¿What do you think is the worst?

[JISNEGRO]

So guys, what are your opinions

[shadowclaw]

Well, I think both would really suck, but in my position, being accepted without funding basically means I'm not going, unless it was to a master's program at a state school.

[Azarashi1]

It amounts to the same thing

[viggosloof28]

On the other hand, at least an acceptance without funding means they'd like to have you (at least a little), but maybe not enough to spend lots of money on you.  A rejection is just a rejection in my book - hope I don't get too many of them!

[mewtoo]

I think an acceptance with no funding would be worse because I'd sooooooo want to go, but I'd be unable to. Its like the school is dangling the carrot in front of me and then pulling it away at the last moment. At least with a straight up rejection it wouldn't be so much turmoil inducing. Luckily, I guess, in my field no funding= no acceptances.

[viggosloof28]

I think an acceptance with no funding would be worse because I'd sooooooo want to go, but I'd be unable to. Its like the school is dangling the carrot in front of me and then pulling it away at the last moment. At least with a straight up rejection it wouldn't be so much turmoil inducing. Luckily, I guess, in my field no funding= no acceptances.

 

Good point!  Wasn't thinking of it like that...but I suppose that might be because my field is like yours: if you're accepted, you're almost certainly funded.  The one doesn't often come without the other.

[Faraday]

I also come from a field where virtually everyone who is accepted (for PhD programs) recieves funding, however I would say accepted without funding is the lesser of two evils. It depends on the context, but as was already mentioned, accepted without funding at least shows that they saw something in your application that looked promising whereas rejection means they flat out were not interested. Moving forward that could give you some confidence if you reapplied the next season that you could get funding after improving your resume.

[JISNEGRO]

I think an acceptance with no funding would be worse because I'd sooooooo want to go, but I'd be unable to. Its like the school is dangling the carrot in front of me and then pulling it away at the last moment.

I see it the same way, that is why I think is better to just get straight no. In that case you do not have to torture yourself for not having the money and making plans imagining how to raise it.

[EdYouKateOr]

On the other hand, at least an acceptance without funding means they'd like to have you (at least a little), but maybe not enough to spend lots of money on you.  A rejection is just a rejection in my book - hope I don't get too many of them!

I completely agree! For my ego's sake, I'd like to know I was accepted! At least then the ball is back in my court to make a decision!