Need some advice!

[IOPsychology]

Okay so I need some advice on how to respond to this email from the head of the PhD program I applied to. I want to be nice, but I do feel like I haven't gotten very much information from this program. To give you some background: I still haven't been given any official admission decision- online or written (or by email). At this point, I assume I'm on the waiting list but haven't even been told that officially. (I have heard of another applicant getting officially waitlisted here about 6-8 weeks ago, so I would have thought I'd have heard SOMETHING by now.) FYI - this is my second choice school.

Here's my recent correspondence with them:

Last week:

IOPsychology: Good morning, XXXXX. I wanted to check in with you about the status of my application... I remain very interested in the program, etc. but I do have some other offers I'm considering. I realize there will be a flurry of activity over the next 2 weeks but wanted to see if you could provide me with any information about where my application stands at this point.

Later that day:

Program Director: Hi IOPsychology, I will check in with the admissions committee.

Yesterday morning (after 5 days of nothing):

IOPsychology: Hi XXXX. I just wanted to check in to see if you had any further information... blah blah.

Yesterday:

Program Director: "Nothing new. Still in a holding pattern. So sorry. Good thing we have until April 15."

I'm not paraphrasing that last one - that's literally the extent of his email. How am I supposed to respond to that? To me, it sounds like he couldn't care less.

Other than getting the run-around at #2 school.... I do have an offer at my first choice school (similar program, also PhD). The only problem there is that I'm on a wait list for funding. It's a state school so their funding ability is lower. That being said, I'm also in-state there so even if I didn't have funding, it would probably be do-able (although not ideal). Part of me wants to accept there right now, but I'm wondering if timing of acceptance plays a role at all in determining funding, if it's still up in the air? As in, "Well IOPsychology accepted before the deadline, therefore must want to go here, so we should make an effort to try to get IOPsychology funded." OR "Well IOPsychology accepted, so we don't need to provide funding as an incentive for them." And it would be a lot easier to accept my #1 choice if I knew one way or the other about my #2 school. At this point, based on my correspondence with my #2 school, I don't know that I even want to go there. But, if I was accepted, I do know that I would get full funding there.

So that was a really long post (sorry!). I've been debating about this a lot. And I thought I would ask for your advice because you're all going through this application stuff now, and it's hard to explain all of the intricacies of grad school admissions to friends/family who aren't familiar with it.

Here's what I'm wondering:

1. How do I respond to the email from the #2 program? Or do I just take that as a "We don't really care what you do, but stop emailing us."

2. Should I accept at #1 program, knowing that funding is still up in the air? I've already talking to the DGP and my POI multiple times about this - they're waiting on decisions from people who have been offered admissions with funding. They'll have more assistantships come up later (in the summer), so it may be a while before I know anything about funding definitively.

Thanks for your help!

IOPsychology

(Can't wait for / dreading April 15)

[jzief128]

I can't really speak to #2 (it could go both ways as you said), here are my thoughts for #1.  It kinda looks like they are giving you the "passive rejection".  They haven't been clear or upfront with you about your status, even if you are on the waitlist.  If they truly wanted you, they would be much more forthcoming.  Frankly, it does almost seem like they want you to "go away" however sad that may sound.

My advice is to email them and (politely) tell them the truth.  You can't wait until 4/15.  You have another offer at another school (#1) and funding could be tied to your accept date there. You still are interested in #2, but you cannot continue forward to April 15 without some further clarification. 

If they want you, they will let you know what the deal is.  If they say "smell you later", well, you didn't want to go there anyway.

Just my two cents.  Hope this helps!