too early to accept?

[YA_RLY]

I have considered it carefully, and I think I am ready to accept an offer, even though I have only heard back from 2/10 schools.

Here is a little more background: After applying and while "waiting it out," I realized that I wasn't very interested in some of the schools I applied to after all...for reasons like I didn't want to be on the opposite coast of my family, I didn't know as much about a program as I thought I did, etc.

Really, there are only about three schools that I am super interested in: A, B, and C (no official ranking implied in letter usage). I was admitted to A. I have good reason to believe I won't be admitted to B and C. And even if I were admitted to all of them, I think I would stick with A.

Given this, I think I'm ready to go ahead and accept A's offer. I think it will really give me some peace of mind to officially accept the offer. My dilemma is that I don't want this to seem rash and I need to be sure I've considered everything.

School A is a great fit with my research interests, I have worked with my advisor before, I know what projects I'll be working on, the grad students are looking forward to me potentially coming there, and I generally like the school. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? or Reason that I should wait to accept the offer?

[anonacademic]

Wait! Don't do it!

You may find your mind changes again (I know I frequently waiver) and there's no reason to create a situation where you'll beat yourself up.

Don't decide until A.) You've received all offers/rejections (baring waitlist purgatory, I suppose) and B.) You've had a chance to visit campuses. You might find that after these two things have happened, you feel very differently about the situation.

Even if you're *sure* you want to go to school A, I promise that waiting will at the least have a completely neutral effect but may actually be beneficial. At the least, you can possibly negotiate a better deal at school A with information from the 8 schools you haven't heard from.

Anyway, you paid all those application fees. I'd keep myself in the running just for that

But congratulations! Bask in your good fortune and happy situation, and leave the decisions to less halcyon days (i.e. March's long slog).

Edited February 9, 2011 by Chumlee

[newms]

It's best to wait. You never know what could happen between now and April. You could get a better funded offer at another school. You could find out that a POI you're interested in at School A is leaving in 1 year or worse is leaving by September. Just as your feelings about the other schools have changed since you applied, they similarly could change about school A before April. You really want to avoid a situation where you have committed to a school and then realize you want to go somewhere else. If I were you, I'd use the time to communicate with my POIs at School A and find out as much as I could about the culture of the department as well as what it's like to live in that city. And wait for the other schools. Then when I have more information about the other school's decisions, then I'd make my decision. Just my $0.02. It's an excellent problem to have, congrats!

[space-cat]

If I were you, I would at least attend the official "admitted student" visit before accepting. I'm very much a "gut instinct" person, so I get where you're coming from, but this is a big commitment and I'd want to set my mind at ease. It's great that you've worked with your POI in the past and know the other students, but things may very well be different if/when you actually become a student. So, make the rounds, ask all the questions you're supposed to ask of your POI and the other students, make sure there aren't any skeletons in the closet, etc. If you know these people well enough, you can even be totally honest that this is your top choice and you're really just doing a final look over.

If you're still sure at the end of the visit, then go ahead and tell everyone you intend to accept. You're not wasting anyone's time--least of all yours!!--by making absolutely sure that this is where you want to be.

[firefly28]

Think of it this way:

Right now, you can choose to accept or choose to wait. If you choose to accept A, and turn out to be happy, we'll give you a payout of 1. If you choose A and next month determine that the variables that you were placing high value on (particularly geographical distance) aren't as salient, and that another program is a better fit (or offers more money, etc.), then your payout is -1.

If you wait, and in the middle of next month your opinion is the same, you could commit. Your payoff would still be 1. Your likelihood of regretting the decision within the window of decision-making would be considerably diminished.

So, there's really no disadvantage to waiting.

[kaykaykay]

Well, till April 15 you can change your mind even if you accept the offer from school A. So no harm done there. But you probably should not withraw from other schools' application process and wait till you have a chance to visit! Congrats!

[newms]

Well, till April 15 you can change your mind even if you accept the offer from school A. So no harm done there. But you probably should not withraw from other schools' application process and wait till you have a chance to visit! Congrats!

It's true that you can withdraw until April 15, but if you were to do that you risk burning bridges with the profs who are going to be your colleagues in the future. So while there aren't any legal impediments to withdrawing your acceptance before April 15, it's something you probably want to avoid if possible.

Edited February 9, 2011 by newms

[ZeChocMoose]

That is pretty much how I feel YA_RLY. I was accepted to my top choice last week and I am itching to accept, announce my decision to the world, and start planning to move to a different area of the country. I do think that the posters above are right. Although it's annoying it is probably best to just wait for the other decisions even though you don't think it will change anything. I do think you can accept after the campus visit which is what I plan to do and by the visit I will have the decisions on my remaining two apps. So sit tight and distract yourself!

Edited February 9, 2011 by ZeChocMoose

[Myshkin]

It's true that you can withdraw until April 15, but if you were to do that you risk burning bridges with the profs who are going to be your colleagues in the future. So while there aren't any legal impediments to withdrawing your acceptance before April 15, it's something you probably want to avoid if possible.

The following comes from the American Philological Association for Classics:

"They (faculty advisors) should also encourage applicants, where possible, to visit the institutions from which they will make their selections. All classicists should also be aware that it is a national policy, agreed on by the Council of Graduate Schools, that no institution may expect a student to respond to an offer before April 15. There should be no attempt, direct or subtle, to compel or urge such response before the applicants have all the information they need, which may be only shortly before that date."

Hope this helps, regardless of your field...I found it good to know.

