Is UCL's as unprofessional and unorganised as the admissions process implies it to be

Hello
Finally been accepted to UCL for a PhD, I am very eager to join UCL but was wondering what would be the case if I needed to go through some admin stuff again during my studies. ie, is the unprofessional/incompetent behaviour of the admissions office any indication of what life will be at UCL??

Not trying to offend UCL lovers but it is a viable question given the circumstances and the unprecedented experience I've had with them so far.

Thanks

Reply 1

Aeschylus

17

Could you describe your expereinces as I'm applying to UCL for a postgrad in the autumn and am keen to hear you situation

Reply 2

Litlover

OP

2

Well first, it's been 6 months since I applied. Nothing happened in the first 4 months, they set a date for me to get my response at 17 April. When I called them then they said I was accepted for an MA while I applied for a PhD. That when I started taking matters into my own hands and calling almost everyday and contacting the head of school myself to get things going. The academics were very helpful and nice but the admission officers are clueless. I have been calling for 2 days and they even stopped answering the phone at the admission office. Finally, when I got my offer, yesterday, it was conditional on taking an English test. I have two degrees all done in English and besides now is kind of too late to get a test done. I have to cancel my family vacation to accommodate it, when I called them they said that to waive this I have to wait till the admission officer that handles my case comes back from leave in two weeks so he can make a case on my behalf to the Dean of students. I'd rather cancel my vacation then go through nay more dealings with them.

I have read of people of who had similar experience and others who had no problem at all. So you won't necessarily have trouble. Good luck

Original post by Litlover

Hello
Finally been accepted to UCL for a PhD, I am very eager to join UCL but was wondering what would be the case if I needed to go through some admin stuff again during my studies. ie, is the unprofessional/incompetent behaviour of the admissions office any indication of what life will be at UCL??

Not trying to offend UCL lovers but it is a viable question given the circumstances and the unprecedented experience I've had with them so far.

Thanks

No. There are some staffing issues in the admissions team at the moment and there has been a recent change in structure that is taking some time to bed down and sort out. Unfortunately, it the timing was imposed on the department, and sods law that it comes at perhaps the busiest time of year.

Reply 4

kerily

15

I have found personally that UCL is incredibly difficult to get in touch with via email. The maths department themselves have been fine, but the accommodation people ignored my repeated emails - and then I tried ringing them twice and both times, they didn't pick up :emo:

I also emailed the German department with a relatively simple query and again, no reply. I'm pretty sure I have the right email addresses too.

If there are staffing issues going on at the moment, though, as said above, that might explain quite a lot :smile:

Reply 5

Ivanka

16

Original post by kerily

I have found personally that UCL is incredibly difficult to get in touch with via email. The maths department themselves have been fine, but the accommodation people ignored my repeated emails - and then I tried ringing them twice and both times, they didn't pick up :emo:

I also emailed the German department with a relatively simple query and again, no reply. I'm pretty sure I have the right email addresses too.

If there are staffing issues going on at the moment, though, as said above, that might explain quite a lot :smile:

I have the same experience, but with SELCS only. They reply after a few weeks, if at all. Luckily, the department of linguistics seems more approachable, it has always taken them so little time to answer. This is annoying me right now since I sent them a copy of my diploma a few days ago with a question and I'm still waiting.

(Why am I quoting you all the time, kerily? :biggrin:

)

Reply 6

Hylean

15

Original post by kerily

I have found personally that UCL is incredibly difficult to get in touch with via email. The maths department themselves have been fine, but the accommodation people ignored my repeated emails - and then I tried ringing them twice and both times, they didn't pick up :emo:

I also emailed the German department with a relatively simple query and again, no reply. I'm pretty sure I have the right email addresses too.

If there are staffing issues going on at the moment, though, as said above, that might explain quite a lot :smile:

Accommodation will be currently bogged down with dealing with the applications from current students and dealing with those who have currently left. If you're a prospective student, you'll get more information once you've been formally accepted. As for the German department, all the language departments are currently suffering from this as they've recently been combined into one faculty and there's been a large structural change. I know the Scandinavian Studies has been rather bad at replying as well.

OP, it would also help if you could tell us what department you're applying to. But I reckon it's the staff shortage and structural changes that will be messing it up.

Reply 7

evantej

18

Original post by threeportdrift

No. There are some staffing issues in the admissions team at the moment and there has been a recent change in structure that is taking some time to bed down and sort out. Unfortunately, it the timing was imposed on the department, and sods law that it comes at perhaps the busiest time of year.

To be honest, there were exactly the same complaints from applicants last year. It seems admissions is chronically understaffed. The introduction of an application fee will probably resolve this to some extent, but its effectiveness can only be judged next year.

Reply 8

Dead1nside

Wow, your thread title really echoes my thoughts on UCL. I had to phone them up, and there was a long pause and a "Hold on" -- they'd left my application behind and not sent it to the department. So, despite what they say, it probably effected my application. Charging money to just apply is very ... wrong, too.

Reply 9

Litlover

OP

2

I am applying to SELCS but had to go through admissions before I could approach the school. Once I got in contact with the head of SELCS, things got much better and I had to go to him for every admin. hurdle so he can speed things up for me. Having said that, I missed all funding deadlines. I am a bit hesitant about UCL, although everything is in order now, because I applied to Goldsmiths and they were so professional and efficient. It was a joy dealing with them. With UCL, it's like pulling teeth.

Reply 10

Mbob

12

Admin at quite a few universities is poor, often I think because they assume "it's only students we can do what we like".

I wouldn't let it influence your choice of university though.

Reply 11

Catsmeat

13

I've experienced no problems with the timing of UCL in terms of admin, and they have been easy to contact on several occassions. My only qualm is that they have been poor in communicating funding information to me, more than once.

Reply 12

brownbear88

1

I've heard similar horror stories about UCL graduate admissions... I know someone who was told she had received AHRC funding, and then received an email two weeks later saying it was a mistake, and she hadn't got anything. Tis just cruel!

Reply 13

booraad

14

Original post by brownbear88

I've heard similar horror stories about UCL graduate admissions... I know someone who was told she had received AHRC funding, and then received an email two weeks later saying it was a mistake, and she hadn't got anything. Tis just cruel!

Worst. Nightmare. Ever.

Reply 14

Litlover

OP

2

Yes, they are utterly inefficieent and that spills over everything. For example they emailed me saying that I got accepted for an MA 4 months after my application and even now after I have been accepted for a PhD, they still send me information regarding the first offer. Where is the admissions office director as this is IMO poor management, I fear that this will spill over the enrollement process and then it would be too late to do anything about it as I would have lost my place at Goldsmiths. :confused:

Is UCL's as unprofessional and unorganised as the admissions process implies it to be

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