Waitlisted

[Nyctophile]

Can anyone claim the Princeton admit off the wait list? Congrats!

Back to frantically refreshing my email.

I was going to say "It's me!" but then i checked the time of your message and saw the below:

 

 

 

I'm the Princeton wait list-turned-admit, and feeling very lucky and relieved!

So, I guess: Hello! Me too!

 

Although the relief didn't last long b/c now I'm in agonies waiting for the official offer letter. Did you already receive yours???

Edited April 12, 2014 by Nyctophile

[davidipse]

Do you guys now if we can ask schools for a an extension of the decision deadline, until, say, April 16? Or would it be in extremely bad form to ask?

Edited April 12, 2014 by davidipse

[Nyctophile]

Do you guys now if we can ask schools for a an extension of the decision deadline, until, say, April 16? Or would it be in extremely bad form to ask?

I just spoke to my advisor about this today. He said that it's a little risky but if the reason you're asking is a good one it could be worth it. I think it also depends on the relationship you have with the school you want to ask for an extension, if you've had a lot of contact and/or interest I think they might take it better than a place where you've barely spoken to anyone. I might need to ask for extra time too so this is definitely something that's on my mind.

[StaircaseWit]

I was going to say "It's me!" but then i checked the time of your message and saw the below:

 

 

 

So, I guess: Hello! Me too!

 

Although the relief didn't last long b/c now I'm in agonies waiting for the official offer letter. Did you already receive yours???

 

Hello and congrats!!  I received my official acceptance email yesterday (the one from the Graduate School which gives details on creating a Princeton net ID to retrieve the financial offer), but that offer letter hasn't been posted yet. Daphne Brooks said that Grad Admissions will try to get those out sometime later today if possible, so I guess we have a bit more waiting to do...

[zabka]

Do you guys now if we can ask schools for a an extension of the decision deadline, until, say, April 16? Or would it be in extremely bad form to ask?

Honestly (and I don't mean this to sound as harsh as it does) but I think it is extremely bad form to ask for an extension without extenuating circumstances. The universal deadline exists for a reason. It allows schools to go through their first round offers, extend offers to waitlisters, etc. all in a timely and "fair" fashion. If you ask for an extension and then turn down a school, it can't go to its wait list until after the deadline which means that many people on its wait list will have accepted other offers. Sure, technically, these people can ask to be realized from their programs, but this creates a messiness that trickles down. What will one extra day to consider your offer do for you?

[davidipse]

Honestly (and I don't mean this to sound as harsh as it does) but I think it is extremely bad form to ask for an extension without extenuating circumstances. The universal deadline exists for a reason. It allows schools to go through their first round offers, extend offers to waitlisters, etc. all in a timely and "fair" fashion. If you ask for an extension and then turn down a school, it can't go to its wait list until after the deadline which means that many people on its wait list will have accepted other offers. Sure, technically, these people can ask to be realized from their programs, but this creates a messiness that trickles down. What will one extra day to consider your offer do for you?

 

Thanks, and I agree with this, and would indeed deserve a harsh reprimand if I were asking for an extension just because I need one more day to make up my mind. But that's not the case.

 

I'm waitlisted at School X. An extra day would mean that if a place opens up in School X in the last minute, I wouldn't have already accepted an offer at School Y.

 

Which is the lesser evil: 1) to ask X for an extension, or 2) to accept X's offer but then, if Y's waitlist comes through, ask X for a release?

[davidipse]

I just spoke to my advisor about this today. He said that it's a little risky but if the reason you're asking is a good one it could be worth it. I think it also depends on the relationship you have with the school you want to ask for an extension, if you've had a lot of contact and/or interest I think they might take it better than a place where you've barely spoken to anyone. I might need to ask for extra time too so this is definitely something that's on my mind.

 

Good to know this (thank you). Did your advisor say what kind of risk? I assume they wouldn't rescind your admission; maybe it would sour the relationship a little, but the bitterness would probably be forgotten by August, and in any case you'd have 5 years to change their mind about you, if you do accept.

