I heard back yesterday from the first school I interviewed at in early Feb, saying I had an acceptance offer and to respond by Feb 26. However, I know for a fact that the other 2 schools I interviewed at send out offers in early March. I'm really looking to get into these other 2 schools but don't want to lose the first acceptance offer if I get rejected by both. Should I email the director of the first school to ask for an extension, or ask the other two schools for an earlier notification? (I'm leaning towards the former, since it won't hurt me as much). Also, all these programs are tiny so all the directors know each other well.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!