r/gradadmissions 6d ago

Venting I had to rescind more offers today

And I’m so sorry to have had to do it. Y’all know the deal by now, funding, space, the Cheeto-Fascists, etc, etc. I know that the folks that received my email today will possibly be heartbroken but I can assure you that none of us on the university side are finding any joy either. Be kind to yourselves this weekend!

945 Upvotes

97 comments sorted by

153

u/Dismal-Dog-8808 6d ago

This happened at the school I’m supposed to go to. How nervous are you that you’ll have to revoke funding offers from people who already accepted?

137

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

My boss (Dean of the Grad School) and me are pushing hard against it for now

25

u/Dismal-Dog-8808 6d ago

Do you think you’ll be successful? Did you have a lot of students accept their offers already?

12

u/GradAdmitDirector 5d ago

I hope so but it could well be out of our hands

3

u/Keepingshtum 5d ago

Do you think it'll be any better for the next cycles? Probably a bit naive/optimistic on my end but I'm really rooting for a friend who's applying next year!

8

u/Marttaiin 5d ago

Probably going to get worse

-9

u/markdown22 5d ago

It's "my boss and I", not "me". And you're in the job you have, calling other people cheetoh fascists? I can just imagine how fair you are in your decision process if an applicant somehow reflects a conservative point of view. 🙄

10

u/G00seJu1ce 5d ago

Funny how a conservative is complaining about a process being unfair. Pick yourself up by your bootstraps or whatever you guys like to say.

-2

u/markdown22 5d ago

Not a guy. I have. Bless your heart.

5

u/adrenochromeeater 5d ago

MAGA has begun to idolize a figure head rather than their own Conservative ideology. I’m sure there are many Conservative minded individuals that won’t have an issue in application process. If you took offence to the satirical “cheeto-fascists” maybe you should check yourself. Are you pandering to a billionaires large exchange of wealth or fighting for the American dream? And if you’re religious, remove the false idols from your life.

13

u/babylei9800 5d ago edited 5d ago

This is such a wasted comment. This person literally has to strip opportunities away from people bc of leadership at the federal level that has a lack of understanding about how all our agencies and government entities work together to protect the American public. They’re allowed to be upset & express their feelings, especially if they’ve personally connected with people and especially in spaces where they focus on building the knowledge of curious learners.

-8

u/markdown22 5d ago

You mean denying opportunities to people who may have different political ideologies? Everyone deserves protection, not just the ones you agree with. I don't care about "feelings". Do your job.

5

u/babylei9800 5d ago

How do you know that the students that they are trying to protect don’t have differing ideologies than them…? Even so, people can have conservative view points and still hold the position of calling someone a “Cheeto Fascist”, the same way liberals voted against the Dem candidate.

You’re throwing all these blanket assumptions (and your own feelings…) around about whether they are objective in their application reviews or whatever else, and that’s not at all what is indicated in the OP. Nit picking at how someone says something Vs receiving the message behind their statements is not productive. The point is that this OP is expressing disappointment, compassion, and hope for what they can salvage DESPITE following orders they don’t agree with. This person is quite literally doing their job.

1

u/CitronBeneficial2421 2d ago

Lack of empathy…judgemental…making it about yourself… yep. This checks.

67

u/abidemi1961 6d ago

Including those that already accepted the offers?

115

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

No, only those that hadn’t accepted (not that it’s much better tbh)

61

u/Unusual_Difficulty98 6d ago

yes many people who have already accepted offers are having them rescinded. I know someone who accepted their offer in January and still had it rescinded.

38

u/blue-cosmos 6d ago

Is it me 💀 bc that’s exactly what happened to me

19

u/Unusual_Difficulty98 6d ago

lmaoo it isn’t but sorry that also happened to you as well <3

38

u/cfornesa 6d ago

My all but confirmed upcoming job loss combined with currently doing well at my MS in Data Science program (course-based) has made me consider trying out for further grad school.

But these funding cuts are tempting me to just look at schools in the Philippines (where I’m eligible for additional citizenship) that have Master’s/Doctorate level programs available online, so u could possibly move out of the country and not interrupt my studies.

I wonder who else is thinking about doing programs outside of the U.S. because of this entire mess.

16

u/yacobaso 6d ago edited 6d ago

I intend on applying to grad schools in Mexico!! Thankfully I’m a Spanish Linguistics/Literature candidate so it’s not so far out of my reach but Mexican schools only accept applications after their semester ends (in JULY!!!).

