Got an offer but PI said he will commit to the first students that will commit to his lab

[BrutalBrain]

Hi everyone,

So I had this nice PhD offer with full funding from a PI I'm interested working with.

Okay classic but here's the thing; when I asked what was the deadline to decide he said he's planning to commit to the first two students that will commit to his lab (he has 2 positions). I know it makes sense for him to do that (to ensure he gets students in the end) but that makes it a bit stressful for me as I'm still waiting to hear back from other programs.

What do you guys think? is it a common thing PIs do when recruiting students?

Thank you!

[TakeruK]

I think this is fairly normal. But remember that other students who are interested in this PI's lab are likely also waiting for other offers as well, like you. So it's not like if you don't decide TODAY then you will lose the spot.

But it certainly is stressful to have a deadline that you won't know about. You will just have to balance how much you are interested in this school and this particular professor vs. the other options that might crop up later. 

While you are waiting for other schools, this is a good time to make a preliminary ranking of how much you are interested in each school and each research group. At some point, you will have to decide whether or not it's worth waiting to hear back from the schools higher on your list. Maybe the "Results database" here can help you estimate when you would expect to hear back. Some schools will not send a rejection until way later, so if you suspect that the school has already made some decisions, it's fine to email them to let them know that you are interested in their program, and ask if they have an estimate of when they will have decisions since you have a time limit on another offer. Sometimes, you will get notified of a rejection right after you ask because you were on a list of planned rejection notices to come later on. This isn't fun but it is necessary information to help you decide!

If you are interested in the school, but could also work with other professors, then I wouldn't rush things as much.

If you are really interested in this professor but would also really want to hear back from just one or two other places, i.e. this prof is still one of your top choices, then I would let them know that they are one of your top choices and you will be ready to decide once you hear back from a few more places since it's still pretty early on in the "season". If you do find out the decision dates for the other schools, e.g. March 9, then you can let the prof know that you will decide by March 9. Keeping an open line of communication is helpful!

[BrutalBrain]

1 hour ago, TakeruK said:

I think this is fairly normal. But remember that other students who are interested in this PI's lab are likely also waiting for other offers as well, like you. So it's not like if you don't decide TODAY then you will lose the spot.

But it certainly is stressful to have a deadline that you won't know about. You will just have to balance how much you are interested in this school and this particular professor vs. the other options that might crop up later. 

While you are waiting for other schools, this is a good time to make a preliminary ranking of how much you are interested in each school and each research group. At some point, you will have to decide whether or not it's worth waiting to hear back from the schools higher on your list. Maybe the "Results database" here can help you estimate when you would expect to hear back. Some schools will not send a rejection until way later, so if you suspect that the school has already made some decisions, it's fine to email them to let them know that you are interested in their program, and ask if they have an estimate of when they will have decisions since you have a time limit on another offer. Sometimes, you will get notified of a rejection right after you ask because you were on a list of planned rejection notices to come later on. This isn't fun but it is necessary information to help you decide!

If you are interested in the school, but could also work with other professors, then I wouldn't rush things as much.

If you are really interested in this professor but would also really want to hear back from just one or two other places, i.e. this prof is still one of your top choices, then I would let them know that they are one of your top choices and you will be ready to decide once you hear back from a few more places since it's still pretty early on in the "season". If you do find out the decision dates for the other schools, e.g. March 9, then you can let the prof know that you will decide by March 9. Keeping an open line of communication is helpful!

Thank you very much, this is actually very helpful !