subjunctivity

On UT Austin's end: Not on the stipend, no, I don't think so. It's a set amount across the board, I'm pretty sure. They are pushing hard to make the stipend as much as they can, though. The departments' admins really fight for their grad students. That being said, you might be able to get an extra something for your first year (technically for moving costs, covering that first summer), but there's no formal procedure as far as I know. Without being too specific, I was offered a one-time scholarship for the first year to compete with other offers from different universities.

Late reply, but I'm totally agreeing with dazedandbemused. I also had to make the decision between Davis and Austin, and it was a close race in everything "important" but the people totally sold Austin for me. Everyone on the visit was so welcoming and happy to get to know me, and it hasn't changed the semester & a half I've been here. It's actually kinda surprising how supportive everyone is, when I sit down and think about it. I'm genuinely friends with grad students both within and without my cohort. I can't stress enough how great this community is (to sound like a broken record). And definitely, definitely go to Barbarella's. At least once. Don't stress too much about finding a place to live. It's definitely doable, roommate or not, and the further you go out from campus the easier it is to find cheaper housing. Buses are free with a UT ID, so if you don't mind a bit of a commute, it can be extremely affordable. I'm splitting an $800 rent on a 2-bedroom up north, and my bus commute is no more than 30-40 minutes at worst. Granted, it's a terrible complex and we're moving, but the point remains, look outside of neighborhoods immediately surrounding campus. North of 51st, I think, is going to be your best bet. At least in my experience.

As someone who had a good experience re: this question, sometimes listing more schools is a good thing! The schools (the grad student advisor, mostly, and relevant profs) that accepted me knew who to watch out for and even asked me about places when I went to the recruitment events. More than one school asked what they could offer that would help me make a decision & followed through (which made it more difficult in the long run!)

Chiming in to second what cloudofunknowing said - I only heard from the school this evening (2/13) around 7pm est. I imagine they should be in contact regardless of decision soon!