ghostoverground

Is it really hard to get the on-campus grad student housing?

Does anyone have any advice about looking for off-campus housing in Santa Cruz? Is Craigslist the only way to go?

Probably Boston or Seattle would be best in my opinion.

I concur with everyone who has suggested choosing your top choice so that you don't resent your boyfriend down the line. This is more or less what my boyfriend and I have decided to do.

Just because those schools are listed under their "acceptances" doesn't mean they haven't already turned some of them down.

Two is not zero! Don't give up yet! No use being miserable until you're sure. (Not that you should be miserable or that I want you to be miserable, but this is something I struggle with a lot--worrying about things prematurely, etc. So this is what I try to tell myself.)

Thanks!

Does anyone have any advice on what to say in an email declining an admissions offer (particularly a very generous one)? This is a lot more difficult than I anticipated. Sorry to post what I'm sure is a topic that has been discussed previously, but I'm having trouble finding relevant posts. Thank you!

I agree with this in general, but most of the time I was specifically asked if I have any questions about the program, much more often than I was asked if I "have any questions" in general (which could mean about the professor's research, etc.). In this case, I think it's important to have a few questions in mind, because it's often hard to produce these kinds of questions on the spot with the pressure of the interview, and you run the risk of looking unprepared or uninterested in the program if you don't have anything to ask.

This wasn't my experience either (I've had 2 official interviews so far, plus a post-acceptance visit). Most started with "tell me about yourself," or asking some question about my background. I talked for a couple of minutes about my education and research experiences, and then I found that it went in a few directions. Some professors went straight into talking about their research. But, when this happened, I didn't really feel like I had the opportunity to ask them questions about their research, as some people have said--the way they were talking, it would have felt like I was interrupting. I mostly just nodded or said other small things to show I was listening or that I understood, or maybe asked a tiny question about something small. Maybe this was just me being overly worried about interrupting and I actually should have been asking more insightful questions, but it didn't feel like that was what they wanted to me. After that, or sometimes first thing, some professors just asked if I had any questions. Depending on the interview, I asked them to tell me about their research if they hadn't already, or I asked them questions about the programs. Mine were mostly along the lines of, "What drew you to University X?" "Does everyone get along/does it feel collaborative or competitive?" "Do your graduates tend to go into academia, industry, government, or a mix?" ....But I really like some of the questions people have posted here, about mentoring philosophy, etc. If it was a professor I was interested in potentially working with, I sometimes asked about the structure of their lab--numbers of postdocs to grad students to techs, how new students learn or are mentored (from more senior grad students? post docs? research techs? the professor directly? just on their own?)-- and what their current projects were. Since I'm at a small liberal arts college, I asked about that background--if it was common, if they thought I'd be at a disadvantage, etc. I definitely got asked if I had any questions about the program more times than I can count. I was also asked what my specific research interests are--that was a big one, since they are slightly different from my current research. That sometimes led into a conversation about that field in general. Some of my interviews were way more informal than this. I've had a few that mostly consisted of a casual chat about the state of the field or how exciting things are right now. I also had a fair amount of professors trying to "sell" me the program, even at schools that were a pre-acceptance interview. Other questions I've thought about asking but haven't had the chance to are things like, is the program expanding/shrinking/stable, what is the stability of the faculty (many retiring soon or many in a temporary position?). One more thing: I actually didn't even have time to prepare for my most recent interview--all I did was skim the websites of one or two of my interviewers, and the rest I didn't even really read at all, and this turned out to be totally fine. I have no idea if I just got lucky or seemed more knowledgeable than I am, or what. But most professors just talked about their research without asking me anything about it, and they started from a place that seemed to assume I was unfamiliar with it. I haven't had an interviewer yet that felt like they assumed or expected that I knew something about their research. I'm curious if anyone else has had this experience.

Not sure if I can help or if this counts, but I applied to mostly computational biology/bioinformatics programs, plus one biomath.

Thank you for this information, ion_exchanger (and everyone else who's contributed thoughts on this topic). This all makes sense to me and goes along with what I've heard, but on the other hand I've also heard the perspective that if you do not go to these optional social events, you are missing out on an opportunity for the grad students to get to know you and like you/remember you, which could be important since they have some say in the admissions decisions. What do you think about this? Maybe it matters more if you are a borderline candidate, or if your interviews went poorly?

Thank you!

Hi all. I'm in my last year of undergrad, so as of a week or so ago when grades were due, I now have one more semester's worth of grades on my transcript than I did when I submitted my applications. Am I expected to send an updated version of my transcript to the programs I applied to? In particular, the programs that have already invited me to interview? I know that most programs require a final transcript if you accept their offer or matriculate, etc., but what about these "updated" versions? My boyfriend informed me that this was expected for his law school applications, so now I'm scared that it's required for bio programs too and just I missed the instructions somewhere. Thank you!

Thank you both very much! Best of luck to you too NeuroMedic and blinchik.