Chai_latte

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.   

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.   

If you want to return to your home country afterward, consider the strength of each school's alumni network back home.
I love Yale, in general.  I think many of the departments are small and warm.  Years ago, I looked into their School of Public Health and felt that it was no exception.  However, Columbia is in a metropolis with unlimited opportunities.  
The last poster provided great advice.  Consider those questions when you visit.  Good luck!

SUNY Buffalo (mechanical engineering):
I applied for PhD, but accepted into Maser's degree without financial aid. They are unbelievable bastard! I emphasized in my application that I only want to study PhD, NOT MS. Such a crappy school. Don't go there otherwise your urine will start to build up a stalagmite in this harshly cold place :))

SUNY Buffalo (mechanical engineering):
I applied for PhD, but accepted into Maser's degree without financial aid. They are unbelievable bastard! I emphasized in my application that I only want to study PhD, NOT MS. Such a crappy school. Don't go there otherwise your urine will start to build up a stalagmite in this harshly cold place :))

SUNY Buffalo (mechanical engineering):
I applied for PhD, but accepted into Maser's degree without financial aid. They are unbelievable bastard! I emphasized in my application that I only want to study PhD, NOT MS. Such a crappy school. Don't go there otherwise your urine will start to build up a stalagmite in this harshly cold place :))

I was looking for this thread to post this!
It's from a few years ago (I was researching when I might hear back from my programs), but I love it:
Sad day. It was my George Clooney of schools.

So I didn't post about this in the results page because I was not sure how to report it:
 
I got rejected from one of my top choices, and the rejection letter referred to rejection from the wrong program. I am not only unwanted in my program of choice, but apparently others as well. I was going to call them and ask what happened, but I feel that my life is already depressing and awkward enough as it stands. Womp. Womp. Womp.

That actually, sadly, doesn't sound that far out of the norm for me. Attrition rate is pretty consistently 50%+ in Chemistry PhD programs, and lots of people get in thinking its going to be quite a bit different than it is. 
And in this state of funding, a program outside the top 25? Having no pubs for 3-4 years isn't that far out of the ordinary, sadly. Especially if grad student turnover is high, and it's a department without a lot of post-docs. 
One of the big drivers of attrition, too, is that with a BS, you can make about 2x a grad stipend and employment rates are pretty high. And after a year or two of a program, leaving with an MS and getting 2-3x the salary.... Starts sounding better and better. 

My dad is a physics professor at a top research institution. He attributes most of his success to his Ivy League education (and his mentor, of course). He thinks that I should go to the mostly highly ranked institution I get into (provided I interview and feel that it's a great fit as well).
And, if you think about it this way - top schools have more potential mentors who are top in their field and well-known. You can't lose by going to a top-tier school.

I did not feel older in my last program.  Most of the students were doctoral candidates.  So, there was a range of ages.  There were also the post-docs.  (I was the same age as most 4th-5th year PhD students.)  In this program, however, I am aware of the age difference.  I live on campus, and my suitemates are all in their early 20's.  A few of them definitely seem younger.   It almost feels like college...part 2 (which is a nice change of pace).  I'm probably one of the oldest people in the whole building.  
On the other hand,  I think most of my classmates fall into the 24-34 bracket.  So, I only feel older before and after class, not during.

Hi rgreen,
I'm also applying this cycle. I won't give you a number that is "too many", but simply say that I am having my recommenders submit a lot (and I mean a lot) of letters. I'm already applying for seven or eight different (inter)national funding sources, plus a relatively long list of programs.
My recommenders, since I let them know in advance that I was planning to apply to a large number of programs, are fine with it. So, communication is key either way! If you're not sure, I would talk with them about it. 

I wanted to bump this thread, 'cause it made me happy to see.

My undergrad GPA was 2.5. I went to a top-10 school famed for its difficulty, and from sophomore year through senior year (and for nearly two years after I graduated), I had an undiagnosed sleep disorder that absolutely destroyed my concentration and my ability to commit anything to memory, and left me exhausted all the time. I thought it was all because of stress (until it continued after I graduated). I was sleeping 9 hours/night when I could, and I was still too tired to process what was being said in class (assuming I could even stay awake) and sometimes too tired to even go. When I studied for exams I would forget the previous sentence of the book or notes as soon as I moved on to the next one, and eventually curl up and take a nap. Looking back on it, I can't believe I still managed to graduate in four years.

Happily, once I got tested and diagnosed, I got treated. Successfully.

