Going to Upenn in the fall

Graduate School
1

<p>I got accepted into a two year MA in Upenn. I also got the FLAS fellowship which would cover the first year with stipend of 15k (even though still contingent upon fund availability from Dept. of Education). I was wondering if any of you have any experience with FLAS fellowship? Is it only merit based? What are the chancing of a student getting FLAS in two consecutive years? I am a little worried about the second year, as I won't be able to pay it from out of pocket. My MA will be in South Asian Studies. Does anyone have any clue how reputable that MA might be in international organizations? How is Upenn generally compared with Harvard, and Columbia? And finally, would 15k be enough to live in Philadelphia for a whole year? Of course, these are subjective and broad questions. I am just interested in some general feedback. I would appreciate any thoughts. </p>