[warlock]

After selecting the offer from my preferred university, I have to deal with my remaining choices.

Accepting an offer is self-explanatory.

But what is the difference between declining and withdrawing? Obviously, in both cases I will not be attending the institution. Which begs the question, what are the legal and technical implications, if any, between the two options?

Does anyone know what universities do with the information we provide them regarding our application when we decline or withdraw?

Thanks.

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by warlock)
..........

It doesn't matter what terminology you use. Technically you can't decline something if you haven't got an offer I suppose, but whatever, it doesn't matter. It happens all the time, it's no big deal. There are no legal or technical implications unless you have some super unique offer. Just email admissions and say 'Thanks but no thanks' in a few more words than that.

The Data Protection Act (assuming this is a UK university) requires they delete your records when they have no further reason to keep it. They will probably have a cleansing process sometime at the end of the application season when they delete all records that didn't take up a place.

[warlock]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
Technically you can't decline something if you haven't got an offer

Technically, I have an offer, that's the whole point.

The Uni's online application systems has three options: ACCEPT DECLINE WITHDRAW

What's the difference between the last two and if it's "the same", why two options?

Is the university going to hold a grudge if I decline but decide to apply with them in the future? Will they have information that I applied with them and declined their offer (at the time being)?

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by warlock)
Technically, I have an offer, that's the whole point.

The Uni's online application systems has three options: ACCEPT DECLINE WITHDRAW

What's the difference between the last two and if it's "the same", why two options?

Is the university going to hold a grudge if I decline but decide to apply with them in the future? Will they have information that I applied with them and declined their offer (at the time being)?

Decline then. And no, they wont hold a grudge a) they won't have you details, b) offers and the technicalities of processing applications come from different places in the university that don't discuss these things, c) universities over offer because they expect people to do exactly what you have done. It's not a problem.

[AspiringGenius]

if you have an offer and you turn it down, your are declining it.

If you don't have an offer, but you take out your application, this is called withdrawing.

[janjanmmm]

From the point of view of English language, you can not "withdraw" something that you have been given, you can only "withdraw" something that you yourself give, or make, such as an application.

If you are given an offer, you can decline it, but you can not "withdraw" it, just does not make any sense.

Therefore, as AspiringGenius said, if you do not have an offer you can use this option to "withdraw" your application, but if you have an offer you can only "decline" it. The only person who can "withdraw" an offer is the person who made an offer, not you

[warlock]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
Decline then. And no, they wont hold a grudge a) they won't have you details, b) offers and the technicalities of processing applications come from different places in the university that don't discuss these things, c) universities over offer because they expect people to do exactly what you have done. It's not a problem.

Thanks for detailing this.

(Original post by AspiringGenius)
if you have an offer and you turn it down, your are declining it.

If you don't have an offer, but you take out your application, this is called withdrawing.

I already have an offer, how many times do I have to write this?
I was only wondering if there was any technical or otherwise difference between declining the offer or withdrawing the application which has been assessed with an offer.

(Original post by janjanmmm)
From the point of view of English language, you can not "withdraw" something that you have been given, you can only "withdraw" something that you yourself give, or make, such as an application.

If you are given an offer, you can decline it, but you can not "withdraw" it, just does not make any sense.

Therefore, as AspiringGenius said, if you do not have an offer you can use this option to "withdraw" your application, but if you have an offer you can only "decline" it. The only person who can "withdraw" an offer is the person who made an offer, not you

Thanks for the completely pointless interpretation and lexical meaning of the word "withdraw". Really educational ...

The question was - withdraw the application or decline the offer. I wondered whether there was a difference between the two (legal or technical).

[AspiringGenius]

(Original post by warlock)
Thanks for detailing this.


I already have an offer, how many times do I have to write this?
I was only wondering if there was any technical or otherwise difference between declining the offer or withdrawing the application which has been assessed with an offer.



Thanks for the completely pointless interpretation and lexical meaning of the word "withdraw". Really educational ...

The question was - withdraw the application or decline the offer. I wondered whether there was a difference between the two (legal or technical).

if you have an offer, then you are declining it. You asked about whtehrt there was a technical difference, so i detailed what withdrawing was.

[warlock]

Oh Dear Lord ...

[Norton1]

(Original post by warlock)
Oh Dear Lord ...

Honestly? Just leave it. And no University is going to hold a grudge anyway, they fully expect people to do this.

[janjanmmm]

(Original post by warlock)

The question was - withdraw the application or decline the offer. I wondered whether there was a difference between the two (legal or technical).

It is not at all clear from your first post.
Read it again:

(Original post by warlock)
Accepting an offer is self-explanatory.

But what is the difference between declining and withdrawing? Obviously, in both cases I will not be attending the institution. Which begs the question, what are the legal and technical implications, if any, between the two options?

Anyway, you can not withdraw an application after you got an offer, you can only decline an offer.

[warlock]

And again...

OH DEAR LORD!

(Original post by janjanmmm)
It is not at all clear from your first post.
Read it again:

Anyway, you can not withdraw an application after you got an offer, you can only decline an offer.

Here's a screenshot from the Uni's web panel:



Now would be a good time for you to go eat humble pie!
Oh, and remove the neg. I know it's you.

[RowingGoose]

Mm pie. I shall think of this in terms of pie. So you ask for pie, yes? Someone brings out the pie... your three pie-related options are:


Accept = say yes to pie. Eat until it comes out your ears.

Decline = say no to pie. Quietly weep at no pie.

Withdraw = say "I did request pie but I do not request pie anymore! Remove this pie at once".



....Essentially there's little difference, by withdrawing you're still saying that you're not going but you're just removing the application that you made in the first place, rather than acknowledging that they've said yes to your application but you're giving an outright no.

[janjanmmm]

(Original post by warlock)
And again...

OH DEAR LORD!



Here's a screenshot from the Uni's web panel:



Now would be a good time for you to go eat humble pie!
Oh, and remove the neg. I know it's you.

OMG - This are standard buttons available to you before AND after the offer. They are not going to change a page set up just because they gave you an offer. It's like the window on your ballot which gives you an option to vote for the other candidate in elections does not magically disappear just because you voted for someone, or the window which says "married" does not disappear on a form just because you marked that you are "unmarried".

[warlock]

(Original post by janjanmmm)
OMG - This are standard buttons available to you before AND after the offer. They are not going to change a page set up just because they gave you an offer. It's like the window on your ballot which gives you an option to vote for the other candidate in elections does not magically disappear just because you voted for someone, or the window which says "married" does not disappear on a form just because you marked that you are "unmarried".

Another pointless comment which had nothing to do with my PRIMARY question, which was answered by threeportdrift!

So ...

[janjanmmm]

(Original post by warlock)
Another pointless comment which had nothing to do with my PRIMARY question, which was answered by threeportdrift!

So ...

It is simply an answer to your comment, and has exactly as much point as yours.

PS- it actually wasn't me who gave you a neg. Now it is