emails from faculty of the school that accepted you - how to reply?

[episode413]

hey, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I recently got several emails from faculty members of the department that accepted me. They encouraged me to go there and offered to skype. I'm very grateful for the emails but I'm not sure how I should reply.  I was waitlisted by another school that I'm very interested in. I was worrying I may seem too presumptuous if I ask them about the other school that waitlisted me (after all, I haven't got accepted). I also haven't asked my undergrad mentors about the schools because I planned to really start comparing these programs after I hear back from the waitlist. So, should I reply to the emails from the program that accepted me ASAP?  Can I wait for like one more week to see what happens and then ask them any questions I may have? Eventually I will reply to them and express gratitude regardless of which school I'll go. But I'm just wondering if they'll get mad if I don't reply right away. 

 

[machineghost]

You should reply promptly thanking them for reaching out, telling them that you are excited for the offer, that you are still making your decision, and that you will be sure to let them know as soon as you decide. But I do think you should reply soon and you should just be honest.

[Glasperlenspieler]

Be aware that it's possible you'll only see waitlist movement in the second week of April and maybe even on the day of the 15th. It would be good to have a good read on your schools before then, so that you can have a series of contingency plans in place. Waiting to compare schools until after you hear back from the waitlist sounds like a recipe for disaster.

If you've already decided you won't attend this school, then you should decline your offer. Otherwise, I'd say it's probably a good idea to speak with the professors and get a feel for the program.

[syn]

23 minutes ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

Be aware that it's possible you'll only see waitlist movement in the second week of April and maybe even on the day of the 15th. It would be good to have a good read on your schools before then, so that you can have a series of contingency plans in place. Waiting to compare schools until after you hear back from the waitlist sounds like a recipe for disaster.

100% agree with this.

You should do the Skype calls, in my opinion.  That is, if you're truly interested in the program.  Doesn't hurt to feel out the faculty and department so you'll be ready should the waitlist come through.

[thehegeldialectic]

2 hours ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

If you've already decided you won't attend this school, then you should decline your offer. Otherwise, I'd say it's probably a good idea to speak with the professors and get a feel for the program.

Unless ... The person is famous and you're a big fan of their books (although I must admit, I felt like I was leading them on.

Edited March 22, 2018 by iunoionnis

[episode413]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I've replied to all of them and asked them about my options. So the school that accepted me is Toronto and I think it's a great fit for me (my AoI is moral and political philosophy). I would be very happy to go there. The school that waitlisted me is UCLA. The complication is I also got accepted to UCLA Law School so I can potentially do a joint JD/PhD at UCLA (they also provide great funding on both the JD and the PhD side). However, I didn't apply for Toronto Law and Toronto Law does not give any funding to international students. I guess I could also do a JD/LLM/MSL after I complete my PhD if I don't do the joint program now. Doing a PhD in philosophy is definitely my first choice. I just think that doing a JD in addition to the PhD would be helpful for my academic pursuit and future job searching. Anyway, I welcome any thoughts or advice on this matter if you have any. 

Thanks so much! And good luck to everyone!