<p>So, I’ve been accepted by CCC and, although I was happy at first, now I’m disappointed. I e-mailed them a bunch of times asking about many things (including the fact that they seem to think that I’m still in high school and they’re still waiting for my final transcripts???) and I’ve gotten only some very weird answers or no answer at all.</p>
<p>Also, this is a minor thing but along with the e-mail declaring that I’d been admitted came this really cute GIF, saying that this was on it’s way to me through snail-mail:</p>
<p>I just got my letter today and it was nothing like this. It was an informal letter declaring I’d been accepted (it doesn’t even say my major in the letter) and instructions for getting a student’s visa on a regular FedEx envelope. Not happy…not happy at all. I mean, couldn’t they at least send me a pamphlet of some sort? Or put it in a decent envelope?</p>
<p>Did everyone else get that nice packet thingy? Was I the only one that didn’t get that?</p>
<p>Milkshakespeare, my nephew was accepted and I saw a photo on FB with him with the cute packet… I wonder if it was because of international mail? Or maybe they ran out?</p>
<p>Glassharmonica - that’s what I’m wondering too. Their International Admissions Office is terrible! They NEVER answered any of my e-mails and now this…
I don’t think that running out of packets is a decent excuse. Honestly, they could’ve just waited for more packets and then sent one (my letter would arrive later anyway). If this is because I’m an international student, then this is just pure prejudice.</p>
<p>It’s not a very good first impression. Like I said, they could have at least put the letter on an official envelope.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry this is happening to you, milk. I do hope you get a couple more schools so you can get exactly what you want.</p>
<p>These are definitely the kind of vibes that can turn someone off to a school. Like I said, one of the theatre depts my D applied to never sent her acceptance letter! But on the other hand, we knew some really happy students there, and some of those bureaucratic frustrations can fade when overshadowed by the real experiences and people there. </p>
<p>We know several CCC students and grads who had terrific experiences. Try just to breathe and let things flow. I know it’s really hard!</p>
<p>My son certainly received an attractive package from them last year, including a book that he used as a personal journal (despite deciding to go elsewhere). I suspect that they were just too cheap to pay international rates.</p>
<p>Also remember that Admissions/Financial Aid offices are very busy right now. They may have to triage emails/questions and will eventually get back to you (hopefully soon). Remember all the students who are eagerly sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear news. Getting acceptance letters/offers is probably the Admissions office number one priority right now. </p>
<p>One other thing to keep in mind…fancy glossies and marketing packages = higher cost for the school and they are going to pass that down to students through the tuition bill. We have a stack of glossies at least a foot high or more from schools all over. Some brochures sent multiple times. Some from schools that seem to exist in someone’s imagination. The price tag for these materials must be huge. Better to get a simple word of good news, research the glossy content online, and hope that the savings is being directed towards a great acting program or some other worthwhile purpose that will benefit the students who are paying tuition.</p>
<p>AdaQuince - I agree with you on some aspects, but I sent my first e-mail a month and a half ago, even before applying. I understand taking a couple of weeks or so to get a reply, but a month and a half is unexcusable! They send out e-mails before they send out the letters (they say in the e-mail that the letters might take a while to arrive) and you have to accept/decline the offer online, so I wouldn’t exactly say that "Getting acceptance letters/offers is probably the Admissions office number one priority right now. "</p>
<p>Also, if they took the time to send me my letter and the immigration info, they could’ve sent the ‘whole thing’, as they apparently did for all American applicants. As for your last statement “Better to get a simple word of good news, research the glossy content online, and hope that the savings is being directed towards a great acting program”, I would agree completely, except for the fact that they DO produce tons of brochures and they DO send them to all the students, except for me. And I have researched everything online and still didn’t find the information on their site satisfactory, that’s why I was expecting a brochure or an answer to my questions via e-mail. I got none.</p>
<p>Besides, there is the simple fact that I need other documents from the college to apply for a student’s visa, not only a letter and a terrible xerox of a document giving me tips on how to do it.</p>
