Tracking your submitted application

Today’s post offers information that doesn’t change year to year, but I hope that reading it today will help you navigate the post-submission application process.

With no further delay, if you submitted an application yesterday for the January 10 deadline, let me congratulate you on having completed most of your work!  The burden is now on us.  Or, at least, the burden will be on us when your application is 100% complete, including the pieces that you didn’t submit yesterday: primarily, recommendations and standardized test scores.  You’ll know the application is 100% complete when you receive an email from us.  Until then, you need to keep an eye on things.

To that end, here are the instructions for tracking your application.

AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION, your Application Status page will display the information you need.

To access your Application Status Page you can either click the “Start an Application” link on the Admissions website or save the application link.  You will log in with the email and password you used when you created your application.

How do I know if my application is incomplete or complete?

Even after you have submitted all the required materials, your application will wait until a staff member has reviewed each document to check that it is correct and legible.  Only then is the application considered complete and ready to be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.  Your Application Status page displays the most up-to-date information on your application status.  Please allow us up to 10 days after we receive your materials to update your record.  It isn’t that checking each application takes a long time, but there are a great number to review and we want to get it right.

Your application will be marked as incomplete if we find that items are missing, your transcripts are difficult to read or not translated into English, or your application fee has not been received (with the exception of fee waivers).  If we are missing materials or cannot read application documents, we (Fletcher Admissions) will contact you.

Fletcher Admissions will also send you a confirmation email when all of your application materials have been compiled and your application is ready to be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.  Once your application is complete, there’s nothing more you need to do (except wait).

Please Note: Whether your application is processed first or last has no bearing on your admissions decision.  But you do need to ensure that you have sent us all the needed materials.

What could possibly hold up my application?

Assuming you did absolutely everything you’re supposed to do (including ordering your test scores), and submitted all the pieces you need to submit (including scanned copies of official transcripts), the glitch that affects the largest number of applications is recommendations that fail to arrive.  It is so mean when current or former professors or supervisors agree to write a recommendation for an application due January 10, and then don’t submit it!  But the fact that you have my understanding doesn’t relieve you of the need to get that recommendation.  You need to do just the right amount of reminding, but when it becomes clear that the recommender is simply not going to come through, then you need to find and register a new recommender.

When will I receive my decision?

Decisions will be released toward the end of March.  We will send a message to the email address you used on your application.  March decision information will also include details about scholarship awards for students admitted in March or in December (Early Notification).

If you have further questions, please email us or call us at +1.617.627.3040.

Please use the email address that you included in your application on all email messages to the office.  We try to respond to every message on the same day we receive it, but due to the large number of emails we receive, it can take several days for us to reply to you.

This part of the admissions process certainly requires some patience.  Whether you’re waiting for confirmation your application is complete, or for the answer to a question, or for your decision to arrive in March, you can be sure we’re working as hard as we can to make everything go quickly and smoothly.  It’s in the interest of the Admissions staff, as well as that of our applicants.