Take offer now or wait till deadline?

[bsguy]

I want to know what you guys think I should do. I'm almost sure that I'll be attending this school without funding, and I have until May 5 to accept/reject the admission offer. The only thing that worries me if I accepted the offer now is that I'd be less likely to be offered funding when they do have more funding available (due to a funded applicant declining the program's offer).

Suppose the program could support 1 more student. Do you think the program would be more likely to give the funding to a person like me (who has not yet accepted the admission offer) or to a person who has taken the offer, assuming these 2 persons are equally qualified? Do you think I have more bargaining power by not accepting the offer now?

The only advantage if I accepted it now is that I could start looking for funding from other departments; though, from what I saw on their job site, there aren't any TA-ships that I could apply for. FYI, I'll be going for an MS in Biostat.

Thank you!

[fuzzylogician]

My instinct would be not to accept yet and to let the school know that the only reason you haven't done so is because you are a bit apprehensive because of the lack of funding (write an email that makes it clear that funding will immediately make you accept, but that doesn't explicitly say you won't accept without, if you're considering doing that). But I could be mistaken here.

[nandelle]

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat...admitted without funding, but with the hope that if other people turn down their funded offers (there are 5 still out that the DGS hasn't heard from yet), I might get one (the DGS and one of the other professors I talked to made it sound l ike this was a definite possibility for me). I think I'm going to wait it out until I hear back yea or nay on the funding, partly because I am not sure if I can commit to going this year without some kind of funding.

I did however go to visit the school, make it clear that if I could get funding I'd accept in a heartbeat, and generally try to get to know people around the department.

I'm going for a master's in stats (potentially a double master's in stats and OR. What school are you considering, just out of sheer curiosity? I almost went for biostats but then decided that my interests (and my background) were more aligned with the business sector.

[bsguy]

fuzzylogician:

I've emailed a prof and the DGS before posting my question here. What I said to them was I'm very interested in their program, but I'm not sure how I can afford it without funding.

nandelle:

As for me, the profs only said they don't have funding 'at this point'. The acceptance letter also said something similar, and that they'll let me know if they're able to make an offer. I'd rather not mention the school though lol.. I'm sorry. I know I'm being silly, but I'm just worried.

Since the deadline is only 2 weeks away, I'll listen to you guys and wait it out. Thanks!

(BTW, I just realized I should've posted this topic in the "Decisions, Decisions".)

[fuzzylogician]

I've emailed a prof and the DGS before posting my question here. What I said to them was I'm very interested in their program, but I'm not sure how I can afford it without funding.

If you mean you wrote to them recently, then I'd suggest waiting until you hear what they say before deciding whether to accept or decline. If it's been a while since you've been in touch, you might want to contact them again to let them know that they're still your top choice (and maybe ask when you might expect funding decisions). Good luck!

[Tobson]

but isn't it possible that if the get new funding they will offer to applicants who have already accepted without funding (but whom they told that there might be funding in the furture)?

[fuzzylogician]

but isn't it possible that if the get new funding they will offer to applicants who have already accepted without funding (but whom they told that there might be funding in the furture)?

The reverse logic makes just as much sense to me: wouldn't they offer any new available funding to people who haven't accepted theor offer yet (in order to attract them) instead of to people who have already accepted?

The answer could change from school to school. Really, I don't know which they would prefer.

[nandelle]

I just got an e-mail from OSU offering me a partial teaching assistantship with full tuition remission and a small stipend, to possibly increase once I'm down there to a full teaching assistantship with a normal stipend.

YAYYYYYYY

[fuzzylogician]

That's great news, congrats!!

[Tobson]

The reverse logic makes just as much sense to me: wouldn't they offer any new available funding to people who haven't accepted theor offer yet (in order to attract them) instead of to people who have already accepted?

The answer could change from school to school. Really, I don't know which they would prefer.

to be honest this point of view came to my mnd when I wrote my comment - you're right it makes as much sense, if not even more. But I wanted to make that point.