Contending With Decision Deadlines

[johndiligent]

So I have three acceptances so far with three more applications out there in limbo.

School A has given me until March 15 (eek!) to decide to accept their offer.

School B has given me until March 19 (eek!) to decide to accept their offer.

School C has given me until March 25 to decide to accept their offer.

Of course, unless I ask for an extension, I will have to make a decision on School A and B next week, and judging by the results from past years, I'm not going to hear from the other three schools by then.

First question: How successful have others been in asking for an extension on a decision deadline, just on the grounds that you'd like to have all results back before you decide? I worry about taking this tact, especially since all MA programs (which these are) usually notify late. Also, they're all Canadian schools and not governed by the whole April 15 thing.

Second question: I've been told that when faced with a decision deadline, the best thing to do is just make a decision on the options that you're aware of by then, and if you eventually receive a better offer from schools that notify later, to simply inform the program that you've had a change of heart. I really worry about the ethics of doing this, though, since it might prevent the school from offering to someone on the waitlist, and I worry about the repercussions of slighting a school. Academia's a small world. Has anyone else been similarly advised? Am I over-thinking it?

[paperfish]

I am in almost the same situation. I have acceptances in hand to three Canadian schools, am "unofficially" accepted at another. The "deadlines" for response start Friday (March 12), then continue next week. I actually did ask for an extension from one school and they pushed the deadline back by a week. This is not the most helpful thing in the world, but it was something and it was definitely more than I thought I'd get. So on the "asking" front, I would just do it. They seemed to be pretty understanding about it being a big decision that I wanted to have time to think through, but did clarify by saying they have deadlines from the Grad School itself, so it couldn't be pushed much, if at all further.

I'm also wrestling with possibly changing my mind later on. I don't think it's a great thing to do, especially if you are tied to a specific professor, but I think in exceptional circumstances, they might be understanding. I do think it could be a detriment to relationships later on, so I'm personally trying to avoid it if at all possible. My problem is that I also applied to U.S. schools that I haven't heard back from about funding, and they don't have to tell me until much later.

[micca]

So I have three acceptances so far with three more applications out there in limbo.

School A has given me until March 15 (eek!) to decide to accept their offer.

School B has given me until March 19 (eek!) to decide to accept their offer.

School C has given me until March 25 to decide to accept their offer.

Of course, unless I ask for an extension, I will have to make a decision on School A and B next week, and judging by the results from past years, I'm not going to hear from the other three schools by then.

First question: How successful have others been in asking for an extension on a decision deadline, just on the grounds that you'd like to have all results back before you decide? I worry about taking this tact, especially since all MA programs (which these are) usually notify late. Also, they're all Canadian schools and not governed by the whole April 15 thing.

Second question: I've been told that when faced with a decision deadline, the best thing to do is just make a decision on the options that you're aware of by then, and if you eventually receive a better offer from schools that notify later, to simply inform the program that you've had a change of heart. I really worry about the ethics of doing this, though, since it might prevent the school from offering to someone on the waitlist, and I worry about the repercussions of slighting a school. Academia's a small world. Has anyone else been similarly advised? Am I over-thinking it?

You're not over-thinking it. I too was worried about the repercussions of accepting an offer only to retract it later on. The way I see it though is, if a school is going to give you a limited amount of time to accept, which was the case for me with the University of Calgary, then what do they expect? I accepted the offer because they gave me 1 week to decide. Yesterday I sent an email pretty saying that another opportunity more suited to my needs has come up and thank-you. At least I let them know right away and it's still early.

Bottom line is this whole process is a bit of a game and you try to be considerate and ethical, but are sometimes left with few options. And at the end of the day, you have to think of yourself and what's best for you.

Also, some Canadian Universities are part of that April 15th deadline. I have attached the link for you to check out:

The first link is about what the Council of Graduate School is about:

http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=201

And the second link lists all the Canadian Universities that are members:

http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=102&ctl=InstSearchResult&mid=437&TYPE=REGION&VALUE=CANADA

And just to rant a little, why is it that this whole process isn't more regulated? I think each university should have an agreed upon deadline and on this day, decisions need to be made and sent out asap, and from that day each applicant has 2 weeks to make a decision. For instance, every Canadian University has to send out decisions by March 15th...then you have 2 weeks to see what your options are and make a decision...and after that, the waitlisted people can find out where they stand. We have deadlines for other things like taxes...this would make so much more sense. As it is, I won't find out about some of the other schools I've applied to until mid-April, possibly longer whcih leaves me with no choice but to accept an offer I may later retract.

Good luck

[appmatharmy]

I've been thinking about this a bit myself. I accepted at a better than safety school, with a couple Ivy league apps pending. I've concluded that if the better offer comes, then you can switch and you'd just be out an admission deposit (if you had to give one). The better place you choose in the end wouldn't have heartache, they did offer you admission. Only if you later applied for a position at the place you reneged on would it at all come up.

We go through this nut roll to get in school, when it comes to choosing, look out for yourself. The school will get over it.

[Tapioca]

I am going through the same. I have been accepted into an MA program with partial funding, and the deadline is March 19th. This program is a great fit for me and I will probably accept their offer, but I am still waiting to hear back from three schools and would rather make a decision when I hold all the cards.

I was given the suggestion to contact the remaining schools explaining the deadline issue and ask if they have made a decision. Also, I was told at another thread that asking for an extension is okay. But I don't want to risk giving them the idea that they are my bottom choice (b/c they are not) and risk losing my funding. And I definitely don't want to accept out of desperation and then withdraw because I'm going into a small field, so I wouldn't want to jeopardize any future opportunities.

At this point I just want to know. I'd take rejections over this agony any day! /rant

Edited March 11, 2010 by Tapioca

[Lantern]

And just to rant a little, why is it that this whole process isn't more regulated? I think each university should have an agreed upon deadline and on this day, decisions need to be made and sent out asap, and from that day each applicant has 2 weeks to make a decision.

I agree. This is a ridiculously demanding process for the applicant in so many ways. It seems like it would be better for everyone involved if all decisions were revealed the same day, and then we were given a specified amount of time to decide. That would eliminate the whole problem of people accepting, then later skipping out on that school for a better offer!

johndiligent, if I were you, I'd start the process of elimination by making a decision between the three that have been offered to me, and then see where that puts me. Obviously if you are choosing C over A and B, then you will automatically have more time to wait and see if you get any more acceptances. At that point you can ask for an extension if necessary. Of course if you choose A or B, you have to start the extension-requesting process sooner, but at least you will have begun to narrow down your choices.

[micca]

At this point I just want to know. I'd take rejections over this agony any day! /rant

[shaydlip]

And just to rant a little, why is it that this whole process isn't more regulated? I think each university should have an agreed upon deadline and on this day, decisions need to be made and sent out asap, and from that day each applicant has 2 weeks to make a decision. For instance, every Canadian University has to send out decisions by March 15th...then you have 2 weeks to see what your options are and make a decision...and after that, the waitlisted people can find out where they stand. We have deadlines for other things like taxes...this would make so much more sense. As it is, I won't find out about some of the other schools I've applied to until mid-April, possibly longer whcih leaves me with no choice but to accept an offer I may later retract.

Good luck

When you become a professor, you can try to change the system.

[Tapioca]

At this point I just want to know. I'd take rejections over this agony any day! /rant

Don't say that! It's way better to be in the position of having options than fretting over the question of WILL I get in somewhere. Don't forget how horrible the waiting felt (at least for me it was awful)

At the same time, having options and deadlines does present a new set of concerns. Do what works for you, because God knows the Universities do.