Been accepted, where do I go from here?

[towerbridge]

Hello!

So I've been fortunate enough to be accepted into three different MA programs this cycle, and I'm still waiting on one more school before I hunker down and start making my decision. During the application process, I was trying really hard not to get my hopes up, and so now I'm at a loss as to what I'm supposed to do now, because quite frankly I wasn't sure that I would get this far. Currently, I've sent emails to my POI at each school I've been accepted at thanking them for the offer and letting them know that I am very excited about possibly attending their program, that I hope to make my decision in the next few weeks, and plan to reach out to them if I have any questions. 

Is there anything else that I should be doing in order to keep lines of communication going and to follow appropriate etiquette guidelines? I've had a really great support system of undergraduate professors and graduate students that have given me some advice, but I would also love to hear what everybody else is doing post-acceptance to ensure that professional relationships stay open and friendly even after decisions are all made! 

If anybody else is running into any other etiquette dilemmas or has any need to vent about navigating this limbo period between acceptance and final decision making, feel free to use this thread as well!

[rising_star]

You don't really need to flood their inbox (or even write periodically) to keep the lines of communication open. If you have relevant questions or think they'll be at an upcoming conference, send an email. Otherwise, no need to write.

[towerbridge]

1 hour ago, rising_star said:

You don't really need to flood their inbox (or even write periodically) to keep the lines of communication open. If you have relevant questions or think they'll be at an upcoming conference, send an email. Otherwise, no need to write.

That's what I was thinking, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything important! I figured the brief thank you was appropriate and then the decline/acceptance once I've made my decision. Thanks for your input! I'm new to the professional etiquette so every bit of advice helps! 

[marvel2375]

Congratulations @towerbridge on being admitted to several programs! One thing that I have been doing during this post-acceptance-but-have-yet-to-make-a-decision period that I have found to be helpful is thoroughly researching the programs that I got admitted to (course requirements, faculty research interests, etc.) to try to figure out the pros and cons of each program. I was surprised by the tiny details that I overlooked the first time around! I've also begun planning campus visits for departments that for one reason or another, do not hold an Open House event for their admitted MA students, but at the same time are not too far away from where I currently live (keeping travel costs into consideration). I also find it more helpful to sit in on classes (if you can!) than to simply ask current students/faculty to describe the courses that are being taught. That way, you can see for yourself how students and faculty interact (this is not the only way to assess a department's climate, but I find this strategy to be useful).

I have also been paying attention to how responsive (from enthusiastic to being indifferent) the programs seem to be to me, now that I have been formally accepted. For example, two of the programs that I got admitted to seem extremely eager for me to join them! I have been personally contacted by more than one faculty member from these two departments to see if I had any questions about their programs. One faculty member from each of these two programs "checked on me" more than once. On the other hand, one of the other programs that I got admitted to sent me an acceptance letter and that was it. No follow-ups or whatsoever, even though it's been awhile since I have been admitted. And a staff member from a fourth program seemed annoyed with me when I asked for a clarification regarding the requirements of their program. So, in my book, all these little interactions count and reveal a lot more about a program than what is otherwise being advertised online.