[jonnyss]

true, but...imo deadlines are not imposed for the sake of education - ie students and faculty - but rather for the convenience of administrators, who gradually feel like they own the school.

I am one of the vocal critics of Stanford's excess of administrators and these administrator's unintended assumption of powers. That said, AFAIK the faculty is the group that controls graduate admissions. If some administrator(s) are making it harder than it needs to be, I strongly suspect the faculty would put them in their place very quickly. The graduate admissions process is a jealously guarded faculty prerogative. They aren't going to be pushed around in that regard. For that reason, the way it is is probably the way the faculty wants it to be.

faculty certainly control the particular students admitted. i believe they defer/delegate to administrators the exact timeline and, in particular,  flexibility of deadlines. sure, if it were a big deal, a bunch of faculty could get together and petition the chair or dean.

[jonnyss]

true, but...imo deadlines are not imposed for the sake of education - ie students and faculty - but rather for the convenience of administrators, who gradually feel like they own the school.

I am one of the vocal critics of Stanford's excess of administrators and these administrator's unintended assumption of powers. That said, AFAIK the faculty is the group that controls graduate admissions. If some administrator(s) are making it harder than it needs to be, I strongly suspect the faculty would put them in their place very quickly. The graduate admissions process is a jealously guarded faculty prerogative. They aren't going to be pushed around in that regard. For that reason, the way it is is probably the way the faculty wants it to be.

faculty certainly control the particular students admitted. i believe they defer/delegate to administrators the exact timeline and, in particular,  flexibility of deadlines. sure, if it were a big deal, a bunch of faculty could get together and petition the chair or dean.