What does the April 15th deadline really mean

[jkppkj]

I'll post the text of the CGS resolution below, but in the real world what does the April 15th deadline really mean.

For example my only offer so far comes from a school not listed as signing on in support of the resolution, and they are requesting a decision by March 31st. The offer letter lists the support under a teaching assistantship and states that late acceptances (after March 31) are not guaranteed an assistantship. So I can definitely say that the April 15th deadline is not universal; and this is no small program, it may not be well-known nationally but it is very well funded and respected in the field and there are 100 graduate students in the department so it's not as though the school would have slipped through the cracks with CGS.

I think I may be able to get them to extend the offer another week or two if I need the time (also factoring in concurrently applying significant other into the equation), but I'd like to hear what other dates are being given to others to respond to offers and whether or not those schools are signed on to the CGS resolution.

[jkppkj]

CGS Resolution click on the .pdf version to get a list of schools

Acceptance of an offer of financial support *(such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the

next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate

school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and

understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of

such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and subsequently

desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time

through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer

without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution

after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is

further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to

the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.

The following list includes CGS member institutions that indicated their support of the Resolution.

This Resolution was renewed September 2009.

[appmatharmy]

I think it's interesting that this covenant only covers offers of financial aid/support, not offers of admission.

[Strangefox]

It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.

Do they follow this rule?