UBC Funding

[evilbert]

Anyone else heard from UBC? I got an email from them yesterday saying that they don't have as much funding as usual and so have not been able to make as many offers. (this could be standard line they give every year)

But they said they were very interested in me as a candidate but have to wait to hear about funding before they proceed and offer me a place.Told me not to assume they are not interested just because i haven't received an offer from them....the thing is; they want me to tell them what other offers i've had. What does it make sense to tell them?

Should i tell them i haven't received any other offers yet/ or that i didn't apply elsewhere so they know i'll accept any offer they make?

Or should i tell them all the other places i've been accepted as this signals i'm a good candidate? If i tell them i've been accepted to the likes of Rochester will they not then think i won't bother accepting UBC and so not make me an offer?

Is there an incentive to lie?

[Thesus]

I doubt it matters. I had poor-to-mediocre funding at the UBC MA, told the graduate officer that I had much better money at Rochester, he said he'd get back to me, he never did, they revoked my offer (it was past March 24th) while I was waiting to hear from him.

[can_econ]

Originally Posted by evilbert

Anyone else heard from UBC? I got an email from them yesterday saying that they don't have as much funding as usual and so have not been able to make as many offers. (this could be standard line they give every year)

But they said they were very interested in me as a candidate but have to wait to hear about funding before they proceed and offer me a place.Told me not to assume they are not interested just because i haven't received an offer from them....the thing is; they want me to tell them what other offers i've had. What does it make sense to tell them?

Should i tell them i haven't received any other offers yet/ or that i didn't apply elsewhere so they know i'll accept any offer they make?

Or should i tell them all the other places i've been accepted as this signals i'm a good candidate? If i tell them i've been accepted to the likes of Rochester will they not then think i won't bother accepting UBC and so not make me an offer?

Is there an incentive to lie?

The university has been dealing with a budget deficit for the past couple of years so the university hasn't had much money to throw around. I've heard some rumours that the BC government cut back funding to universities but I haven't heard details. I know the university did make an announcement last year about restructuring graduate funding but I don't know how much that would affect things at the department level. But what I'm getting that funding probably is a bit tighter than last year or than they'd like it to be, but I would imagine a lot of this is coming from a university-level funding changes rather than the department level.

In the past couple of years, I believe all of the PhD students were funded fully, and funding was guaranteed for 4 or 5 years.

I don't think you have the incentive to lie. If they sent you that e-mail (especially if it was unprompted) it means they're probably looking to give you an offer after they heard back from more people (ie after some people turn down their funding). They're probably asking where you have offers at to see if they should actually bother offering you anything, so you have the incentive to make it look like you would accept (ie don't have any other offers).

[decide_aposteriori]

Evilbert was the email UBC sent you a reply to one you sent them? I ask since I haven't heard word from them at all. I guess I don't really care if I get funding, should I tell them that?

[evilbert]

decide_aposteriori, i had not emailed UBC so this was them emailing me of their own account. If you've got money to burn...maybe let them know and they'll offer you a place.

can_econ, so you're are saying i should lie then? I have got offers from other universities but still want the offer from UBC as i haven't decided where i want to go. none of my other offers have been confimed as fully funded yet anyway...should i let UBC know that? ....one wonders

[flipecon1]

hey people. i got in UBC without funding too. i emailed them to ask for funding, but they said no. sucks. im going to queen's anyways. haha.

[umairmk]

what exactly did they say about funding when u mailed them?

[can_econ]

Originally Posted by evilbert

decide_aposteriori, i had not emailed UBC so this was them emailing me of their own account. If you've got money to burn...maybe let them know and they'll offer you a place.

can_econ, so you're are saying i should lie then? I have got offers from other universities but still want the offer from UBC as i haven't decided where i want to go. none of my other offers have been confimed as fully funded yet anyway...should i let UBC know that? ....one wonders

I don't see the benefit from lying to them - and there's a potential cost if you have any connections there. I looked up your old posts - people in my year have turned down comparable (perhaps better) offers for UBC (on account of funding, research interests, location, etc) so I really don't see a reason to lie, especially if you say can say that despite your other offers, you will seriously consider any offer from UBC.

[fp3690]

Originally Posted by Thesus

I doubt it matters. I had poor-to-mediocre funding at the UBC MA, told the graduate officer that I had much better money at Rochester, he said he'd get back to me, he never did, they revoked my offer (it was past March 24th) while I was waiting to hear from him.

Is March 24 a deadline for Canada? Otherwise, how can they revoke your offer?

[pevdoki1]

Yeah, March 24th is UBC's deadline.. It's a flexible one, however.