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I've been looking for an apartment for the past 3 - 4 days. I've searched through craigslist, yelp, rent, forrent, apartments, apartmentratings, and the university's off campus housing website. I still have no idea where I'm going to stay and the places I had an interest in turn out to be completely full. Other places which I...

I’ve never been one to care about brand names or signature labels. Last weekend when I went shopping for sunglasses, I passed by the stores selling those expensive name brand shades and went straight to the sunglasses kiosk. You know, those little carts in any US mall where you can by Dead Sea oils and novelty gifts and the like.
Anyway I...

Last time I posted an entry I heard back from three schools that week. I haven't heard anything since then though, so I'm writing just in case it will move the notification process along (well I can hope). :-)

I'm still waiting on two schools (one where I'm waitlisted, and the other is the "unknown" school...basically...

It has nothing to do with graduate school admission, but that tension accumulates to a point that I can't hold it in anymore.

The trigger of this emotional day was a scenario happened last Friday. I don't want to revisit the scene, but what happened was I took the ironic humor of my boss personal. It hurt.

This is a lesson: how to take...

Coming to the home stretch before notification I'm feeling better about grad school than I have over the course of my application process. It looks like we'll be getting a decision in a week (or two) and I'm more excited than nervous.

The excitement comes not from finding out if I've been accepted or not, but where my mind is at...

The importance of stupidity in scientific research

it seems that all my posts (on the gc blog) were deleted. maybe its a glitch in the system or maybe a signal from God (something in the lines of you shall not pass!)

This application season has already been quite a learning experience for me. Much to my disappointment, I was rejected from my top choice earlier this week. To add to it, since I'm abroad, my mother had to type out the rejection letter and send it to me. I'm sure it was harder for her to do it than it was for me to receive it. I was at...

...

So a friend of mine, who I had to pep talk into applying to grad school, got accepted to Berkeley the other day.

I'm not panic-y/jealous at all. :/ In case you didn't realize, that is typed in sarcasm font.

I'm super excited to already be accepted to a school, but my dream school is still not yet in my reach. And I don't get...

Finally, something from somebody. I feel like I'm a homeless puppy feeding off scraps in the trash, awaiting anyone to take me in.

A POI at the U. of Maryland emailed me to say they are reviewing applications now and I should hear something soon. Soon! Soon? Days? Weeks? Ahhh!

She also sent me a new article she's published along...

I worried whether or not I had submitted enough applications. I worried whether or not the weird grammar and typos would disqualify me from the programs I applied to.

I worried a little bit about the Letters of Recommendation but what I now realize is that this may be the biggest factor of my application and should have been the one thing that I...

Today I sent all the remaining applications, whether their deadline was today, the end of the month or later. Then I cooked something nice and turned on some Hootie and Blowfish. All last week I was checking this website but did not have any time to write something up here, working full time on the side and all.

I must say though, it's a...

I just got back from my first interview and I felt that it went good, and I am leaving for another one tomorrow. I will talk more about these later, but I wanted to talk briefly about all of the worries people are having regarding their LORs. I know a lot of people say that the LOR is one of the most important parts of the application, and that...

Okay, so raise your hand if you are full of nerves at this point? That's right, everyone's hand is up.

I have a story for you and hopefully it will help everyone take a deep breath and realize, it will all be just fine.

Having filled out the online portion of my application, I put two packets in the mail, one for School A and one for...

i've spent several weeks trying to create the perfect SOP and not once have i complained about the word limit. but now that it's getting down to the wire, i just need to vent.

400 words is not enough to thoroughly describe everything the question...

I had a pretty bad experience with a letter writer today. After I confirmed with her several weeks ago that she was willing to write, I immediately registered her for the online applications. At the same time I sent an email to tell her the timeframe so she didn't get stressed from me flooding her inbox. In the same email, I said that a...