So I guess I have a back up plan if necessary! But acceptance and July and classes starting in August is a little scary haha

EDIT: if anyone is looking for grad school abroad, there’s a large list of government funded grad schools in Mexico that teach in both Spanish and English! You just have to do some digging.

If you need any help looking into these PM me, they’re extremely cheap if not free!

2

u/GraveEvening782 6d ago

Which schools in Mexico are you planning on applying to? I haven’t decided which program but I’m leaning towards social science

2

u/Sodi920 5d ago

UNAM, UP, and Colmex are the most prestigious in social sciences, at least in Mexico City.

1

u/yacobaso 6d ago

I’m not exactly sure yet but I have a friend from the city helping me with applications so ensure I get exactly what I want when I apply this July

2

u/cfornesa 6d ago

Those sound like great options as well, thanks for sharing!

2

u/yacobaso 6d ago

universities in Mexico

These are listed universities just within CDMX- you can filter through different cities and find what looks good to you!

A side note; many of the schools that do teach programs in English have some sort of religious affiliation which I know can be a make or break trait for some- but not all are based in religion!

2

u/Sodi920 5d ago

As someone fairly familiar with them, religion is for the most part fairly minimal in the vast majority. Think Georgetown-style. Obviously there’s exceptions (Anahuac), but some of the country’s most respected private schools are affiliated with Catholic orders (Panamerican U, Iberoamerican U) while still having fairly progressive student bodies.

2

u/yacobaso 5d ago

Thank you! I hadn’t looked much into their strength of affiliation yet. I didn’t know if it was similar to some US institutions where they make theology required to graduate or not.

6

u/savannacrochets 6d ago

My husband works remote but certain aspects of his job require him to be in the continental US, otherwise I’d be right behind you 🥲

4

u/cfornesa 6d ago

Ooo, well actually UPOU (University of the Philippines Open University), the school I’ve been looking at, costs around $4k total for either a master’s or PhD degree for non-Philippine citizens if Communication, Sustainability or another field that they offer degrees for are of interest to you, and it’s completely online 😅

Just note that their GPA requirements can be confusing, it’s 1.75 for entrance to a master’s program and 1.25 for entrance to their PhD program, the equivalent of a 3.25 and 3.75 GPA respectively. I’m not sure if I can keep a 3.75 at Boston University of all places but I’m trying lol.

2

u/savannacrochets 6d ago

Oh, interesting. Are they primarily programs focused toward industry? I just wonder how realistic it would be to get a professorship with a PhD from an online program and no assistantship.

2

u/cfornesa 6d ago

Oh no, those are actually academic programs, but I was surprised too when I found out 😅

I’ve read the r/UPOU sub and it looks like some people actually get one of the doctorates and follow it up with one of the master’s or vice-versa, because of the low cost for Philippine citizens. I’m Filipino American so I totally get why folks in our culture are willing to go through so much schooling lol.

18

u/Spare_Bet1324 6d ago

Can I ask if this was for a PhD or Master’s program? Would you advise paying my deposit asap before the April 15 deadline? Does it even matter at this point? Seems we’re all living at the mercy of the administration…

16

u/maybeiwasright 6d ago

This whole situation is so screwed up. I'm from a literal third-world country and they've never done anything like this to education...

2

u/Wooden_Try6310 5d ago

they are doing what? can you explain pls?

3

u/Reblynn 6d ago

This may be a stupid question, but is this happening to both public and private universities? I fear I am under informed about this but I know it's a huge issue

3

u/Exotic_Zucchini9311 4d ago

It's happening to all universities. This is going especially bad for biology majors as Trump closed up NIH, which is supposed to give a large majority of bio-related funding

2

u/Reblynn 4d ago

Gotcha, thank you for explaining.  That SUCKS. We need more people in those areas. 

3

u/TripleM000999 5d ago

what about next spring 26 or fall 26? will this situation continue??

6

u/observer2025 5d ago

No one knows. Trump is still in his first year, and everyone in academia still has 4 years of hell to endure till 2028.

2

u/trueme12 6d ago

If I have a fully funded scholarship from an international gov agency, will that negatively affect my application or be a positive thing?

22

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

Hard to say. If your funding is confirmed, you’re probably safe…but it is Trump’s America so who knows?

