Can I Do Better (Econ MA)

[ksting]

Hey,

So right now I'm applying to Vandy for an MA in Econ Development. It is the only school I'm applying to right now, because their application was the only one that I could get in on time before the due date. Long story. What I'm trying to figure out is if I'm accepted (which I believe I will be), should I turn them down and wait a year to apply to other schools for an MA in Econ? I have a 3.79 at a nationally known private school, with a major in International Affairs, minor in Econ (3.88GPA in Econ/Stat/Calc). 530 V 760 Q 6.0 A. Solid letters of rec / SoP. No research done. 3 semesters of Calc, 2 of Stat.

What I'm curious though is if I should get into Vandy, is it worth me to defer for a year so I can apply to better schools like Duke/WashU/Yale. Doesn't have to be in Econ Development. I just want to make sure that if I were to defer if I get in, I have a realistic shot at getting into some of those better programs. It's tough to figure out what the standards are for programs, none aside from Duke have posted the median GPA/GRE. I also can't really figure out the heirarchy of programs that well, and which ones are better.

Thanks for your help!