AnxiousBeaver

Hey Ivan!! Sorry this is coming too late but I would choose Alabama! IT just seems like there's so much more financial support which can really affect your graduate school experience! Let us know what you decided!

congrats Ivan! So excited and proud of you! Did you receive your funding offer yet?

I was rejected from UMichigan but got into Stanford which is like the best department for my subfield. Don't lose hope!

I'd open the email thanking them for the offer and recognizing the work and time they put into reviewing your app, and then move to briefly explaining that you were accepted into another school that is more aligned with your goals and scholarship! Im also in the exact same position as you but I've been informed that schools dont really hold things against applicants who choose a different school. I will probably also express interest in working with the faculty member in some capacity in the future (in my field pppl from different institutions frequently collaborate) because I am genuinely interested in their work!

Yeah a PhD program at Stanford (social science) informed me that they received a record amount of applications this year than in previous, but it was expected because of the global state of the world right now.

I have a D on my transcript as well as an NC (no credit) which also means Fail when you take a course P/Fail.... and I got into almost every school that I applied to :). You'll be fine, just explain it on the application but don't be discouraged!

so sorry Ivan but very proud of you for advocating for yourself! It is good to question things that dont seem right, definitely dont give up and continue to fight for what you know u deserve!

definitely! I just did not want to accept an offer without letting the other schools know first in case they found out in some way, I felt like that would have been rude.

I think that it is the fact that you are coming from an International institution that is making the review more difficult for you... which should not be the case and in all honesty sounds a bit discriminatory to me . Maybe I misunderstand but If the issue is with the number of years it took... Graduating early does not take away from the fact that you have a degree from a 4 year institution no?? I hope this works out for you

it might be an informal interview! I feel like that's a good sign, not every department interviews all applicants, sometimes they only select specific people to interview. make sure prepare questions to ask to seem super excited and interested about the program

Is there any way other graduate schools can find out whether you've accepted an offer? are they notified in any way?

Do what is best for you (very hard to do sometimes)! You might regret not going for what you want... you are living your life for you not ur parents!!

Oh no!! I am so sorry! Did you email your POI? DIdn't he say that everything seems okay on his hand? Email them again, also see if you could have a better explanation of why your degree is considered a BS, have them point out the specific classes you need, etc.!

it is very normal to receive a letter from your POI before the official acceptance! He is technically right, but while his message was blunt and seemed scary you were definitely accepted already so your celebration was justified :)!