Gargh!

[5trumpfpupp3]

Has anyone ever accepted a paid visit invitation to one of their lower-choice schools, only to be invited later by your top choice (which you never planned to get in to) during THE SAME WEEKEND? (Which is right at the end of the month, bah!) I couldn't have left the first school hanging this long, and at the time they were the only ones offering me

Comments

[lamath]

Hmm. I would try e-mailing your first choice to see if they are willing to make alternate arrangements for visits. If they say yes, then crisis averted! If not, then worry about a polite way to decline the visit from the lower-choice school.

[5trumpfpupp3]

I don't think I can decline from the lower-choice school after I've already accepted, can I? I did email the first choice already and let them know that I'm still very interested in visiting, so let's hope they've got me high enough on their list that they'll make some alternate arrangements! *crosses fingers*

[lamath]

Well, this is an invitation weekend, not an acceptance of their admission offer, so you could conceivably talk about "something else came up!" and it's probably not *as* damaging - but I'd say first try to make alternate arrangements with the school you haven't committed to yet to make the best of the situation if you can.

[5trumpfpupp3]

I got lucky, the second school said they'd bring me out during my spring break, so like you said-- crisis averted! Thanks for the help!

[thepoetophelia]

Email the LOWER choice and ask them if there is any way to rearrange.

[5trumpfpupp3]

The problem is that they already bought the plane tickets. I imagine it would be insulting to them to have them rearrange it, and since my discipline isn't all that big, the chances of me running into these professors are pretty good.

[signsoflife]

This is 100% no big deal and happens all the time. Just call your top choice (the grad secretary or equivalent organizing the weekend) and ask to arrange to come at another time.

You'll miss out on some recruitment stuff, but get more personalized attention.

Make 100% sure that your top choice KNOWS that they're your top choice. That's what's most important in this scenario.

Seriously, don't worry. (I did this last year, and got into both schools with bells and flowers.)

[smyleykyley]

I second this advice.

[obsoletechild]

Agreed as well. Besides which, schools can't really expect you to be at their beck and call entirely. You could have a non-school related important personal event going on (wedding, funeral, surgery, etc.) and they would almost certainly be willing to reschedule, no problem.

I don't think it really matters which school you approach first about rescheduling. Both should be equally flexible about it. And if they aren't... well, maybe others wouldn't agree with me on this, but I think that is a sign that perhaps this is not the best place for you. Personally, if one of my schools is exceptionally difficult to deal with regarding the admissions process I'm taking that as a sign of future bureaucratic hassles to come. And with college and law school behind me, I'm kind of tired of senseless difficulty.

[5trumpfpupp3]

Thanks for the advice-- the other school was willing to reschedule, no problem, so I'm feeling a lot better about the situation.