<p>I guess that I don’t understand the full complexity of the situation. However, I would encourage you not to judge too quickly especially with broad generalizations. You don’t know for sure that the full fancy package is not actually on its way and you really don’t know what every American student received from them. This is a busy time for Admissions Offices.</p>
<p>Also remember that the people responsible for these things, who seem to have failed you, are NOT the theatre department!!!</p>
<p>You might want to think about phoning the theatre department at CCC and letting them know that you would really like more information. They may be able to give you the information, or put you in touch with someone who can.</p>
<p>Maybe call one of the deans, the Dean of Students, perhaps.</p>
<p>I just got an e-mail saying that they are “not sending acceptance packages to international students for a few reasons”, the main reason being that “In the past, when we have sent something similar often times the student never receives it so the college would invest money in something that that ends up not being beneficial to anyone and we just simply can’t afford that.”</p>
<p>I get it, but I don’t know if I can accept that answer. All other colleges are able to send their packets and they arrive safely, although later than expected. Also, I often order books and DVDs (and even a printer once) from Amazon and sometimes they get lost in transit, but that just means it will be delayed. I know the shipping costs are higher, but I also had to pay a higher price to send them my HS records and I paid the application fee. I don’t know why an expensive private college would not be able to afford a slightly higher shipping tax.</p>
<p>I am going to call them and ask for information, but then again, international phone calls also cost a lot of money…</p>
<p>I’m sorry, it seems like I’m making a fuss about a tiny thing but as I can’t afford to go to Chicago, I have to make my own conclusions with how they interact with me.</p>
<p>Do you have any other acceptances? What do you know about this school? Do you really want to attend? I know someone who is a Freshman there and was happy to go, but I don’t think it’s the most selective or prestigious of places.</p>
<p>Actor12 - I don’t have any other acceptances for now. I don’t know if I want to attend because they didn’t give me enough information, so I can’t say that I know enough about the school to actually go there. If I don’t get accepted anywhere else, I would go there. But I don’t feel really safe spending all that money and not knowing what I’m gonna get in return. That’s why I’m so confused and frustrated with all of this…I don’t even have enough arguments to say yes or no and none of my questions are being answered.</p>
<p>I’m gonna call them and see if I can get some more information.</p>
<p>milkshakespeare, this is what I mean when I say that folks should trust their gut and that every decision is personal.</p>
<p>While everyone is giving good advice, here’s my take: The college’s interactions and decisions have made you upset. You are not happy with the communications you have received. No need to minimize your own reaction by saying you are ‘making a fuss.’ You are entitled to your own feelings.</p>
<p>IT’s your life, your right to decide what bothers you and what doesn’t. Heck, my D crossed a school off the list because their webpage was littered with grammatical errors and because an email she sent to their chair asking for info about their scholarship was unanswered. THese two things were enough for her. It made her feel the program was unprofessional and sloppy. </p>
<p>Every interaction is data you should use to help tell you more about the college. It’s the same with this as with everything else. For instance, if you start dating, and you ignore ‘little things’ that <em>really</em> bother you, it doesn’t matter if these little things wouldn’t bother other people. You’re the one who’s dating the guy. And, sure, it can turn out fine–but frequently, the ‘little things’ are actually alarm bells and you ignore the signs at your peril.</p>
<p>Just as with dating, not every college can be all things to all people. This college has made you upset. That’s data. You would be paying a LOT of money to go there and its’ a HUGE investment. My advice: wait until you get other acceptances and see what happens. Use this experience and your own reaction as part of your decision making.</p>
<p>Trust yourself. “This above all, to thine own self be true.” :-)</p>
<p>It is really hard to separate the administrative from the program. But once you get there the administrative will hopefully be unimportant. My oldest son got into his first choice school and their administration/processing people were a nightmare, completely incompetant, and completely unrelated to the quality of the program. Loves the program, hates it when you have to interact with registration, etc. They loose stuff, forget who you are and can’t be relied upon to counsel you about classes. If you like what you read and feel about the program try to judge it separately from this poor performance that you are getting on the front end.</p>
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