ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the difficult choice of making a final decision once applicants have received offers from several programs. Selecting the right offer is a highly personal choice that requires thinking about what one wants out of graduate school and identifying the program that will best align with those career goals, while still allowing balance with work, school, and life commitments. We discuss the most common factors to consider in exercising due diligence regarding this decision, including timelines, the monetary value of each offer, program locations, fit with faculty and students (which we believe is the most important factor), quality or ranking of the program, and program type. Finally, we delve into what applicants can do in other situations such as being placed on wait-lists or not receiving any offers.
