Son-of-a...!!
Okay, so I just received this e-mail from the Office of International Programs:
Dear IP Applicants for Waseda University,
We have received the Waseda University Applications and the Certificate of Eligibility applications that you sent to OIP in Long Beach. We are checking over your applications now before we send them to Waseda.
One problem that I have noticed is with some of the photographs some of you sent us.
FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF YOU SENT US OFFICIAL PASSPORT-SIZE PHOTOS AND THEY ARE FINE.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IF YOU SENT US OFFICIAL PASSPORT PHOTOS THAT YOU HAD
TAKEN AT A SHOP. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND YOU CAN IGNORE THIS MESSAGE. HOWEVER..........
others of you got a little bit creative and tried to make your own "official" photos using your own camera at home
and this will not work. I'm sorry, but it is VERY LIKELY that Waseda University will reject your fake photos and will
require you to resubmit official photos. You know who you are...................... There's one of a student sitting on a couch
(not allowed), and another student even photocopied photos onto plain paper (also not allowed). You know who
you are and I am telling you that to please the Waseda board who will be selecting students soon, you need to
go get official passport-size photos taken NOW. Not only do you have to spend the money to get these photos, but you
now will have the extra expense of overnight mailing them to us by FED EX or some other overnight carrier....... Cutting
corners doesn't always pay off. I'm sorry about this. I know that getting these photos can be expensive, but
Waseda University is very strict and will not accept the substitutes that you tried to create. I applaud you for the effort, but it just won't work. Sorry.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Uh. Okay. Talk about snide and bitchy. Not only were there NO directions on the application itself that specified sending official passport-size photos (nor was this mentioned ANYWHERE else in the entire packet they sent us), it even said that the photos they wanted needed to be 1.2"x1.6" (the exact wording is "Attach Five identical signed photographs (1.2"x1.6" recently taken, full face) here."), which, you know, ISN'T PASSPORT-SIZE. (Passport-size is 2"x2". I would think that anybody who actually DID get passport-size photos would be the ones more liable to getting rejected than the ones who, you know, followed the directions that was given by the application.)
That being the case, I had taken the photo at home with a digital camera against a white background and printed their requested number of copies onto glossy photo paper. =_= I've been calling the lady's office a few times today asking if my photos would be okay, but I just keep getting the answering machine. And you know? At this point I don't really even think it's necessary to call them about my photos, because they are PERFECT and fit the EXACT specifications that the APPLICATION ITSELF--which is going to WASEDA and are NOT for OIP's use--stated, AND they even fit passport photo regulations as well, save for, you know, the 2"x2" requirement.
UGH. ::kicks a hole in the wall::
Dear IP Applicants for Waseda University,
We have received the Waseda University Applications and the Certificate of Eligibility applications that you sent to OIP in Long Beach. We are checking over your applications now before we send them to Waseda.
One problem that I have noticed is with some of the photographs some of you sent us.
FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF YOU SENT US OFFICIAL PASSPORT-SIZE PHOTOS AND THEY ARE FINE.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IF YOU SENT US OFFICIAL PASSPORT PHOTOS THAT YOU HAD
TAKEN AT A SHOP. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND YOU CAN IGNORE THIS MESSAGE. HOWEVER..........
others of you got a little bit creative and tried to make your own "official" photos using your own camera at home
and this will not work. I'm sorry, but it is VERY LIKELY that Waseda University will reject your fake photos and will
require you to resubmit official photos. You know who you are...................... There's one of a student sitting on a couch
(not allowed), and another student even photocopied photos onto plain paper (also not allowed). You know who
you are and I am telling you that to please the Waseda board who will be selecting students soon, you need to
go get official passport-size photos taken NOW. Not only do you have to spend the money to get these photos, but you
now will have the extra expense of overnight mailing them to us by FED EX or some other overnight carrier....... Cutting
corners doesn't always pay off. I'm sorry about this. I know that getting these photos can be expensive, but
Waseda University is very strict and will not accept the substitutes that you tried to create. I applaud you for the effort, but it just won't work. Sorry.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Uh. Okay. Talk about snide and bitchy. Not only were there NO directions on the application itself that specified sending official passport-size photos (nor was this mentioned ANYWHERE else in the entire packet they sent us), it even said that the photos they wanted needed to be 1.2"x1.6" (the exact wording is "Attach Five identical signed photographs (1.2"x1.6" recently taken, full face) here."), which, you know, ISN'T PASSPORT-SIZE. (Passport-size is 2"x2". I would think that anybody who actually DID get passport-size photos would be the ones more liable to getting rejected than the ones who, you know, followed the directions that was given by the application.)
That being the case, I had taken the photo at home with a digital camera against a white background and printed their requested number of copies onto glossy photo paper. =_= I've been calling the lady's office a few times today asking if my photos would be okay, but I just keep getting the answering machine. And you know? At this point I don't really even think it's necessary to call them about my photos, because they are PERFECT and fit the EXACT specifications that the APPLICATION ITSELF--which is going to WASEDA and are NOT for OIP's use--stated, AND they even fit passport photo regulations as well, save for, you know, the 2"x2" requirement.
UGH. ::kicks a hole in the wall::