Between a better-choice waitlist and an accept

[aspiringlinguist2014]

I don't know if any of you have had the same problem. I got waitlisted at a PhD program, and accepted into a Masters program. Of course, if I don't get into the PhD program off the waitlist, I've got to accept the Masters. But the PhD program says that they will know for sure after April 15th, and I have to accept or reject the Masters program by the 15th! And these are my only two choices (probably, still waiting on one more school). What should I do?? Would it be kosher to email the PhD program on like April 10th and ask them whether I'm at the top of the waitlist? Have any of you had the same problem, and how did you deal with it?

 

Thanks!

[sweetpearl16]

I would not wait until April 10th to ask about your position on the waitlist. I would go ahead and contact either your POI or the DGS now to let them know you have another offer and ask questions about how the waitlist works (Is it ranked? If so, what is your position? Have they accepted people off of it in the past?). Last year I was waitlisted at my top choice school and got into another school with full funding. When I found out I was waitlisted I asked my POI, who also happened to be the DGS, about how the waitlist worked, if it was ranked then was willing to tell my position, and whether people had been accepted off of it in the past. I also reaffirmed my interest in the program and let him know I had another offer. At the beginning of April I contacted him again to let him know I had not accepted my other offer, that I was still interested in this school, and if admitted I would accept the offer.

[dhg12]

I don't think it would hurt to ask your relative position! 

[tuschu]

Even though they say that they will know for sure after April 15th, it does not mean that they will not know before that date. You should find out about your ranking, and communicate with the school.

[TakeruK]

I agree with dhg--ask the waitlist school if you can expect to hear any further information. Sometimes waitlists are not ranked because they might have different waitlisted people in mind to replace people that leave, or they might just "waitlist" a second tier of applicants and then sit down again and reevaluate the waitlisted pool with the new information from the current list of people who have already accepted (perhaps they don't want all of their students in one particular subfield, for example). But you never know what they have planned unless you ask and let them know that you are really interested in them and have another deadline!

[fuzzylogician]

You can periodically inquire about your status on the waitlist. Ask now where you stand on the list and when you might expect to hear further news. Then I think it's fine to inquire again, say in late March and then again as the April 15th deadline approaches (make sure the inquiries are 10-14 days apart) to see how things are progressing. You can let this school know that you have a decision deadline for another program, though there is no guarantee that this will help speed the process along. As the decision deadline approaches, if you still haven't heard anything, you could see if the Masters program will agree to let you take a few extra days past the deadline to inform them of your decision. If they do, that may be all you need.