Just applied, now what?

First of all: great job, you did it! We know how much goes into an application – writing essays, gathering documents, hunting down letters of reference – and you can be very proud of yourself.

Now it’s time for us to do the work, and you can sit back and (try to) relax. Naturally, you may have some questions while you wait for us to get back to you. Here are some fast facts that might help calm your anxieties and clear any doubts in the days after submission:

• After submission, the status of your application in the portal should say “application received.” This means that we’ll start processing your documents soon and let you know if anything is missing. It can take a few days for us to process the many applications that arrived just before the deadline.
• If your status is “incomplete” in the portal, we’re still missing a document from you. But if you’re sure all documents and letters have been submitted when you see this, don’t panic. We’ve more than likely received them in our inbox but haven’t processed everything yet. Keep an eye on the portal and check for updates, and we’ll reach out if we need anything more from you.
• If you noticed a mistake after submitting your application (e.g. uploaded the wrong file), just send an e-mail to grad-admissions[at]hertie-school[dot]org with the correct information and any attachments. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.
• When will you hear back about admission? We make admissions decisions on a rolling basis. While you can generally expect to hear back from us around 4-6 weeks after we’ve received all required documents from you (and your referees), it might take a little bit longer because we are dealing with a large volume of applications and e-mails at the moment.
• We’ll notify you proactively if we need further information or documents from you.
• So until then, sit tight!

We are working hard to give your application the same individual care and attention that you did. Thanks for your patience!