Help!

[stevebaker]

I received an admission (Master,F11,TAship to be discussed in March next year), the school asked me whether I would be willing to attend and I said yes.

But now I blame myself for rushing into this decision, so I want to know if later I choose to go to another university instead of this one, will I suffer any bad result?

I mean will this school tell other schools to reject me for dishonest or even sue me for changing my decision?

Edited December 5, 2010 by stevebaker

[eklavya]

Unless you have already told them, I don't think the school will embark on a full-fledged mission to find out which other schools you have applied and tell them to reject you. It is not common, as it backfires on the schools. And if you haven't signed a contract, then you aren't legally bound either. But what you should really think about is how wrong it will be ethically to rescind, after accepting an offer. One thing to keep in mind is that most schools have April 15 as their withdrawal deadline. So you might be able to back out legally/ethically. Contact your advisor/department and tell them, with all honesty, that you cannot attend their program. Because we are still very early in the admission season for F11, they have plenty of time to give that spot to the next best student.

Here are some threads created in the past on similar topic:

[qbtacoma]

Yes, if you are going to renege in an ethical way it depends on what you've already said and the reasons you give. "I can't afford to go to your program with the financial offer you've given me" an acceptable excuse if it's true. As bhikhaari says, if you haven't signed a contract then you are legally okay. Was the offer made informally, in conversation or in writing (or email)? Or was it formal? If you have good reasons to back out (upon further research the program doesn't match your needs, you feel spooked by a dysfunctional department dynamic, finances) you should communicate them now. Clearly they are willing to invest in you and can address your concerns if brought up (tactfully, in some cases). If you are just waiting for "better" offers, though, even if this program is perfectly fine that's more ethically dubious. That's like being in a relationship with someone you can barely stand until someone sexier comes along, IMO. Not that you're doing this.

The school probably won't warn other programs away from you. However, you might have to work with them in the future, so being honest and courteous is important.