<p>I got into my dream University, but they haven't made a decision about aid yet. I'm definitely going to go there, no matter what, but my parents aren't that rich either, and I'd really like to get some aid. Maybe I'm just making this up in my head, but if I accept, are they less likely to offer me aid? After all, they can use the aid money to lure in other attractive candidates who haven't accepted yet. Or should I just go ahead and accept the offer? If anyone has any tips on how to get aid/funding for MS students, that would be great too.</p>
<p>If the school in question is Stanford, I wouldn't hold my breath. They sometimes don't even fund their PhDs.</p>
<p>You will probably have to take out a loan, but it won't be so bad. An MS in EE will put you in a position to pay off any graduate debt in 5 years.</p>
<p>As Merper said, it probably depends on where you are going. He is also correct that a MS in EE will pay for itself down the road. Also, I am of the opinion that there is nothing wrong in taking a sizeable loan out for your education as long as you will get something good out of it, and as long as the loan won't prevent you from doing what you want to after you graduate.</p>
<p>I cannot speak to the situation in the hard sciences, but in the humanities and social sciences, Masters applicants are ranked, and funding is offered to the top X number (depending on the number of funded lines each department is provided by the university).</p>
<p>When students in the top echelon decline admission, funding can then offered to the applicants next in rank. Only when the former decline can offers of funding be extended to the latter. Therefore, when a lower-ranked applicant accepts admission, this action cannot have any bearing on whether funding will be offered.</p>
<p>I hope this helps clarify the situation.</p>
<p>Prof. X, thanks. That clarifies it quite a bit. What happens if funding decisions haven't been made yet, and someone from the "top echelon" accepts to go to grad school. Do you think it's possible that they offer the aid to the next person in line who hasn't accepted yet? It isn't fair at all, but might make practical sense in getting the best people to go there. Or am I just being paranoid?</p>
<p>whacks,</p>
<p>No, it is not EVER the practice to pass over a top echelon applicant to offer funding to the next-ranked applicant. Top applicants are supported because the committee agrees that the applicant could flourish in the program, and it is the program's function (and, dare I say, duty) to support that student. </p>
<p>Please know that I have close colleagues who direct graduate programs in many fields (humanities and social sciences, at least), and we do not play such bizarre games. A successful program absolutely could not operate in that fashion. Graduate students are not pawns to be used in strategy games. They are future colleagues.</p>