Decision making - what should I do

**veryconfused06** · 03-31-2010, 05:31 PM

Can anyone give me an advice on my situation?

I have been accepted to 1 school in top 20 (no $ for first year), 1 in top 30 (with $$, well this is not an official offer). I'm also wait listed for first year funding at a top 15-20 school. This school has a much better program for my research interests and I really like the department from my visit there.

The top 30 school has been contacting me about the offer, but they have not yet extended an official offer to me until (I guess) I give them a definite answer that I will go there. I want to keep an option and wait for the wait list decision, but time is running out for the top 30 school. They have been accepting people from their wait list even, and I'm afraid that I risk losing this offer if I get back to them too late.

I really appreciate any help, I'm just so stressed out at this time.

**nubbysoques** · 03-31-2010, 05:57 PM

I would get clarification from the top 30 school to see if you have to accept admission for them to give you a formal offer. The school that offered me funding just wanted to make sure I was still interested before leaving an offer pending until 4/15.

**confusedgrad** · 03-31-2010, 06:14 PM

one of the schools i was waitlisted told me that they are planning to make an offer and asked about my current status. i replyed them by saying that i was waitlisted at mit as well and will not be able to make a commitment at this point. so, i told them not to make an offer and skip me... they replied and said that they do not ask me to make a deciison in a few days. they just wanted to make sure if there is still a chance i might go there. if i still consider them as an optioni, they will make the offer anyways...

well, from this experience,

tell them that you wait for another waitlist as well, but you did not make a decision between that school and their school. so, you might still accept their offer by a significant chance. this would mean that you are still interested in their offer and they might still make the offer...

i guess this might work. am i wrong? or am i making a concrete inference from one anecdotal evidence?

**veryconfused06** · 03-31-2010, 08:18 PM

i actually visited both schools and talked to the top 30 school about the wait list at the other school. the weird thing is, the person whom I've been in touch with at this school said in an email with me that they made me an offer and I should receive a letter from the grad school very soon. it's been over 3 weeks but I received nothing. every time I asked about it, he kept saying it should arrive soon. when I emailed the grad school directly they said the department had not made a decision on my file yet. I don't know what this means, it just seems to me that although they said it was an offer, it is still a pending offer. That's why I'm afraid when they move to the wait list they will cross me out if I don't make a decision soon.

The school I'm wait listed at does not seem to move to the wait list anytime soon.