E P Unum Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Has anyone heard from Union yet? Or from Candler about funding?
Sky Pilot Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Yup. In email this morning, they let me know that 1/2 tuition is the largest need-based grant they offer. All other grants are merit-based and are final offers. :-) I have no problem with that -- I know that there are folks with higher GPAs who are more competitive candidates and got merit money. Besides, it gives me even more reason to kick a$ in my first year there. :-) Really!? Oh, phooey. Reassuring that I got so much need-based aid, I guess, but still frustrating. And Trin, I'm with you-- I know for a fact that my academic profile is not super impressive (I was wondering how I got in in the first place!), and it makes sense that merit-based funds are going to those who are worthy. I love your attitude, too!! If I go to HDS, that's totally how I'll approach it. I'm still deciding whether I can afford HDS; I got the half-tuition grant, but I need to find funding for the other half plus cost of living (gulp). It's my dream program, but I'm terrified of taking on too much debt. Sigh.
Trin Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Really!? Oh, phooey. Reassuring that I got so much need-based aid, I guess, but still frustrating. And Trin, I'm with you-- I know for a fact that my academic profile is not super impressive (I was wondering how I got in in the first place!), and it makes sense that merit-based funds are going to those who are worthy. I love your attitude, too!! If I go to HDS, that's totally how I'll approach it. I'm still deciding whether I can afford HDS; I got the half-tuition grant, but I need to find funding for the other half plus cost of living (gulp). It's my dream program, but I'm terrified of taking on too much debt. Sigh. I appreciated the financial aid office being so candid about it with me and told them so. Let me know what you decide -- I understand being concerned about the financials. I'm hoping to get into on-campus housing so that I will have as many fixed predictable expenses as possible. I certainly agree about taking on too much debt. My daughter is an art student who was admitted to some of the top programs, but with huge financial aid gaps -- 25-30K in parent loans above the full student loans. She ended up choosing a program that was less prestigious but had the best aid package. Of course, she was choosing an undergrad program --it's rough when already have massive debt before you even get to grad school. I will probably be much more concerned about debt for a PhD program, but part of that is just the math of being older, etc.
Sky Pilot Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I appreciated the financial aid office being so candid about it with me and told them so. Let me know what you decide -- I understand being concerned about the financials. I'm hoping to get into on-campus housing so that I will have as many fixed predictable expenses as possible. I certainly agree about taking on too much debt. My daughter is an art student who was admitted to some of the top programs, but with huge financial aid gaps -- 25-30K in parent loans above the full student loans. She ended up choosing a program that was less prestigious but had the best aid package. Of course, she was choosing an undergrad program --it's rough when already have massive debt before you even get to grad school. I will probably be much more concerned about debt for a PhD program, but part of that is just the math of being older, etc. I was lucky enough to escape undergrad without much debt at all... but my husband has debt from his undergrad. So I'm a little nervous. I'm still exploring options, talking to financial aid offices, etc... We'll see. Ugh, this is even worse than waiting!!
vega maudlin Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 Finally heard back from Duke for the MTS! Got waitlisted, took myself off the waitlist. I was lucky enough to escape undergrad without much debt at all... but my husband has debt from his undergrad. So I'm a little nervous. I'm still exploring options, talking to financial aid offices, etc... We'll see. Ugh, this is even worse than waiting!!
matt6666666666 Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 Long time listener, first time caller. 3 things: 1. Finally got financial aid letter from Claremont...they "awarded" me $20,000 in loans. Thinking I should call them and ask if it was a joke. 2. Did everyone who was accepted at Chicago get an email supposedly from a professor a couple days after the admit email? It seemed suspiciously like a robo-email, but I figured I should check before ignoring it just in case... 3. Still waiting on Union. Anyone have some insight? LOVE the enthusiasim on these boards!
AurantiacaStella Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 2. Did everyone who was accepted at Chicago get an email supposedly from a professor a couple days after the admit email? It seemed suspiciously like a robo-email, but I figured I should check before ignoring it just in case... I was admitted to the AM in Divinity at Chicago, but I didn't get an email from a professor. So, I think that's probably a personal contact from a professor in your area of interest.
vega maudlin Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) Which professor was it? (And did you apply to the MDiv or the MA program?) 2. Did everyone who was accepted at Chicago get an email supposedly from a professor a couple days after the admit email? It seemed suspiciously like a robo-email, but I figured I should check before ignoring it just in case... Edited March 19, 2011 by vega maudlin
Tahuds Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Just got my Yale Financial Aid info... 13K scholarship a year... which just leaves me with 18K in loans + 4K work study. I'm not sure if going into 36K for a masters is really worth it. I'm going to wait and see what the PSR will give me.
phoskaialetheia Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Just got my Yale Financial Aid info... 13K scholarship a year... which just leaves me with 18K in loans + 4K work study. I'm not sure if going into 36K for a masters is really worth it. I'm going to wait and see what the PSR will give me. But tuition is only 20k, so most of the loans and work study are for living expenses, healthcare, and the meal plan ('board fee'), aren't they? Most places only give scholarships and loans towards the cost of tuition and let you figure out how to cover living expenses and fees yourself. So effectively, you could just take some of the offered loans (probably the subsidized part) to cover the rest of tuition, decline the rest, and pay for living expenses yourself and you would have the same as a 70% scholarship/tuition remission offer anywhere else, and you won't have the full debt to worry about unless you need it to cover rent etc. It's actually a pretty generous deal.