[ProfLorax]

I don't see the harm in asking. I really don't. You aren't demanding, you aren't assuming. As long as you go in knowing the DGS could say no, what is the harm in asking? Honestly, the program will take care of itself. If extending your deadline 24 hours will cause them any inconvenience, the DGS will say no.

 

Dear DGS,

 

Thank you for providing so much information for your program! I apologize for not informing you of my decision yet. I am still waiting to hear back from one program, and I want to talk to my family and investigate all my options before making a final decision. Could you extend my final decision deadline to April 16?

 

All the best,

 

So and so

[davidipse]

I don't see the harm in asking. I really don't. You aren't demanding, you aren't assuming. As long as you go in knowing the DGS could say no, what is the harm in asking? Honestly, the program will take care of itself. If extending your deadline 24 hours will cause them any inconvenience, the DGS will say no.

 

Dear DGS,

 

Thank you for providing so much information for your program! I apologize for not informing you of my decision yet. I am still waiting to hear back from one program, and I want to talk to my family and investigate all my options before making a final decision. Could you extend my final decision deadline to April 16?

 

All the best,

 

So and so

 

Thanks proflorax. I was thinking of calling, but email seems better. It'd be less awkward to take no over the email!

Edited April 12, 2014 by davidipse

[zabka]

Ah the dreaded wait list. Are you positive you prefer that school to your other options? Have you spoken to them about what your chances are at this stage?

I am in a similar situation. I have decided not to ask for an extension. The school I am wait listed at assumed (correctly) that I have other offers and is doing their best to get an offer to me by the deadline. I'm not sure what ill do if a spot comes through after the fact.

If I were you, I would decided among your current choices, decline other offers, and then wait until you get word from the wait list school. Most of the time, they make an effort to let you know either way before the deadline. If they are still unsure as of Tuesday morning, then get excited about your current option and accept/ask for an extension. The wait list is a necessary evil but it is definitely tough to navigate. Fingers crossed for everyone still waiting!

[davidipse]

Hi Zabka. You might want to check this out:

 

I'm positive about prefering the waitlist school, though I'd be happy and content at the other one too. And yes, I've already let go of my other offers, and now it's all a Beckettian wait-land.

[Nyctophile]

Mostly just that they might think you aren't as committed or serious about their school, which might as you said, sour the relationship a little. It mostly depends on the person that you're talking to anyway, some might take it as a personal affront while someone else is going to understand how stressful and overwhelming this all is and that it is an intensely personal and important decision to make. I'm pretty sure the DGS at X is of the latter category, he's been pretty amazing whenever I've needed something so far. 

[zabka]

Hi Zabka. You might want to check this out:

 

I'm positive about prefering the waitlist school, though I'd be happy and content at the other one too. And yes, I've already let go of my other offers, and now it's all a Beckettian wait-land.

Thanks for the link! Definitely something to think about. In my case, I'm quite worried about burning bridges, specifically because school x tends to hire school Ys grads. I'm glad you have decided between your current offers and know where you stand with the wait list. I hope you get off before the 15th and all of this is for naught. I'm getting excited to leave wait-land once and for all and start planning for next year.

Nyctophile, did you receive the details of your new offer?

[Nyctophile]

Yep, just a bit ago...it didn't seem at face value to be better than my other offer. then I spoke to a current grad student on the phone and he said that though it says five years in a combination of teaching and fellowship, in reality I'll only be required to teach one year and the rest are fellowship. I'll need to confirm with the DGS but damn...that is a LOT of research time! the biggest draw of the other program is the people, both the professors and the grad students. now I'm trying to decide between following the money or joining my people. 

