Chai_latte

In my last program, I collaborated twice. One was fantastic and really enhanced my project/thesis; it was with a fellow grad student. The other was for a side project that I had initiated. I needed to collaborate with a particular tenured prof. It was a disaster. She was not receptive at all--kept "forgetting" our appointments or cancelling. Oh, and she also began ignoring my emails. I bypassed her for some time by collaborating with one of her grad students and another prof. instead. Ultimately, I needed her though. I wound up dropping that project. She drained me of any interest. I found out after the fact that she was a cruddy/annoying advisor and a mediocre prof., at best. Before collaborating, find out about the person you plan to approach. If he/she is known for being a gremlin, move on. Save yourself the trouble. I don't care how much of an expert the person is. In my new program, I'm collaborating again (with the department chair). It's a great fit! I'd say I'm 2 for 3.

I just wanted to add that the second author is good, too. At least in chemistry, a number of kids coming straight from undergrad haven't published yet. So, don't sell that second author short. Your profile looks great.

@bsharp- that's excellent This blog post raised some interesting points: https://membracid.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/did-the-phd-kill-the-masters-degree/

Au contraire, I got a college ring...even had the inner circumference engraved. By extension, that means that "all the cool chai_lattes kids did it" and they went overboard w/ engravings! That's all you need to know. Get your ring!! **** Have I worn mine? Nope. Will I ever? Probably not. I think my mom has it somewhere in my old room. But, it's a memento, and I'm glad I got it.

@ravyn- I'm due up for some grocery shopping. I'm all about Instacart and having the food delivered. I find Fairway to be reasonably priced w/ a mix of conventional and organic options. There's one in Harlem (west) and another on the Upper West Side. You can either go in or get delivery via Instacart. I'm not familiar w/ NYC Fresh Market. I'll have to check it out. Yup, you got it...the Target you went to is in East Harlem. ETA: I'm a native NYer (who has been away for a few years) and I just learned about a grocery store from you. I think you're finding your way around town just fine!

@MathCat- I see...thanks for that. I've seen undergrad and MS applied math research and assumed that pure was the same way. But, now that I think about it, your points are good/common sense.

@ MathCat- I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm curious. If you guys don't do original research, what do you do? Projects? Lit. reviews/seminars? How about applied math folks? They do the kind of research that a science person typically thinks of, right? @ OP- I totally rescind my "advice". I didn't realize that math was so different!

Well, it's not about listing it (you can definitely list it). It's about the skills you acquire as a result of the research, like critical thinking or various programming languages. After two months, you've barely gotten your feet wet. So, that's not going to help. You mentioned a thesis in your original post. That thesis did not require original research? If it did, be sure to emphasize that research and the number of semesters you devoted to it...it counts. If you only did thesis research for 1-2 semesters, I would not apply in October if I were you. You probably do have what it takes for the schools you mentioned. But, without a good amount of research behind you, you'll have a hard time demonstrating that to adcoms.

We're in similar positions. I won't become a teacher either. A number of people in my program plan to work in tech/private industry. Almost all people who go into the classroom/administration (in NYC private schools, at least) tend to have: Teachers College, Columbia University. However, as someone who won't be in the school system, I plan on having: Columbia University (Teachers College). I've seen innumerable Barnard alumnae do this. It's honest, but places the emphasis on the name that is known universally. Outside of ed., a number of people don't know what TC is (even in the Tri-state area). Even the department chair of Math, Science and Tech (a scientist, who is still an active biologist/researcher) refers to it as: Columbia University- Teachers College. As a scientist, who does not intend to be a teacher or an administrator, the Teachers College, Columbia University label is not normative (and it definitely is not a must). Short answer: For people outside of ed, Teachers College should be included, but it's 100% okay not to list it first the way teachers do.

Yeah, I was also going to suggest Caltech and Stanford. How about Carnegie Mellon? ETA: Or Cornell?

I don't think you need the master's. You definitely don't need 4 years off to gain admission. Make sure you're exhausting all options in this lab tech search. Don't overlook hospitals; you're not just limited to university or national labs. Before grad school, I was in a hospital's toxicology lab. Make sure you're utilizing your alumni network. Contact academics, scientists, physicians etc. Maybe they can point you in the direction of a lab (or someone with a connection to one).

Yep, same here. You have to contact your school. I officially graduated from my last grad program a few days ago (three weeks after starting my new program). A few months ago, I discussed this with the admissions people at my new school. They were okay with it.

