Do people ever withdraw applications at this point?

[MammaD]

I'm still on a wait-list. Each day that passes without a decision is one day less I have to prepare my family for a move (sell a house, buy a house, move 600 miles, school placements, activities, locate childcare, and ... um, prepare myself to start a PhD program) and at this point, I'd rather take a year off and apply next year to the same program.

Will withdrawing and ending my uncertainty about August hurt my chances for getting in next year? Or should I just keep praying for a rejection soon? Or, if I somehow get in, reject their offer with full intent of applying again?

I don't want to blow any chances with that program, but I also don't want to jump into serious study with loose ends around myself and my family. My kids are elementary and middle-school age. My husband is active Army and would have to stay here until retirement, which could be as long as 4 more years (but could be sooner with downsizing).

Any guidance is appreciated. This whole process has been really awful.

[echlori]

I would like to know as well. I've been told by my waitlist school that they are currently full and not giving out acceptances. I'm pretty much resigned to re-applying next year

[MSW13]

What an awful lot of stressful uncertainty to carry.  I'm sorry, I don't know much about PhD application processes so my suggestion may be totally wrong.  But I wonder if you can call the school and find out what the chances are of being selected off of the waitlist at this point? Perhaps you can email your POI and get a general idea of where you stand?  Depending on the answer, you can decide if you are willing to hang in there just a little bit longer.

However, if you decide that the uncertainty is just too much to bear regardless, would you feel comfortable sending an email to your POI/school and say that due to the amount of time sensitive adjustments you would need to make in order to relocate your family for September, unfortunately you can no longer stay on the waitlist past the end of April/May (?).  However, you are still very interested in the program and will be reapplying next year...you'll spend the following year strengthening your application and hopefully will have better success... 

 

It is my understanding that PhD programs have pretty small waitlists so chances are they know you a bit more personally. For this reason I think it is important to send an email to explain your decision-making process rather than just pulling yourself out of competition without warning, especially since you plan on applying again next year. 

  

I'm still on a wait-list. Each day that passes without a decision is one day less I have to prepare my family for a move (sell a house, buy a house, move 600 miles, school placements, activities, locate childcare, and ... um, prepare myself to start a PhD program) and at this point, I'd rather take a year off and apply next year to the same program.

Will withdrawing and ending my uncertainty about August hurt my chances for getting in next year? Or should I just keep praying for a rejection soon? Or, if I somehow get in, reject their offer with full intent of applying again?

I don't want to blow any chances with that program, but I also don't want to jump into serious study with loose ends around myself and my family. My kids are elementary and middle-school age. My husband is active Army and would have to stay here until retirement, which could be as long as 4 more years (but could be sooner with downsizing).

Any guidance is appreciated. This whole process has been really awful.

[MammaD]

Thank you so much, MSW13!

I have been in touch with the faculty member I hope to work with, but she says she knows nothing and really hopes I get in. She is not yet tenured and isn't part of the admissions committee but she does bring a lot of funding to the school in research grants ...

This program is very small and you are right, they know me by name. I will email on Monday and see if any details are available. My application next year would be undoubtedly stronger because I've done original research for my thesis (from which we hope to publish a few journal papers), and I'll have graduated (after taking and doing well in some important skills classes).

Thanks for your insight and encouragement. Did I mention this process has been awful?