Accepting a graduate offer of admission and then turning it down

Question

I was offered admission into a graduate physics program in February. I was given 21 days within which to accept the offer and pay the admission deposit.

Now I was sent an email from the program offering me a prestigious university scholarship to motivate me to accept the offer of admission. I had not yet received any other offer of admission, so out of desperation, I accepted the offer of admission and paid the admission deposit.

Now, if I am offered admission into any of the upper grade universities I applied to, I will write to the graduate program director from the former program and politely mention that I cannot enroll in their program because the upper grade university is a better fit for me.

Will this cause a serious problem for me, i.e., in terms of my future academic career and the graduate program director's denial to let me go?

Answer 1

Traditionally, the recommendation is that as soon as you are accepted you withdraw your applications to schools that are out of the running. Then as soon as you accept an offer you withdraw your remaining applications. If a school make a decision early and requires a decision before you hear from schools you may find more desirable, it is best to ask for an extension.

I go against the norm a little and believe that if a school/employer will not give you and extension and wishes to put you at a disadvantage that it is not unreasonable to reneg on your acceptance. As this is not the norm, it will burn bridges.

Answer 2

If you do it early on in the process the first university will have time to call/recruit someone in their shortlist, in that case you shouldn't worry about it. Depending on how you handle the situation you might or might not burn your bridges at this university, but I wouldn't worry too much about it, just act right away and give yourself a deadline by when you will refuse other offers.