Current phds: how much can we bargain?

[dafrk3in]

To current phds:

Is there any possibility of bargaining for better offers?

[daageep]

yeah can we price match? =p

[Cassin]

Originally Posted by dafrk3in

Is there any possibility of bargaining for better offers?

Yes but be careful if some department is very poor (Virginia style). If some department wants you, sometimes they can improve the offer. Caution: whatever you do, don't turn down improved offers! Corollary: ask for a raise only if you'd go when given one.

[jaqunc11]

how do you ask for a raise? im guessing the best time to do this is at the visitation weekend.
also does it even make sense to ask for one if you dont have another competing offer from another school, i.e. little bargaining power?

[jackson23]

Actually... I have a question...

What if you get admitted with funding, and you subsequently get an external scholarship? As far as I know, departments adjust their funding when this happens.

But, does anybody have any experience with this? Are the adjustments done to leave you as well off, or bad off, as you were before? How do people approach barganing in these cases?

I would be very interested to hear something about this.

[Gogol]

I don't know the answer to that in general, but I can offer some anecdotal evidence. My Cornell fellowship offer is for five years, including three years as a TA. They said if I got an NSF, that funding would replace the three years of TA funding, leaving me with more money and no responsibilities whatsoever. The other two schools that have offered me funding made sure to emphasize that they want to know as soon as possible if I land outside funding, but they weren't specific on how the funding offer would be adjusted.

[asquare]

With regards to the original question about how much leeway there is to negotiate for better financial aid offers:

I think the best policy is honesty. As someone mentioned, don't ask for a deal that you aren't prepared to accept. The simplest case is probably if you have not received any funding at the school you'd most like to attend, but do have funded offers at other schools. In that case, I think you should tell the director of grad studies that you would very much like to attend X University, but the funding is a consideration and your second best option, Y University, has offered you a package of ___. But if you do this, you have to be prepared to immediately accept if X University comes close to matching the deal that Y offered.*

When you are talking about comparing two different funding packages from different schools, I think there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, it's kind of tacky to quibble over a few thousand (cost-of-living-adjusted) dollars. You are not going to endear yourself to a school if you give the impression that you're selling your soul (or mind, as the case may be) to the highest bidder and that at the margin, you are indifferent between two departments except for the money. If the funding offers at the schools you are considering are close, then I would go to the school you prefer and NOT ask for a match on the aid.

If the aid offers are not close, or if one is fellowship and the other is a stipend for TA/RA work, you can bring up the subject with the grad program director. Your time is valuable and having more time to devote to classes and research does matter. However, try to get a lay of the land (current grad students and probably this board can be good resources). If there really aren't many fellowships and even TA/RA funding is tight, consider yourself lucky to have the offer you hold and don't push it. And don't expect too much sympathy from the grad program director since not everyone is even given the opportunity to work for funding.

If both of the offers you are considering are the same type (both fellowship or both TA/RA), but the difference is the amount of the stipend, then I think the only truly appropriate place to ask for more money is if the difference is big enough to cause you to have to take out a substantial loan in one place or the other. Funding packages are pretty standard, and grad students aren't expected to live like kings (except, possibly, at Stanford ) If there are extenuating circumstances that really make the lower stipend a particular hardship, such as having children, let the grad program director know.

Something else to keep in mind is the relative rankings of the two schools over which you are debating. If you have an unfunded offer from MIT and a fellowship offer from UMD, MIT may expect you to choose to come simply because of the quality/prestige of the program, regardless of the funding situation. The perspective of the grad program director may be that the difference in the expected value of future earnings is high enough to offset the costs of funding yourself one year. If the schools are very comparable, though, then the grad program director may see that you have reason to be sensitive to funding offers at the margin.

If you are trying to get a school to offer or increase funding, I think visiting is very useful. My own opinion is that it is appropriate for you to raise the funding issue with the grad program director or other official person, but NOT with individual professors you meet when you visit. If individual professors ask you questions, certainly answer any you feel comfortable answering. But I wouldn't bring it up -- I'd keep the discussion to academics/the department/other non financial considerations. Express enthusiasm (especially if it's genuine ) and give the impression that you are a good fit and valuable asset for the department. Leaving that impression with faculty you meet will make them want to work with you and want you to attend. They will probably convey that to the person in charge of recruiting and making funding decisions, and enthusiasm from the professors will do a lot more to increase your chances of getting a better offer than having left the impression that you are only interested in money. The best situation you can hope for is that faculty members you meet are impressed by you enough that they approach the grad program director to say, "I really hope Johnny comes -- he seems like a really sharp guy and I'd love to work with him."

I don't think it hurts to talk to current students about funding, so long as you are sensitive/not obnoxious. Everyone knows it's a big concern, and grad students can give you their impressions of the current funding situation and how managable the package you've been offered will make life.

*I was not initially offered funding at U-Mich. I did exactly what I've described here (had an honest conversation with the grad director about my preferences and options, and had great discussions with faculty members that were NOT about funding). I was offered quite generous funding shortly after my campus visit, and immediately and happily accepted the offer. I know that this has happened with other students, as well.

[stupidolive]

that's very helpful, asquare. Thanks so much for your advice

[lfl]

really helpful, thanks very much, asquare!

[app07]

Yeap, is one of the best advices that I've ever had (in the foundig topic, of course)