In a crunch!!!

[sr88]

Hello everyone,

 

So I'm in a little bit of a dilemma.

 

I was recently accepted into a PA program starting January 2016, however it is not my first choice.

 

My first choice school I was placed on the alternate list (which starts in May 2016). I am wondering if I should contact my first choice school and ask them for an update on the alternate list, should I bring up that I was accepted into another program? What should I say when contacting them for an update?

 

 

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[MT2PA]

You can certainly call and ask.  You can even tell them you have another acceptance.  But this isn't like playing 2 employers against each other.  You don't have an offer from the second school and telling them you have an acceptance elsewhere isn't going to suddenly make them offer you a spot or move you up on the alternate list.

 

That's the risk you take when you apply to programs that start in different seasons.  I imagine the best the 2nd school will do is tell you where you are on the alternate list (some schools don't rank them, and some won't tell you your spot) and remind you when offers are going out/how long students have to accept or reject.  They *may* be sending all offers out in Dec and you could potentially know late Dec if you make it off the waiting list but usually with the holidays a lot of programs take a break.  I'm sure they will tell you there is no guarantee.

 

I assume you've accepted your spot for the Jan start program.  Only you can decide how late is too late to back out of that one.

[Glorious_Ignoramus]

Congrats - were I in your shoes I would take the first school that accepted me.

 

Call and ask your respective program for a definitive answer.