If your MSc is terminal, you're doing the right thing. Continue researching and absolutely present your work. Nail your GRE. The second grad class would be gravy, I think. If you believe that the course will take away from your research/conference or test-prep time, skip it for now. I would, however, retake Diff Eq. Lastly, reach out to profs whose work interests you. Introduce yourself...maybe even visit. Ask your recommenders if, given your interests, there are any programs they think you should look at (they probably have close colleagues/collaborators at those institutions and their recs might carry a little extra weight). Good luck!

I audited. Given your goals and field, I think it's a great choice. As long as it doesn't interfere with your research (and I doubt it will), go for it. Surely, it will take less time each week than TA-ing would have.

NOOOO! Don't settle. See if there are some solid programs that offer spring admission. If not, wait until the fall.

Yeah, this happened to me when I applied to my first grad program. I had applied for spring admission and had heard from every school, except for one of my top choices. After an email to one professor and a call to another, there was still no response. Two days prior to winter break, I contacted the head of grad studies. She forced them to email me a decision lol. A rejection was sent forthwith... accompanied by a mealy-mouthed preamble as to why I had been ignored. (It amounted to: You're so fantastic. We were trying to make room for you. But, alas, we couldn't. Rejected!) Now that I've been in the grad school "game" for some time, I get that this can be par for the course. I still think it's rotten, though. I'm glad that you have a program you're happy with.

It sounds like he/she is a recent graduate. Sometimes prospective students forget to look thoroughly into a school's Career Services. Two points, carrotdough, for sharing your experience w/ them. To be honest, I think Career Services fall short at a lot of schools.

The Blacklist and The Good Wife. I've been binge-watching Frasier lately...the first four seasons are pure gold.

No, I'm pretty sure the masters are conferred by TC (specifically the "trustees of Columbia University"). Many years ago, TC used to be a freestanding school. That's why it is semi-autonomous. I think of it as being analogous to Barnard. Barnard is a liberal arts college in its own right, but it is also the women's college of Columbia University. No matter the field, if one knows Columbia, one also knows Barnard and TC. They're under the Columbia University umbrella.

This is still difficult to answer. We don't know your career goals. I'm going to assume that you want to strengthen your science background and/or switch to the applied sciences (engineering) for a career in industry. If that is the case, I'd go for the MSE. As you said, UPenn and Columbia are both good. So, it comes down to the MA vs the MSE. I looked into the Columbia program a few years ago. Beyond the core of 2-3 courses, the program was super-flexible...too flexible, IMO. One person could have pursued electives entirely in departments like psych, business and international affairs. Another person could have chosen courses in EE, bioE and chem. Both would get the same degree. So, the degree itself doesn't signal much to employers. Freedom is great, but too much (to the point where there isn't a standard curriculum) can cause more work for the applicant. He/she has to "explain" his/her degree. The nanotech program, on the other hand, is in the engineering school. It attracts people from a smaller cluster of majors. As a result, the quant background for all of these students is solid. Employers know (and like) this. I like the Penn MSEs b/c they also allow students to take non-traditional/business-oriented classes. IMO, Penn wins b/c it provides more structure, but still gives students a fair amount of academic freedom. Plus, the science/engineering combo is a good one.

Hey, Sorry...I haven't been checking this page. I applied specifically to the TC housing. So, there were three options for me: Whittier, Bancroft and New dorm (on 120th and 121st).

There are a few programs. One is the MCIT program at UPenn.

"Will I get a good return of investment?" Honestly, this question would keep me from choosing school B. If you're unsure of the ROI (particularly for policy), I wouldn't bite. Like the previous poster said, your complaints about school A mostly relate to convenience. Personally, I would swallow the temporary inconvenience for (what seems to be) a more guaranteed long-term ROI.

I think you know what you need to do. Your penultimate sentence says it all. With that said, I hear what you're saying about the annoyance of grad school. I'm staying an extra semester to finish up my research. As recently as last week, I wanted to drop out. Sometimes my project makes me sooo frustrated. BUT, this week things are going well. I snapped out of "I-wanna-drop-out" mode and think I'll finish my research in about 2 weeks. You're almost there. Who cares if you have to stay an extra semester?? Yeah, grad school can be a pain, but it's really a no-brainer for the long term.

Nice to "meet" you guys. I'm with Lycaon; I'm going for the dorm-style single room. I hope I get it.