B1.7 Informing Applicants of Admission or Denial
Updated: August 3rd, 2011
Notifying applicants who are admitted. If a department recommends admission of a qualified applicant and has not used up its allotment, the Graduate Division will issue an admission notification. Only written notice from the Dean of the Graduate Division constitutes an offer of admission. Departments must not inform successful applicants that they have been admitted until the official notice has been sent by the Graduate Division.
How students accept offers of admission. The Graduate Division does not set a deadline by which graduate students must respond and there is currently no Graduate Division deposit required for those who accept the offer of admission.
Departments may set a response deadline, keeping in mind that UC Berkeley subscribes to the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) policy, “Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants,” which states: “Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution.” Detailed information on the Resolution can be found on the CGS website. Therefore, if a student is offered admission and financial support, the department may not set a deadline earlier than April 15 by which a student must respond.
Notifying applicants who are denied admission. Submit a list to the Graduate Admissions Office with the applicant’s name, application ID number, and the applicant’s rank. Each page of the list must be signed by the Head Graduate Adviser or by that adviser’s designee, and should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office as soon as the decisions are known. The department must retain supplemental materials (transcripts, forms, letters of recommendation, etc.) for at least two years.
Rescinding an admission offer. If an academic program needs to consider rescinding an admission offer, it must contact the Director of Graduate Services (642-4971) for further guidance.
See All Topics in the Category: B. Admission, Guide to Graduate Policy
