accepted and which will not and I'm sure it's very time-consuming...but c'mon people...if you already made a decision just let us know already...Christ! Anyway...good luck to you all.

Shortlisted. Apparently, there were 200 applicants for the 2 doctoral positions and I'm unsure of how many people actually made the shortlist. I figured others would want to know as I've been stalking this page for updates the past few weeks.

I had been waitlisted previously. Just got the official rejection email.

Ignore Waitlist: Has anyone heard back from this program at all? I've already accepted an acceptance elsewhere, but it was primarily due to the fact that Guelph has not given the results out yet. I had emailed the program head and received no email back... I understand given COVID results came out later than usual, but I did not expect to just not hear back from a University entirely.

Off the waitlist! Thrilled.

Disgraceful and disrespectful - these are the only words I can use to describe the way the department handled the application process. I don't know what was going on behind the curtain, but please, treat us like adults and be transparent.

MyFile status: "reviewed-unsuccesful"

Ignore WL: TTPB - Thank you so much for your reply! I actually hadn't seen that update, so that's hugely reassuring, and nice to know they've provided an update. Good luck to you too!

Sigh... Id received: 14 Jan., rejection: 28 April, no waitlist, no reserve list, no transcript drop. Via LFY and via email a few hours afterwards. LL.M. from LSE (with Mid-Merit), 1 published article in an international journal, 2 research assistant positions, 1 offer to be a teaching assistant and a very niched PhD proposal, with 2 LSE professors nominated as supervisors (from whom I had previously received guidance re my proposal). Best of luck!

Finally!!

Ignore WL: Anyone have any idea when we might hear? Emailed the program coordinator who just directed me back to the department website, which doesn't have many details. Should I just assume a rejection at this point?

[NOT WL]: I applied 86 days ago today for early decision and when I asked for clarification around the 70-day mark I received a response that roughly equated to "you'll know when we know." Helpful. I've gotten to the point where I don't know that I would even attend if I was accepted because of how completely intractable the administration seems. Really poor form, Mannheim.

Received an email saying the portal had been updated. I received an offer from Oxford (my first choice) so this isn't too big of a deal, even if it is somewhat of a surprise.

Domestic student, meh GPA, strong letters of reference. Disappointed but not surprised.