Early offer? Should I accept?

[chauchitrung1996]

I am an international student. My research area is Commutative Algebra. I hope I could ask for your opinion on my situation.

I recently got admitted to University of Utah. This is a big school and I had previous contact with a professor here. It is such an early, but very good offer that I do not know if I should accept it right now. I applied for about 15 programs and Utah is just the second one who responded. To be totally honest, University of Purdue is more of my liking, although I have not previous contact with anyone here, so I may get rejected.

I want to ask, should I wait for other universities? I really do not want to seem like an arrogant candidate and definitely do not want to disappoint my professor in Utah. Thank yoy for your help.

[superballzach]

If you are waiting for offers from schools that you would prefer to attend over Utah, you should absolutely wait. However, if/when you get such an offer, you should decline the offer from Utah as soon as possible. It may help one of us.

[chauchitrung1996]

If you are waiting for offers from schools that you would prefer to attend over Utah, you should absolutely wait. However, if/when you get such an offer, you should decline the offer from Utah as soon as possible. It may help one of us.

Thabk you for the answer. I would decline every offer I would not accept.

May I ask, would it affect the professor in Utah? I mean I barely know him, we just have some chat over email. But the fact that he is helping so much does make me feel guilty.

[superballzach]

If you are waiting for offers from schools that you would prefer to attend over Utah, you should absolutely wait. However, if/when you get such an offer, you should decline the offer from Utah as soon as possible. It may help one of us.

Thabk you for the answer. I would decline every offer I would not accept.

May I ask, would it affect the professor in Utah? I mean I barely know him, we just have some chat over email. But the fact that he is helping so much does make me feel guilty.

Not at all. They won't/shouldn't take it personal. I'm sure when they were applying to graduate school, they rejected various offers too. Just worry about what's best for you.

[chauchitrung1996]

If you are waiting for offers from schools that you would prefer to attend over Utah, you should absolutely wait. However, if/when you get such an offer, you should decline the offer from Utah as soon as possible. It may help one of us.

Thabk you for the answer. I would decline every offer I would not accept.

May I ask, would it affect the professor in Utah? I mean I barely know him, we just have some chat over email. But the fact that he is helping so much does make me feel guilty.

Not at all. They won't/shouldn't take it personal. I'm sure when they were applying to graduate school, they rejected various offers too. Just worry about what's best for you.

Just to be sure, I think I should elaborate the situation. I sent him my profile via email and he was impressed by my thesis. It was 6 months ago and he said he will write to the recruiting committee to support me.

Would he take it personal if I reject ?

[superballzach]

Possibly, but he will/should also understand that the decision is what's best for you and not what's best for him.

[djysyed]

Just to be sure, I think I should elaborate the situation. I sent him my profile via email and he was impressed by my thesis. It was 6 months ago and he said he will write to the recruiting committee to support me.

Would he take it personal if I reject ?

Just say you spent quite a bit of time considering your options and you think Purdue, or wherever you want to go, is better for you due to non-mathematics reasons. I got into Purdue because of my keen interest in commutative algebra so I'm glad to see someone else wants to specialize in commutative algebra!

On a side note, I may prefer Utah because its warmer

[chauchitrung1996]

Just to be sure, I think I should elaborate the situation. I sent him my profile via email and he was impressed by my thesis. It was 6 months ago and he said he will write to the recruiting committee to support me.

Would he take it personal if I reject ?

Just say you spent quite a bit of time considering your options and you think Purdue, or wherever you want to go, is better for you due to non-mathematics reasons. I got into Purdue because of my keen interest in commutative algebra so I'm glad to see someone else wants to specialize in commutative algebra!

On a side note, I may prefer Utah because its warmer

I actually think Purdue is better since I am also interested in Algebraic Topology and Purdue has some researchers in this area.

From your posts, I really do not know if you are applying or you are already a graduate student as you know so much )). But do you think my thought that Purdue is better than Utah is rational? Since you have the same interest, what do you think of my view?

[+j]

imo you shouldn't take advice from complete strangers over the internet. talk to professors at your home schools, they'll surely know more than us.

though for the record: my advisor has an incredibly high opinion of Utah's program, and he never suggested I apply to Purdue.

[djysyed]

I actually think Purdue is better since I am also interested in Algebraic Topology and Purdue has some researchers in this area.

From your posts, I really do not know if you are applying or you are already a graduate student as you know so much )). But do you think my thought that Purdue is better than Utah is rational? Since you have the same interest, what do you think of my view?

Thanks lol. I actually tried applying last year as a third year undergraduate (planned on graduating early) but didn't get in anywhere so I pushed back graduation by a year and am reapplying. I have to agree with +j and say don't follow advice from strangers, myself included.

Algebraic Topology is certainly one of my interests as well so having David Gepner at Purdue is quite nice. Personally, I think they're both roughly about the same level for the following reasons: Both have good really good people in Algebraic Geometry and Commutative Algebra, Purdue has more faculty in these areas than Utah, Utah has much better weather and is close to Salt Lake City.

my advisor has an incredibly high opinion of Utah's program, and he never suggested I apply to Purdue.

My advisor told me Purdue, Utah, Michigan > every other school lol

[fmcgla]

If you are waiting for offers from schools that you would prefer to attend over Utah, you should absolutely wait. However, if/when you get such an offer, you should decline the offer from Utah as soon as possible. It may help one of us.

Thabk you for the answer. I would decline every offer I would not accept.

May I ask, would it affect the professor in Utah? I mean I barely know him, we just have some chat over email. But the fact that he is helping so much does make me feel guilty.

Hey, I'm in a similar situation with a Prof. at Utah. After I was accepted, a representation theorist in their department emailed me and fielded a few question I had about living in Utah and the program. He also told me that he was keen to get a strong rep thy cohort admitted this cycle, and that he is hoping I will come to Utah.

Basically I just told him I was seriously considering their program, but that I needed more time to make a decision. I understand where you're coming from with feeling guilty about leaving these people in the dark. But really I think it totally ok to tell that you need time before you can make decision, I'm sure they'll all be very understanding.