Another lurker here who just wants to share his experience.
I was really looking forward to hearing back from this program, and yesterday, I was offered a position in Kissimmee, Fl. Firstly, I'm currently living abroad, so for those who may be out of the country, you should be getting an e-mail if they are trying to reach out to you. After struggling to get a hold of them, I was eventually told my placement which was very different from what I was expecting. As a native New Yorker, I just never had a reason to learn to drive, and I do not have a car, and since I've been living abroad for a while, I never had a reason to sort that out. I was told that my site REQUIRED driving and a car, even though I blatantly stated in my preferences that I did not have either of those things. Because of the timing and being out of the country, it is basically impossible for me to sort these things out. And like everyone said, I was only given less than a day to decide.
When responding to the e-mail about the offer, I asked about the possibilities of changing sites because of this logistical situation, and they were quite terse about it. I was told that this was the position I was offered, and it definitely required a car and driver's license, and I could take it or leave it.
At this point, I am quite fed up with how the situation was handled. It tells me that whoever was in charge of the placement was clearly not considering anything that I put down. By giving me a placement that required a car and driver's license, they wasted my time because I told them about my situation. I don't know if there was anything that said that driving was required for this position, but if that were the case, I would not have applied. I just feel duped right now that I was given a placement that I could not actually fulfill, though if they took a second to look at my preferences, they could have probably placed me somewhere else that I could have actually worked.
I stressed numerous times in my correspondences that I would be extremely ecstatic to take a position in another place that has reliable public transport and that doesn't require me to drive. I feel like I got a very unapologetic response that said that they are not considering any kinds of changes whatsoever.
I'm hoping, like past applicants have said, that they could possibly reconsider me for a different position once others have declined (for instance, I would love to be in New York since I could technically move back with my parents until I was able to really get settled, and I can only imagine others would decline based on cost of living). I mentioned being reconsidered for another position, and it didn't seem like they were being accommodating. In my final correspondence just now to decline the offer, I stated yet again that I would be willing to change sites and wait until the offers were given to others. I don't know if I will get a response.
Right now, I am incredibly frustrated, and I just feel like I was put in a difficult position, and I'm now I'm disillusioned by the program and the process for being so unaccommodating. I don't think I meant for this post to be this long, but I just wanted to vent. As for others waiting for positions, mine just opened up, so if you're placed in Kissimmee, you've got me to thank! I hope you enjoy it!