[Myshkin]

The following comes from the American Philological Association for Classics:

"They (faculty advisors) should also encourage applicants, where possible, to visit the institutions from which they will make their selections. All classicists should also be aware that it is a national policy, agreed on by the Council of Graduate Schools, that no institution may expect a student to respond to an offer before April 15. There should be no attempt, direct or subtle, to compel or urge such response before the applicants have all the information they need, which may be only shortly before that date."

Hope this helps, regardless of your field...I found it good to know.

Aha! Here's from the source itself (Council of Graduate Schools):

"Acceptance of an offer of financial support *(such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and sub- sequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an insti- tution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.

The following list includes CGS member institutions that indicated their support of the Resolution. This Resolution was renewed October 2009."

[wtncffts]

I understand this whole April 15th thing in terms of not obliging one to respond prior to that date, but is there a general deadline for when one must respond after that date, or is that school/program specific?

[charles mingus]

I understand this whole April 15th thing in terms of not obliging one to respond prior to that date, but is there a general deadline for when one must respond after that date, or is that school/program specific?

Most programs have deadlines on April 15th.

Edited February 9, 2011 by charles mingus

[wtncffts]

Most programs have deadlines on April 15th.

Oh, wait, so you don't have to respond before April 15th but you're obliged to respond no later than April 15th?

[Vacuum]

Oh, wait, so you don't have to respond before April 15th but you're obliged to respond no later than April 15th?

Yep -- unless of course you get placed on the waitlist and they contact you after the deadline. Other than that, April 15th is the absolute latest date you can say yes or no.

[wtncffts]

Yep -- unless of course you get placed on the waitlist and they contact you after the deadline. Other than that, April 15th is the absolute latest date you can say yes or no.

Well, that's good to know!! Now I understand the heading of that other subforum.

Seems odd to me, though. I thought it was more that April 15th is the start of a predetermined period, say one week, in which responses must be given.

Edited February 9, 2011 by wtncffts

[aletheuein]

If you receive a second offer, you may be able to use it as leverage to get school A to sweeten the deal. You could, for instance, ask them to guarantee to fund you to one conference each year, or some other such thing.

[drumms9980]

I feel you, were in almost the same situation except for different reasons. I'm at least waiting until I go visit and talk to the advisor I want to work for before signing any papers. Good luck though!

[t11]

I have considered it carefully, and I think I am ready to accept an offer, even though I have only heard back from 2/10 schools.

Here is a little more background: After applying and while "waiting it out," I realized that I wasn't very interested in some of the schools I applied to after all...for reasons like I didn't want to be on the opposite coast of my family, I didn't know as much about a program as I thought I did, etc.

Really, there are only about three schools that I am super interested in: A, B, and C (no official ranking implied in letter usage). I was admitted to A. I have good reason to believe I won't be admitted to B and C. And even if I were admitted to all of them, I think I would stick with A.

Given this, I think I'm ready to go ahead and accept A's offer. I think it will really give me some peace of mind to officially accept the offer. My dilemma is that I don't want this to seem rash and I need to be sure I've considered everything.

School A is a great fit with my research interests, I have worked with my advisor before, I know what projects I'll be working on, the grad students are looking forward to me potentially coming there, and I generally like the school. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? or Reason that I should wait to accept the offer?

I am in a very similar situation. These are the reasons I am ready to accept the offer from my "school A": 1- School A is well known to be the best for my particular set of interests; 2- I spent two months last summer living on campus and working with the professor who will likely be my mentor (I loved the campus, and the prof. I worked with was awesome); 3- there are numerous professors there with whom I could work if she happened to leave (I don't think she will); 4- the funding is about as good as it could get (six years of generous stipends plus 4 summers of funding); 5- it's in the state in which I'd like to live; 6- lastly, **I have verbally expressed my intention to accept the offer.** I've held this school as my top choice for years. I've talked to grad students there who love the program. I pretty much applied to all the other schools as back-ups in case this program did not accept me. I am ready to accept the offer! Is there really any drawback in my case to accepting the offer? The only one I can think of is that I might appear over-eager. Is it considered gauche to accept an offer right off the bat?

[sideorderofchuckles]

If the peace of mind of accepting to A now > a similar or better offer at B or C later, then accept A. If not, wait.

It's just a matter of what is important to you, not anyone else. Best of luck!

I have considered it carefully, and I think I am ready to accept an offer, even though I have only heard back from 2/10 schools.

Here is a little more background: After applying and while "waiting it out," I realized that I wasn't very interested in some of the schools I applied to after all...for reasons like I didn't want to be on the opposite coast of my family, I didn't know as much about a program as I thought I did, etc.

Really, there are only about three schools that I am super interested in: A, B, and C (no official ranking implied in letter usage). I was admitted to A. I have good reason to believe I won't be admitted to B and C. And even if I were admitted to all of them, I think I would stick with A.

Given this, I think I'm ready to go ahead and accept A's offer. I think it will really give me some peace of mind to officially accept the offer. My dilemma is that I don't want this to seem rash and I need to be sure I've considered everything.

School A is a great fit with my research interests, I have worked with my advisor before, I know what projects I'll be working on, the grad students are looking forward to me potentially coming there, and I generally like the school. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? or Reason that I should wait to accept the offer?

[philosophy chic]

Congrats on getting in! my advice? listen to most of the other poster's comments. wait until april 15 with the peace of mind of knowing that next year you will be going to a school you like.