First Offer

[jkppkj]

I applied to 7 schools. 3 I considered top-choices for my interests; 2 good, perhaps not great fits; and 2 safer schools I was not as strongly interested in.

As of today my status is:

1 - outright rejection [so much for safety schools ]

2 - waiting to hear from (my neurotic side thinks waitlisted at best) [one mid-level choice, one top-choice]

1 - phone interview with a professor who keeps failing to dial my number correctly (very odd) [one of my so-called safeties]

1 - completed interview 4 weeks ago that I have not heard back from [a top choice]

1 - interview next weekend [one of my mid-level choices]

1 - acceptance offer 5 days after the interview [a top choice]

I received a phone call from the program chair to offer me acceptance to the program, and I told her that I came away from the interview weekend feeling that I could be successful and happy at their school, but that I needed time to consider my options. Two hours later one of the professors I am interested in working with called to offer a research assistantship in his lab so that I would not neccessarily have to teach, whereas the standard is that all first-years are supported through TA-ships, and occasionally into their second year. I had a great meeting with the prof who offered the assistanship, but I also had two other really good meetings with others in his department; and 3 really good meetings where I had previously interviewed.

I really want to wait for my next interview and to hear back from my prior interview; as well as try to sort out the continually failing phone interview before I commit. I also really want to have the flexibility of rotations to evaluate advisers and lab-groups, so the assistanship offer really isn't sweetening the pot for me all that much. Not to mention, that I actually want to teach.

The assistanship was offered over my voice mail and I feel comfortable talking with this prof when I return his call tomorrow, but I appreciate any feedback on how I should tactfully explain my reservations about immediately accepting an offer.

[LadyL]

I've been rehearsing my response to a similar situation and it goes something like this: "I am really excited about the opportunities at X University, but as you probably know I am applying elsewhere and each program has a different time line. I am hoping to be able to make a decision by X date."

Have you contacted the school you interviewed at a month ago to let them know about an offer? I haven't done this sort of thing but am wondering how it works. I am really hoping my options will be clear by the end of the month but am not sure how to pressure programs to decide.

[jkppkj]

I've been rehearsing my response to a similar situation and it goes something like this: "I am really excited about the opportunities at X University, but as you probably know I am applying elsewhere and each program has a different time line. I am hoping to be able to make a decision by X date."

Have you contacted the school you interviewed at a month ago to let them know about an offer? I haven't done this sort of thing but am wondering how it works. I am really hoping my options will be clear by the end of the month but am not sure how to pressure programs to decide.

After speaking with my advisers from my undergrad institution I've decided to hold off prodding the other program until I get back from my interview next weekend. Among my post-interview thank you emails I had asked the head of the recruiting committee when I might expect to hear back and was told "At this moment all I can say is that you should be patient for our decision. The committee is still working on your status." I don't want to seem bothersome and I think another week will not hurt anything; and after this next interview I should be able to have a better idea where I stand at an additional school.

My instinct is to say something like: "I am writing to reaffirm that I am very interested in the opportunity to become a student in your department, but I have received an admissions offer from another institution that is also a very good opportunity for me. I would like to make a final decision by early April and would like to know what my status is, or when I should expect to know my status so that I may evaluate all of my options."

I know there is some level of collaboration, including co-authorships on papers, between the faculty in these three departments (as well as the two others that I have yet to hear anything from). As such, I do not want to put myself in a bad position by saying X is my first choice, Y is my second, and Z my third or so on. Not to mention that I may want to collaborate or look towards a potential post-doc with a number of the advisers from these programs.

The phone conversation seemed to go very well with the prof who offered me a research assistantship, although I did let it slip that I am fairly committed to being able to rotate through labs in my first year. He was not too excited to hear that, but did do a good job of telling me that it was an offer and there were no strings attached or reprecussions were I to not accept the RAship. I let him know that my plan of action was to go to the interview next weekend and to start prodding the other programs give me an update on my status, then hopefully be in a position to know concretely what my options are.

A big part of the decision process involves my significant other and I don't feel that any details of that should enter into these professional discussions with faculty about my admissions offers.