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x_losGod fucking dammit. After all their utter bullshit with the 'type in this box and only in this box do not c/p your essays!!' LINE AND CHARACTER LIMIT!! thing, and the ONLY UPLOAD DOCUMENTS AS PDFS!! and the rejecting the Required Photo without giving any reason so that you just had to Keep Trying different ones until the gods were inexplicably satisfied, and their EIGHT PAGES of stuff to do to apply without even counting documents--FAR worse than anyone else, Cambridge is refusing to accept letters of rec in THE ONLY FORM UIOWA DOES THEM. What do I have to DO to even apply to these people, jump through hoops of fire while being taunted by secretaries?!
Cambridge wants people to enter text in a box on their website after making a little password/saying they are who they say they are. Iowa wants professors NOT to send individual letters of rec, but to log one per student with Interfolio, which will then send your confidential letters anywhere you ask at $6 for a batch of sending and $19 a year. It's annoying b/c why is that automated service not free? But I see Iowa's point. It's a one-off, so their profs can spend time teaching, it's safer than everyone trying to Send Shit, theoretically it's a HUGE time-saver, on their end. It's getting other people to say 'sure, that's absolutely fine' that's an issue
All the other unis grumped but were like 'sure, fine, send it here'. But did you know Cambridge is ***!!***special?***!!***
I said:
Thanks very much [for your earlier help clarifying a point]. I have now completed my application and sent in all the documentation required of me.
I have a problem, however, regarding letters of recommendation. My
undergraduate university uses a popular American service called
Interfolio to hold and send confidential letters of recommendation,
and does not allow their professors to send out letters to individual
services such as your electronic referencing system. Is there an email
address I can advise Interfolio to send these letters to? I'm sorry to
be difficult, but it's really the only way the university will handle
this.
Erin
Then Cambridge was like:
Dear Erin
I'm afraid that the University of Cambridge does not accept references from services such as Interfolio. Under the circumstances I would advise that you request your referees to submit your references to us on paper and we will upload them on receipt.
For information regarding paper references please see the following webpage http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/prospec/faq/
My referee is having difficulty accessing the electronic referencing system. What can I advise them?
Best Regards
Some Lady
Graduate Admissions
That... does not really respond to my email. This person has clearly not quite understood what I'm saying/is not helpful. It's not a problem that paper references could possibly solve. Fucking fuck, Cambridge. It seems like a Bad Sign that I'm INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED with this uni and I haven't even been accepted yet.
The thing is, though, it's about Actually being okay with how international programs are different. They make a HUGE deal of saying they are, but the INSTANT they run into 'actually here's a slight accommodation you might need to make for that difference', they get all OH HELL NO. CAMBRIDGE IS FOR PEOPLE FROM UK EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, THX.
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Cambridge wants people to enter text in a box on their website after making a little password/saying they are who they say they are. Iowa wants professors NOT to send individual letters of rec, but to log one per student with Interfolio, which will then send your confidential letters anywhere you ask at $6 for a batch of sending and $19 a year. It's annoying b/c why is that automated service not free? But I see Iowa's point. It's a one-off, so their profs can spend time teaching, it's safer than everyone trying to Send Shit, theoretically it's a HUGE time-saver, on their end. It's getting other people to say 'sure, that's absolutely fine' that's an issue
All the other unis grumped but were like 'sure, fine, send it here'. But did you know Cambridge is ***!!***special?***!!***
I said:
Thanks very much [for your earlier help clarifying a point]. I have now completed my application and sent in all the documentation required of me.
I have a problem, however, regarding letters of recommendation. My
undergraduate university uses a popular American service called
Interfolio to hold and send confidential letters of recommendation,
and does not allow their professors to send out letters to individual
services such as your electronic referencing system. Is there an email
address I can advise Interfolio to send these letters to? I'm sorry to
be difficult, but it's really the only way the university will handle
this.
Erin
Then Cambridge was like:
Dear Erin
I'm afraid that the University of Cambridge does not accept references from services such as Interfolio. Under the circumstances I would advise that you request your referees to submit your references to us on paper and we will upload them on receipt.
For information regarding paper references please see the following webpage http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/prospec/faq/
My referee is having difficulty accessing the electronic referencing system. What can I advise them?
Best Regards
Some Lady
Graduate Admissions
That... does not really respond to my email. This person has clearly not quite understood what I'm saying/is not helpful. It's not a problem that paper references could possibly solve. Fucking fuck, Cambridge. It seems like a Bad Sign that I'm INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED with this uni and I haven't even been accepted yet.
The thing is, though, it's about Actually being okay with how international programs are different. They make a HUGE deal of saying they are, but the INSTANT they run into 'actually here's a slight accommodation you might need to make for that difference', they get all OH HELL NO. CAMBRIDGE IS FOR PEOPLE FROM UK EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, THX.
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