Deferring a funded grad school admission?

[husky123]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, as a newbie, I would like to say that it's great to see people giving valuable advice and helping each other through some really important and tough career decisions. My case might seem a bit odd, but here goes:

I have received a very late admission into a good graduate program and I am receiving financial aid. However, 3 weeks to the beginning of the program and I may not be leave my country for a about 2 months due to very pressing family issues. Now my question is do I request the the program to defer my admission (for which I am receiving aid) to the very next semester and explain my reasons in detail? Will I be running the risk of irking them due to the very late decision? What will be my options if the program does not allow deferral of admissions, particularly the ones which are being funded? I have turned down all my other admissions to pursue this opportunity, so it seems like I am in a real fix !!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[adaptations]

I can't speak to all your questions, but it may be helpful to know that deferrals are generally on a case by case basis and depend on the school. As someone who once deferred a fully funded PhD offer, I was surprised how accommodating the school was. That said, other schools report to not offer deferrals under any circumstances.

I don't think it can hurt to contact the department and ask. Also, you may try to give them more options by saying you could defer for one semester, or until next fall. (Depending on the program, it may be challenging for them to have you start mid-year)

Best of luck,

[husky123]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, as a newbie, I would like to say that it's great to see people giving valuable advice and helping each other through some really important and tough career decisions. My case might seem a bit odd, but here goes:

I have received a very late admission into a good graduate program and I am receiving financial aid. However, 3 weeks to the beginning of the program and I may not be leave my country for a about 2 months due to very pressing family issues. Now my question is do I request the the program to defer my admission (for which I am receiving aid) to the very next semester and explain my reasons in detail? Will I be running the risk of irking them due to the very late decision? What will be my options if the program does not allow deferral of admissions, particularly the ones which are being funded? I have turned down all my other admissions to pursue this opportunity, so it seems like I am in a real fix !!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[husky123]

Thanks for the reply. But I am worried that I may be hurting my chances next semester by the late request.

[fuzzylogician]

Thanks for the reply. But I am worried that I may be hurting my chances next semester by the late request.

Whether or not the school agrees to let you defer, I'm not sure how that would hurt your chances. I think you'll be surprised how accommodating schools can be, once you're a registered student there.

If there are circumstances outside of your control that caused this last minute request, explain them honestly and hope for the best (don't stall, it's already late!). If it turns out that they can't let you defer and you end up having to reapply next year, a solid reason for deferring of the kind that does not often repeat itself should be all that you need to be considered again without prejudice. If they can't let you defer and you choose to come -- there shouldn't be a problem at all, you'll start the program just like any other student. The reasons for not allowing you to defer will probably be administrative and have to do with sources of funding anyway. If you ask the DGS confidentially, the fact that you wanted to defer shouldn't even be made available to the faculty and other students. And, lastly, if they agree to let you defer, it might inconvenience the school but it means that they can handle it and you don't need to worry about it.

[Eigen]

Most schools allow "sabaticals", where your pay is suspended for the time you need off.

Since you're accepted, you might fall under that category- and be allowed to defer by a semester.

If they like you enough to fund you and let you in, they'll help make it work.

[adaptations]

As someone who previously deferred, I can only speak to my experience. In my situation I was guaranteed a spot and funding a year down the road. However, I was not obligated to attend and was free to apply to other programs. Prior to deciding to defer I outlined each of these criteria with the DGS who was more than willing to agree, and actually made me like their school even more. I suspect this could be handled differently by different schools, and may even be dependent on the specific situation or applicant.

[husky123]

DGS is the director of grad studies? But shouldn't I inform the department first, because they are the ones who must accommodate me next term?

[adaptations]

The Director of Graduate Studies (at least in my case) was specifically for the department. The DGS also confirmed with the Chair of the department. I think you can contact either one, preferably whomever you've already been in contact with.