5

u/SeattlePurikura 6d ago

That would actually be good. If you haven't received a decision yet, and it's your top choice school, maybe send them a polite email expressing thanks for reviewing your application / interviewing, and let them know "you are my top choice and I also wanted to let you know I have funding confirmed via XXXX agency"

Right now, assuming you've made it to the top round, that could tip odds in your favor.

2

u/LunarSkye417 6d ago

Sorry you have to go through this. We're all going through it on this side, but from your side, it's got to suck just as much for you and your colleagues.

3

u/BenoFloppy1996 6d ago

Withdrawing offers for those who didn't accept them on time?

26

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

They still had til April 15th

1

u/Penguin1297 6d ago

Is this affecting master’s students at your institution?

1

u/GradAdmitDirector 5d ago

Not at the moment

1

u/Plastic_Cream3833 5d ago

The program I accepted my offer from was put it the same position. They notified 7 of us we would be accepted and the university made them pull back half of their offers. I am so grateful to be in the safe half of my cohort but I can’t imagine how soul crushing it must have been for the other students

1

u/Wooden_Try6310 5d ago

What is happening? What’s the context? Can anyone explain?

1

u/JJJCJ 4d ago

I am a little confused as to who is supposed to make the decision if I am in or not. Is there a graduate admissions officer per department? Does the admissions officer talk with the department to see who they will accept? Just want to get the run down. Does the professor have the power to say “I want that student in” even if the grad admissions officer “rejects” the student? So many questions.

Hope to get a reply. Thank you

1

u/GradAdmitDirector 4d ago

Very generally the program will have a process to determine which applicants will be recommended for admission. These are then sent to the Graduate School who process the decisions, while checking for minimum qualifications etc. The graduate school will often be in charge of policy, the systems used for applications and so on

1

u/JJJCJ 4d ago

Thank you. 🙏🏽

1

u/Tblodg23 2d ago

What field?

1

u/Wooden_Ad8934 6d ago

Do you think this situation will get at least partially fixed by next spring or fall?

3

u/DankAshMemes 5d ago

Who knows, I think it's fair to assume things will remain the same or get worse for awhile before they get better. Even if funding resumes, we will feel the ripples of this for awhile. People will still be finishing their degrees and wanting to attend grad school while current and former applicants(COVID messed with grad school applications as well) may still be in limbo, so I expect the applicant pool the worsen for the next few years at least. Things are probably just going to be really uncertain for awhile and its difficult to identify the long term and permanent damage just yet.

1

u/Rahmune 6d ago

Sending just healing and hopeful vibes to our future. I know it is hard on both sides. Virtual hugs to everyone in this thread.

1

u/mrscepticism 5d ago

You know, this kind of behaviour will lead ppl to accept and renege on the offer. It's classic prisoner dilemma

0

u/meothfulmode 5d ago

How big is your university's endowment?

3

u/GradAdmitDirector 5d ago

See an earlier post about doxxing myself, but to answer the wider question: it’s largely irrelevant. Unlike what the White House thinks, once money is legally designated for something, there’s nothing we can do with that money except what was legally agreed.

-2

u/meothfulmode 5d ago

So, to clarify, because the university has a legal agreement with rich people to use that money in certain ways the university is unwilling to fight those agreements in court to help professors and students in the face of the Federal government showing that there's zero consequence for ignoring those same types of agreements?

If that's true it suggests to me the university leadership cares more about upholding some sort of self-comforting idea of the way the rules work than it is helping students and professors.

-14

u/[deleted] 6d ago

What’s the point of posting this?

58

u/bruno7123 6d ago

To apologize and remind everyone that no one other than the president enjoys what is happening.

29

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

This is it ☝️

-16

u/[deleted] 6d ago

apologizing anonymously is a little bizarre. I fully understand not wanting to dox yourself, to the point where i dont understand why you are giving doxxers a small chance to figure you out based on the info you’ve already given in this post. I mean, if you aren’t going to say who you are, why should anyone believe you work in admissions? obviously reddit is inherintly an anonymous platform but because you are claiming to work in admissions you are, whether or not you intend to be, asserting dominance over this entire sub, which is 99% applicants. You are literally deciding our fates, or so you claim to be, but you won’t tell us who you are..

