Fake Accept?

[Gonner85]

So, I've been accepted to two schools. One of them has given me pretty generous financial aid, and the other (which I would rather go to) is being a bit slow about financial offers, but I am apparently pretty high on the wait list. Unfortunately, as we all know, April 15 is bearing down rapidly on us. Would it be totally un-kosher to accept at the latter school to give myself more time to get hit up on the wait list, and then back out if I don't get a decent financial offer?

Edited April 4, 2011 by Gonner85

[anthropologygeek]

Once you sign you are legally going or the school can make you pay the first semester tuition. They can even sue for the money but most won't if not all. However depending on size of your field they could negatively affect your reputation. Why don't you try asking for more time to decide?

[kaykaykay]

Till the 15th of April you can change your mind even if you accepted an offer. After April 15th you have to ask for an official release from your contract. It may have happened that some school denied it but I have never heard about a case like that. If you ask for an official release that can burn some bridges . I never heard about making someone pay either for a semester but who knows, investigate a little bit. You may be able to ask for an extension on the decision from the first school if you are sure that the decision will be close to the apr 15 deadline at the other school, that seems to be a more straightforward way.

[Eigen]

Till the 15th of April you can change your mind even if you accepted an offer. After April 15th you have to ask for an official release from your contract. It may have happened that some school denied it but I have never heard about a case like that. If you ask for an official release that can burn some bridges . I never heard about making someone pay either for a semester but who knows, investigate a little bit. You may be able to ask for an extension on the decision from the first school if you are sure that the decision will be close to the apr 15 deadline at the other school, that seems to be a more straightforward way.

This is incorrect. There is a general agreement among the schools that are signatories of the CGS resolution that you can change your mind after you accept an offer (but prior to April 15th), but it is in no way binding. Should a school choose to deviate from this resolution, there is nothing official to stop them- they just might not be able to continue as signatories of the resolution. Make sure you check with the school before you try this.

Technically, once you accept an offer you have a legally binding contract to attend the school, and I have heard stories of schools that will sue for the costs of attendance, especially as many administrations won't allow funds to be reallocated to someone else after an offer has been officially accepted.

On the other implicit points in the original post: It's not courteous to accept an offer just to give yourself more time. If you don't attend the first institution after having formally accepted their offer, there's a large chance you deprive them of that funding altogether for a student for that year. An acceptance is a legally binding contract, not something you should just sign "until a better offer comes along". It's not polite to either the university or the students on the waitlist at that institution to treat it as such.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Eigen

[anthropologygeek]

The april 15 only applies to sschools in the agreement, not all signed it, and also if you read it carefully it only applies to funding phd offers. But like I said I doubt the school would make you pay once you sign but legally they could take you to court and enforce it but I HIGHLY doubt they would. It more out of respect to the school and being true to your word. They potential advisor could be vindictive and try to give you a bad reputation. However, all this could be avoided by simply asking for an extension to the deadline like 2 weeks. Just say your having a hard time deciding and need more time. I haven't seen or heard of a school not giving more time.

[rising_star]

Why not just wait until 4:30pm EDT on April 15 to accept the offer that has funding?