<p>I want to apply to three grad schools (two in Europe, one in Canada, I'm a US student) for Fall 2015 admissions. If, however, I find a job, I think I'd keep the job for a few years before going to grad school. If I don't get a job, I'd go straight to grad school. If I get accepted to the schools I'm applying to but decline admission because I take a job instead, will that reduce my chances of being accepted to the same schools in the future? Thank you.</p>
<p>It shouldn’t. However, most of the people I have seen who get a job right after their undergrad rarely go back to grad school (especially in STEM). Once you start working, its rare to ‘want’ to go back unless you are getting underpaid/ don’t like your field.</p>
<p>It depends a lot on when/how you decline admissions. I am not sure how the European and Canadian systems work, but (as an example) declining admission prior to April 15 is quite common (after all, many people get admitted to more than 1 school!) and results in no hard feeling. Declining AFTER April 15 can result in some problems, as it becomes hard to find good candidates after that date.</p>
<p>So if they are still able to get a comparable candidate to fill the spot, they will not care that you turned them down.</p>
<p>Once you start working, its rare to ‘want’ to go back unless you are getting underpaid/ don’t like your field.</p>
<p>I don’t know that I would say “rare”, or even “uncommon.” I think it depends entirely on the field. I work in a field in which the standard master’s degree requires a few years of work experience, so it’s very common for people to work for 2-5 years before returning for the MPH. That’s also pretty common in MPP and MPA programs, and virtually universal in MBA programs. The average age for starting an MD has climbed to 25, so I think it’s safe to say that people are working for a few years before that. Many people may love their field and are getting paid well, but they decide that they want to advance and advancement requires an advanced degree. Others may simply want to make a career change, even though they don’t hate the field itself.</p>
<p>If you’re applying to master’s programs, OP, it’s unlikely that your prior application will have an effect on the next one.</p>