Hie everyone. I am relatively new to this site and in fact this is my first posting. I just got my first offer from cambridge uni today and I am over the moon. I am not really sure whether to accept becuase I have other interviews form unis that may not be the best in the Uk but offer industrial placements at astrazeneca, one of the major pharma giants.
I feeel like accepting this offer,but I dont want to short change myself.any advice

well done !. Honestly I would just accept the offer at Cambridge and forget the rest . You can always do an industry year after your PhD .

thnsks master. I actually have accepted it now. could not risk it. I am all ready to go there in oct and face all these things that I keep hearing on this forum- bad superviors, bad collegues, lost work , writing up stress, the works.
I surely hope I am not a fraud

Hi simuzoha,

Can I just ask how many days it took before they gave you an offer from the day of your interview ?

three days

thanks , just wanted to know as I had an interview at Cambridge as well and they told me they cant decide until the begining of April when they have interviewed everyone . I think that mean I am not their 1st choice yet!

masters - it varies a lot - you should just wait until the deadline.

I agree, I think it depends on the situation. In my case they reaaly needed to fill the position as soon as possible, which worked out to my advantage as not many pple had applied in the first place and so was up gainst two others I think.
It all depends on the requirments of the provoders of the studentship. I know funders like the BBRSC AND MRC have deadlines of their own by which they expect the supervisors to have filled the position
so good luck. hope you get it

I am pretty pee off with them at the moment because they should have told me that they have 2 application deadlines when I applied . Now I have to wait for 2 more weeks until they can inform me with their decision.
To be honest, this would work to their advantage as they can keep me as backup for time and if someone(s) shown more potential in the interview ,I would have wasted a month .
And the worst part is that I already accepted an offer from another uni , and the supervisor have invited me for a meeting to discuss the project further next week which I prefer not to go if I got an earlier offer from cambridge.

I think you can still go to the pre meeting at that other uni and if in a month the cambridge comes thru, then tell them you cant came.
I was in the same dilemma, but what can you do, you dont know if cambrodge are going to accept you and therefore it was the right move to accept the other uni.
I always feeel that when you receive an offer it looks good on you if you accept it as soon as possible.
I had the one offer from cambridge and accepted it first day I got it. I still had other interviews waiting but decided that this was the best i needed
its tough I know but I think you made the right move

That is awkward masters but for your own good I don't see what else you could have done.

I accepted the offer , it just meeting the supervisor again ! who at the first meeting I told him that I am extremely fascinated by the project and is definitely my first choice. Now I have to go and meet him again and pretend I am actually working towards the project . Is very awkward .. and if I do get the offer from cam , I am fear to face him and explain the situation ..(and the worst is the two project is in the same field so I am not looking forward when the conference days arrive

Is there any way you can put off meeting him again until you have a clear answer?