Updating Paper Status after Applying to Graduate School I heard back recently about my paper being accepted for publication. At the time of my applications to graduate schools I just wrote it was under review, should I attempt to update this status with some of the schools I applied to? If so, what would be the appropriate way to do this?
Yes, a paper acceptance may be worth updating a graduate school application.  It probably won't make a difference, and the update might not even get noticed at all if your application has already been read.  However, it's worth a try.

Updates to your application should be submitted sparingly.  Most people should not do it at all, and nobody should do it more than once.  It's inappropriate to submit an update that you could have included in the original application, since that would just be circumventing the application deadline.  However, it can occasionally make sense for external validation such as prizes or paper acceptances, because the timing is not under your control.


  If so, what would be the appropriate way to do this?


First, you should check whether the online application system has a method for submitting updates after the deadline.  I would bet that it doesn't, because nobody wants to solicit or encourage updates, but if it does then you should submit the update this way.

Otherwise, you should look at the graduate admissions webpage for the department to try to find an e-mail address for inquiries.  Usually there's a special e-mail address for graduate admissions inquiries, which is handled by an administrative assistant.  One of your letter writers could write to that address and ask whether they could please add the paper acceptance to your file.  Whether they will actually do so probably depends on departmental policy, but this is your best shot.  (You could also write to them yourself, but having a letter writer do it avoids the issue of whether you can be trusted.)