A Decision Cannot Yet Be Made About Your Application: Why the Wait is Killing You

The anticipation is excruciating, the waiting game a blur of emails checked repeatedly, fingers crossed in hope. It's the perpetual waiting period between submitting an application and receiving word back from a college or graduate program, an employer, or a job opportunity. A decision cannot yet be made about your application, and it's a response you've likely heard all too often. For those who have been there, the uncertainty can be overwhelming. What causes these delayed responses? It's not a mystery, but a common reason: sheer volume. Applications are streaming in, leaving many questions unanswered, causing a lengthy wait for those seeking to move forward with their educational or professional goals.

The Reality of Application Overload

A staggering number of applications require careful review, analysis, and consideration for various opportunities, such as college acceptance letters and job offers. Colleges and employers must sift through thousands of applications often to identify the most suitable candidates, a choice that can be challenging, given the subjective nature of this decision-making process. College admissions officers, hiring managers, and program directors wade through a sea of similar resumes, tests scores, and personal statements, an extensive and labor-intensive process.

Applications Bursting Across All Sectors

University applications, another domain where the problem has mushroomed in recent years. More than 2,300 colleges and universities are employing Common App, a system to streamline and facilitate the admissions process, NPR reported recently. Because of the substantial number, the Common App sent over 21 million emails in the fiscal year 2020, signifying a recruitment boost unseen before. The connecting link is growth in college-going students globally and many organizations, which also leads to more applications.