Since then I changed fields, from systems neuroscience to CS. I've been doing research in industry full-time for more than three years. I have two journal publications and a sole-author poster presentation (and I'm hoping to have at least two more publications by next fall, when I apply). I did a post-bac in CS while working full-time and am now a part-time MS student (and recipient of a merit scholarship that covers part of my tuition) while working full-time, with a solid GPA (I'm hoping to bring it up some more, though). I've won two competitive conference travel awards and been a co-author of two successful government grant applications. I have a huge amount of service to the field (e.g. through professional organizations) and to promoting underrepresented groups in the field. Basically, I am hoping to be a star in every way that I can except for undergrad GPA, and hoping that everything else will balance it out.

I'm planning to apply to programs ranging from the #1 in my field to completely unranked, and for a bunch of fellowships. I realize that I may not get in anywhere but the unranked program, if that, and that external fellowships are probably a long shot, but what you don't apply for, you definitely won't get.

Struggling with being a TA doesn't mean you aren't suited for a PhD. A PhD is a research degree, not a teaching degree. If you're struggling with the teaching, you either work to improve it or you buy yourself out of it through grants/fellowships. I highly recommend that you talk to your university's teaching center and see if they can either observe you or have one of your classes recorded and then watch it with them. They can help you identify what you're doing well and what needs work, plus it's an outside evaluation that you can include in your departmental file and your overall teaching portfolio. 

I'll just interject briefly to say that this site has MANY more lurkers than it has active posters, sometimes numbering in the hundreds online at the same time. So just because everyone posting acknowledges the lack of academic jobs doesn't mean this thread isn't informative to others. There may very well be people who read TGC discussions and decide maybe graduate school isn't for them (because of the job market, the length to degree, how hard it is to get into a good program, fear their GPA isn't competitive, etc.) without ever posting or even creating an account. 

My first thought is this: Can you take a leave of absence, rather than dropping out entirely? Check your department and graduate school handbooks to see what is required for a leave of absence.
Second thought: Can you find a therapist with whom you can talk about these issues? It might help you separate what is related to the family situation and what is related to real issues with your department/program. Because, it could be disordered thinking that leads you to the conclusion that you are the issue with these rotations, and not some other factor, but that's difficult to say without having more insight into your situation.

Awesome additions guys! I've added a few and incorporated Pitangus' suggestion to divide these up for easier reading. I kept the personal statement and research experience together because there's some overlap in how you want to handle them.

INTELLECTUAL MERIT
- PROPOSAL
-- whether proposal has a clear hypothesis/question it is trying to address
-- whether proposal is novel/innovative
-- whether proposal is original (your own)
-- whether proposal is transformative (rare)
-- whether proposal is well-written
-- whether access to resources is addressed in proposal
-- whether expected results are addressed in proposal
-- whether validation of results are addressed in proposal
-- whether proposal is sufficiently detailed (this is a tough one... too detailed and it might not be well-written/clear and have no room for other objectives)
-- interest of proposal among scientists
-- relation of research to theories of founders/experts in the field
-- relation to previous work the applicant discusses in other essays/supporting material
-- whether the outcome measure is well-related or "distal" to the intervention (likely more of an issue in social sciences)
- PERSONAL STATEMENT/RESEARCH EXPERIENCE/SUPPORTING MATERIAL
-- strength of academic record
-- research capabilities, independent and in team
-- publications (includes submitted/in review articles, especially if you don't have other pubs yet)
-- presentations (includes talks and posters)
-- participating in any other funded proposals (e.g. help writing grants)
-- leadership potential of applicant, including personal qualities such as persistence and drive
-- previous research essay draws connections among past projects and internships, and explains their significance (both personal + BIs)
- ALL
* strength of recommendation letters and what they say about all of the the above (including proposal if applicable)

BROADER IMPACTS
- PROPOSAL
-- whether proposal integrates/supports science education with research
-- whether proposal integrates broadening diversity with research
-- whether proposal benefits society or some large group outside major field
-- potential of research to support "citizen science"
-- applicant's plan to disseminate results broadly, especially with non-science stakeholders if applicable, but further too
- PERSONAL STATEMENT/RESEARCH EXPERIENCE/SUPPORTING MATERIAL
-- benefits to society, education or diversity in all past research projects
-- applicant's activities to increase science education and recruit young scientists
-- applicant's activities to broaden diversity in science
-- applicant's leadership roles in broader impacts activities (including TAing)
-- quantity of applicant's BI activites (e.g. reviewer lists lots of examples or length of time)
-- applicant's plan to -continue- broader impacts activities
-- "unique perspective" due to unusual life circumstances which gives applicant insight into the needs of underserved communities
- ALL
* specifics for BI activities in all sources
* strength of recommendation letters and what they say about all of the the above

@Dynamom: Maybe next year's thread's kickoff should be a group mining expedition of all the previous threads. I read them all at some point (including all 170+ pages of the year-less one) and incorporated trends but didn't write the information down back in November when I probably should have.

