Crafting an inquiry email

[FeministLife]

I am wondering if anyone can provide some advice on drafting an inquiry email to a prospective school one has not heard back from yet?

 

My number 2 school has extended me an offer and is asking for a decision as soon as possible, and preferably before the deadline of April 15th--so if I don't accept they can present an offer to the first person on the waitlist. I let them know that I am waiting to hear back from a couple of other schools but that I would go ahead and see if I could find out when those other schools would be issuing decisions by. Obviously, I don't want to seem like a nuisance to my number 1 choice school but I also would like to be considerate and give a decision to my number 2 choice soon. 

 

Has anyone crafted and inquiry email they would share as a template? Or provide me with any advice of how I should word such an email?

 

Thanks

[VirginianFeminist]

You have my apologies if you have already done this, but you should first check the results from previous years to get a rough estimate of Number 1's notification timeline. Also, check out this year's Some of your fellow applicants may have already posted information about decisions for Number 1.

 

If there is no information available from either of those sources (or from Number 1's website), a concise e-mail to Number 1 should be fine: 

 

"Dear [Graduate Coordinator],

 

I am writing to inquire about my application to the doctoral program. When should I expect to receive a decision on my application? Thank you very much.

 

Best,

 

FeministLife"

 

 

FWIW, one of the schools to which I have been admitted has also asked for a decision as soon as possible. I have a admitted students visit scheduled with another school at the end of March, which means I will not make a decision until April 1st at the earliest. I understand (and share) your desire to be courteous, but you would still be letting Number 2 know in advance if you were to let them know a month from now.