Got offer from one school, still waiting on another

PaperTowels
Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:26:40 +0000

I received a PhD offer from school A, but they want me to make a decision soon. Meanwhile, I’m waiting for results to come in from B. B is better than A, but by the time B tells me whether I got in, the decision period for A will have already ended. B is not 100%, but I have a good chance.

A is pretty good, but B is really good. It would be stupid to pass up such an opportunity to go to B. On the other hand, it would be equally stupid to lose the proverbial bird in the hand while going after two in the bush, and end up without any position at all.

Ideally, A would agree to extend the decision deadline, so I can wait until B decides, then go to B if they offer and go to A if not.

How do I handle this situation diplomatically?