Get MS or apply to PhD?

[peanutjellyfish]

I'm currently on track to do a MSCS at Stanford. It's a "coterm", where you work towards a masters while I finish my bachelors. Doing this MS will result in me staying here for an extra fifth year, where I can pay for tuition via TAships. 

However, several CS professors at other institutions have encouraged me to apply for a PhD right now. Should I do this or stay here that extra year for my MS and then apply? If I apply now, I might get in some schools. Stanford has such great opportunities for me to really solidify my research interests, but I don't know if it's weird for me to pass up favorable-ish chances at a PhD elsewhere. Will I be burning bridges with these potential future advisors if I say "no thanks for now"? 

[Adwait Nadkarni]

Staying an extra year may or may not help you; it all depends on what you do (i.e., research, coursework, looking for a job, ...).

That said, its definitely not burning a bridge to say that you are planning to stay back another year at Stanford, but are very interested in applying the next year.

I am a faculty now, and I wouldn't mind if I student I am trying to recruit wants to wait a year.