Deciding all at once or one by one

[Comfect]

I'm wondering, for those who have three or more acceptances, what your method is for winnowing those down to a final place you actually attend (assuming that you don't reject all of them). Do you eliminate them one by one, rejecting as you go along, until you have a single, glorious destination? Or do you hang on to all of them until you have definitely decided on which single place you wish to attend?

[firefly85]

I'm not sure if this answers your question and I only have 2 admits so far (waiting on 2 more), but I'm waiting until I have all of my information (admits, funding etc) before I make any decisions. When I do have all of the info (still waiting on funding info for one of the admits too) I'll probably line up all of my acceptances and try to rate them all somehow to decide where I want to go. It'll be stressful (I'm really really indecisive) but it'll be fun to finally feel like I have some control in this process!

[t_ruth]

I'm still waiting on some funding info. If I found out for certain one wasn't going to offer me funding, I'd take them off the list...

Once I have all the info I will (try to) make a decision. I can't really predict yet how I'm going to do that

[socialpsych]

I did them in bunches.

Pulled out of 4 schools (declined offer/interview, withdrew app) when I got in to my top choice. That left 6.

Eliminated 3 more, a few weeks later: withdrew from 2 where I had interviewed, and waited for the rejection from the other one (where I was indeed rejected). That left 3. One of those was clearly behind the other two, but I didn't withdraw from there quite yet.

Then I made a tentative decision and waited until my last visit day. Finally, accepted the offer and emailed those last 2 schools...left with one!

That entire process took just over a month.

If your preferences are clear enough to eliminate schools as you go, I think it makes a ton of sense to do that. Waitlisted applicants at those schools will be grateful! But, as multiple threads on this board have discussed, if your preferences aren't clear, don't feel any pressure to let go of those options before you're ready. And definitely visit everywhere before you make decisions you're not completely sure about!

[ejuliast]

I'm waiting until I've visited all of them (yup, all of them). Then I'm going to make an overall decision.

[TulipOHare]

My discipline doesn't often fund MAs, so the one that throws me the most money (or, possibly, the one that throws me any money) wins automatically. Still waiting on that...

If none of them understand that my awesomeness needs to be rewarded in cash, then I'm gonna have a serious chunk of debt no matter what. So the decision will then come down to several points:

- how serious a chunk of debt I want, or if I should try again next year instead :cry:

- stay in Philly vs. move to NYC (at this point I'm expecting a rejection from UMD so DC is probly out)

- cost vs. length of program (they're inversely proportional -- weird, huh?)

- how much I care about my specialty and a possible future PhD (two programs have a whole separate track for the specialty; one doesn't even have any faculty in it)

[omgninjas]

I was fortunate enough to get accepted to all of the schools I applied to, but I had pretty much ranked them before I'd started on the whole process.

After all was said and done, (i.e. I'd gotten the funding info, figured out where I'd be able to visit and where I wouldn't), I cut it down to my top 4 schools, which matched up pretty well to where I had them ranked beforehand. Then, I took a closer look at the faculty and started reading some of their work. My opinion pretty much stayed the same, and now I'm down to the top two, which I'm visiting.

I think in the end I'm probably going to end up at the school I've been leaning towards the entire time, but I'm glad I didn't rush my decision too much.

[needingspring]

I was able to dismiss one acceptance pretty early because it was only parshall funding at a school that I wasn't very excited about in the first place. Once I received acceptances from two schools that I would equally love to attend (and I had visited them both), I decided to remove myself from all other waitlists just to simplify the situation (and because I honestly knew I wouldn't have picked the waitlist-schools above either of the acceptances). Now, I have absolutely no idea how to choose between the two schools that I have left, especially since the visits to each were equally strong. But at least I have a month to figure it out!

I guess if you have a place that you absolutely, honestly know that you will *not* attend, then why not let them know early, in order to free up a place for the waitlist. If you have a more confusing decision between three+ places, wait until you have visited all of them before you make your first cut. So I guess just simplfy, simplfy until you pare things down to the point of maximum confusion (or optimal clarity?)

[Dontuse]

this may sound weird but I pair them & decide between the two... but I pair all combinations of the offers.

although it's not as taxing a situation now as when i was deciding where to attend as an incoming freshman undergraduate (those were the days!) I find that i'm pairing all the same.

for example:

A trumps B [overall deciding category: better funding]

A trumps C [overall deciding category: better funding]

B trumps D [overall deciding category: program suits me better]

D trumps A [overall deciding category: really want to work with Professor X]

et c.

i don't bother to rank the reasons (as in funding weighs heavier than program fit]. instead i simply tally the scores.

but whatever works for you dear. enjoy being the bell at the ball choosing amongst suitors!

