Need Major Advice Right Now

[CMac]

I was accepted to a program but they are making me decide by March 15th if I will accept or decline. I have only heard from 2 of 6 (both accepted) masters programs that I have applied to so far. The ones I have not heard from yet I know should be deciding soon and my top 2 are included in this list. I emailed my point of contact from the program asking for an extension deadline but I have not had any success hearing back from her. As a backup, I also emailed the Director of Graduate Studies and no response.. (side note: this school is on spring break, just my luck, but admin should still be there).

As I am here panicking I, extremely politely and apologetically, emailed the Director at my top school who I had previously spoken with on another occasion to explain my situation. This was only yesterday but I am so nervous that I made the wrong decision and she will be annoyed. 

Should I have just waited until March 15th and accepted that schools offer and then later withdrew if I were accepted to my top choice? I know there is a lot of controversy on this but if I still don't hear back from any of the people I contacted I might have to do this.

 

Oh the anxiety...

[morpheus]

Wow, that's really low of this school... and it's an American university? What field are you in? And how does your second accepted program compare to this one? 

[CMac]

My undergrad is in facilities management but I am applying to sustainable building/design/workplace strategies programs. The program I was accepted to was for sustainable building systems and is considered engineering at this university. It is an American university also. It's my number 3 choice and really is a great school and program and I would have no qualms going there if I do not get accepted to my top choice but I really just want to know before I make a decision.

The second program really doesn't compare though it is a great school but it was more of a backup for me.

[wishthebest]

As long as funding is not arranged by the current accepting school, I think calling off the offer you took is not strictly polite nor too rude. I wish you make a decision that will not involve any withdrawal. Well, what's done is done. I guess here you will need to wait for the answer from your top choices. Also, if one is going to be angry at you asking for an answer and just put you out because of that, I guess that school would not be your top choice any longer. Mostly schools are nice and I think they will give you some information that will help you make your decision. I can feel your nervousness. Just hang in there alittle more.

[morpheus]

I think you made the right call in sending emails to this program and to your top choice. I would also recommend emailing your second choice school as you did your first choice. Any decent Director will not be annoyed by your emails and will certainly understand your pressing time limit! 

Otherwise, sit tight and try not to worry about this for the rest of the week. Do everything in your power to avoid accepting and withdrawing from this third-choice program, but if it comes down to that.. well, they're kind of asking for it with their absurd deadlines. Remember that withdrawing might prevent another student from getting admitted into the program. Do you have an adviser that you can ask for advice about this? 

[CMac]

Thanks for your help guys.

I really do not want to accept and withdraw that is the worst case scenario possible. I had called my second choice a little over two weeks ago about something on my app and had mentioned the deadline as a side note. She said I should hear by then but I am sure it would not hurt to send her an email or give her another call.

If I do not get an email back from my top choice (previous contact took a few days to respond) should I call her? And how soon should I, I would feel bad waiting until March 14th..

Also, no funding has been offered or mentioned from the school I was accepted to.

 

 

[morpheus]

13 minutes ago, CMac said:

If I do not get an email back from my top choice (previous contact took a few days to respond) should I call her? And how soon should I, I would feel bad waiting until March 14th..

You can probably get away with calling her as early as Friday. I know it seems like you're being annoying, but most professors receive hundreds of emails a day, and some messages get lost in the mix. My old advisers seemed to appreciate the occasional "reminder" note. 

[CMac]

Thank you!

[morpheus]

Good luck! 

[wishthebest]

Whatever happends in the next few days could be critical. But I know you will end up with a great program! Keep us posted and wish you the best of luck! 

[CMac]

Update: irony at its finest. While I am on the phone with admissions asking about the deadline extention, I receive my rejection letter from my top choice. I am okay with it. I'm sad bit it's a bit of a relief to just know. 

Also, I ended up getting my extention! So I have some time to hear back from my second choice and then probably some extra time to visit each if i get in and make a decision which is great.  

[ChrisTOEFert]

24 minutes ago, CMac said:

Update: irony at its finest. While I am on the phone with admissions asking about the deadline extention, I receive my rejection letter from my top choice. I am okay with it. I'm sad bit it's a bit of a relief to just know. 

Also, I ended up getting my extention! So I have some time to hear back from my second choice and then probably some extra time to visit each if i get in and make a decision which is great.  

Wow....talk about a convenient, but sad, twist of events.  I'm glad you got your extension and fingers crossed for choice #2.  I am in the camp of belief that one should never accept and then withdraw.  It burns that bridge so mightily, it's like sitting there watching it burn while you are giving them double middle fingers.  As one person said it basically causes one person that they could have easily admitted to get a rejection e-mail and they could be left with a vacant spot in their program.  Not to mention the intense awkwardness that would arise from maybe bumping into those people at future conferences, job talks, or even inter-university speaker series.  I think you'll make the right decision.