Schools in Limbo

[EccentricAcademic]

If you get multiple offers from schools, and then accept an offer, when should you let the other schools know that you will be declining?

 

Is it ok to accept at a school and not make the decline decision with other schools, for a few weeks? What if something comes up with the accepted school? What's the polite, legal, and normal way to handle such a situation?

Edited March 7, 2014 by Historian7

[EccentricAcademic]

I don't mean that I've accepted multiple offers. I just have accepted an offer at one school and want to know how soon to decline the other offers. 

[m-ttl]

I don't mean that I've accepted multiple offers. I just have accepted an offer at one school and want to know how soon to decline the other offers. 

 

Generally speaking, if you accept an offer, the polite thing to do is to decline all other offers because you are freeing up the wait list by doing so. 

[Munashi]

When this was me, I contacted my POI and the DGS at my school to ensure any necessary paperwork was turned in to them and to double check that I had confirmed my space in the new cohort.  Once they gave me the "all clear", I sent out emails declining the other offers I had received.  This only took a day or two of extra waiting.  Once you're sure, there is no reason to hold onto the other offers.

 

If you AREN'T entirely sure yet, that's a different story.

[EccentricAcademic]

I had multiple deans at my school say that I should make sure that there aren't any hitch ups, esp. with funding, etc. Then, after that, they said that I could decline the other schools. According to them, it's ok as long as  you do it before the deadlines, and ok to accept but then make sure all is straightened out before closing all the other doors.

Just don't accept multiple offers or enroll at multiple places. You don't have to notify anyone of anything until the deadline. At least, 3 deans said that to me. 

Anyone else disagree with this?