Usefulness of Withdrawing Apps

[HelloKaty37]

So I was accepted last week to my top-choice school, plenty of funding, and there is absolutely no doubt that I will be accepting their offer. Now that the shock has worn off, I am now wondering about these other applications I have floating out there. At this point in the game, is there even any point in withdrawing them? I want to give other applicants who actually want to go there as much of a chance as possible of getting in, but I'm wondering if this would be of any more benefit to them than just replying asap with a polite "no" if I get more acceptances, since the adcomms should already be meeting by now. (Surely they're almost done... surely?!)

There is one side of me that really wants to know my final tally (like a grad app win-loss record), but that would be cruel if it made others have to wait longer to get into a school they want to attend. Any thoughts?

Edited March 1, 2010 by HelloKaty37

[iWILLgetin]

I'm in the same boat. I plan on withdrawing the other apps. I know I will have no way of knowing, but I would feel awful if someone didn't get the chance to go to grad school because I didn't jump on my game.

[Sarah S.]

I think I would withdraw in that situation, just to potentially save the committees some work and let other people hear back quicker!

[johndiligent]

I think it really does help them to get the word out quickly, since if they haven't made the final decisions yet then they'll know that they have an additional spot to work with. So, if you can bear to never know the final outcome - which I'm sure is easier said than done, I think you should do so as soon as possible.

[RockEater]

As someone who looks like their only chance will be getting off the waitlist, I can say we really do appreciate it when people make their decision quickly. I don't know about the others, but I'm pretty much a wreck: "Will enough people turn down the offer? Am I high enough on the list? How much longer do I have to wait? What if" this, what if that. It's rough.

So, let me just say this: By making your decision quickly, you're helping someone else make their dreams come true.

Thanks all!

[sciencegal]

Some schools and programs also don't have waitlists - my program does not. So for programs like mine, withdrawing your apps also has the added benefit of potentially giving someone a yes letter versus a no letter.

When I applied to grad school I didn't realize I could have withdrawn my applications. If I had known, I probably would have done so. I heard from my first choice before any of the other schools and I was so ecstatic I ultimately didn't care about the rest. I formally accepted my offer from Berkeley before I even got notification from some schools. In some ways I wish I had withdrawn them because I got rejected at "lesser" schools and it almost (almost) took some of the excitement away from my Berkeley admit!

Of course do what feels right to you.

Edited March 2, 2010 by sciencegal

[jacib]

Some schools and programs also don't have waitlists - my program does not. So for programs like mine, withdrawing your apps also has the added benefit of potentially giving someone a yes letter versus a no letter.

When I applied to grad school I didn't realize I could have withdrawn my applications. If I had known, I probably would have done so. I heard from my first choice before any of the other schools and I was so ecstatic I ultimately didn't care about the rest. I formally accepted my offer from Berkeley before I even got notification from some schools. In some ways I wish I had withdrawn them because I got rejected at "lesser" schools and it almost (almost) took some of the excitement away from my Berkeley admit!

Of course do what feels right to you.

Many schools do not have waitlists, so if you don't withdraw your applications now, that's one less spot. And also, just because you say no quickly, it doesn't mean they will definitely accept a wait list student (they expect a certain amount of people declining), but if you say no before their decision, they're much much more likely to take another student.

I know why you'd want to hear--I had the same morbid curiosity of "how good am I" "how much do these people like him" but I decided that that "knowing" pro wouldn't outweigh the "potentially disadvantaging someone else" con. I withdrew three apps already, and am going to withdraw another one soon I think.

[jkppkj]

Many schools do not have waitlists, so if you don't withdraw your applications now, that's one less spot. And also, just because you say no quickly, it doesn't mean they will definitely accept a wait list student (they expect a certain amount of people declining), but if you say no before their decision, they're much much more likely to take another student.

I know why you'd want to hear--I had the same morbid curiosity of "how good am I" "how much do these people like him" but I decided that that "knowing" pro wouldn't outweigh the "potentially disadvantaging someone else" con. I withdrew three apps already, and am going to withdraw another one soon I think.

Another potential pro for withdrawing an application is that it shows a level of professionalism to the other schools. If you may potentially collaborate with PIs at the institution from which you withdraw an application this may go a long way in establishing a much better first impression than if they were to extend you an offer and you had to reply, "Thanks, but I've already accepted another offer weeks ago," *between the lines* but for the sake of my own vanity I'm very flattered to receive more offers than any one person can accept*

I'm not saying it isn't tempting to wait it out; but in the grand scheme, 5-7 years from now is the number of programs you were accepted to going to mean anything in comparison to degree you'll be receiving from an institution that you obviously are excited about attending as you've already accepted before receiving a final status notification from the other programs?

[HelloKaty37]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I was going to withdraw my apps in light of this information then found out it was out of my hands anyway. (A government program paid for my applications and they need the official responses for their records.) So I'm sending back replies as soon as I get the official letters in hopes that those who are waitlisted will not have to wait too long. It seems as though all of these programs do have waitlists, which makes me feel a little less guilty, but I still wish I could have helped others out. No complaining though... I know most people have to pay for their own apps, and I'm grateful that I didn't.