hpa87

@moda I didn't realize students had such different packages--that is to say, it wasn't something that came up while I was on my visit, both from folks in the accepted cohort,or folks who are currently in the department. Where did you hear that the packages were so different? Either way, it didn't seem like this was a big issue or that students were competitive or jealous, since it wasn't something that came up or was a visible/obvious tension. The department and the grad school also seem to have a lot of pots of money that students can tap into, which is something that a lot of people highlighted as an important/attractive resource. There were some folks buying themselves out of work responsibilities by winning outside $$, but at the same time there were people who were purposely taking on teaching work so that they could get more experience, so that didn't seem to be an issue either.
 
Of course you typically see the best sides of a department during their visit days but overall, it seemed students were happy/content and adequately supported, in this respect. 
 
I would contact UMich for their average time to completion and for a placement list so you have an idea of where grads are going.
 
BTW, don't want to sound like I'm down on Northwestern. They were an awesome department too, as friendly/supportive as everyone says they are! And, if there is any part of you that thinks you'll want to do comparative historical, ethnography, or other qual research, then you should definitely strongly consider them because this is an undeniable strength of theirs.