How long do we need to “sleep on it”

[2020slp]

Hi all! I think I know where I want to attend graduate school, but I’m afraid I am not taking enough time to think it through. Does anyone have any wisdom/recommendations on how long is best to hold off on sending the “I accept your offer of admission” email? Thank you!

[eeIntern1]

How long have you been holding on to your offer, and have your received all offers from other schools? Even if you have not received all offers from other schools, but find that a school you applied to will provide you with an opportunity to grow, follow a research path in line with your interests,  and is in a location you can imagine yourself living in for a long duration then in my opinion I think you will be equipped with all tools in order to have a great graduate school experience. In life, we are faced with making many difficult decisions which may even alter the course of our life to come, and all we can do is try to make as informed decisions as possible. Choosing between schools which will all offer unique experiences and different opportunities is just one of these challenging decisions. If you believe you have holistically considered your offer and think it will lead to a fruitful experiences, go for it and own it!

Additionally, if yours is the case in which you have to decide between schools which you believe will provide equal opportunities and you feel you will enjoy equally, go with the school that seems more supportive and wanting you to attend! To elaborate, in my experiences in choosing between internships, I have chosen internships in which I was a highly desired candidate and have attended internships where I was just one among the crowd. I feel attending places where your value and potential is more highly recognized will lead to work with people who are more compatible and a better experience in general! Just wanted to throw this in, in case it might be of some value!

Hope that this can be of some assistance to you, and congratulations on your admission to graduate school!

Edited March 15, 2018 by eeIntern1
typo

[TakeruK]

For big decisions, I like to "sleep on it" for 24-48 hours. One strategy I use is to make a choice and then don't think about it again for 24 hours. Then, after 24 hours, re-evaluate the choice. Sometimes, it's hard to think clearly about something that you've spent almost every waking moment considering for days/weeks! Another similar strategy, which I've seen other people post on here too (e.g. fuzzylogician), is to make a choice in your head and then spend the next day or two acting as if you finalized this choice. Afterwards, think about how you felt. You could probably do both too, I guess.