School needs a decision now?

[cdfreddie]

I have applied and been accepted to my top two schools for a M.A. in Latin American Studies. I found out about one school about two weeks ago and found out from the other school yesterday. Yesterday I also happened to get a call from school #1 to outline my financial aid. They said they would offer me a basic package, but that I am part of a very small pool of applicants to which priority funding will be given. I was told if I could confirm my intent to attend the program, my financial aid package could be upgraded (but no specific details were given). However, they need a decision and the upgrade depends on the timing of my decision. The other school is asking me to apply for a graduate assistantship. I probably wouldn't find out about that and other sources of funding for school #2 until mid-March. Any advice? Funding is a huge consideration for me. Is it wrong to ask school #1 to provide me with more details regarding the upgrade? Is it wrong to tell school #2 about my time constraints with school #1? Help!

[MediaMom]

I don't think it's unfair for you to ask them to clarify the "upgrade." Tell them that you're considering another offer, and that in order to make the best choice possible you'll need more information. If they're sketchy about it then that might tell you something about whether or not this is the right program for you.