Another protocol question -- what if no faculty contact?

[calartian]

Do most of you have profs recruiting you or that have contact with you, who at least let you know the program is interested and why you should attend? I'm just wondering if my current experience is normal or abnormal. I have a first PhD offer, which was made early and enthusiastically by the grad coordinator (of the school, not the dept), but have to date heard nothing at all from the dept. itself. Of course I have to respond by 4/15 like everyone else, but as the money isn't great (all incoming get % of tuition and no stipend), I'm thinking that saying yes without knowing which specific profs showed interest in my app would be financial suicide -- I'm told that getting on a research project is the only other possibility for funding, and only after I get there. Nothing but the partial tuition fellowship is guaranteed in the future.

All I have been given is the contact info for the department head (and only after I pestered), so I'll be contacting her, but just seems...I dunno. Waiting for two other schools to respond as well, who will not by 4/15, so getting flustered about the lack of tangible love from the one who wants me outright, I suppose. But maybe I'm just being a big dork about the whole affair -- wouldn't be the first time. : )

[Spritely]

That sounds a bit unusual. I think typically you should expect to hear from the graduate school and the department separately--both notifying you of admission, but the Department usually shares more specific information on the terms of the offer. My only guess that if you haven't heard about funding yet, maybe you are "wait listed" for funding, and thus they are waiting to see what will happen with the applicants who have already been offered funding. In short, I think it's smart of you to follow up with the Department Head. I haven't always heard from specific professors, but you should at least get some specifics from the Department Head.

Good luck!

[calartian]

Nope, not waitlisted for funding -- that's the best (and only) offer they give. Talked to a student in the program tonight and basically confirmed that situation. She suggested if I have a funded offer elsewhere to take it -- program amazing, but money never gets better. Oh well.

[Spritely]

I have also had to decline several great program admissions over the years (Master's and Ph.D. programs) because there was no or insufficient funding. I feel your pain, but it seems like unnecessary stress to put yourself in a financial hole when there is another, better-funded offer. Good luck with your other school!

[aginath]

getting flustered about the lack of tangible love from the one who wants me outright

I applied to three programs; UGA, NCSU, and IU. My UGA application was two-fold. I found a visitation program through Outreach & Diversity for which I was eligible to apply. They combed through 200+ applications and selected ~50 to bring out for three days to see campus, meet programs, and actively recruit. I fell in love and stayed in contact with the graduate coordinator for the program I wanted. After my IU application was complete, I received an email inviting me to visit during their recruitment weekend. There were only a dozen or so of us and this was program-specific (rather than university-wide). I never really considered the possibility of being recruited for a graduate program until I visited Indiana back in February. I saw the love given to three or four prospective students in our group that weekend and honestly felt jealous. One of the guys was actually on his second year of applying to the program (rejected last year). Other than "thank you for your application," I never heard a peep out of NCSU until the offer letter came.

When I was trying to decide which offer to accept, my Master's Committee Chair gave me possibly the best advice. "My 2 cents--go for the program that focuses on the relationship with the faculty