<p>I recently received an offer from Wagner Graduate School of Public Service of NYU to study for an MPA. The offer is for Spring Term 2009 and carries a partial fellowship.</p>
<p>Since applying, however, my circumstances have changed. I am still very much interested in public policy / IR, but I just quit my previous job (which was in finance) and there is a good chance that I’ll be able to get a position (unpaid) with a multilateral org for at least the first half of 2009, and it’s an opportunity that I don’t want to miss.</p>
<p>So my questions are:</p>
<li><p>Is the prospect (not an actual offer) of getting another job that is relevant to my interests a sufficient reason to defer my offer until the Fall Term?</p></li>
<li><p>If I do defer and find out during the Fall that the job could be extended into a paid position and decide to stay on the job, or receive another offer from another school, will there be a BINDING OBLIGATION to attend Wagner? (like an early decision applicant to college?)</p></li>
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<p>Note that I am not concerned about losing the fellowship nor am I concerned about the $1000 deposit that’s required in case a deferral is granted. I just don’t want to lose the offer as an option nor do I want it to be absolutely binding if I defer and find out later on that other options are available.</p>
<p>If you can get in this round, you probably will be able to in the next round, particularly if you think you can get better offers from elsewhere. If NYU isn’t your top choice, then don’t go. Deferrals are usually granted if there’s a medical reason or a big fellowship like Fulbright, but not for job offers. You may want to contact the admissions office just to be clear on their policies. They won’t hold it against you.</p>
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<li><p>No, not really. An actual offer would make more sense, but imagine that you turn down the spot at Wagner only to find out that you didn’t get the other job? </p></li>
<li><p>First find out Wagner’s position on deferrals. Ph.D programs are different, but I know that my program does not accept deferrals for any reasons whatsoever. Not even the Fulbright. They may have, in the past, negotiated with students who had medical issues, but their policy is no deferrals.</p></li>
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<p>It is bad faith to defer a school with the intention of applying to other programs or jobs. You are, in a sense, holding someone else’s “spot” who could really want to go to Wagner and would if offered the position. Again, doctoral programs are different, but is considered really bad form to defer a school for a year while applying for different programs and then declining the program. They will hold it against you in those cases, and academia is a small world. But master’s programs are entirely different, and it may not be that big of a deal in that world. In either case, however, you’re not legally bound to go anywhere unless they make you a sign a contract, which I don’t think will happen.</p>