Recruitment Visit Dilemma

[Zebby]

Dear all:

 

You are accepted to a delightful program with a wonderful fellowship at an institution...let's call it "School A." School A offers to reimburse your flight to a recruitment weekend. You accept and buy the ticket yourself (School A says they will reimburse your ticket when you arrive there).

 

Then you learn via informal email from a professor that another, even more desirable program (lets call it "School B") has accepted you. You want to go to School B, but you have already committed to a recruitment weekend at School A. What a lucky mess to be in!

 

You are still waiting for the official letter and financial offer from School B, so you aren't ready to turn down School A. But what about that recruitment weekend? Do you go and pretend that you are seriously considering the school even though you will very likely be accepting School B's offer?

 

And what happens if School B's formal offer and financial deal arrives before the recruitment event? Do you inform School A immediately upon receiving formal offer from School B, even if that means declining recruitment weekend and...who knows, not getting reimbursed for the flight you stupidly bought without cancellation insurance?

 

Let's face it, I am lucky to face such a dilemma. That said, I would really appreciate hearing feedback on such a predicament.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Zebby

[laminator]

I would suggest going to the visit at A with an open mind, they're reimbursing you so it costs you nothing. Maybe you won't get a good financial offer from B, or maybe the visit to A will convince you your assessment was wrong. Even if you are pretty certain you're going to attend B, there can be value in visiting A simply for networking, you'll probably get the chance to talk to a few professors and many students who might be the ones hiring you in the future.

[iphi]

You should go! My top choice last year quickly changed after a visit to their program, and my last choice became my first! Go and figure things out for yourself!

[MidwesternAloha]

Go to the recruitment weekend! At the very worst, it's an opportunity to network!

[Zebby]

Thank you so much for your feedback!

[Enhydra]

Agree with what everyone here has said: Go with an open mind.Have a good time, network. It might become your new favorite, it might not. Only way to find out it to go.