[baimeeker]

Well... I had 5 and got rid of my bottom one already. That leaves 4, all of which I am visiting. I have one more question for the first one I visited based on my experience at the second one, but I think the first is trumping the second regardless. Two visits to go. I think I will be able to tell after visiting each one which ones I am jazzed about. Honestly though, the funding/teaching issue is really important to me. There are two schools giving me very good fellowships, but I have to learn how to teach as well so that I can do it later. Not sure how good one of the two schools is at teaching people to teach... so...

Bottom line... it will be an over all decision, but it may be very difficult.

[fuzzylogician]

I am trying to compare all my offers at once, based on the impression I got when I visited the schools. By now I am starting to have clear non-favorites, and I'll decline those offers in the next few days. For the remaining offers I am trying to go several days thinking "I'll go to school X" and see how I feel about it. My offers are comparable in many ways, so it's going to come down to that intangible "feeling" I have for each place. I still have one last meeting with a faculty member of some school scheduled for next week, but after that I want to decide by the weekend. I'd love to finally make my decision and get some stability back into my life.

[miratrix]

I felt like I had to decide on one program before all the others, since it was an MA program asking for an early answer, so I wrote to them a few days ago. They wrote back saying "ok, cool, so what PhD program are you going to?" Dudes, I don't know yet! I had basically decided in my mind last Friday, but wanted to sit on it for a week after visiting in order to be sure, and today I got off the waitlist at another school. Back to decisions...after that first response, I don't want to notify any program that I'm not attending until I know what program I AM attending, in case they ask.

[yivorechecho]

I was accepted to 6 programs (MA). Two have been immediately eliminated due to money and suckage, respectively. I'm visiting the other four over the next 3 weekends. I was initially only going to visit the two I was quite keen on, but I've since received some very nice scholarship offers and feel I owe it to both the programs and myself to give them a serious look. So I'm going to all 4: one this Saturday, two next Saturday (both in the same city, fortunately, but I'll have to run out of one early to catch the subway to arrive late at the other), and one the Friday after that. Either it will be good having them all close together and fresh in my mind or I'll be exhausted and everything will run together. We shall see!

I never thought I'd wind up where I did for undergrad, but I visited and loved the place, so you never know what will happen. If I didn't see them all, I'd second-guess myself forever. I probably still will.

[rising_star]

I eliminated schools one by one, often after visiting. That got me from 7 to 4. Then I took one off to make it three, one off to make it 2, then decided between those two at the last minute.

[verito]

So far i've been admitted to 3 out of 5. Am still waiting to hear from SAIS and Gtown.

Now, for work reasons, i should really defer. First of all, i have no savings and i've had no funding so far. Which leaves me in need of cash. Second, my boss really wants me to defer, they have laid-off already 15% of people where i work at and he needs me to hold the boat until the storm passes.

So... although i am still waiting for Sais and Gtown, knowing that Gtown does not accept deferrals rules them out anyway.

I've been to Fletcher for an evaluative interview. Never visited SIPA. They ask you to answer by April 20th, and of course i have to leave on wednesday 25th of march for over a month, which rules out any possiblity of visiting...

Although i think i ll decide once i know for sure for all schools, how are you 100% sure??

It's so hard !!

[mariposa]

I have three options, and the easy decision would be to go where the money is. However, I feel like I need either to be able to say no to two of them and yes to one, or to have a stronger yes for one than the others. Thus my decision will be a comparative one. The one option I have excluded is turning down all offers in favor of applying again next year with the hope of getting a better offer--that just seems ludicrous to me in my situation (because I don't think a better offer will exist).

[dpileofashes]

i got into all 3 schools i applied to (MUP) and i really cant decide I'm leaning towards Buffalo because its the only one with the specialization i really want (i say that at this moment), but its not like I cant create my own specialization at the other universities. Hunter means i could stay in the greatest city, live at home and save so much money! Albany was my safety, but its not the worst place you know

ANYWAY- I'm wavering back and forth, but only Hunter has made any indication of the possibility of funding which is kind of awkward- I know NYS does their budget in march/april- but i think for me the money will be the deal maker

I would make a pro/con list (i hate them, but they work) and go through one by one- don't make a hasty decision-

good luck and congrats on having options!!