dendy

That's weird... What kind of jobs are these exactly? Have you tried looking at universities' employment websites? These jobs are usually not contract-based and no time requirements, though your PI might want an verbal agreement to stay there 12+ months. It's usually easier if they know you want to go to grad school from the get go. This might keep you from getting some jobs but will prevent hard feelings (and bad reference letters!) down the line.

Typically no, but why does your work anniversary need to align with the grad school application cycle? Does this job have a 12 month contract or something? Talk to your superior/PI, they are usually accommodating of people who want to go to grad school, though they might not want you to apply your first year there if interviews would occur in your first few months on the job.

SD is slightly more expensive than Seattle, especially once your two years in subsidized grad housing run out and you also factor in gas for having to drive everywhere and whatnot so the stipend difference shouldn't be a huge deal. The biggest difference I noticed with the grad students was at the poster sessions. At UW, all the students seemed to explain their stuff really well whereas at UCSD the grad students were like "well, what do you want to know?" One guy kept using acronyms and referring to "the currently accepted model" without bothering to explain wtf those were and when asked to clarify, just used more acronyms, hoho. I think UCSD was also the only school I visited where there wasn't a grad student seminar session, but maybe I'm remembering wrong??

Program-wise or city-wise? Seattle has enough infrastructure that you don't need a car. You can find a place close to campus AND cool bars. San Diego has lots of sprawling suburbia but has a beach and it's in the seventies year round. TOugh choice.

Acceptances for my top two schools are going out so I'm eating my lunch at 10 am.

UCSD already?? I thought I'd have at least a week of reprieve. What a time to have lost my phone

You can't call 911 with skype. I pay $25 a month for a smart phone with unlimited data, text, & 300 minutes from Virgin (though these plans are now $35).

Carrots and hummus are my go to. Or just hummus on a finger. Slightly microwaved string cheese sticks. I just signed up for a graze.com snackbox and I AM SO EXCITED even though they mostly look like lame healthy snacks.

Just got a shipment of wasabi & soy sauce almonds to be "healthy." mmmmmmm fat

EVERYTHING. I've gained over 10 lbs since December but I've decided to not even attempt lose it or cut back until I have an acceptance in hand. I'm scared to think of what will happen if I get rejected everywhere D-:

My mom last visited Berkeley during the student protests in the 70s. She doesn't want me to go there because: a ) it's a shitty school that accepts long haired freaks b ) all her church friends will know her child is a smelly hippy

They know not every person offered admission will accept. Programs keep track of acceptance rates over many years and use it to determine how many to offers to make if they want to fill a certain number of spaces. Occasionally way more people accept than they were expecting but I've never heard of an offer being rescinded.

Yup. About to go catch BART. oh god

Regardless: fancy new road bike!! and bike shoes that cost more than any of my normal shoes Accepted: laptop Rejected: vacation time, plane ticket home, and booze so I can drown my sorrows while wallowing on a familiar couch

The choice of activities was kayaking, hiking, the zoo, or a brewery tour :D Also choice of on-campus or off-campus housing tour in the morning.