Accepting & later (potentially) declining grad assistantships

[Sharon E. Figueroa Argueta]

Hello everyone, 

I am currently facing a difficult decision as many of us are. I am choosing between two programs now . In one of the programs I already accepted 2 assistantships but I may be going for a separate institution. I was granted a scholarship that has put one of the schools back in the running. If I were to go for a different institution, how would I go about rejecting the assistantships if I built a small relationship with the people there?

[sad pepe]

I would say, from an ethical perspective, your situation is *a little* better than the normal "accept now, back out later" situation, because you went from having little or no funding from one program to being offered an acceptable amount of funding. That changes things. Of course the faculty at the first school may not be thrilled about it, but if you feel like you must change your mind, it's best to just be honest and let them know that the funding situation has changed, and they'll probably understand.

[Sharon E. Figueroa Argueta]

Thank you! I haven't enrolled into the school, I just accepted the assistantships. But I was excited for the assistantships. The other school doesnt offer any until after registration so its a little nerve wracking but I can secure at least one there. I just want to mantain a good relationship with the people at the school I may be declining my offer for. 

[sad pepe]

Well, withdrawing from a commitment is never ideal, unless it's absolutely necessary to do so (e.g., personal illness or changes in family situation, etc.). The faculty from that program will likely not be happy about it. But at the end of the day, you gotta do what you need to do, as choosing the right program to attend is probably one of the most important decisions we'll make in our lives. So if that's what you end up doing, be as polite as you possibly can and apologize.