Informing a university about an offer from another university I've received an offer from university A and I'm waiting for a decision from university B (both prestigious).
Would it be sensible to inform university B about my offer from university A and tell them that I would still be interested in their program, or would university B think that I would probably not accept their offer and hence not make me one.
To clarify, I haven't yet decided which university I would choose.
We can’t predict the effects of your telling B about the acceptance to A. This can depend on small details, including the precise way you phrase your email to them.
However, broadly speaking, departments try to recruit the best students; have some flexibility to offer better terms to some applicants than to others; and use that flexibility in a strategic manner based on information that they have about the applicants’ situation. The knowledge that you were accepted to A is certainly relevant to that sort of strategizing, and can in theory affect department B’s decision on how attractive of an offer they want to make you. In some situations it could lead to a more generous offer.