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I have an offer that expires before I get a final decision from other summer programs. What are my options and what should I do?

Good news: I've received an offer for a physics REU at the University of Arkansas!

Bad news: I need to respond by Feb 26th, even though final decisions from other REUs, national labs, and NASA come in early March.

What are my options? I've already asked if my application review could be expedited, and most programs told me it wasn't possible. I wish these deadlines were more coordinated!

#internships #applications #decisions #physics #national-labs #engineering #optics #laser-physics #nasa #REU #research

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Michelle’s Answer

Hi Abby! Have you reached out to the program you were accepted to and asked for an extension for the response deadline? Politely explain that you're excited about the opportunity but are waiting to hear back from some additional programs to understand all your options, and give them a specific date. Because it's only a few weeks difference, I imagine they'd be willing to work with you. Good luck!
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Pooja’s Answer

I agree with Michelle's suggestion. The other thing to think about is what is your criteria for the program you want to go into and how does the program you got admitted into compare against that criteria. Did you have a ranked list of programs before you applied? Where does University of Arkansas fall in that ranking? If it is your top choice, and also meets all your criteria, then there is no harm in accepting that offer.

I imagine it's not that straightforward though, in which case, then you can either request an extension or perhaps chose to decline after accepting? I found this article that may be helpful -- https://www.wikihow.com/Decline-Admission-to-a-College-After-Accepting

Hope this helps!
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Christine’s Answer

Hi
I agree with the previous answer a d want to commend you for your integrity in dealing with the offer you have received!
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Hong’s Answer

Depending upon your ultimate goal for the REU program, there could be totally different approaches. Though the very first step should be what the other two have suggested already, reach out to University of Arkansas's program and check to see if they could wait for couple of more weeks to make the final decision.

If the answer is NO, then it would be entirely up to your ultimate goal for the applications.

1. If you're just trying to get into a program, any program, to get practical experiences, and the chances of being accepted into other programs are either low or not likely or not sure, go for what you have in hand.
2. If you love one of the programs that are still pending decisions, and there is a semi-decent chance of getting accepted, I would take the risk and wait for the dream program's decision.

The most critical thing is to set your goal first, which will help you with making a sensible decision that you will not regret. You're still young, go for your dreams.
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