[davidipse]

Yep, just a bit ago...it didn't seem at face value to be better than my other offer. then I spoke to a current grad student on the phone and he said that though it says five years in a combination of teaching and fellowship, in reality I'll only be required to teach one year and the rest are fellowship. I'll need to confirm with the DGS but damn...that is a LOT of research time! the biggest draw of the other program is the people, both the professors and the grad students. now I'm trying to decide between following the money or joining my people. 

 

So, I was (as you might remember) in a similiar pickle recently. I asked around a lot and most professors and grad students seemed to agree that only one year of teaching might put you at a serious disatvantage on the job market. But Princeton would let you teach more if you wanted (and I think they even pay you extra for any teaching you do in addition to what's required).

[Nyctophile]

That is very true and I would want to do more teaching than the one year BUT since it's not a requirement I feel like that would allow me greater flexibility in choosing when and how much to teach. Ack! one more thing to consider!

[zabka]

Sounds like a very tempting offer, nyctophile! Everyone at my current institution has really emphasized the importance of fellowship time plus having that kinda flexibility means you can work to your strengths, Hopefully, you'll get a chance to speak to as many students and profs so you can get a sense of the people--I met some of the profs recently and they were lovely. This might be controversial but I think the less teaching time only becomes a liability outside of the top 10-15. Princeton grads definitely get jobs. Luckily, it doesn't seem like you can make a bad choice. Good luck!

[Whirlflux]

In my experience, waitlists are indeed good places to be -- got two wonderful offers off the waitlist.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Whirlflux

[Nyctophile]

Sounds like a very tempting offer, nyctophile! Everyone at my current institution has really emphasized the importance of fellowship time plus having that kinda flexibility means you can work to your strengths, Hopefully, you'll get a chance to speak to as many students and profs so you can get a sense of the people--I met some of the profs recently and they were lovely. This might be controversial but I think the less teaching time only becomes a liability outside of the top 10-15. Princeton grads definitely get jobs. Luckily, it doesn't seem like you can make a bad choice. Good luck!

Thanks!

[andromache]

As of this morning there is one open position at the funded program I am waitlisted for, and one accepted candidate they have yet to hear from.

 

I'm waiting to commit to a partially funded program until I hopefully get an offer from the fully funded program, though I've given myself a deadline of 7 pm tomorrow.

 

If it comes down to it and the funded program makes me an offer on the 16th, I'll just have to tell the other program my situation and hope they let me off the hook. It'll be a difference of tens of thousands of dollars, unfortunately, so I hope that if that is something I have to do, the program understands.

[zabka]

I am likewise still waiting. Wondering if I should have asked for an extension.

Davidipse/nyctophile, did either of you manage extensions?

[Between Fields]

I was accepted today off of the waitlist at Illinois State, and the letter said I had to reply by the 15th. My department chair and VPAA here advised me to ask for a little more time, and so I now have until Friday. (They actually said I should ask for a whole week, but I was being conservative.) I'm terrified and excited at the same time, because I'm waiting for three other offers that the DGSs have been very optimistic about over the past few weeks, but I also know I'd be stupid to turn down a fully-funded (for four years, five years if you pass your dissertation proposal) offer. I'm really excited by the program's focus on pedagogy and integrating it into all aspects of the curriculum, but at the same time I'm not sure if I want to be in the midwest for another half-decade (I was born here, but I'm one of those individuals who isn't a straight WASP, and so it's not always so fun to live here).  

[Me fail English?]

I was under the impression that official admits have until the 15th of April to decide, and as such those offered spots off of the wait list would have a little bit of time to consider (assuming, though, that those admitted off of the wait list are admitted on the 15th). 

[shortstack51]

I was rejected from CUNY's wait list--I have officially heard back from all programs. I wish those still waiting good luck!

[Nyctophile]

I am likewise still waiting. Wondering if I should have asked for an extension.

Davidipse/nyctophile, did either of you manage extensions?

Hi zabka,

I actually didn't ask for one. I've had plenty of time to consider Cornell (although not in comparison to Princeton) so I didn't feel justified in asking for an extension.