A department Chair elsewhere writes:
Are you aware of any policy or practice regarding applicants who are holding an offer of admission and fellowship but who have not made contact with an institution for weeks, despite numerous emails, etc.? All we are asking for is an acknowledgement that our offer is still being considered and that they are still interested in it. Rudeness aside, isn't there some obligation on the applicant's part to respond to queries?
Have others had this problem?
I do not know if there are any rules governing situations like this promulgated by the APA or other bodies (please post links to any applicable rules in the comment section). I would think one way for programs to avoid this kind of problem is, in the offer letter, to specify that the offer of admission is conditional on certain contacts/updates being acknowledged, or something like that. And students really shouldn't behave the way this student is behaving: other hopefuls may be waiting on your decision, after all! Perhaps in this case there are extenuating circumstances, but if you really have no interest in an admission offer, turn it down!
