Neko

lol, I love this one. I don't think any of us are in quite that awful of a situation, but man, does it feel that way sometimes.

lol, aye, although, it would be very, very strange to hear the opposite "Dear Sir (or Madame), We are unable to admit you to our program this season. However, please do not think that you are off the hook. You are currently ineligible for the exploration of other graduate programs. We realize that this is not the news you were hoping to hear. However, please be assured that we have reviewed your application carefully and we are certain that we have made the right choice. No. Further. Exploration. Sincerely, The Admissions Committee P.S. Rot in hell"

Alright. We're all "extremely qualified" and "strong" applicants, but not quite the cream of the crop at some program. So, how would you prefer to be told that you've been rejected? "turned down" is the most PC I've come up with.... What's your favorite euphemism for rejection?

Applications are in. The deed is done - but could it have been done better? I'm constantly running over this in my head. What niggling little detail could have nudged my application package over the other guy's? Like, maybe if I'd have included the names of my fish, Gődel and Plato, they'd have decided that I'm the right sort of person for the program. So, what are the little things you waffled on including? Or the silly things of questionable relevance?

Thanks very much for the advice, Jenn and Luce. I think that's what I'll do!

I have something of a dilemma. I've received a very nice offer from a well-ranked Canadian school as well as a couple of others from US institutions. These offers are less attractive, but viable alternatives. However, I am still waiting to hear from 16 schools. Here's the real problem: the Canadian school has a response deadline in the middle of March. I imagine that some of the schools I'm waiting to hear from won't even have made first round offers by the time their deadline rolls around. All (worthwhile) US graduate schools (in my area, at least) have signed an agreement that forbids them from requiring responses to their offers before April 15th, but this school clearly hasn't signed the same agreement. So, the dilemma is this: 1. Reply favorably to the Canadian institution prior to the March deadline. Doing so in good faith requires that I decline the other available offers that I already have as well as those I might receive after the response deadline. 2. Decline the Canadian offer, which is the best financially speaking, in hopes of receiving an offer from one of my preferred schools. In terms of opportunity cost, there are significant losses in both scenarios. Although, in either case, I'm in *somewhere* (and a reasonably good somewhere), but I'm just not sure which way to go here... I'm beginning to feel that the early decision pressure from the Canadian school is reason enough to turn them down. /sigh What do you fine folks think?