Just how different are URM decisions? Forum

[JayJones78]

I am wondering how exactly different is the URM decision making? I have schools where I'v been complete for a long time with no movement. Yah, I'm sure other non URMs are also waiting a long time jut as I am, but at the same time I am wondering if as a below 25th (for some of the schools I'm waiting for) URM applicant the better schools are basically sitting on my app to see who matriculates. Is this a valid assessment? Are URM cycles usually much longer than non URMs? In some schools I should have been an auto reject so I guess it's a little comforting, although Im still very realistic and not expecting much. Just got me wondering since I got a "we haven't forgotten about you" from Cornell (been complete for a while).

[ManOfTheMinute]

I am wondering how exactly different is the URM decision making? I have schools where I'v been complete for a long time with no movement. Yah, I'm sure other non URMs are also waiting a long time jut as I am, but at the same time I am wondering if as a below 25th (for some of the schools I'm waiting for) URM applicant the better schools are basically sitting on my app to see who matriculates. Is this a valid assessment? Are URM cycles usually much longer than non URMs? In some schools I should have been an auto reject so I guess it's a little comforting, although Im still very realistic and not expecting much. Just got me wondering since I got a "we haven't forgotten about you" from Cornell (been complete for a while).

URM cycles are unpredictable. It is totally reasonably that you have been waiting w/o a decision for a while... I don't doubt they're sitting on apps waiting to see the general make-up of their acceptance pool to see if they need your particular type of URM

[A. Nony Mouse]

No personal experience with this, but I'm pretty sure I've seen people here say that this often happens with URM apps, that schools will sit on them till the end of the cycle (if the numbers are below medians).