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letter date is march 18

got my pgs d notice today march 20

In all likelihood, pgs results will be sent out in about 10 days

There is a lot of variance among US schools and their respective departments. I believe that there are schools with no funding packages for PhD students. On the top end, in the US you could be making 25-30k + full tuition waiver.

It depends on whether or not you have better offers. That would put you in a much better/less awkward position. If not, I would think that your only option would be to ask your potential supervisor if he or she would consider providing you with a top up. If you have competing offers you could possibly ask if there is anything more that the department can do for you.

it's an online masters program? you're good. I wouldn't worry about it.

I am on my third Thinkpad. My fourth will be the Thinkpad ultrabook. There is no better laptop. The keyboard is vastly superior to that of any other laptop. As a constantly typing graduate student, this is one of the biggest selling points. The keyboard is also spill proof as it has canals which channel fluid out from the bottom. Thinkpads are also fairly customizable at the time of purchase, they are easy to upgrade on your own and they have an ultrabay which allows you to swap out the dvd-r for a second harddrive. They're pretty rugged and can withstand a reasonable amount of wear. I am a field ecologist and I operate equipment outdoors in the forest. These things are beasts . I also like the aesthetic better than any mac. There are innumerable reasons to get a thinkpad.

contact the department asap

maybe you can schedule a period, a week or two, over the summer to visit. He will surely cover your expenses. Just be firm in your availability. Did you bother to speak with his current or former graduate students before accepting?

How far away is it. It would be a little weird to send an unsolicited email asking the guy to fly you out. If you will happen to be in his vicinity, I would send an email thanking him for agreeing to your supervision and that you will be available around such and such date if he would like to meet. Otherwise, I would just wait until you are contacted.

I think it shows initiative on your part to make contact, and see if he or she is open to a meeting, lab tour etc. You'd probably hash out a plan of study or at least figure out a reading list for the summer. There's no harm in establishing a relationship. Since I will be in the Toronto area anyways, I arranged for a meeting with my new supervisor so we can be acquainted and so I could meet his lab group. I will also be using that time to start looking for an apartment.

I don't disagree but it is indicative of a trend at mcgill, that is probably intimately tied to the university funding situation in Quebec. My opinion is that the brand is not worth tens of thousands of dollars in comparison to a fully funded offer from a decent canadian university.

you don't need that much research experience to get into phd programs. most important will be to make contact with potential advisors and have them agree to supervise you, and write an excellent statement of purpose which clearly demonstrates your motivations, research interests and career goals. it doesn't hurt to apply to more than one institution. trust me, it sounds as if you already have lots of experience - there are lots of phd students who can barely think on their own let alone do research. getting in isn't the problem.

In the recent Times higher world education ranking, mcgill slipped to 31 from 25 (it was front page news here in montreal). It is also chronically underfunded, especially with this year's massive higher education cuts in quebec, mcgill is cutting courses, and opportunities for graduate funding. considering you will only be there for 2 years, this may or may not affect you. With all due respect, your professor's reflex may be to suggest mcgill, but they chose to pursue academia professionally, where such vanity matters a whole lot more. also, they are not going to be the ones saddled with tens of thousands in debt to attend a school that may or may not enhance your life time earnings potential. you came here looking for advice, i gave it but it sounds like you've already made your decision.

it makes no difference. everybody has equally poor job opportunities after graduation