we get too many requests for extra places. dear people, as long as you haven't even sent applications for the quota, it's completely useless to ask at all! the system is so clear and simple, and we are not going to change it. applications go through nc's, that's it. we don't answer to any requests for extra places anymore as it starts to 'steal' one hour of our daily working time, and after some time it gets on ones nerves.

nc's, please find a good way to communicate you decisions for the participants you choose, and make an effort to ask for extra places also for people that are NOT your friends. this goes especially to russia from where we constantly get complaints! so katja and inara, please do something about it.

for all extra places: you can apply the given number of the quota list, and as soon as you get a confirmation, you ask for extra places. nothing else. and don't worry too much, there will be enough places for everybody at the end, i guess.

and for all participants: whatever you try, you will not be able to avoid your nc's for an application. it might sound very disappointing, but we have more important things to take care of than collecting individual applications from 40 different countries. if you ask for a place, don't forget that you are not the only one, but it is about a network that is in contact to a couple of thousand students. so if we start to accept individual applications from one side, where should we start to draw a line? so we will be consequent about that.

sorry to be so rough, but it seems to be necessary!

cheers flo_ch