======= Date Modified 04 May 2011 09:58:15 =======
Helllo!

I have accepted an informal offer with a supervisor from Queen Mary's, UoL about 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I received a email invitation from St.Andrews to interview for a PhD within their school of medicine, in a different field to what I have worked in.

I'm tempted to reject the St.Andrews invitation because of my informal offer.
Could any one advise me?

Don't reject it. Go for the interview and see how it goes. Also, you only have an informal offer. Until you have a formal offer, there is no guarantee of a place.

Agree 100%. Go for it. It is an informal offer, so they can always withdraw. And it never hurts to go for another interview. You can get to know more people and go through the interview experience again, which is stressful but a learning experience. Good luck :)

Absolutely, it's always worth seeing what else is out there - if all it does is make you more sure that you've chosen the right place then that in itself is worthwhile. And an informal offer isn't binding so while it may well not fall through, there's no harm in having other options to consider.

I was in a very similar position myself - I had accepted an informal offer from one university when the university I was doing my Masters at invited me for a PhD interview. I went to the interview, told them that I was considering the offer from the other uni (not that I'd accepted it!) and was offered the second PhD as well. It was difficult choosing between them but in the end I chose the first university, but the people at the university where I did my Masters totally understood why I didn't choose them and I have even done some work with them since then so the contact was really useful. And now I'm also certain I made the right choice about where to go.

You see I have informally accepted the QMUL offer; when I first got the offer I was waiting on the outcome of a chat I had with a supervisor a few days before so I had to make them wait and then I finally accepted the QMUL offer as the other PhD had no funding. Just waiting for the college offer now...

Yes I am at least going to see, although if they don't pay travel fees I'll think again given I have just received a quote for a train journey for over £100 return I'll be rethinking accepting the offer for interview!