Tahuds Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 But tuition is only 20k, so most of the loans and work study are for living expenses, healthcare, and the meal plan ('board fee'), aren't they? Most places only give scholarships and loans towards the cost of tuition and let you figure out how to cover living expenses and fees yourself. So effectively, you could just take some of the offered loans (probably the subsidized part) to cover the rest of tuition, decline the rest, and pay for living expenses yourself and you would have the same as a 70% scholarship/tuition remission offer anywhere else, and you won't have the full debt to worry about unless you need it to cover rent etc. It's actually a pretty generous deal. Yeah I totally need the money to cover my living expenses and housing. That's ugly but what can ya do?
phoskaialetheia Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Yeah I totally need the money to cover my living expenses and housing. That's ugly but what can ya do? For sure. I'm just saying that unless you get full tuition plus stipend towards living expenses, you are going to have to come up with that no matter where you go, and you aren't likely to get low/no interest loans for anything but tuition. Good luck, though. I hope GTU comes through, but it looks like PSR offers only part tuition merit and 30-50% need based aid, although tuition is cheaper. Also, the Bay Area is more expensive than New Haven. Good luck with the decision. For what it's worth, what I keep hearing from my professors is that as long as you can keep MA debt to less than 50k, it is typically doable, provided that the loans are subsidized/low interest federal loans and you don't do an unfunded PhD after. I know each situation is unique. I hope you can find a way to make something work for you.
KreacherKeeper Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Yeah I totally need the money to cover my living expenses and housing. That's ugly but what can ya do? First, congrats on YDS. I was in the same boat with HDS, but not quite as generous (or nearly as generous), and sigh, I ended up saying no. One thing to consider though is that you can get money for working during the summer (a slight cut down on expenses). 36 K is a lot of money, but considering the value of the degree, it may not be the end of the world, if it gets you a fully funded PhD. 36 k over 7 years MA + PhD is not as substantial. Just something to think about. I am at an entirely different place in my life (I am older, working etc), so my choices have to reflect that. But trust me I hear ya, and that is far more responsible than racking up too much debt and not even thinking about it. Darn eating and having a place to live! It ruins everything!
11Q13 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I appreciated the financial aid office being so candid about it with me and told them so. Let me know what you decide -- I understand being concerned about the financials. I'm hoping to get into on-campus housing so that I will have as many fixed predictable expenses as possible. I certainly agree about taking on too much debt. My daughter is an art student who was admitted to some of the top programs, but with huge financial aid gaps -- 25-30K in parent loans above the full student loans. She ended up choosing a program that was less prestigious but had the best aid package. Of course, she was choosing an undergrad program --it's rough when already have massive debt before you even get to grad school. I will probably be much more concerned about debt for a PhD program, but part of that is just the math of being older, etc. On-campus housing is a horrible idea. You'll pay double for what you could get off campus.
Trin Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) On-campus housing is a horrible idea. You'll pay double for what you could get off campus. There's just a lot of stuff I don't want to deal with involved in off campus. For example, I'm not bringing or buying furniture -- I want something furnished. I'm not terribly interested in sharing, unless it's someone I already know or have become really comfortable with. And I'd like pretty much NO commute. I'm not going to come out just to go apartment shopping, because I have too much travel already on my plate for this summer -- Westercon in July, Worldcon in August. I've had more than 25 years of living "off campus" and deaing with all the details associated with it. I'd rather pay a bit more for convenience and fewer things to manage. If I want to spend time living off campus, I'll get enough of that when I'm at home with my SO during the holidays. Edited March 19, 2011 by Trin
new mexico Posted March 19, 2011 Author Posted March 19, 2011 There's just a lot of stuff I don't want to deal with involved in off campus. For example, I'm not bringing or buying furniture -- I want something furnished. I'm not terribly interested in sharing, unless it's someone I already know or have become really comfortable with. And I'd like pretty much NO commute. I'm not going to come out just to go apartment shopping, because I have too much travel already on my plate for this summer -- Westercon in July, Worldcon in August. I've had more than 25 years of living "off campus" and deaing with all the details associated with it. I'd rather pay a bit more for convenience and fewer things to manage. If I want to spend time living off campus, I'll get enough of that when I'm at home with my SO during the holidays. another thing to think about is that if you live "off-campus," then you have to have that moving money up front PRIOR to financial aid disbursment, and i know this is difficult for most students. "On-campus" offers the luxury of not having to worry about forking out $1500 or so dollars to procure a place before the semester starts. I'm vascillating between excepting an offer from Brown (MPH, $90k in loans, but at least I can get a job with it) and Boston U STH (MDiv, full ride + stipend), and hosing is playing a factor into all of this, so i completely understand!