Hmm. Well, if your boss is giving you condescending talks, you've made a lot of mistakes, and your coworkers have a poor impression of you, what makes you think you would get a good letter of recommendation from the boss anyway? I don't say this to be mean - I just wonder whether that's a good reason to stay if the situation is as bad as you are describing.
Before you make any decisions, I think you should probably have an honest talk with your boss and, in as professional a manner as possible, explain that you're struggling and ask him what you could do to improve the situation. Surely the boss is aware that it's not going well. Perhaps he will say that the lab doesn't seem to be a good fit for you, in which case you have a graceful out to leave. Perhaps he will give you valuable constructive criticism, which you can use to improve yourself. If you haven't already broached the topic of grad school with him, you may also want to use the opportunity to bring up your career plans and seek his guidance on grad school. Just be prepared for the possibility that he might not be the best person to write you a glowing LOR under these circumstances, and if I were you I'd think about alternatives no matter what. 

I don't pretend to be an expert, but I applied twice and was rejected the first time (as a 1st year grad student) and got the award the second time (as a 2nd year grad student). Nobody from my school has ever gotten this award, and there were no resources available at my grant office to help with the application, so I relied heavily on advice from this forum and from websites.
 
My main advice, for what it's worth, is to focus on Broader Impacts A LOT. Put however much in there you think you need, then add some more. It is not just about disseminating your project to the community, it is about bringing science/education to the community and especially to K-12 kids. So even community outreach which does not directly involve your project is good. Make the reviewer's job very easy. They need to score you on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts so make it easy to see how you as an applicant fulfill those criteria. And then when you ask for reference letters, think about how each of your letter writers has PERSONALLY witnessed your merits in these two catagories (intellectual merit and broader impacts) and make sure to ask them to specifically mention those experiences in your letters.
 
That way, the reviewer sees continuity in the application and your whole package very clearly gives evidence that you are a good candidate. Good grades help, and publications help, but also just having a very clearly written and strong application package is very important.
 
Good luck to all who apply next year! If you are already thinking about your application that is a great start!

You have come to the right place! This is my favorite topic! Or maybe I just like this topic is because the only way other grad students will talk about it is in hushed voices away from the biology department, as though leaving academia is the equivalent of joining a cult.
 
If you're feeling depressed, drop everything you're doing right now (seriously! throw that pipettor on the ground!) and buy this book (or borrow it from your library): "So What Are You Going to Do with That?": Finding Careers Outside Academia by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius (make sure it's the updated 2007 edition, not the one from 2001). This book is the voice of reason that I turn to every time I start to feel like grad school is a waste of time and a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears directed fruitlessly at an esoteric nothing of a project. I have recommended it to several grad student friends, and the ones who have read it have been immensely relieved by the wisdom within. Basically, the book is about how to parse apart the skills grad school is teaching you and see that you are capable of doing something besides becoming a clone of your advisor (although it's okay to do that too, if that's what you want). It's hard to remember why you came here sometimes -- you were excited about a topic, you wanted to contribute to the world's scientific knowledge in some small way, you wanted to push yourself. But the whole PhD-acquisition-thing is such a slog that it's tough to maintain that level of enthusiasm often enough to always see the point. This book helps.
 
I would also recommend making an Individual Development Plan at sciencecareers.org. There are assessments that can help you figure out what sort of career might be a good fit for you based on your skills, interests, and values. To give you a sense of the options, my top three matches are Science education for non-scientists, Science policy, and Science writing. I am not entirely sure what I'm going to do when I leave grad school, but I am 99% sure that I will not do a postdoc or become a professor, and these ideas sound pretty much in line with what I think I would enjoy and be good at.
 
You might also consider your university career services office, if they provide help to graduate students. At my university, the career services office will only work with PhD students who are considering non-academic careers, which is helpful because most people's advisors are (understandably) lost when it comes to non-academic careers. And maybe also take advantage of your university's mental health services if you're feeling depressed. Finding a way to manage your depression will make you feel like a million times better.
 
I think about quitting at least a couple of times a year. But so far I have decided to stick around because a ) I will never get a chance to do this again, and b ) once I have the PhD, nobody can ever take it away from me.

