Deferrals

[verito]

I have been accepted to 3 programs i really like ( that already seems like a miracle at this point)

Unfortunately, due no very unexpected circumstances, i do have to ask for a deferral.

Now, the thing is, to defer, all of them ask you to accept their offer and to send in more money as a deposit. You then send your letter explaining the reasons for deferral.

Now, i do not want to turn the schools down not knowing which one will accept/deny my deferral because there is simply no way in can enroll in fall 09.

Since deferral is not automatic, i am thinking that not all schools will accept it.

So what should i do?

I do not want to take anyone's place if i end up not attending but on the other hand i do not want to turn the offer down until i am sure that they rejected my deferral.

Then again , is there any kind of legal binding if i accept the offer and i do not go because my deferral is refused?

It also implies a lot of deposit money....

Is anyone else in this case?

thanks !

[tistre]

Congrats on getting into 3 programs you like!

Firstly, I wouldn't worry about legal binding if you accept/defer an offer and decide not to go. Students even start programs and end up dropping out a lot of the time. Nobody is going to sue you. Things happen in peoples lives.

If you want to know about deferral options at these schools, simple - ask them. It's hard to phrase it the right way, but becoming very good at writing emails is a part of the whole deal. Write to profs you know in the program, that's always a better option, or if you don't know any, write to the grad director explaining that you are considering your options given an unexpected circumstance that has cropped up. Most schools are very upfront about whether they do deferrals or not, it's even on their websites sometimes.

I really don't know about this last thing, but I am not too sure if you deferring will mean that it takes the spot away from candidates entering this year. It could affect next year's round of admissions. But the truth is, I don't know, and this could vary from school to school. Depending on the school, some departments are more autonomous than others in how they manage their money and admissions. At the end of the day, you can't make your decision based on how it is going to affect a school's admissions process. It's unfortunate that it seems like we're pitted against each other as grad applicants, but your personal circumstance is the most important context here. It does affect your life in the long run. Good luck.