indukted

Theory: Some of NYU professors wanted to call some already admitted people personally but some others in NYU didn't know this and what they knew was that they won't send official invitations until 1st week of March, so they posted the thing.

Well, you would not pursue because 1 year is not much to make an informed decision or you would not pursue for another reason? Because let's say I delayed 1 year and applied to UK next year. There are plenty reasons for going to the US even if I will apply to UK: 1) One year of money to live off from philosophical activity. 2) Trying out the US. Maybe my partner will like it. 3) Traveling to US. We've never been there. 4) Chance to get LOR's from the US department. Never hurts. Reasons for not going: 1) Plane tickets and other means that will be used to move to US in the first place. Then again the scholarship is money out of thin air so for me its benefits are greater than the money I spent for the tickets etc. 2) The gap will have to be 2 years instead of 1. But I think we'd find it still bearable, and I don't feel the urge to finish Ph.D. immediately and join the market. 3) ? If I manage to get accepted to the US university, I believe I have a fair chance to get into at least a PGR 2.5+ university in UK. But if I don't get admitted, then my girlfriend knows my career is very important for us and I know she will let me finish the Ph.D. in the US. So if I don't go to US in the gap year and don't get admitted to the UK the next year, then it is worse for us compared to going to US and her being (relatively) unhappy. To me the best solution right now seems like going to the US, trying it out for 2 years. My gf comes after I settle in, and begins living with me (maybe applies an MA of her own, she has better academic background than me in Sociology and Politics). If we don't like it, I apply for the UK 2017 admissions. Meanwhile I get teaching experience and LOR-level relations with some of the people in the US university. If she hates it, she can stay in the home country for most of that 2 years. I know we can manage 1 year of long distance. If I don't get admitted, then that means I wouldn't anyway for 2016 so we suck it up until I finish the studies in the US university.

@Establishment: Thanks, I am relieved to hear those answers from multiple people. So it is viable to think that I could be able to transfer from US to UK. @aduh: Very good points indeed. One thing is that I already have an MA from the home country university, so maybe the other MA will not be absolutely useful for the UK application. Also that path would require me to take terminal MA policies of the departments in mind when making the decision for the US university. On the other hand now that you pointed out, I totally agree that we will need more time to make an informed decision and also I will need more time to at least get fair LOR's. Some teaching experience (which I will be deprived of in UK) also wouldn't hurt. Thanks a lot, your advice is exactly what I needed from this topic.

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful answer. The thing I worried most was the scholarship status. No I don't have a specific reason but I just didn't know the common terms for a grad student scholarship agreement. With LOR's I will do my best I guess, so far as there is no reason for them to not to write me except that they are not satisfied with my academic performance. While that much moving is a real hassle, I think I prefer studying in US over UK and there is no way for us to find out if living there will be satisfactory for my girlfriend too except that she comes along with me. If all goes well and she's happy then there is no problem and I will finish my Ph.D. in US. The UK is just a backup plan. The resentment issue is exactly the reason why I try to make a promise which I can most likely keep, and why I needed some information here

Hi! I have a specific issue I would like to inquire with current grad students or even alumni in the US and UK. I could really use some advice to shape my highly important life decisions at this point. Thanks for reading in advance. So I'm a European applicant and I received a few admission offers from some US grad schools for 2015. I have a long term partner and we will possibly marry and move to US together. She is going to give up lots of things in our home country like lifestyle or a career for this and it is already a huge commitment. Thing is, she is very, very close with her family and it would be easier on her if we went to UK (also for raising kids we plan etc.) so they could visit more often and stay longer. And also I feel like she would prefer those years in UK compared to US overall. On the other hand the US applications wore me out and I couldn't manage to do a round of UK applications which we know involve whole different bunch of (less standard across different schools) procedures compared to US applications (find mentors in each school, write thesis proposals for each etc.). So if we went to US and she is unhappy then it will be on me because I couldn't apply to UK. Thus I am entertaining the thought that if we went to US and it didn't work out for her, maybe I could send a round of applications to UK schools next year and move there if I get accepted. I wonder if technicalities would arise at this point. 1) Would the school request the scholarship/tuition amount for the first year back? Is such treatment common for people who drop graduate studies in an arbitrary manner? 2) Would applying as a current grad student in US to UK be received as a negative issue to the extent that it diminishes my admission chances at a great rate? 3) Would the UK school expect letters of references from the US school or would the home country school letters be fine? Would I receive hostility from the US school that they wouldn't write those letters? The meta-question: Can I promise her that if she turns out to be unhappy in US I will do my best to move to UK next year?