LandBeforeRhyme

Longtime lurker, just made an account for this dilemma I have found myself in. Considering how stressful and difficult it can be to get accepted to a PhD, has anyone had the experience of turning down a PhD offer to improve their application and reapply? It could be for trying to apply to other schools, finding more funding, etc. That's where I'm finding myself. I have been accepted to 2/2 PhD's I've applied for, and one has offered minimal funding (tuition covered, no stipend). Both rank well for graduate placement as of 2015, one being among the top 3 (Toronto School of Theology). Both have solid potential supervisors (one an expert in the field) that I've been in regular contact with and have agreed to supervise me. However, having gotten into both programs I applied to, I am left wondering if I perhaps should take a year to aim higher, apply more broadly, and attempt to secure more funding. I could spend the year learning additional languages (German, French), reading more, attempting to get more publications and present at conferences. I've been thinking back on my applications and I know that they could be a lot better, but I also know I may just be thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. My broad area of interest is Theological Ethics and Farmed Animal Welfare in the Anthropocene, so I know that I could find a good supervisory fit at Yale w/ Luke Krieder, University of Virginia w/ Willis Jenkins & Paul Dafydd Jones, Duke with Norman Wirzba. It's a relatively niche area, but growing! Notre Dame seems to be lacking in this area, so I haven't been able to see a good fit there. I'm sure there are others I'm not aware of that might be good fits at other schools as well. I am not so concerned with going somewhere "prestigious" but am more focused on A) Funding; B) Supervisor-y Relationship; and C) Professional Development. I'm also nervous about declining a PhD offer given how tricky the admissions process can be year-to-year. Has anyone else found themselves in this position? I know it is a strange one!