Yes, definitely broaden your interests when it comes to that, e.g. instead of talking about solar energy you can talk about renewable energy and how you would like to make a difference in providing cleaner, affordable technology to other countries. Of course, you should emphasize solar energy as your main focus.
I would definitely try to bring up my verbal and analytical writing scores. Score AT LEAST a 70% rank in verbal and a 4 in writing.
Your TOEFL scores seem fine, but I would aim for at least a 25 in all categories if you want to get into the higher ranked mechanical engineering schools. Not urgent.
By the way, are any of your publications related to your specific field of interest? Are they published in international journals, where coverage and exposure is greater? Your answers to these questions could count for a lot too. For example, a publication in an American or European journal sometimes holds more value than that of a Middle Eastern journal where researchers do not often search the literature database.

Which is the better option career-wise depends, at least in part, on what you want to do after you finish the PhD. Do you want to go into industry? Become a professor? Honestly, I'd go where I'm excited about the research and have a good mentor. If you read posts in "Officially Grads," you'll see how much people struggle when either of those things is missing.
P.S. Tampa is actually a really fun city with a lot to do. It's not the same as Boston but it does have a cultural scene, hipster scene, craft beer scene, etc.

SLPM23,
 
I cannot begin to imagine how stressful & frustrating it's been for you in your current (and unfortunate) situation.  If I may offer some words of encouragement:  I served 8 1/2 yrs in the U.S. Navy and originally joined under the Nuclear Power program (a very intensive 1 1/2 yr long program) to eventually work on a nuclear reactor onboard either a carrier or submarine.  Academics had always been a breeze for me....until I was at the tail end of the 3rd and final phase of the program.  I made it to week 25 of 26 weeks before failing out (over a year and a half of school).  I lost my $8000 enlistment bonus because I failed out of the program and was sent to the fleet feeling like a failure.  Though a door had been slammed in my face, God (through His grace and mercy) opened several others for me.  As someone who's made my fair share of mistakes, I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it wasn't for those mistakes.  I'm a stronger person because of it.  And though I know it's frustrating when you've spent the past 3 yrs in an intensive SLP program only to be kicked out, my sincere hope is that you can see the growth and learning potential from this experience.  Whether you do decide to reapply to SLP or an MSW program, I cannot encourage you enough to continue improving yourself and seeking the support of services such as those at a counseling or academic center.  MSW programs are equally (if not more so) intensive as SLP programs due to the field placement requirement along with a full academic load.  If you are seriously interested in pursuing a career in social work, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I'm fuzzier with PhD salaries.  The people whose salaries I can at least ballpark are either post-docs or tenured profs.  I don't know my industry PhD friends' salaries.  
Actually, that's not true...one guy is about 95k.  So, your friend's income sounds about right.  Other than that, I don't know salaries.
@takeruk- this is for all ACS members, so new hires and experienced chemists.  But, their surveys have been criticized.   
 

I heard many ppl say GRE are not important, or that it's only used to weed out those who score very low. But I've always thought that a high GRE can help. According to Gatech, the average quant score is 167, and that scoring above that would help the application. This means someone who scores a 170 would get noticed. In fact, according to data, 2% of all test takers get 170, and only 6% of engineering majors get 170.
Furthermore, I was told by UIUC ECE that they weed out ppl that score lower than 165. That means if you scored 163, don't even apply before retaking the test. UIUC also said that a high verbal score would help one get TA positions, so unlike popular belief, verbal score is not completely insignificant for admission into engineering. 
I have also heard that a high verbal score, while not as important as quant for engineering and science, would still help simply because so few ppl score well on the verbal, and a high score would stand out.
Obviously every program is a bit different, but I found this from Gatech's site: 
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is required of all applicants. All applicants must submit scores for the following three parts: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing. Your GRE test scores are an important part of your application and you should strive to submit the best possible scores. The average GRE scores for applicants accepted into our graduate program for fall 2014 under the previous grading system are:
New FormatOld FormatVerbal: 158Verbal: 580Quantitative: 167Quantitative: 800Analytical Writing: 3.8Analytical Writing: 3.8The admission committee considers several factors when making admission decisions, your academic performance at prior institutions (GPAs), your GRE test scores, your statement of purpose, and your letters of recommendation. All of these factors are important, and your application will be strengthened if your GRE scores are at or above these average values. If your GRE scores are lower than these averages, your chances for admission will be reduced. The minimum scores that are needed to be considered for the program are 146/V, 155/Q, and 3.5/AW under the new format and 400/V,700/Q, and 3.5/AW under the old format. Furthermore, meeting or exceeding these average numbers for GRE scores does not guarantee admission.