University of Illinois rejection letter

[adroit]

It seems like this comes up every year for at least one undergrad; I thought that perhaps people looking into graduate schools would have gotten over this. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see the point in writing a letter like this - there was nothing in the acceptance they sent you that would warrant a snide response, and it makes it look like it would have been a better choice for them to accept someone else in your place. Being a qualified candidate does not qualify you to be rude.

On top of that, it's really not wise to burn any bridges you don't have to, especially over something as trivial as a grad. school acceptance (and when you were accepted, no less!). Hopefully your letter will not be noted anywhere, and you will never have to do any work in the future with anyone that may see and remember it.

I'm sure plenty of people will get a kick out of this, though, I just don't really happen to be one.

What baby duck monge said.

What a jerk. You're not the only one in the whole world who got accepted.

 

[WildCowboy]

But if a University won't (or can't) give individualized attention to each applicant, then why should it be expected that each applicant reply above and beyond that? They spend all of 6 seconds printing out hundreds of these letters and we are supposed to spend 30 minutes crafting out one?

No, you are supposed to spend six seconds writing an e-mail thanking them for the invitation, declining it, and telling them what your plans are. You are NOT supposed to spend 30 minutes crafting a letter that makes you look like an ass.

And it was mentioned many times before, it is highly doubtful anybody with any sort of pull or sway at this University will even see the letter so even if it is rude or mocking of the system the University's use, why do any of you even care?

I can tell you exactly what would happen if an applicant to my grad program had done that. Our program admin would have seen it, thought to herself, "What an ass," and shared the letter with the program director the next time she saw him. (Since their offices are about 30 feet away from each other, that would have been within an hour or two from receipt of the letter.) Our program director would have thought to himself, "What an ass," and would proceed to share it with other faculty members. Academia is a small community. We remember applicants from years ago...how they behaved during the interview process, where they ended up, and we even occasionally run into each other. There's a very good chance that anubis will be remembered by the folks at Illinois for quite some time. He'd better hope he doesn't need anything from them in the future.

 

[adroit]

I still think it's pretty funny. It's not like the dean herself reads these letters, probably a student worker or secretary. You never know, he could have just made some secretary's day just a little brighter with the joy of laughter.

May be the secretary would find this very funny, and forward the email to the university he wanted to go.

I'm sure they'll get a good laugh out of that.

 

[Pittsax]

May be the secretary would find this very funny, and forward the email to the university he wanted to go.

I'm sure they'll get a good laugh out of that.

I doubt it. More likely, they're going to either forget about it or think the author is a complete ass.

I'm in academia right now, and it's a VERY small community. Everyone in the field seems to know everyone else, and you'd be amazed at the gossip that goes around. It's surprisingly easy to become almost black-listed (that's a little harsh, but I can't think of a better term). Don't forget that if you are ever going to apply for funding, it's your peers that are going to be doing the evaluating.

On a side note, I turned down U. Illinois (in Urbana) for graduate school as well. Funnily enough, they sent me a rejection letter in the mail after the fact. I guess they were bitter?