How long to wait before I broach the subject?

[ollie cromwell]

Both of the schools I'm looking at have accepted me, but neither gave any word about funding. Both of the schools I'm looking at encouraged me to fill out a successful application before I did any real communication with potential advisors. Now that I've got in, I'm not sure who to direct questions towards and whether its too soon to start questioning. Do I need to chill for another week?

[rising_star]

Hmmm... that's a tricky one. Ohio State funding should be out soon, they're probably waiting to hear about fellowships from the Graduate School.

[yakuza77]

I have a somewhat similar situation. One of my schools straight out accepted me and told me the funding (assistantship), the amount, and that it includes tuition remissions, the other offered me a fellowship for the first year, followed by an instructorship, but no word on the dollar amounts (I got the word from a faculty member that I want to work with and not the "official" word from the department, although I was told that I could contact the director with any questions, but the subject of money seems touchy to me for some reason).

I am visiting the second school (the one that I am really leaning toward) next week. How and when can I bring up the subject of money if they don't broach it? I still haven't received my official letter, but since I work for the graduate advisor in my current program, I know that these things take time, committees must meet, budgets much be figured, etc... I am assuming that the fellowship, which they told me was their top award, would be more than the standard award, and of course, it includes no duties, but I just need to know the amount...I mean what if it is too small to live off? I am probably panicking here, but...

Once I know the second school's amount, I can start to seriously make my decision.

Wow, I would suck in business, I hate to talk about money.

This is frustrating. :x

[ollie cromwell]

I think I finally ended up broaching the issue by asking if decisions for fellowships had been finalized and whether or not there was additional paperwork to which I needed to attend if I needed to seek financial assistance. I got a "talk to these two people" and a "come to visit day and drum up conversation with the professors" as responses. Pretty much "hang out until we get to know you a bit better," which makes sense to me.