Trin Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 another thing to think about is that if you live "off-campus," then you have to have that moving money up front PRIOR to financial aid disbursment, and i know this is difficult for most students. "On-campus" offers the luxury of not having to worry about forking out $1500 or so dollars to procure a place before the semester starts. I'm vascillating between excepting an offer from Brown (MPH, $90k in loans, but at least I can get a job with it) and Boston U STH (MDiv, full ride + stipend), and hosing is playing a factor into all of this, so i completely understand! Oh, trust me, I don't have to think about it, I've had the experience, long ago, of financial aid money being delayed long enough to nearly reach the point of eviction in off campus housing. My impression is that Harvard's off campus housing system (properties owned or managed by Harvard) reduces many of these issues, but there are still some of the tradeoffs I've alluded to earlier. I hope your choice works out for you. Brown is one of those places I probably would have enjoyed as an undergrad. :-)
vega maudlin Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 another thing to think about is that if you live "off-campus," then you have to have that moving money up front PRIOR to financial aid disbursment, and i know this is difficult for most students. "On-campus" offers the luxury of not having to worry about forking out $1500 or so dollars to procure a place before the semester starts. I'm vascillating between excepting an offer from Brown (MPH, $90k in loans, but at least I can get a job with it) and Boston U STH (MDiv, full ride + stipend), and hosing is playing a factor into all of this, so i completely understand! New mexico, are you still going to the merit scholar days at BU?
sacklunch Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 If you can swing the upfront money go with off-campus housing. I have many friends here in Boston that their first year lived in student housing, who ended up paying like 1200 a month for a one bedroom, and then now are realizing it was a terrible idea. You can get something much cheaper, even in Cambridge (or move to Somerville). I pay 710 plus utilities a month to live in a furnished house by BC (for theo grad students, although not payed through BC).
Trin Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 If you can swing the upfront money go with off-campus housing. I have many friends here in Boston that their first year lived in student housing, who ended up paying like 1200 a month for a one bedroom, and then now are realizing it was a terrible idea. You can get something much cheaper, even in Cambridge (or move to Somerville). I pay 710 plus utilities a month to live in a furnished house by BC (for theo grad students, although not payed through BC). Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I think that's a great idea for some people. Me? I'm not terribly enthused about sharing a house with other grad students, largely because most other grad students are going to be in a different life stage than I am. There's a whole complexity of social interaction that I have to contend with that you probably don't even have to think about, completely aside from personal and health issues that are part and parcel of that age issue. In short, I think living off campus can be a great thing for some people, some times, but there are also arguments to be made for living alone, or on campus. In my case, I'm hoping to get into the CSWR, which I think represents a good compromise for me.
matt6666666666 Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 I was admitted to the AM in Divinity at Chicago, but I didn't get an email from a professor. So, I think that's probably a personal contact from a professor in your area of interest. Thanks for the response! Good to know that I shouldn't ignore it.. Which professor was it? (And did you apply to the MDiv or the MA program?) Jeffery Stackert--did you have any classes with him/know him? He's Hebrew Bible, I actually don't know his stuff...but it sounds really cool. I'm in for the MA with decent funding, so there's a good chance i'll accept, although I'm still a little worried about fit as far as the academic culture goes. I didn't visit beforehand (since I didn't think I would get in), so I'm planning on going to the prospective student day to get a better feel. But they definately scored points by having a vegan option for their prospective student day meal! (p.s. vega is it ok if i PM you with more questions about UChicago??)
vega maudlin Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Please do PM me! And I would not ignore that email -- Jeffrey Stackert is a great professor, personable and extremely articulate. I only had him for Intro Hebrew Bible, but we continued to have conversations (mostly about teaching biblical criticism to mixed audiences, which I was interested in) throughout the year. It'd be great if you could make a connection with him before the start of the term -- and if you have specific questions, again, PM me. Thanks for the response! Good to know that I shouldn't ignore it.. Jeffery Stackert--did you have any classes with him/know him? He's Hebrew Bible, I actually don't know his stuff...but it sounds really cool. I'm in for the MA with decent funding, so there's a good chance i'll accept, although I'm still a little worried about fit as far as the academic culture goes. I didn't visit beforehand (since I didn't think I would get in), so I'm planning on going to the prospective student day to get a better feel. But they definately scored points by having a vegan option for their prospective student day meal! (p.s. vega is it ok if i PM you with more questions about UChicago??)
maximus1212 Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Just curious if anyone has heard from the ND ECS MA program.
MarsUpial Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 So after the HDS rejection, my boyfriend got a full ride from Chicago--what a mysterious, unpredictable process... What are admit and financial aid rates at these places right now?? More importantly, does anyone know where to find PhD/job placement rates for people coming out of these programs? (I.e. Chicago/Yale/Harvard MA/MTS-type programs...)
MarsUpial Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 I was admitted to the AM in Divinity at Chicago, but I didn't get an email from a professor. So, I think that's probably a personal contact from a professor in your area of interest. My boyfriend got an email, but from a different prof, one in his area of interest. He also got funding--did you two? Maybe it has something to do with that? It's hard to imagine that the professors would personally go through all the admits...
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