lower ranked school

[Jeniineko]

I finally got my first acceptance! The only problem is its one of my lower picks, and isnt exactly known for research. I'm worried about the possibility of coming out of grad school with a over qualified degree, but one thats not at a good enough school to get a job.

My family doesnt understand my concerns because they have othrr good programs such as pharmacy, law etc.

Anyways its at duquesne in pittsburgh, and theyre offering me a tuition waiver (8 credits) and 22k per ywar for a ta position but didnt specify hours. Also, even though theyre included on the list of grad schools with the april 15th agreement, they want me to accept by march 20th.

Im still waiting for my top picks, mainly drexel. But whats the opinion on this situation? Im hoping to go for microbiology, or in the case of duquesne, a phd in biology and focus on microbiology.

Also sorry for typos and lack of grammar. Im on my nook and its hard to type and go back and fix mistakes.

[juilletmercredi]

The April 15 agreement is about funding decision:

 

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.

 

There's an asterisk there that explains that this does not include offers of admission, only offers of financial support.  However, since the financial support is sort of intricately tied to the offer of admission here, tell them that you would like until April 15 to make a decision as you are still waiting on other schools.

 

While the funding package seems good, you need to consider whether or not this school is going to get you to your goal.  I don't know about microbiology - is that a prestige-driven field?  Do you need a pedigree from a top school to get a job in an oversaturated market, or is the market open enough that people from the mid-tier schools are also getting good appointments?  (I get the sense that the life sciences are almost as bad as the humanities.)  What is your potential advisor's placement rate?

 

If you are still waiting for your top picks, ask them if you can have more time to accept.  A lot of schools are trying to force students into deciding earlier because it suits their needs; if you can help it, don't let them.