Responder correos de un programa de intercambio y priorizar solicitudes
You are the student coordinator for a summer research internship at a partner university. You receive this email from the host institution: 'Dear Coordinator, We have received 14 applications for the summer research internship, but only 6 places are available. Applicants must submit a transcript and a recommendation letter by April 30. Late documents will not be considered. We also require a 150-word statement explaining the applicant’s research interest. Please note that we cannot provide housing, but we can send a list of affordable options near campus. Decisions will be sent by May 15. If you have questions, contact Dr. Liu at [email protected].' One applicant, Marco, has not submitted a recommendation letter and asks: 'Can I still apply if I send the letter on May 1?' Another applicant, Sofía, asks: 'Does the program include accommodation?' You must answer both students and decide which applications to prioritize for the six places, given that three applicants have complete files and two have strong statements but missing transcripts.
1. How should you answer Marco? Quote the relevant part of the email and explain the consequence.
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Marco should be told that the email states: 'Applicants must submit a transcript and a recommendation letter by April 30. Late documents will not be considered.' Sending the letter on May 1 would therefore be late, and the application would not be considered complete under the stated rules. I would avoid promising an exception because the email does not authorize one. A responsible answer is: 'The deadline is April 30; documents sent on May 1 are marked late and may not be considered. If you believe there is an emergency, contact Dr. Liu at [email protected] to ask whether any exception exists.' This separates the general rule from a possible, but unconfirmed, exception. It also protects the applicant from assuming acceptance when the host institution has been explicit about late documents.
2. How should you answer Sofía? What does the email say and what does it not say?
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Sofía should be told that the program does not provide housing. The email says: 'we cannot provide housing, but we can send a list of affordable options near campus.' So accommodation is not included, but the host can share information about affordable places nearby. It does not say that housing is guaranteed, subsidized, or arranged by the university. A clear answer would be: 'Housing is not included. However, the host institution can send a list of affordable options near campus; you would be responsible for arranging and paying for your accommodation.' This distinguishes between receiving a list and receiving housing. It also avoids implying financial support that the email does not mention.
3. Prioritize the six places among the applicants described. What criteria from the email should guide you, and what information is missing?
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The email establishes three requirements: transcript, recommendation letter and a 150-word statement, all by April 30. The three applicants with complete files should be considered first because they meet the stated conditions. The two with strong statements but missing transcripts cannot be ranked as complete until the transcripts arrive by the deadline; a strong statement alone does not replace a required document. The remaining applicants are not described, so no ranking is possible without their files. I would not use personal preference or the strength of the statement to override missing requirements. I would check whether the missing transcripts arrive on time, confirm that all statements meet the word limit, and then apply any additional host criteria if provided. Information missing includes deadlines for the missing transcripts, any minimum GPA, and whether the host prioritizes research area fit.