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Dos and Don’ts for Nomination Letters
Section under construction.Do:
Clearly state the applicant has been nominated for admission by the department
Be sure to express the nomination is being reviewed by GEPA
Clearly explain that applications nominated for admission are still under review by GEPA but if the applicant should have any questions regarding the decision/timeline of when they will receive their decision they should still be in contact with their department
Be sure to mention that admission is contingent upon successful evaluation of their credentials by Graduate Admissions, the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
Explain to the applicant that, upon successful evaluation of their credentials, they will receive an email from Graduate Admissions that an update has been made to their application
Don’t:
Don’t congratulate applicants on their admission or refer to them as an “admitted applicant”
Refrain from using affirmative language such as “you will” when speaking about the opportunities at UCSD for graduate students
Example: “You will have the opportunity to work with ‘x’ professors” ❌
“Should your admission be confirmed by the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, you would have the opportunity to work with…” ✅
Don’t communicate exact dates for when they will receive their decision letter from GEPA. Dates vary, especially if an LOE is required to proceed with a nomination.
Example: “Upon successful evaluation of your credentials by Graduate Admissions, the Division of Graduate Education & Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) will send you an official offer of admission in about 12-15 business days for processing” ❌
Example: “Upon successful evaluation of your credentials by Graduate Admissions, the Division of Graduate Education & Postdoctoral Affairs will send you an official offer of admission.” This information alone is sufficient. ✅
The letter shouldn’t say that doctoral nominees are required to respond by April 15th if they are nominated/expected to receive their official letter of admission after March 25th. They have a minimum of 3 weeks to respond to their offer of admission.
Our goal is to provide as much information to applicants as possible without confusing them in the process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your respective evaluator/admissions officer with a draft of your nomination letter should you have any questions about the language. Thank you all for your hard work!