MoJingly Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 OK! So. Today I accepted an offer at a school I'm very excited about. They seem to be excited about me, too, because they offered me a pretty prestigious fellowship. It was icing on the cake. This school let me know their decision FOUR DAYS after I interviewed. I thought, "whoa. These guys are on top of things." I only applied to two schools, and to tell you the truth, this one I accepted wasn't my first choice in the beginning. Then came the visit. The school that I THOUGHT was my first choice didn't turn out to be the well-oiled machine like the other. They kept lying to me, telling me I would hear my decision in a "few days" or "by the end of the week." It was always a different answer, and it was a two-month saga that exhausted me. This morning I emailed and asked one final time. Then I thought to myself (after consideration of much of the advice floating on GradCafe), if this school accepted me, would I go there? And when I realized that the true answer was NO, I just went ahead and accepted the offer to the school that wants me. I gave both schools a lot of thought, made pro/con lists, slept on it for months, and arrived at my decision. Hooray! Fast forward to tonight. I'm sitting here doodling online and celebrating life when my inbox flares. (of course, right? it always happens that way). The adcomm apologized for taking so long to get back to me, and then asked me a bunch of questions about their concerns with my application. "what are you going to do when things get tough?" "Are you sure you have the passion for this?" I mean, seriously? If these were the issues that prevented you from giving me a decision, why didn't you ask me sooner? Why keep lying and saying you are making a decision, and only respond to me after ignoring me for so long? It's... practically April. I predict they were waiting to hear back from other students before deciding if they should investigate me more, but I wish they would have been more upfront about it. I spent two months going through whiplash and not knowing what was going on. I guess the point is that it doesn't matter. I responded with a kind email saying that, while I certainly have the passion necessary for their program, I accepted another offer earlier today. It felt good. I finally have closure. Now I can move on with my life! I just needed to tell this story because, well, I needed to share with people I knew would understand! You guys on the GradCafe have been an invaluable resource for me. I so appreciate the laughs, support, and geeky cyber-friendships that we share. I wish all the best to ALL of you in this process. It's finally over for me! kaykaykay, hello! :), basst and 6 others 9
UnlikelyGrad Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah!! Way to show them!! It's finally over for me! Nope. It's just beginning. Have fun!
beanbagchairs Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 I am seriously thinking to make a similar decision. I have contacted remaining schools about admissions time line, they cant give me that answer. Ok, I understand they need time;but, the thing is they did not even interview me! I figured I'm not in their shortlist. I still need to think...
kaykaykay Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Congratulations! Do not get very upset with school B they might be low on dough and that is why they are so unreliable. Then again, whatever the reason is , mutual love is the key for long term happiness! hello! :) 1
MoJingly Posted March 29, 2011 Author Posted March 29, 2011 I am seriously thinking to make a similar decision. I have contacted remaining schools about admissions time line, they cant give me that answer. Ok, I understand they need time;but, the thing is they did not even interview me! I figured I'm not in their shortlist. I still need to think... I would say that if you really want to go to those schools you are still waiting on, then give them a little longer. But if you find that you are waiting just "for the heck of it" like I was, then just make the decision. I felt weird making a commitment before I heard back from that last school, but then I realized that I probably wouldn't have gone there anyway. The things in my resume that school B thought were downfalls were actually pointed out by school A as an advantage (most specifically, the fact that I got my undergrad degree in music). Kalapocska was right, mutual love is important! Hypothetically, if I would have been accepted and attended school B, I would have been starting off with harsh feelings anyway. Not a good way to do it. I woke up this morning and still felt good about my decision. I've actually been researching buying a home near my new school since the cost of living is so cheap. Such fun things to think about now!
Poppet Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 I woke up this morning and still felt good about my decision. I've actually been researching buying a home near my new school since the cost of living is so cheap. Such fun things to think about now! I love this! Posts like this are always so much fun to read. Congrats on being proactive about your decision and moving on towards a life of fulfillment. The house-shopping sounds way more fun than any other option.
newms Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Congratulations! It's a lot better to go to a place that's great and that wants you as much as you want to go there. Don't waste your time with programs that just string you along and play with your heart. I feel like I'm giving relationship advice here... Edited March 29, 2011 by newms
MoJingly Posted March 29, 2011 Author Posted March 29, 2011 I feel like I'm giving relationship advice here... I mean, you are! This is nothing short of a relationship. I just made an appointment for my first house showing tomorrow. What big life stuff! Aaaaaah
Sleepy Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 I also got accepted to 2 schools. For a while I was considering going to my safety school, even though it wasn't even close to my other choice in its academic strength. I did not receive any word on funding yet from the safety school and my deadline was fast approaching for the other school, so I emailed the head of the department kindly asking what are the chances of getting funding and he responded with a request to send him my resume so that he can assess my chances. I mean, come on. Doesn't he already have my resume with my application package? How many people could he possibly have accepted that he can't remember where my application is? I wen't ahead and accepted the other offer, of course.
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