ASU Math PhD TA

[Switouski]

Hi All, new here. Facing a dilemma, (and I apologize if this is the wrong section of the forum as I wasn't sure but I figured as it pertained to TAs I would try here).

January 30th I was accepted to ASU Math PhD program, with no word on funding. Apparently, according to their website, that is how they do it. They accept people, then a few weeks later they go about offering TAs. It is now February 23rd, and I still have no word on a TA position. I have seen 5 or so people post on here in results that they have been accepted by the department as well, and none of them have heard anything about funding either. So I guess the question I have is, what do I do? I should say that I am going regardless of funding (it happens to be the top school on my list regardless), but the finances obviously makes a huge difference on whether I rack up more debt or can breathe safely. Has anyone had experience with this before? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you all so much in advance.

[Bayesian1701]

Not in math but I am also waiting on funding at stats program.  I emailed shortly after getting in about when funding decisions would be made.  I was told March and I was also notified about acceptance in late January.  So this wouldn’t be unheard of.  This doesn’t mean that they won’t fund you.  It’s very possible no one has heard back yet.    According to my mentor who has sat on AdComms at my joint math/stat department part of the logic (at least at my institution) behind this is to increase yield  because some of the applicants will withdraw since they decided to go elsewhere since the program is more of a safety school for most people.  They also maybe don’t know how many returning TAs they will have and/or how many funded spots they have yet.  Don’t tell them you are willing to go without funding yet.  There is no point in doing that.  You have already been accepted and they might interept that to mean don’t offer you money because you will come anyway and I think you want the money.  Just ask when are funding decisions being made.  Assuming your offer is completely official they can’t revoke it unless you do something major (crime, academic dishonesty, don’t graduate, lied on application).  So you don’t need to worry about showing them you still interested.