I didn't get into the UC of my choice. So I appealed. This was in 2006, and the appeal process was not through an online application. You had to mail in a packet with your appeal letter, transcripts, etc. I sent one in by the postmark deadline (Friday), but it wasn't very good. So, come Monday morning, I overnighted a much better one. After a week or whatever, I got a message notifying me that my application status had changed, but I did not get in. Then a day or two later, I got another one, to which I _did_ get in.
Now, I don't know for sure, but I like to think two different reviewers got my packets in parallel and never knew it, and upon changing my status the second reviewer probably wouldn't have seen any evidence of the last status change having been from an appeal.
> I got a message notifying me that my application status had changed, but I did not get in. Then a day or two later, I got another one, to which I _did_ get in.
Back in the days before email was common, I applied for a postdoc position at <famous prof's lab @ MIT>.
I mailed my letter to <famous prof>, expressing interest in working in his lab.
A few days later, I asked 3 profs in my graduate program to write letters of recommendation on my behalf to be mailed to <famous prof>.
After ~10 days, I received a response letter from <famous prof>, to the effect of: "Sorry, my lab is full. Won't have any openings for several years. etc. etc. Thanks, but no thanks."
I figured "Oh well.... No big deal."
But I was too lazy to inform the profs who were writing my recommendations to stop.
About a week after my "rejection" letter, <famous prof> phones me and says, "I always send a standard rejection letter because I'm only interested in people who are _aggressive_. Thanks for sending your recommendation letters. I _definitely_ have openings in my lab."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that he only got those letters because of my laziness.
Now, I don't know for sure, but I like to think two different reviewers got my packets in parallel and never knew it, and upon changing my status the second reviewer probably wouldn't have seen any evidence of the last status change having been from an appeal.