wyy1334

Oh btw, I dont think staying in another country is good for relationship. I have had a relationship like that once. I am not a believer of that. So if you end up accepting the offer and leaving your partner, you should prepare for potential breakup. And that is the reality. Whats more, relationship is about compromises. If it ends up not be able to defer, you can still not go to that school. There would be other opportunities for you to fulfill your dream. One example would be go back to your undergrad profs, and ask them for a job to work at the lab. Work on your skills then apply again. After all, this is not just about you and you only anymore (presume you really love your partner and want to go further down the road). Having a relationship is great; chasing dreams is also amazing. Pursue your dream and conquer your difficulties along the way with your lover, in my opinion, is more meaningful. Because after 10, 20 years and you look back and ask yourself, you will be thankful for the decisions you have made to get to that great life: achieving your dream while holding your partners hands.

I have had similar situations and I considered deferring. I talked to a couple of profs, and from my understanding, it is pretty hard to do. It would be a strong enough reason if you guys are married, if not, prob not a strong reason for them to consider. Also, it depends on if the prof really wants you. If you have high GPA, great GRE, or maybe even some conference papers, then you are in better odds for them to do it. Lastly, it also depends on their funding availability. Lets say a prof wants you to do research for them due to your previously demonstrated abilities of the area. He/she may still not be able to do it because the funding is left for only 1 more year. NSF and other funding sources for STEM majors (I am mechanical engineering myself so IDK about the art schools) often only give findings up to 4-5 years. If you are onto a bad timing then you are out too. That being said, you should talk to the prof who wants you, or the department if not a specific prof. There are just too much bureaucracy in this to know it certainly.