Eligibility after turning down offer

[OctopusPrime]

Does anyone know how turning down an offer from a Statistics MS program would affect your eligibility for the following year (or later) at the same program?  I may be offered a job that would cause me to postpone my graduate studies, but I wouldn't want to burn bridges with programs I'm applying to now.

 

[cyberwulf]

It would have zero impact on your eligibility. People turn down offers all the time. At most places, they probably wouldn't even notice that you were applying a second time.

[fuzzylogician]

It shouldn't be a problem if you turn down the offer in a polite and professional way. The following year, you'll be able to explain that you had a special opportunity to do XYZ job, which helped you develop ABC skills, and now you want to build on those skills in a graduate program. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that, if you're offered admissions, you could look into accepting the offer and deferring for a year. Some schools will let you do that.