phdinsports

I'm considering a PhD program at UConn and visited the campus last month for a recruitment visit. It seemed like the grad students and faculty were all pretty spread out--I think Manchester is the only area where more than one person told me that they lived. I really love the program, but I'm trying to convince both myself and my husband that we can find an area that we will like to live in for the next four years. Some of the things on our wish list: House with a yard for the dog Near people of a similar age (we're in our early 30s...definitely want to avoid the undergrad scene but also don't want to end up in too much of an older community) Ideally within 30-minute drive to campus Any advice on areas to look at?

Thanks, I wouldn't consider it low-ranked (sport management is a pretty niche PhD program; there aren't formal rankings published but the department head is the current recipient of the top lecturer award in this field), though they definitely expressed that a reason for a quick deadline was so that if I do turn them down, they can offer to the next student in line before that student accepts elsewhere. In terms of programs, it's top two for me in terms of research match, but I have some concerns about the cost of living in the area, for which knowing how the funding stacks up against the other two schools would be ideal. Plus the turnaround has been so quick (Friday Skype interview, Monday acceptance) that I've had to scramble to put a cross-country campus visit together for next week (the other two schools had recruitment visits in January). I will ask them about extending and see what they say!

This past Monday, I was accepted to a PhD program, but they have given me a two-week deadline to accept their offer. From the acceptance letter: "Please respond as soon as possible, or at the latest within two weeks, as assistantship funds are limited." I've also been accepted to two other schools, both of which are giving me until April to make the decision (and both of which have not sent final information on the funding package). I may not have funding information from those schools until the end of the month, after this two-week deadline has passed. When my advisor told me about the two-week deadline over the phone and I expressed my concern about needing to decide so quickly, she told me that because this program is part of the management school at the university, they have different deadlines, and they require a quick decision since they only admit one or two students a year per program. She seemed surprised that other schools were giving me until April. However, the university's graduate school website indicates that offers of acceptance and financial assistance made before April 1 should remain open until April 15. Though I expressed concern, I have not yet formally asked for a deadline extension. Are there other schools (and specifically business management schools) that require such a quick decision prior to the traditional April 15 deadline? And if I am told that they cannot accommodate an extension, should I point out the deadline information from the graduate school's website?