Jump to content
Urch Forums

Protocol for Withdrawing Applications


walt526

Recommended Posts

There are only a few schools left that I would seriously consider over MSU and am contemplating withdrawing my applications from those which I no longer have an interest in hearing from. Other than just sending a brief, polite email to the graduate secretary, is there any other standard protocol that I should follow?

 

Here's a draft of the email that I was thinking would be appropriate:

 

Dear XXX,

 

I am writing to request that my application to your graduate program be withdrawn. Since submitting my application, I have received a very generous offer from another institution that I intended to accept regardless of any possible forthcoming offer from your department. Thank you very much for your time.

 

Sincerely,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are only a few schools left that I would seriously consider over MSU and am contemplating withdrawing my applications from those which I no longer have an interest in hearing from. Other than just sending a brief, polite email to the graduate secretary, is there any other standard protocol that I should follow?

 

Here's a draft of the email that I was thinking would be appropriate:

 

Dear XXX,

 

I am writing to request that my application to your graduate program be withdrawn. Since submitting my application, I have received a very generous offer from another institution that I intended to accept regardless of any possible forthcoming offer from your department. Thank you very much for your time.

 

Sincerely,

 

I don't see the purpose of withdrawing now though - might as well wait for them to admit/reject you and then just send them an email saying you deny their offer if they offer you. It seems like you may as well wait it out... the next person on the waitlist will get in anyway regardless of whether you reject now or after they get back to you. At least that's what I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Withdrawals should really be automated, at least for schools that render admissions late relative to others.

 

I think it'd feel a bit funny to receive an offer and then send off a reply declining it 30 seconds later, so (assuming I'd already decided where to go for sure) I could imagine I might just end up waiting a day after receiving an offer to decline it just so it wouldn't be unseemly. But this would clearly be inefficient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't bother walt, send the emails if and when an offer comes, but not until then. You're only going to create more admin work for whoever gets your email, and your name may already have gone on to the graduate school to be notified of admission/rejection anyways...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I asked a professor I know, and he agreed, adcoms aren't really equipped to handle withdrawals. Better to wait and say no a day or two after you get any offers.

 

And I wouldn't bother explaining your reasons, just something along the lines of your first and last sentence. They can figure out why you're withdrawing, you don't need to explain it (this also goes for declining offers from schools that don't have automatic forms).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

After a discussion with a current UCB grad student, I'm pretty much decided that I'm going to decline U Colorado-Boulder.

 

That leaves MSU ($$$$) and UCI ($$).

 

Here's where I have left to hear from:

1) Carnegie Mellon: no word, assuming rejection

2) Georgetown: no word--prefer all other alternatives even if funded offer was made

3) U Kentucky: no word--prefer all other alternatives even if funded offer was made

4) U Massachusetts-Amherst: no word--I had forgotten that I had applied

5) U Texas-Austin: no word, assuming unfunded offer at best

6) U Virginia: no word, assuming unfunded offer at best

7) Vanderbilt: no word--prefer all other alternatives even if funded offer was made

8) Washington U-St Louis: no word, assuming rejection

 

 

EDIT: Right after I posted, I received a decision from U Arizona: unfunded acceptance. I declined.

EDIT: Forgot about UMass-Amherst

Edited by walt526
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's funny - I actually received an email telling me that even though my application is still under review or they haven't gotten to it yet, if I've already decided against them I should let them know ASAP. One less application to have to bother looking at, I guess.

 

But really, I paid the admissions fee, I want my result, even if it ultimately doesn't matter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UVA has the occasionally good placement, but mostly on par with MSU. It's probably a higher ranked program than MSU, but the difference isn't worth the funding (particularly relative to cost-of-living).

 

 

Unless there have been significant changes to the two programs at UVA and MSU since econphd.net came out, UVA was ranked about 20 spots lower than MSU, so I think you made the right decision not bothering with UVA anymore (and for that matter, if I were you I would do the same and only take funded offers from CMU and WUSTL over MSU) :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Walt for a guy with usually great advice, I still don't understand why you are considering formally withdrawing your apps... I bet if you send those emails you will still get some decisions as schools are not equipped to handle withdrawals administratively.

 

If I were a graduate program director I would be much happier to get an email saying 'thank you but I will not be coming' after I send someone an acceptance. It's really very presumptuous, and if you were already on their acceptance list it will likely mean that they have to go dig out applications again to find someone to put on the waitlist (who won't get in as they are the last name on the waitlist), because one person has come off the waitlist.

 

Lastly, as gatorgrrl said, you paid your fee, you should get your decision! :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From a selfish point of view, I would say do not make any withdrawals. I know my profile is somewhat similar to yours and I am interested in seeing all your results.

 

If you plan on going on to teach, you may not want to burn bridges with the flippant attitude towards withdrawing applications. If you plan on going private sector/gov't, then go ahead and make the withdrawals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you plan on going on to teach, you may not want to burn bridges with the flippant attitude towards withdrawing applications. If you plan on going private sector/gov't, then go ahead and make the withdrawals.

 

It wasn't going to be flippant (and I doubt very much that I'll be competing for jobs at R1's regardless). I was just going to say something along the lines of:

Based on funded offers of admission that I have received from other graduate programs, I am writing to respectfully withdraw my application from consideration at XXX for the PhD Economics.

 

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

At this point in time, it just seems to me that EVERYONE benefits from exchange of information.

 

But I'll hold-off on sending out withdrawals if there's the slightest chance that it will offend someone, I guess.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And how do you derive utility from withdrawing applications? Do you feel good about yourself, having shown that you are too good for the schools you withdrawn from.

 

No, it's more that I think that it's to their benefit and other applicants for them to not waste any more time on my application if I know that I won't accept even a fully funded offer.

 

$$$$=much more money than I need to live very comfortably in Central Michigan, so I'd still have some left over to save or invest. It's a nice round number that is less than Yale, a little more than Caltech.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...