jackthejourneyman

Liesje is right on with the funding numbers. From what I've been told, Loyola admitted 10 people for five funded slots. 2 of the 5 slots have accepted, and it sounds like it'll be 3 with Liesje. Everyone else who has been 'accepted' is on some kind of funding waitlist. I'm ambivalent about Loyola and may take myself out of the running, but in any event, things should become more clear in a week or two (registration begins on the 15th!).

They apparently have 5 funded slots open this year. However, they have admitted more than 5 persons to their PhD program and are waiting to see who accepts. Thus, after getting in, I am on a funding waitlist. Very, very disappointing.

Oh, and I'm not sure about visiting days.

I did e-mail the DGS - hopefully she will get back to me in the next few days (she's on spring break), at which point I might be able to offer more information. I know for incoming students without an MA, funding through graduate assistantships is set for four years, three for those already holding an MA. After this, you are offered the opportunity to apply for competitive teaching and dissertation fellowships. I asked specifically about the availability of these later competitive fellowships, and the exact amount of the stipends at all levels. I read 14K on the website, too, but I've read that it may in fact be more (god, I hope so...14k in Chicago doesn't go far). However, I'm mostly concerned about getting through three years with funding, and then being basically frozen out if there aren't enough teaching/dissertation fellowships to go around. A guarantee would be nice, something solid with which to plan. Even an assurance that further funding is likely, if not 100% certain, would help. Nothing would be worse than having to take out loans halfway through, or being forced to discontinue studies due to financial issues.

First, my condolences to those with bizarre MA offers and outright rejections. I'm currently batting 1/11, with a lifetime average of 2/25 in literature, so I know the frustrations common to this process. However, I wanted to get this thread going again for those (including myself) who have been admitted for the fall PhD program but are still vacillating on accepting the offer. I'm not waiting to cause undue distress on the waitlist, believe me. Unfortunately, it has more to do with the lack of information contained in the acceptance letter, particularly with regards to funding. Does anyone know how Loyola's funding package works for incoming applicants with MA's? Their website has some scattered details, but I've read that it may be out of date, especially in terms of the amounts listed. In any event, these details do not add up to anything specific - it simply says that there are a number of assistantships available. Further study in the field is my dream, and Loyola has a mind-blowing faculty for my research interests. Plus, I won't have to move. However, precarious funding kills it for me and opens the way to library science, where I have offers pending. At least debts accrued in that discipline will resolve themselves into some form of employment that is financially stable, involved with books, and not customer-service or law orientated. Best of luck to all of you.