Waitlisted by Joint CMU-Pitt - worth waiting?

[pikaStardust]

Hi everyone, hope you are having a good day. I am stuck in a dilemma now and thought this would be the place to ask for advice.

I want to get a PhD in computational biology and so far I've got three official offers and one unofficial offer from a potential POI. Yesterday I learned that I am waitlisted by Joint CMU-Pitt program in computational biology - which is my top choice. I have been waiting for their response for weeks and to be honest, waitlist was a disappoinment after hearing that my application was "stellar". The problem I now have is that whether I will be lucky enough to get through the waitlist. On the one hand I tend to think that waitlist is equal to rejection and try to choose the best program from my other offers. But a tiny bit of my brain does not stop reminding me that I still have a tiny bit of chance of getting into this program. I have got offers from programs that I will be happy to go but I know that I will be pretty upset if waitlist turns into an acceptance after I accept another offer. I really don't know what to do. 

So, long story short: is waitlist basically equal to rejection or should I wait for some more time - maybe beginning of april - before giving my final decision? 

Any help is much appreciated, thank you in advance!

[bamafan]

I wouldn't count on the waitlist. It's like waiting to win the lottery. And looking at your accepted list, it's not like you have a list of bad choices. You've got some great schools and truthfully, I don't believe your experience or work output will be different whether you go to one of those or to CMU. Speaking of which, did you visit CMU? If you haven't visited it, then you don't even know if you'll actually like it there. My top choices definitely changed after I visited schools.

[docholliday]

If you've been waitlisted after visiting then your chances are pretty high still, if not I'd say it's a lost cause. Duke and Penn State have great programs. There's students at Duke who declined their CMU offer to attend Duke.

[pikaStardust]

Thank you both for the help.
No unfortunately, I haven't done any campus visits. I am doing my masters in Turkey and it is quite impossible for me to go to the US to see the schools in the middle of the semester. My choice has to depend on what I can learn from the internet or from the people attending that school. 

Now I am inclined towards accepting Duke rather than waiting for CMU. I have done a more thorough research of the program and talked with a current grad student. He told me I wouldn't regret if I were to choose Duke and to be honest, that was the answer I was looking for. 

[sg_87]

I'm originally from Pittsburgh (got my undergrad right next to Pitt) and I am now living near Durham NC (Duke). I am also looking at applying to both of them this fall.

 

Because you are stuck abroad, I thought I'd throw my two cents in. From what I have observed, they are both very similar cities. Lots of colleges/universities, lots of hospitals, lots of college kids. The weather is much nicer in NC, though. If you like Duke, go for it. Don't wait. There are lines of people behind you begging to hear from Duke. (I'm one of them!) Not that Pitt and CMU aren't good schools, but you should not waste your time and energy waiting on a list.

 

Whatever you choose, let me know how it goes! I'm hoping to get accepted to either Duke or Pitt (or Penn State) for 2014!

[pikaStardust]

Thanks sg_87. Today, I have finally accepted Duke. I am really relieved now. 

Best of luck to you, hope you will get what you want! 

[bamafan]

Thanks sg_87. Today, I have finally accepted Duke. I am really relieved now. 

Best of luck to you, hope you will get what you want! 

 

Good choice, congrats. 

[Cogidubnus]

Looks like this is already settled, but having interviewed at Pitt for comp bio, I was very much not impressed. CMU might be totally different, but if anyone out there has an interview for the joint program in comp bio, make sure you know which school they're considering you for or else you might be wasting your time.