Levon3

That's a tough one! I suggest asking this over in the decisions thread too, as you'll get insight from a wider range of folks outside of education.

Oh wow! I definitely need to figure out if my loans are subsidized or unsubsidized. I owe about $45k from my master's degree, and have been slightly panicky about the thought of it accruing interest for 5 years while I pursue a PhD.

It's frustrating that your responsibility means you get less from them. On the other hand, I like that they take need into account.

It's interesting that you call Vandy a mess, but it's still ranked #6 (as of last week). Are your observations specific to IED?

Will you get the grant info before April 15? I do think you can pay off HGSE in <5 years if you're single and frugal.

No. I had almost-as-enticing offers with more money.

Thank you @Eigen and @TakeruK! It sounds like I will need to ask more people from my program what is best. I am in the social sciences. I appreciate your insights!

It's still very competitive to get into a PhD program at Stanford, even with a masters from there. Getting your masters will be no guarantee of doctoral admission, and since your ultimate goal is to get a PhD, you have to consider that you'd have $50 in debt accruing interest while you don't make much money for FIVE MORE YEARS in a PhD program. That will be quite a pile by the time you graduate.

Yes, it is common. I don't know what your career goals are, but prestige isn't everything. What you do with a PhD can be more important.

Go with the funding.

A couple of years ago in a similar situation I politely emailed my financial aid officer, letting him know about my other offers, and said, "This is my dream school but I have these better offers. Is there anything you can do?" For me, the answer was nothing, but it certainly won't hurt to try, and I didn't suffer any negative repercussions for inquiring.

Thanks fuzzylogician. Right now I do think I'll pursue academia, so your advice is very helpful.

I apologize if this is discussed elsewhere--I searched but couldn't find a thread. My question is: how common/possible is it for a PhD to completed in 4 years? My program's description says that it can be done if you have a masters degree, but it sounds like it's heavily discouraged. I also know that even if I plan to try for 4 years (or even 5) that there can be factors that prolong it. I just want to know if I should even try. What factors should I consider around this? It would be nice for personal reasons, but I'm not sure how feasible it would be or if I would greatly be sacrificing publication/career-building opportunities.

You'll want a car in Stillwater. I took my car full of whatever I could fit in it when I made a similar move, and sold everything else in NYC. However, if you have nice things and don't want to purchase new ones, you could consider renting a uhaul.

Ugh, I'm still mad I slogged through that book. I want those 6 months of my life back. It wasn't worth it. I know that it's considered great for a reason, but I wouldn't blame you for leaving it in the corner.

I like being on this forum too! The waiting was so, so long. I cried when I got waitlisted, and it's just so nice to be able to celebrate now that I'm accepted, with people who've been there.

haha, at least you know they're proud. I wish my parents would post so I didn't have to do it myself; I'm afraid I'll seem braggy.

The counselor at your school is a good first step, as they often have one or two free visits.

Same here--I didn't tell many people I was applying because I did not want all the questions if it didn't turn out well. Now that I'm in, I'm trying to decide when to post on social media.

Congratulations!

It's my understanding that you can take out more in loans than the "package" they offer; you just have to request more. Of course, only if you can take on that much debt...

How much did you get from Penn? (If you don't mind my asking)