How to respond

[pinot noir]

If you get an offer from a program and you're not sure you want to go there, how does one respond? Gosh, I hope I wasn't rude or nonchalant when I said, "I'm not ready to make a decision right now."

[nhyn]

not sure how you phrased your whole response but i think something along the line of "I'd like to wait to make an informed decision after I hear back from other places" is fine - thats what i did, and the prof was totally fine with it. he did ask me to reply as soon as i make a decision, but also said you have every right to wait because it's an important decision.

hope that helps.

Edited February 16, 2011 by nhyn

[philosophy chic]

In all of my responses, I've said something along the lines of "thank you for the wonderful news" and then went on to either address questions posed in the email (like, when would be a good time to call) or to mention a few questions I might have about the program. So long as you're polite though, I'm sure most anything is fine.

[Elsa]

In all of my responses, I've said something along the lines of "thank you for the wonderful news" and then went on to either address questions posed in the email (like, when would be a good time to call) or to mention a few questions I might have about the program. So long as you're polite though, I'm sure most anything is fine.

Hello,

I have absolutely no idea what to respond to an acceptance email. I didn't apply for scolarships or financial help so basically, it's my call to go or not to go there. I'm still waiting for other decisions (some of them might not be released until two months). What should I say? "Thank you for the great news, when do I have to give my final decision"? I really don't know what to say.

Thank you for helping a poor international student lost in translation.

[Vacuum]

Hello,

I have absolutely no idea what to respond to an acceptance email. I didn't apply for scolarships or financial help so basically, it's my call to go or not to go there. I'm still waiting for other decisions (some of them might not be released until two months). What should I say? "Thank you for the great news, when do I have to give my final decision"? I really don't know what to say.

Thank you for helping a poor international student lost in translation.

Sometimes the email will state when they need to hear from you by. You could always just not respond OR you could just make up a few questions to ask them about the program or what have you, I don't think they necessarily expect an email back in response to their acceptance, but if you email back a few questions then it might give you peace of mind. Just make sure that you email a person, since sometimes the general emails they send out don't have a person responding attached to those email addresses!

Edited February 16, 2011 by Vacuum

[philosophy chic]

Hello,

I have absolutely no idea what to respond to an acceptance email. I didn't apply for scolarships or financial help so basically, it's my call to go or not to go there. I'm still waiting for other decisions (some of them might not be released until two months). What should I say? "Thank you for the great news, when do I have to give my final decision"? I really don't know what to say.

Thank you for helping a poor international student lost in translation.

Most universities, at least the ones that are part of the CGS (council of graduate schools), have an April 15 deadline, meaning that a institution cannot ask for your final decision before that date.

If you applied for a PhD program, then you're probably being considered for funding even if you didn't specifically apply for a fellowship.

As for the response....I do think that it is appropriate to acknowledge that you have received the email. You may also want to ask if you could email a current student with some questions (most likely about the atmosphere of the department and city, living expenses, accessibility of professors, and anything else you want to know about living wherever the school is located - public transit, international food, etc.) and some professors about their current and future interest (if you would like to hear about your department's research in more detail).

So maybe something roughly like:

Dr. Smith

Thank you for the wonderful news. [comment on anything relevant in the email. most emails include something about an accepted students day, which you could mention that you would be able/unable to attend, and some ask about calling you to discuss something, what the best means of communication is, etc].

If possible, could you place me in contact with a current student? I would like to ask him/her a few questions about the campus and surrounding area. I also would be interested in contacting a few professors to discuss their current and future research plans.

[add any questions you may have for the person who contacted you about the program]

Regards/Cheers/Best/whatever salutation you would like

Your Name

I am coming from a humanities background though, so things may be slightly different in your field. I don't imagine it would vary too much, but you should definitely look at others' suggestions as well.

[Elsa]

Thank you both!!

I'm going to copy/paste that email you wrote philosophy chic lol. It's a master degree so is the research question relevant?

Should I ask about the final decision deadline or do you think the School will get back to me anyway if they need my answer before April 15th? They are not going to throw away my application if I don't give a final decision immediatly? They are going to notify that deadline right?

I really have no idea of how it works. In my country they would just ignore the applicant who wouldn't respond quickly.