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No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:00 am
by bsbnj
I have only been accepted into one school with no other alternatives after all the rejections received. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions for me, as for this one acceptance, I DID NOT get any funding. It is $50K per year and needless to say, I cannot afford it. Any constructive thoughts would be appreciated.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:12 am
by marco
Which school did you get into? I would tell the school about your situation to see if they can do something for you.
Try looking for some external funding or something also. Good luck!

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:19 am
by bsbnj
marco wrote:Which school did you get into? I would tell the school about your situation to see if they can do something for you.
Try looking for some external funding or something also. Good luck!
DU. and I did reach out to the school/department and was told that there is very limited funding so...blah, blah, blah.... I am looking into external funding and I am talking with someone who I know is going to decline and coordinating the timing of their decline with an email / phone call to the department asking about the available funding at that point.

I am just wondering if others are in the same boat as me, maybe because it might make me feel a little better or because maybe others have come up with creative alternatives...

Thanks for your ideas.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 12:58 pm
by math_applicant
I thought before about such possibility, and the farthest I could think of is to take a full time job (at a software company since I have a computer science degree along with my math one, I don't know what can work for you) and study part time at the school (to reduce the 50K load to a level compatible with your salary). Meanwhile, you will be on the department's priority list for the next funding offer (you have to make sure that you are :? ), and thus you will be very likely to receive a financial package by the second year.

Another possibility is to wait to apply again next year and work on your application meanwhile (take more graduate courses even as non degree, seek a research project with a professor somewhere, enhance your MGRE, so on).

good luck!

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:03 pm
by bsbnj
math_applicant wrote:I thought before about such possibility, and the farthest I could think of is to take a full time job (at a software company since I have a computer science degree along with my math one, I don't know what can work for you) and study part time at the school (to reduce the 50K load to a level compatible with your salary). Meanwhile, you will be on the department's priority list for the next funding offer (you have to make sure that you are :? ), and thus you will be very likely to receive a financial package by the second year.

Another possibility is to wait to apply again next year and work on your application meanwhile (take more graduate courses even as non degree, seek a research project with a professor somewhere, enhance your MGRE, so on).

good luck!

Good idea! Thanks for the info, it is appreciated.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 10:00 pm
by IfhhoteCannot
I'm really sorry to hear about that. It is definitely a crappy situation. I'm really sorry if this advice comes off as negative.

I have had three separate professors tell me (without my asking) in the last few months that I should NOT accept an offer that does not include funding under any circumstances. Their reasoning is that, if a school does not offer you funding, it means they do not really believe in your ability to finish the degree, which basically means you would be working in an environment where you are the least qualified person there (which would be mentally and emotionally draining). Even if you get external funding, it won't be guaranteed for the 5-7 years you need to finish your PhD. I think you should apply again next year, and spend this year buffing up your resume.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 10:38 pm
by marco
IfhhoteCannot wrote:I'm really sorry to hear about that. It is definitely a crappy situation. I'm really sorry if this advice comes off as negative.

I have had three separate professors tell me (without my asking) in the last few months that I should NOT accept an offer that does not include funding under any circumstances. Their reasoning is that, if a school does not offer you funding, it means they do not really believe in your ability to finish the degree, which basically means you would be working in an environment where you are the least qualified person there (which would be mentally and emotionally draining). Even if you get external funding, it won't be guaranteed for the 5-7 years you need to finish your PhD. I think you should apply again next year, and spend this year buffing up your resume.
There are some government funding opportunities that normally can be guaranteed for the five to seven years. I mean even some universities say that there funding can not be guaranteed for the entirety of one's phd. That being said if you are a domestic student then I would definitely consider applying next year.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 3:27 am
by avisottda
Some schools accept people without regards to funding and offer funding for only a select few. If those lucky ones decline the offer, then they send out another round of funding offers. DU is one of them. If you look at their statistics from Peterson's, they admit 80% of applicants, but fund only 2 or 3 students each year. I myself am in that sort of situation with 5 schools that I have been accepted to. Three of the schools said they probably won't be able to fund me, and two schools said that I am on their second round list. What's weird about this is though that those two schools are the better ones (better ranked/more reputation).

I am waiting to hear from one last PhD school that I had an interview with and this school guarantees funding. If I don't get into that, I am planning on attending a funded master's program and apply next year or the year after. I would plan on being a little more careful about which schools I apply, and make sure that I get into at least one school that guarantees funding. It seems like top tier schools (especially private Ivy League) have more money, and thus they offer funding for pretty much everyone they decide to admit.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:47 am
by bsbnj
IfhhoteCannot wrote:I'm really sorry to hear about that. It is definitely a crappy situation. I'm really sorry if this advice comes off as negative.

I have had three separate professors tell me (without my asking) in the last few months that I should NOT accept an offer that does not include funding under any circumstances. Their reasoning is that, if a school does not offer you funding, it means they do not really believe in your ability to finish the degree, which basically means you would be working in an environment where you are the least qualified person there (which would be mentally and emotionally draining). Even if you get external funding, it won't be guaranteed for the 5-7 years you need to finish your PhD. I think you should apply again next year, and spend this year buffing up your resume.
Not taken negatively at all.. Makes sense...thanks.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:49 am
by bsbnj
avisottda wrote:Some schools accept people without regards to funding and offer funding for only a select few. If those lucky ones decline the offer, then they send out another round of funding offers. DU is one of them. If you look at their statistics from Peterson's, they admit 80% of applicants, but fund only 2 or 3 students each year. I myself am in that sort of situation with 5 schools that I have been accepted to. Three of the schools said they probably won't be able to fund me, and two schools said that I am on their second round list. What's weird about this is though that those two schools are the better ones (better ranked/more reputation).

I am waiting to hear from one last PhD school that I had an interview with and this school guarantees funding. If I don't get into that, I am planning on attending a funded master's program and apply next year or the year after. I would plan on being a little more careful about which schools I apply, and make sure that I get into at least one school that guarantees funding. It seems like top tier schools (especially private Ivy League) have more money, and thus they offer funding for pretty much everyone they decide to admit.

I didn't look at Peterson's...wish I had. Thanks.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:21 am
by Legendre
Do not, I repeat DO NOT, attend a PhD without funding unless you can comfortable afford it without loans.

Re: No funding for my only choice

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 1:23 pm
by selcuk2459
I would not attend there either and I am not sure it would worth; especially if you can not afford. I also got an admission with only tution waiver not with a scholarship and I told them I will certanly reject the offer. Luckily, some other schools offered me TAship.

You can still apply next year and be admitted to some better schools with better opportunities.