For the past month, the AEREC graduate admissions committee at Penn State has been evaluating the 90+ applications we received. In your particular case, committee members have told me that you among the top ranked PhD applicants in our pool. That means that we will be offering you admission and funding to start our program this fall. Congratulations! Until Penn State's graduate school formally approves your application and transcripts, this news is unofficial.
The funding package will include a monthly stipend associated with a graduate research assistantship, a waiver of all tuition and associated fees, and subsidized health insurance. For the current nine-month 2 010-2011 academic year, the assistantship pays a total of $17,010.
One more piece of good news: The AEREC program has nominated you for a prestigious "University Graduate Fellowship" at Penn State. I'll keep you updated on the status of that nomination.