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ylimer

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So, it seems like I need at least 4 people out of 7 to decline for a 33% chance of admission.

They may begin taking people off the waitlist before reaching a specific threshold of declines, for fear that too many will decline just before 4/15. Then again, that is a fairly small program, so they may not have the ability to risk accidentally taking on more than 5 students.

You could try emailing your POI/the DGS/the Graduate Coordinator to ask about how they handle waitlists. Worst case scenario, they can't tell you anything you don't already know, but they will see that you are seriously interested in the program.

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To the Oregon folks, I apologize but I am still waiting to hear back from a couple of my acceptances about revised funding offers before I can make an informed decision. I don't mean to make you wait unnecessarily.

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I am wait-listed for funding at University of Pittsburgh. Let the stress begin. Anyone accepted here but likely to go elsewhere? 

 

 

I didn't apply there but I know at least one person who got in and is very likely going elsewhere. So hang in there! 

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I got in off the waitlist (I guess?) at UCLA yesterday but declined the offer today, as I've already committed to UT and am happy with my decision.  So, anyone who hasn't heard from UCLA may be getting some news...

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What's the deal with programs that "may" send out final decisions after the April 15 deadline?

Is it appropriate to ask the other potential program to push the deadline back or should I just accept the other offer and think about it later, if I ever got off the waitlist and was offered admission to my first choice?

By the way, may I just ask everyone who has an offer to try to make decisions as soon as possible, and immediately decline if you are sure you are not going to accept the offer? Other people's mental sanity depends on it :-)

Edited by RandomDood
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What's the deal with programs that "may" send out final decisions after the April 15 deadline?

Is it appropriate to ask the other potential program to push the deadline back or should I just accept the other offer and think about it later, if I ever got off the waitlist and was offered admission to my first choice?

By the way, may I just ask everyone who has an offer to try to make decisions as soon as possible, and immediately decline if you are sure you are not going to accept the offer? Other people's mental sanity depends on it :-)

 

Seems like I might be headed towards that type of bind too. Anybody from previous years find themselves in this situation?

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Seems like I might be headed towards that type of bind too. Anybody from previous years find themselves in this situation?

 

I was in this situation last year. I had to accept an offer by April 15, but received an email about a week later saying I was off the funding waitlist at my top choice. I felt really guilty about reneging my acceptance to the first institution, but I knew that I would be happier and do much better work at my top choice. I was expecting to get some sort of nasty email or something after I contacted the first institution, but I didn't get anything like that. The DGS emailed me to ask me a few question about why, but it wasn't accusatory, it was more seeing what the program could do to be more competitive in the future. He seemed really understanding about why I had chosen the other school. I think it helped that I very much made it a "it's not you, it's me" situation, and that it was not too long after the deadline - two weeks max. I felt really guilty (and I may have cried and given myself panic attacks while trying to finalize my decision), but I'm really happy that I ended up coming to my first choice. The program is such a better fit for me, there are so many more faculty who share my interests, and it was totally worth that little bit of anxiety. 

 

Another thing to consider is what type of funding (if any) you are being offered from the university where you are accepting in order to meet the April 15 deadline. Some funding packages are things you were specifically nominated for - such as fellowships. If you end up reneging your offer, the university might not be able to give the funding to someone else. For me, I was going to be funded through a GTA position, so that is much more easily transferred to another person. 

Edited by sociologo
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