robinsparkles

I think it's fine to mention other places you have applied to if the interviewer asks about it. At one group interview I attended, a candidate flat-out asked the interviewer why his program was better than the program of the school's main competitor. The interviewer gave her a pretty well thought out answer about the strengths of his program compared to some of the weak areas of the competitor's program. While some interviewers might not be comfortable speaking so bluntly, it is no secret that candidates routinely apply to multiple programs. I think that if they are truly interested in you, knowing the other schools you applied to kind of gives them an idea about how to persuade you more effectively, and what points would interest you most.

Here's an update in case anyone else is in the same position. I called school #1 today and explained my situation, and the admissions counselor was completely understanding. It was no problem at all, and I am not liable for any tuition or fees whatsoever. I did lose my tuition deposit, but I expected to as they made it clear from the beginning that the deposit is non-refundable.

ETA: The school I originally accepted is not a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, but the second school I want to attend is a member. (Not sure if that makes a difference.)

I didn't get funding at any programs I applied to (which is basically status quo for my field), so as my decisions came in I realized I had to go with the most affordable program. I accepted admissions to an almost affordable but still expensive program around May 10th (a generous extension after the final deadline). I was still waiting to hear back from several schools but I couldn't take the chance that I wouldn't be accepted anywhere else and thus left with nowhere to go in the end. I JUST heard back from a school that is basically the same academics-wise but half the price. Going to this second school would make my life so much easier in terms of finances, so I am 99% sure that I am going there. My question is: How do I let the original school know that I do not plan on attending anymore? Again, I did not receive funding from any school, so the only thing I signed was an admissions deposit. I am not doing this to screw any schools or applicants over, I'm doing this so I can attend a school that I can actually afford. Thank you!

I just graduated from Binghamton, so I can also answer any extra questions you might have!

Just got an acceptance call from Queens today... I am so relieved, I've been waiting since January and I graduate in 2 days!

Updated: Just got a rejection from Hunter this afternoon. I had a rather awkward interview so I kind of saw this coming.

Updated: Just got a rejection from Hunter this afternoon. I had a rather awkward interview so I kind of saw this coming.

I finally broke down and called Queens today, and they said that my department just got the applications from the Office of Admissions last week. The deadline was in February. I can see this is going to be a long wait...

I applied to Hunter, Queens College, and Brooklyn College, all CUNY schools, and haven't heard a word from any of them. I did have an interview at Hunter, and they said not to expect a decision until at least late April, but Brooklyn and Queens have been pretty much silent. Is this usual for these schools? I have a couple programs with an April 15 deadline, and I feel like I have at least another month before I hear from any of the CUNYs. Does this happen with most of the CUNY programs? (I applied before the application deadline for all 3.)

I hate hearing about schools that treat their applicants poorly-- what's the point of being rude to your future students? I am just as frustrated as you are, after I recently attended The Worst Interview Ever. I was really excited to go because it was my top choice school and (what I thought was) a great fit for me. The interviewers were incredibly condescending and aggressive, and kept pressuring me to change my answers. It was a group interview, and they didn't ask any questions directly relevent to the program-- only very personal questions about each person. There was SO much tension in the room, and a general feeling of competition between the interviewees to give a better and more impressive answer than the last person. After I sent a polite followup email, the interviewer replied by simply stating he wished me luck at [name of competitor's school]. I doubt I will get in now, but I could never imagine going to a school that treated me so poorly.

If you're rejected from a program, then you are not accepted into their school at all. But if you are still interested in taking a class or two, you could register for a class or two as a non-matriculated student. I took a class as a non-matriculated student once, and from my understand it's not competitive at all, it's just a matter of filling out a few forms. This might be beneficial for you if you re-apply next year, because it could show that you understand the commitment of graduate level work.

I completely understand why this frustrates you, but applicants don't have to make a commitment to anyone else but themselves. Yes, it's very courteous to respond to offers as soon as possible to accommodate people on the waitlist, but I think it's a little ridiculous to make all of your decisions with the people on the waitlist in mind. While I wouldn't personally accept all of my offers on April 15th just to decide later, (what the OP is talking about), I just disagree with the fact that anyone has a duty to any other applicant. As someone who is waitlisted at one school myself, I can say I wouldn't want to force anyone else into making a decision they didn't want to make just because they felt bad for me. I'm happy that your situation worked out, and it was really great that you got a spot at SMU. I just think that when we all get into this whole application process, we have to accept the fact that we might get accepted/rejected/waitlisted/whatever. Although I'm sure situations like this can affect other applicants once in a while, I don't like the insinuation that anyone's acceptance or rejection can be blamed on another applicant... we all get accepted or rejected on our own merit. (But to be clear, If this involved funding, my opinion on the situation would be quite different, because then he actually would be taking something tangible from others.)

I'm not sure what program/school you're applying to at Columbia, but I know Teacher's College is having an admitted student weekend on April 9th, so I'm assuming non-waitlisted acceptances would hear back by then. If it's another school at Columbia, you could always Google when their admitted students weekend was in the past to give you a better idea of when first-round acceptances are sent by.

To clarify the first post, #1 is Columbia Teacher's College, #2 is C.W. Post, and #3 would be Hunter

John dilligent, you seem to know more about this area than I do, and I'm curious about what happens to people who are waitlisted. Surely there are some people who are waitlisted at their top choices while being accepted right away to their safety schools. I'm assuming that many students choose to remain on the waitlist even after committing to a less desirable school because they still hope to be admitted at their top choice.