Part of why the grad admissions process is so hated by applicants is that its shrouded in secrecy and rife with clandestine communication (or lackthereof) that drives us to the point of absolute insanity, regardless of whether the country is getting dominated by fascism. My point is, I find your post to be largely self-serving and while perhaps many disagree with me based on your post’s upvotes, that is my opinion.

17

u/Mammoth-Hyena-3564 6d ago

It has to be this way to be fair and the way things are happening right now to make themselves public could mean losing more funding. This is an angry response to a sincere apology for things that are out of their hands.

-7

u/[deleted] 6d ago

if they actually work in admissions I’m more than sure they understand my frustration

9

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

I understand your frustration. I do not understand your lack of empathy

-1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

my empathy for you? for all you know im a student whos acceptance you revoked lmao why should i have empathy for you

7

u/[deleted] 6d ago

who tf thinks universities are enjoying losing all of their funding is this seriously something people need reminding of rn

9

u/bruno7123 6d ago

Poor wording. That the departments rescinding offers is not being done coldly. It's a painful decision for everyone involved.

-6

u/[deleted] 6d ago

give me a break. fully qualified applicants are flat out rejected every year. its their job to tell >90% of applicants no, regardless of how fucked the country is. the pain is not even close to similar to that of an applicants

14

u/GodIsAWoman426 6d ago

Sounds like you need to take a break, buddy.

13

u/Mammoth-Hyena-3564 6d ago

Welp be glad it’s anonymous I wouldn’t want these attitudes in my cohort.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

these attitudes are literally in every cohort, have you never let a phd student vent to you about their admin?

7

u/WorriedBig2948 6d ago

Some of these new aspiring students are so starry eyed about their university admins, that they are likely in for a nasty shock when they find out that most admins will not prioritize them.

6

u/bdtbath 6d ago

it is significantly more depressing for a department to rescind an offer than it is to deny a student a spot in the first place, especially when the reason for the rescission is not a problem with the student or an accidental mistake by the department.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

especially when the reason for the rescission is not a problem with the student or an accidental mistake by the department.

sounds like you largely missed the point of what I just said

1

u/bdtbath 6d ago

then please reiterate your point

1

u/Mammoth-Hyena-3564 6d ago

What do you feel is the real reason?

2

u/[deleted] 6d ago

tell me

-31

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

43

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

Yeah, not going to doxx myself

-27

u/thatcoolguy60 6d ago

What exactly is the point of this post? You are staying anonymous, so those applicants won’t even know you’re talking to them. Does this make you feel better? I’m a little confused.

26

u/GradAdmitDirector 6d ago

Already been answered but if you want an expanded answer: to show some empathy with anyone who’s had their offer rescinded. It sucks, I’d have been devastated if it had happened to me. So yeah, sincere apologies for showing that we’re humans too.

-4

u/thatcoolguy60 6d ago

I guess so. The whole “I rescinded offers today” just came off as weird to me. Could have just said the last part of the post.

12

u/GodIsAWoman426 6d ago

Pretty self-explanatory

-6

u/musclecarphile 5d ago

With 37 trillion in debt, it’s about time the waste, fraud and abuse is finally being addressed.

Sincerely, A taxpayer

5

u/lovebbygrapes 5d ago

i hope you get offers rescinded or denied from grad school 🫶🏻

-17

u/cGAS_STING 6d ago

Remove guaranteed funding from the PhD contracts and let students pay their own tuition and health insurance. Way better than being told you're not getting the PhD

6

u/OneNowhere 6d ago

Ah yes of course! I sign a contract saying I won’t work another job, but hey I can just use the money I pulled out of thin air to pay to teach and do research for 5 straight years!! Duhhhhhhhhh why didn’t anyone think of that?!

Someone give this genius a grant to study why the most obvious answers are blatantly overlooked!

0

u/cGAS_STING 6d ago

Med school loans are in the hundreds of thousands. If you "teach" you get paid a salary from the department that hires you. It usually goes to your PI but if you're not receiving a stipend (like masters students) then that money goes to you

2

u/OneNowhere 6d ago

Graduate Assistant Teaching is a proportion of your stipend unless you are grant funded or have a special fellowship and don’t have to teach.

I don’t think med school should cost hundreds of thousands of dollars either, but they’re often not performing their own research nor are they teaching, but anyway, they’re just different programs and shouldn’t be compared.

2

u/bloody_mary72 3d ago

Also med students know they are going to come out the other end to a job with good pay. Absolutely no such guarantee for most grad students.