Waitlisted for grad school

Graduate School
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<p>My son was admitted to UC Irvine for a doctoral program in decision analysis with full funding for four years. He was waitlisted from Stanford. He has to reply to Irvine by Apr 15. Stanford won’t give him any information on how likely it is for him to be admitted from the waitlist. He is very happy about the UCI admission and intends to go there unless Stanford admits him from the waitlist within the next couple of weeks with a good funding package. Is it ethical for him to respond to UCI that he intends to register there as a grad student and then if Stanford accepts him, withdraw his intent to register at UCI? Or does he have to withdraw his name from Stanford’s wait list when he responds to UCI that he will be going there in the fall?</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.cgsnet.org/pdf/CGSResolutionFeb2005.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cgsnet.org/pdf/CGSResolutionFeb2005.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This website explains the rules behind acceptances and rejections.</p>

<p>That said…</p>

<p>PhD wait lists are prioritized by field: if your soon is studying 18th french history but the 19th century french history guy refuses standford, than the next specialist in 19th C will get in. They really don’t have a clue.</p>

<p>You didn’t mention your son’s field, but politically, it is a bad thing to do that to a school: For PhD’s the may remember, feel slighted and this <em>may</em> affect him later on. Professors have long memories and when hiring committees hire, they do call other professors for any gossip they may have on a candiate.</p>

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<p>Thank you littlecannuck. I have forwarded the link to my son</p>

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<p>My pleasure!</p>

<p>And I do apologize for the massive amount of typos in my post!</p>

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<p>No problem :stuck_out_tongue: I used to be obsessed with grammar and spelling but my kids have taught me that on IM and message boards, the goal is to get out the message; it doesn’t matter how you spell it, whether you punctuate or if you make typos, as long as your message is understood. I must have learned well because I didn’t even notice the typos :)</p>

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<p>Thanks for understanding.</p>

<p>I usually try to be more clear, but I’m in the midst of the 40 page thesis and my eyes can’t the computer screen anymore!</p>

<p>Congradulations again to your son-- he’s in at a very good school.</p>

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<p>Thanks littlecannuck. I hope you finish that paper soon, 40 pages is long. My son sent in his response to Irvine today and took his name off the Stanford waitlist. He is greatly relieved to have made the decision.</p>