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Question about Accepting an Offer


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Hi everyone!

 

Ok, so I am still waiting to hear back from my top choice school, but the due date for it's application was March 1, so I don't feel like I will hear from them until April.

 

BUT, one of the schools that I have been accepted to that I am really considering going to has a decision due date of March 24th (with a $300 non-refundable deposit).

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to accept a seat and then decline it afterwards (I would be willing to take the $300 hit)?

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Hi everyone!

 

Ok, so I am still waiting to hear back from my top choice school, but the due date for it's application was March 1, so I don't feel like I will hear from them until April.

 

BUT, one of the schools that I have been accepted to that I am really considering going to has a decision due date of March 24th (with a $300 non-refundable deposit).

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to accept a seat and then decline it afterwards (I would be willing to take the $300 hit)?

 

 

You could try contacting the school to request an extension of the deadline just until you hear back from your top choice.  Have you asked if that is a possibility?  They might be flexible if you express your interest in the program but just need a little bit more time to consider all offers.

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You could try contacting the school to request an extension of the deadline just until you hear back from your top choice.  Have you asked if that is a possibility?  They might be flexible if you express your interest in the program but just need a little bit more time to consider all offers.

 

 

Things like that happen all the time.  If you're willing to take the hit, go for it.

It's better to reserve a spot at School A and decline it later for School B if you're accepted.

 

Thank you both for your quick and helpful responses! I will take advice from the both of you ... will call the school and ask for an extension, but may still just reserve the spot if I see I get too close to the deadline.

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Hi! I'm in this predicament, too. So there aren't any consequences for accepting an offer and then later declining?

 

What you should NOT do is accept to two schools as a way of putting off your decision. That's just not fair to the schools and other applicants.

 

however, committing to one school because their deadline is approaching while you are still waiting for another offer is fine. For example, school A wants a commitment from you by march 24 but school B won't tell you if you've been accepted until April. Commit to school A on March 23, and then back out when you hear from school B. It's not fair to you to be required to follow through on your commitment to school A just because their deadline was so early, just like it's not fair to you to risk not going to grad school because you turned down school A while waiting for school B.

 

Basically, do what's best for you, and do it in a way that is respectful to schools and other applicants.

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What you should NOT do is accept to two schools as a way of putting off your decision. That's just not fair to the schools and other applicants.

 

however, committing to one school because their deadline is approaching while you are still waiting for another offer is fine. For example, school A wants a commitment from you by march 24 but school B won't tell you if you've been accepted until April. Commit to school A on March 23, and then back out when you hear from school B. It's not fair to you to be required to follow through on your commitment to school A just because their deadline was so early, just like it's not fair to you to risk not going to grad school because you turned down school A while waiting for school B.

 

Basically, do what's best for you, and do it in a way that is respectful to schools and other applicants.

 

Yes I was only planning on accepting to one school because of their very early deadline and I haven't heard back from others (and probably won't until April). Thank you for the reassurance and advice! 

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Hello, I'm in the same situation! I still have to hear from half of my schools (and find out if I get off wait lists for two more schools), but the school I've been accepted to wants me to accept my position with $1,000 down by March 31! Not quite sure what to do... :unsure: any suggestions?

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Hi everyone!

 

Ok, so I am still waiting to hear back from my top choice school, but the due date for it's application was March 1, so I don't feel like I will hear from them until April.

 

BUT, one of the schools that I have been accepted to that I am really considering going to has a decision due date of March 24th (with a $300 non-refundable deposit).

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to accept a seat and then decline it afterwards (I would be willing to take the $300 hit)?

 

Are you talking about William Paterson? I'm facing the same dilemma with them. 

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Hello, I'm in the same situation! I still have to hear from half of my schools (and find out if I get off wait lists for two more schools), but the school I've been accepted to wants me to accept my position with $1,000 down by March 31! Not quite sure what to do... :unsure: any suggestions?

That's a huge deposit! Can you call the department that accepted you and ask for an extension? You could also check the results board from last year to get a sense of when those other schools you are waiting on released decisions last year. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you to hear your decisions in the next 10 days though =)

 

Good luck!

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I know, it's SUCH a huge deposit! I asked for an extension, and they said I wouldn't be able to. I have to make a decision by the 31! I'm hoping I can at least hear from all my schools by then. If I don't get any other offers, I'll just take it. I mean it's better that than pray to get into a wait-listed school. With the 1000, I figure if the other school is a much cheaper option, I will take that into consideration, and it might be worth throwing the 1000 in, anyway. Any thoughts?

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That's a ton of money...my professor mentioned that technically, schools can not require you to have a decision until April 15th, I think , according to ASHA. But I may be not 100% right, I just know that's something floating around in my head right now.

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I think you're right. The department head said I had until April 15 before they could actually give my spot away. They just stress getting a response by the end of the month. This makes WAY more sense than what I was told by the graduate director!!

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If you google something along the lines of "speech path grad school ASHA deadline April 15" you will find many schools posting that they adhere to the NATIONAL deadline of April 15th, but I don't see where ASHA specifically states it-but I barely had time to look for it-it's probably there still!

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If you google something along the lines of "speech path grad school ASHA deadline April 15" you will find many schools posting that they adhere to the NATIONAL deadline of April 15th, but I don't see where ASHA specifically states it-but I barely had time to look for it-it's probably there still!

I think it's because ASHA doesn't have a rule stating they have to allow us until the 15th. I do believe, however, that according to the Council of Academic Programs in Communicaton Sciences and Disorders, the students applying to universities that participate in CSDCAS cannot be required to share decisions with the schools until April 15. That's the only place I could find it, anyway. This school is part of the CSDCAS system, so I guess that means I don't HAVE to respond until the 15. :)

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I had no idea until you said something! I did a TON of research and finally found it, so I emailed to the school that I wouldn't be able to respond until closer to the 15, and the department head said it was okay. I'm not sure if there is miscommunication between the department and the graduate school or what the issue is, but I think I have it all figured out. Thank you so much for all your help!!

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So if you're offered an assistantship you're bound to that school if you accept their offer? I applied for an assistantship at a school I was accepted to and will hear in a few days. However, I am waitlisted at my top choice school and won't find out if I am accepted until a little after April 15. If I am given the assistantship, is it still okay to ask for an extension?

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So if you're offered an assistantship you're bound to that school if you accept their offer? I applied for an assistantship at a school I was accepted to and will hear in a few days. However, I am waitlisted at my top choice school and won't find out if I am accepted until a little after April 15. If I am given the assistantship, is it still okay to ask for an extension?

 

This was posted in another thread and I believe it may answer your question.

 

https://www.cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_Resolution.pdf

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I'm in this situation, as well. I believe you can request a written release from the school whose offer you accepted (with a GA). If you have a written release, you can give that to the graduate school whose waitlist you were accepte off of. At that point, you can accept the offer. I believe this is correct, but don't hold it against me. Does anybody know for sure if this is right?

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