Waitlist Movement

[LurkyLurker]

Hi all! So what happens when one of the schools you're waitlisted at tells you that they won't have a final decision for you until the 17th but you need to either accept or decline your other offers by the 15th...? I would prefer an offer from one of the schools that I am currently waitlisted at, but I would definitely prefer one of the offers I already have to nothing (i.e. the chance that I decline my current offers in the hopes of getting accepting from a waitlist and then getting rejected from both waitlists). Any advice? Should I ask for an extension (just until Monday, the 17th) from the school I'm currently considering? Thanks in advance! 

[positivitize]

1 hour ago, LurkyLurker said:

Hi all! So what happens when one of the schools you're waitlisted at tells you that they won't have a final decision for you until the 17th but you need to either accept or decline your other offers by the 15th...? I would prefer an offer from one of the schools that I am currently waitlisted at, but I would definitely prefer one of the offers I already have to nothing (i.e. the chance that I decline my current offers in the hopes of getting accepting from a waitlist and then getting rejected from both waitlists). Any advice? Should I ask for an extension (just until Monday, the 17th) from the school I'm currently considering? Thanks in advance! 

 

 

Accept the 15th, then withdraw your acceptance if you receive funding on the 17th. It's shitty but not unheard of. Don't ask for an extension. When it comes down to it, most departments understand that you need to make the best choice you can for yourself. Be prepared to explain yourself if you do take this route, and don't be surprised if you burn a bridge or two. Still, if your fit/desire to go to the school that has waitlisted you is strong enough, it will be worth it for you in the long run. Sometimes you've got to be selfish.

Just my 2 cents. I'm by no means an expert and could be wildly wrong.

Edited April 14, 2017 by positivitize

[Warelin]

6 minutes ago, positivitize said:

Accept the 15th, then withdraw your acceptance if you receive funding on the 17th. It's shitty but not unheard of. Don't ask for an extension. When it comes down to it, most departments understand that you need to make the best choice you can for yourself. Be prepared to explain yourself if you do take this route, and don't be surprised if you burn a bridge or two. Still, if your fit/desire to go to the school that has waitlisted you is strong enough, it will be worth it for you in the long run. Sometimes you've got to be selfish.

Just my 2 cents. I'm by no means an expert and could be wildly wrong.

Withdrawing after the 15th requires permission from the school you accepted from in order to be released.

" In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer."

Edited April 14, 2017 by Warelin

[LurkyLurker]

5 minutes ago, Warelin said:

Withdrawing after the 15th requires permission from the school you accepted from in order to be released.

" In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer."

Thank you both @Warelin and @positivitize! I suppose I'll just keep my fingers crossed that one of the two waitlist schools will call me out of the blue between now and tomorrow night *checks phone for the 578378594^5734857438 time today*

[ThousandsHardships]

3 hours ago, positivitize said:

Accept the 15th, then withdraw your acceptance if you receive funding on the 17th. It's shitty but not unheard of. Don't ask for an extension. When it comes down to it, most departments understand that you need to make the best choice you can for yourself. Be prepared to explain yourself if you do take this route, and don't be surprised if you burn a bridge or two. Still, if your fit/desire to go to the school that has waitlisted you is strong enough, it will be worth it for you in the long run. Sometimes you've got to be selfish.

Just my 2 cents. I'm by no means an expert and could be wildly wrong.

I've definitely heard of this happening. I can't imagine a school not releasing a student from an offer when the reason is a late acceptance from a different school (not the student's fault). I don't think they'll want to force a student to be there. However, I think if there's a potential of this happening, it'll make it more pleasant on both ends if you let them know beforehand that you're accepting provisionally but that there is a possibility that you may wish to go to another waitlisted school instead.

[Dr. Old Bill]

It's the final countdown, folks -- good luck to those of you still waiting on waitlist movements today!!

[Zeromus1337]

I got off the CUNY Graduate Center's waitlist! I'm in! I'm a Victorianist! Thank you, Victorianist/Romanticist who declined their offer! 

[anxiousphd]

I GOT INTO DUQUESNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

[Dr. Old Bill]

30 minutes ago, anxiousgrad said:

I GOT INTO DUQUESNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

So damn happy for you!!!

[Yanaka]

So much last-minute movement! 

[Warelin]

1 hour ago, anxiousgrad said:

I GOT INTO DUQUESNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Congrats

[steve3020]

Who STILL hasn't heard back? God, I thought they would let me know by now...

[engphiledu]

For anyone waiting on Boston College, I just heard today. I removed my name from the waitlist, but they should be notifying all remaining waitlist candidates of your status by April 20. I also received an official rejection from North Carolina - Chapel Hill, so if you were waiting on final notification for that program, you might check your email. Still no word from Indiana, but I'll post when/if I know more for those who are waiting!

[engphiledu]

On 4/17/2017 at 5:01 PM, engphiledu said:

For anyone waiting on Boston College, I just heard today. I removed my name from the waitlist, but they should be notifying all remaining waitlist candidates of your status by April 20. I also received an official rejection from North Carolina - Chapel Hill, so if you were waiting on final notification for that program, you might check your email. Still no word from Indiana, but I'll post when/if I know more for those who are waiting!

Received word from Indiana via email! I've finally received all the news for this application season, and I am still immensely excited at my choice!