Jean0001

Since you already asked for an extension and they declined I would take my decision by April 15th if I were you. The Academic world is small and the April 15th deadline is taken very seriously in the US. Put pressure on you, drink coffee and even don't sleep but make your decision before April 15th midnight. I am nearly in the same situation...I just received the PhD offer 2 days ago (very unexpected) and have interview abroad on Tuesday for a job in a reputed environment. For the PhD I only had one short Skype interview in January with one Professor...then no news until this email which asked me to decide withing 1 week (a simple letter offer with 1-year assistantship). And on the side of that I have a nice supervisor from a highly ranked university that I am in contact with since nearly one year and who is searching for alternative options for me (I got the PhD offer but no funding so maybe I could get a job and re-apply). I think you have the chance to have the choice...and there is something really simple to know which one to choose. For me for example, I hoped I would get offer from Uni A and Uni B...but in the end just got offer from Uni A. And today I realize I really preferred Uni B over Uni A. Here is how I would do: 1) Consider you ONLY received the offer from the US --> would you accept it right away ? YES/NO 2) Consider you ONLY received the offer from Europe --> would you accept it right away ? YES/NO --> if the answers are different then your choice is already made, go for the one you would have taken. If now the answers are YES in both cases think about the differences between the US/European PhD (the length of the PhD is a major point, relocation cost etc) and the confidence you have in your supervisor. This last point is very important. Personally I exchanged many many emails with Uni B supervisor and department staff during many months, I went there to pass interview, chat with lots of people and I can tell you it really makes the difference...for Uni A I only had a 20 min short Skype interview with one person, that's it. So today I am unsure about what to do but I will have to take a decision as well by Wednesday. My job interview is on Tuesday so I hope they will tell me directly what.

Is it possible to ask for an extension of the April 15th deadline ? I am an international who just applied to 3 top tiers and 1 safety school...I was rejected from 2 top tiers, accepted in one but with no funding and put on a waitlist for the safety school. On Friday 9th April I checked my emails in the morning and saw I am now off the waitlist for the safety school, with one-year TA assistantship and tuition remission. There is "strong probability" of renewal of the assistantship and I just got a very simple letter by email asking me to accept or decline the offer by April 15th...that is only 6 days to decide! I just had one 20 min short Skype interview early January and never went to the US. The thing is I already forgot about being accepted since I didn't hear anything from them since then...and now there is high probability I will get an offer for a permanent research job in exactly the same field of interest but in another reputed university in Europe. So I really don't know what to do...the other thing is that I was accepted in a top tier European university a few years ago, with full tuition but only half stipend. But the supervisor was weird and the lab very crappy so I decided to decline at that time. I however now have found an exciting lab in this top tier university and a great supervisor but I have no funding with my offer...and the supervisor is trying to figure out alternatives (i.e. Research Assistant/Technician Position). We have been in touch for nearly one-year now and I visited her lab. So it is really tough to decide...on one side there is this offer from nowhere with only 6 days to decide, which seems immaterial but with at least one-year funding and on the other side there is a very concrete world with possible opportunities but yet uncertain for the PhD. The thing is I know I can be accepted in this top tier university since it is the second time I get an offer (but with no funding this time) so I wonder if I should take one of these nice jobs and re-apply in one or two years (but I'm already 28) or go for this safety school but with no idea about anything including the length of the PhD (I never received the programme prospectus that I ordered, which is not detailed online). What would you suggest me to do ? Ask for an extension of the April 15th deadline ? Go for it or instead focus on strenghening my CV and re-applying in 1 or 2 years ? Thanks !