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Hi. I was just accepted to Simmons SSW and was given a $21k merit scholarship (total, not per year). I like Simmons a lot because it's very clinical, conveniently located to my house, and I can get a head start on courses by starting next month rather than waiting till the fall. I'd still graduate with the students entering in the fall but the head start would mean I'd be taking less courses while doing my internships, which would be great. When I decided to apply to SSW programs, I had planned on applying to Boston College and Boston University too, but the spring term at Simmons starts before those schools even begin reviewing applications, so I have to decide now. If I say no to starting Simmons in January, I'm still accepted to the school, but my scholarship may no longer be there. My hesitancy in just saying yes and getting a head start is what if the other two schools would have offered me more money? I'd never know. Also, while Simmons is very well-regarded here in Boston, I'm not sure it's as well-known as the other two schools outside of the New England area. From what I gather from forums, though, where you go to school doesn't even really matter anyway. So maybe that's something I shouldn't let hold me back. What would you do? Start now and accept this awesome scholarship at a school I like, or hold off till the fall and see what all three offerings might be and assess my options?

I've applied to the PhD programs at NYU, Columbia, and Princeton. No word from any of them, but from obsessively checking the results board it seems that people have started getting responses from all three schools. Can I call the departments to inquire about whether I'm in or not, if for no other reason than to put me out of the misery of not knowing?