Jump to content

sareth

Members
  • Posts

    69
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Application Season
    Already Attending
  • Program
    Chemistry

sareth's Achievements

Espresso Shot

Espresso Shot (4/10)

24

Reputation

  1. Whew. That exam was a doozy!

  2. I love animals (I'm actually playing fetch with my kitten as I type this). I also believe animal research is necessary. It's likely that at some point my collaborators will be testing the (potentially life-saving) compounds I'm developing in animals. It's a long, LONG and involved process to get a study approved. There's a detailed review to make sure there's NO WAY the research can be performed without the use of animal subjects. The review board will ask why you can't do it in vitro or in flatworms; if you make it past that stage they move to zebrafish, mice... primates are used for research when nothing else will do (and in fact there is no primate research at many universities). Once it's been established that an animal study is necessary, there's a detailed process they go through to plan harm reduction. As Eigen mentioned, there's also no way you could order a lab mouse "just because." Sure, you could call up the Jackson Laboratory, but they'd refuse to sell to you. They deal directly with the university's animal welfare officer; he's the only one who can place the order, and he must be there when the animals arrive. He's also the one who supervises the implementation of the detailed plan for their welfare, including enrichment activities (yes, even for mice). When you say "this research," you're talking about something vague and amorphous. This is not scientists hurting animals for giggles. I'm talking about concrete, discrete research projects, investigating compounds or procedures that we have good reason to believe may treat cancer, reduce permanent damage from traumatic brain injury, or otherwise improve quality of life for hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people (and animals, for that matter - animal research has led to many advances in veterinary medicine). I'm not saying that the process is ideal, or even always done properly. Obviously (as with everything else in life) there are deviations and times when things aren't done as they should be, but a blanket ban on animal testing/random acts of sabotage aren't the answers. I wish there was another way. I really do. But sometimes, animal testing is all we've got.
  3. I'd still check with the programs to which you're applying. Some of them are real sticklers - one program told me they wouldn't consider my application until they received my transcript containing freshman English, which I'd taken YEARS before as a summer class at a completely random university - EVEN THOUGH transfer credit for that class appeared on my other transcripts. You may get lucky, but why not just shoot the program coordinator an email and ask?
  4. Sounds like you've got the study angle under control. If you haven't already taken one of ETS' PowerPrep tests, I'd do that to make sure you're comfortable with the interface and "mark for review" system. Otherwise, I can offer one piece of non-study advice: make sure you get enough sleep the night before the test - it's LONG, and I found myself getting sleepy by the end. Good luck!
  5. Agreed! Even though my community college credit transferred & appeared on my baccalaureate transcript, some schools still wanted copies - and I would hate to have that keep you out of your dream school. Good luck!
  6. I would contact the programs to which you're applying and ask - it's a program-by-program thing. I had to supply all of my transcripts to most places, but some only required baccalaureate-level transcripts.
  7. I agree with WishfulThinker with the additional caveat that you'll need to put a great deal of time & effort into each one of those applications to make it worthwhile - that is, it's easier to submit very strong applications to 7-8 schools than to 15. But as long as you've done the research to know the programs are a good fit, and put in the time to polish and customize your admissions materials for each application, I don't think it's a waste. I recommend doing the math before you start applying to make sure you've budgeted correctly. I used a spreadsheet, since the costs mount deceptively quickly if you figure in transcript fees, additional GRE score report fees, application fees, etc. Good luck!
  8. I was in a similar position and my former prof said to use her current title, and she explained our advisor/student relationship in the letter. Maybe ask your referee what he thinks?
  9. I look at it the from the other direction - I ended up at a slightly lower-ranked school largely because they offered me a very nice package to entice me knowing that I was also visiting higher-ranked programs. Bear in mind that people within a discipline talk. One of my LOR writers got a phone call from one of her colleagues at a school I applied to and apparently (among other things) they discussed where else I was applying. I think honesty is the best policy in this situation.
  10. Ha! I thought I was the only one. It's not so much that I don't have time to eat (though it's a factor) but that I'm walking a LOT more, and unlike last year I'm not sitting in an office & snacking because I'm bored. I'm also eating a lot of salads because they're quick & easy with the result that I'll need to go shopping for pants soon...
  11. I think the way you're framing the experience is strong. If, as JoeyBoy718 suggests, you make it clear that this was an issue in your childhood, not one you're dealing with now, I think it could work. That said, you might find this paper on personal statements in psych interesting: "one respondent stated that a KOD [Kiss of Death] may occur 'when students highlight how they were drawn to graduate study because of significant personal problems or trauma.'" In your position I'd run my draft past a trusted professor or two for opinions. Good luck! (if the link doesn't work, the paper's Appleby & Appleby, Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process, Teaching of Psychology Vol. 33 Iss. 1, 2006)
  12. I did not intend to diagnose, or to give the impression that I am an expert. I merely meant to suggest it might be something worthwhile for the OP to look into. Sorry if that's not the impression I gave.
  13. If you find accounting boring, I don't believe a master's going to help you with your second point: wanting to enjoy your work. You'd basically be going into (more?) debt in order to fit yourself for a career you don't sound likely to enjoy. Based on what you say here I don't think it pursuing a graduate degree in accounting would be worth it for you (at least right now). I'd suggest you spend some time exploring fields that you *may* be passionate about (did you enjoy history? maybe volunteer at a local historic house) while you have the financial safety net of a job and a place to live. A shot in the dark, and I'm surely no expert, but based how you describe yourself here, I wonder if you may be suffering from long-term clinical depression (you describe loss of interest, lack of motivation). If so, it could have contributed to your low GPA. Depression isn't just sadness; it can also manifest as feelings of "emptiness," difficulty concentrating, decreased energy, and feelings of worthlessness/helplessness. It might be worth looking into/talking to your doctor about it. Good luck!
  14. The lack of response may be due to the forum in which you've asked it - the population here is mostly people pursuing graduate degrees who probably don't know the answers to your questions. Good luck.
  15. I didn't study at all for the verbal and did very well (>95%ile). Bear in mind that I've been doing crossword puzzles and playing other word games somewhat obsessively since I was very young... which I guess you could call studying? I spent a fair bit of time on strategy for the quantitative since I tend to be slow at math, maybe a few hours a week for a month or so. That score was lower, but good enough that I wasn't sorry I hadn't left myself enough time for a retake I also took a couple of ETS tests just to get a feel for the format and the pacing.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use