If you aren't receiving funding, you can decline an offer you have already accepted at any time. The Resolution from the link above clearly explains that you need written permission from a school only if they have awarded you funding and you accepted the funding. If you're in a terminal MS program, I'm going to guess you haven't been given funding, so technically you should be fine. Personally I think it might be over-doing it a little to accept every single school and decline them all later, but maybe accepting just your top 2 and then getting back to them as soon as possible wouldn't be too terrible.

I was wondering the same thing. I have 2 acceptances now with April 15th deadlines, but my top choice program has made it pretty clear that decisions won't be sent out until late April/early May. I'm not getting any funding wherever I go (since I'm applying to a terminal MA program) so it seems like it wouldn't be such a big deal to accept one of my current offers, and then change my decision later if I get into my top choice. Has anyone done something like this before? I'm curious if the school gives you a hard time or if they even care.

I live on Long Island now and I am choosing between Hunter and Columbia. Right now, I have to make a 1 hour trip from my town to Penn Station, and then take a 20-40 minute subway ride to get to either school. I am looking for neighborhoods to move into where my commute would be less than 1 hour. Living in Manhattan would be great, but the average rent prices are more than I want to pay, so I think I'm primarily looking at Queens and Brooklyn. Does anyone have specific examples of neighborhoods that would have a commute less than 1 hour to either Hunter or Columbia? I'm looking for "good" neighborhoods... I know "bad" neighborhoods can be cheaper, but as a young female who will be living alone, safety is important. Any ideas?

Yeah, I agree the price seems ridiculous in comparison to the salary I'll probably be making, but I'm not sure if the top-tier university would come with networking opportunities and other resources that could help me get a good job faster.

I'm currently applying for my M.S. in Counselor Education, with a focus in school counseling. I'm confused about how important it is to attend a brand name university because ultimately I will get my state certification from any program I attend. So far I have been accepted to: 1) A prestigious, top-tier, private university in NYC that will cost somewhere near $70k for the entire program. 2) A mid-tier private university on Long Island, within 30 minute driving distance to where I live, and will cost around $45k. 3) I am expecting acceptance soon at 1 or 2 CUNYs (public universities in NYC), which would cost me under $20k for the programs because I am a state resident. Does anyone have any insight on this? I'm getting a lot of encouragement to go to School #1, but I'm not sure if the prestige factor of the school will be beneficial enough in this profession to make it worth spending that much money! The schools in NYC would also have the added expense of train and subway passes. I'm not sure if I need to give the names of the schools, but I can if that would make a difference. Thank you!! (Edit: I also don't have any student loan debt from undergrad.)

I agree with gcp, if your relationship is heading towards marriage then you should be able to compromise. I see you're going for SLP. My (very limited) knowledge of SLP programs from a couple of friends currently attending is that many people choose programs within the area they want to work after graduation. I suppose you'll make connections in grad school that will make it easier to get a job within that region. If this is the case, you and your boyfriend would be committing to a new city for longer than just 2 years. Have you thought about what you will be doing after graduation in terms of relocating or staying? As I said, I am far from an expert on SLP programs so I am not quite sure how drastically a higher ranked program would improve your job opportunities. You mentioned you applied to several schools, are there any other programs you would consider? Choosing the right grad school isn't all about ranking-- if your quality of life will be miserable while you're in the top ranked school, I personally don't think it would be worth it.

I noticed that a while back in this thread someone was asking if Binghamton is a good place to be without a car. Yes, it is very possible! I am finishing my undergrad degree there now and I've lived here for 4 years. Binghamton University has their own us system, the "blue buses", which are completely free for anyone with a BU campus ID. There are also many county buses that are all free with a campus ID as well. If you are living within the most populated student housing areas, transportation shouldn't be a problem at all. (Most of these buses are easily accessible from downtown binghamton, which is where the majority of students live anyway)

I'm not sure about the weekend, but sometimes decisions are sent after-hours on business days. I received an acceptance e-mail that was sent at 7:15pm from one of my schools. Before I had assumed that if I didn't hear anything by 5 I'd have to wait until the next day.

As someone mentioned before, I think you need to take a look at the big picture, and what you see yourself doing when grad school is said and done. If your career is what you prioritize most in your future, then do yourself a favor and go to Berkeley (or whichever school is YOUR dream). It sounds like you would be unhappy going to Michigan just to appease your boyfriend, and the last thing you want to do is spend 2 years at grad school filled with resentment/regret. Personally, I am in a 2 year relationship and applying to master's programs now. My relationship is long distance for the moment, as my significant other got a job in his field that he absolutely loves, and I am currently still at college finishing up my senior year. I completely understand how frustrating a long distance relationship can be, and that was a major reason that all of the masters programs I applied to are in a reasonably close distance to his city. Although it would certainly have been exciting to go to school far away, for me the relationship is far more important than a particular school. When I looked at the big picture, I saw my relationship as the one definite, and graduate school as something I could be more flexible about. Also, I'm not quite sure what kind of decision you are trying to make now. Whether to break up with him or pursue a long-term relationship? From what you have said (of course I don't know all the details) your boyfriend is making it pretty obvious that he wants to go to Chicago, and that for him, Chicago is a very clear part of his own "big picture". It was wrong of him to mislead you, but he has the right to pursue his dreams too. If that's the case, you won't be at the same school, or even relatively close. So all you can do now is choose the program that you would really love to be at, and see where your relationship goes from there. If I were in this position, I would have a talk with him, and be extremely clear about what would happen after grad school. Will you immediately move back to the same city together? Does he expect you to live in Chicago with him when he graduates? Are you okay with that? Relationships are a lot of work, but they are supposed to make you happy in the end! Is this what's going to make you happiest?