Crucial BBQ
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Posts posted by Crucial BBQ
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Thanks for your reply. I want to be a professor, but I just worry because they say the top-notch candidate has some sort of research experience.
Well, you will/would have gain[ed] that research experience through your Ph.D. program. If you already did not decline the offer, perhaps you can ask to be deferred for one year. If not, it might be in your interests to suck it up it for a year and apply as a transfer next year.
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There is some great advice in here. Here is what I'd like to add:
1). You need to have a well defined end result that both of you agree upon. I am just going to be blunt; if you are "letting things happen as they may", or, "we'll see how things go" you are setting yourself up for a crash course in disappointment. With a relationship were the two of you live in the same town, or perhaps under the same roof, you two are moving towards a common goal: marriage, "life partners", kids, a house, and so on. There is an agreed upon end result. There also needs to be an agreed upon end with the LDR, too, and you both need to constantly discuss this end-goal to make sure you are on the same page and moving towards it. Otherwise one of you will drift away.
I know; not you and your SO....
2). You need to establish regularity and a pattern. It's one thing if you text and Skype each other all day long, it is another when you set aside a specific time on a specific day that is just for the two of you. It may sound redundant if you talk to each other all day anyways, but let me tell you; having that one specific time every week that is "our" dedicated time really is a big deal.
3). Have date nights. it may seem odd to have a date night when the two of you are so far apart, but it can be down. You can watch a movie together with Skype active on your laptop or your phone on speaker so you can share in the moment with other. Or play an on-line game together. Etc.
4). Tell each other...everything.
5). Keep in mind that all the normal relationship stuff will happen. You will still fight. You will still get jealous. You will still....
For those of you who aren't yet doing long distance but are considering it (ie in the school/job application stage): why not work your career around your relationship instead of the other way around?
If you're committed enough to not want to break up, then don't even go into a long distance relationship. If you're going to be apart for multiple years, what is the point of the relationship? (If it's a short set of time apart with a defined end, then I can see it being worth it). Find a way to make it work in the same location. If not now, you two will have to figure this out down the line. I doubt it gets easier for these things to work themselves out.
For me personally, because these things were in place before I met the girl. I know this is not going to sound romantic at all, because it isn't, but I had to learn the hard way that fairy tale romances are just that...fairy tales. I gave up some stuff that was really important to me for the girl. In the end....well, I felt like a sucker.
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What do you guys think? Any thoughts/opinions are welcome...thanks!
Is it possible to defer entrance into UC Davis by one year? Or 1/2 year? That should give you plenty of time to secure funding of your own.
Also, I know that at UC Davis you can TA for other departments, so that might be worth looking into.
Personally, I would not give up on my top choice just yet. If I were in your shoes I would hound everyone I can think of a UC Davis high and low looking for every penny I could get. Perhaps you can email current students in the program and ask them about funding options?
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*when not win...autocorrect
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Just wondering how early everyone started getting their materials ready and asking professors for LoRs. I feel like I was super late since I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to do grad school right away - I sent e-mails asking for LoRs about a month before the deadline. It worked out well (went 3/3 on the apps) but I definitely should've started earlier.
Well, I did not enter college straight from high school. I took a gap years, sort of. I say sort because because I dabbled around in community college for awhile taking courses out of interests, so I was not on any specific academic path. So, I had some time to figure things out. By the time I decided on a solid major and academic path, I already knew I wanted graduate school. To give you a point of reference, this was back in 2008. That is win I began. That year I started to work on my SOP; I downloaded and printed applications so I can get the hang of filing them out; I began looking into what grad school adcoms and profs really looked for in applicants; and so on.
As for LORs, though, I asked them the same month that I graduated from undergrad. No kidding. However, since I knew I was applying to grad school I made sure they "got to know me" beforehand so it was not like I was some random student to them. I mean, if I saw them in the halls or at a table eating lunch I always stopped to shot the shtiz with them. They all happily accepted.
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First off, I would look into a handful of programs you have your eye on for admissions/application statistics. Some programs will list average GRE scores, TOEFL scores, and GPAs. And some do not. You might also want to check if these programs also take a holistic approach towards applications or if they have strict cut-offs. The averages should give you an idea of what kind of score to shoot for.
For how to study, that is really up to you. I did the Princeton Review, used both the book and on-line practice tests. I consistently scored in the 160s on these tests. When I took the actual GRE, I was surprised at how different the questions where. I mean, they were the same concepts, but....let's just say my real score was lower than my practice scores.
When it comes to math you pretty much just need to know the basics: simple algebra and geometry. You also do not necessarily need to know how to do basic math, but need to know the concepts. For example, knowing how to find the area of square inside of a circle with the only known information being the radius of the circle is helpful.
What you really need to know is how to do the problems. Supposedly, the quant section is designed so that anyone, even say an art major, can ace it. So practically all math problems are word problems. However as you may be aware they are not that easy. ETS uses a lot tricks and traps to encourage you to select the wrong answer. You need to study how to read the questions, spot the tricks and traps, as much as you need to study the math itself.
Good luck.
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I wonder if all schools have the same window of time for their wait list. It is killing me. I have yet to be accepted anywhere and I don't know what to do. I also read that theres only a 28% chance of getting off a wait list in general. Is there anyway to find out if anyone declined a spot at my top choice? Any advice is appreciated.
Nope, it varies by school/program. The good news is that being wait listed is not an automatic denial, of course, and that it might give the applicant a chance to do something to strengthen their application. I'd get in touch with the program and ask when I could reasonably expect a decision and if there is anything I can do in the meantime (to add to my application. More letters of recommendation?). And as always, be 100% professional.
As for finding out who declined...I dunno. Maybe there is a Facebook page/group, Google+ group, and the like. You can always start a thread here at GradCafe, too.
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I suppose I am the opposite. I am surprised by how many people either don't do research or don't know that they should be doing research. Then again, I considered the possibility of grad school way back in my first semester of undergrad. So, I did some research into it, how to get in, and so on. I knew since then that research was essential to the application process and began to look for and do anything and everything I could to help "pad" my application. I suppose I am ultimately more surprised by those who apply to what is essentially a research degree without doing any research into graduate schools, graduate school admissions, and so on prior to applying.
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Hi guys, I am a junior this year, and I will apply for PhD programs next year. I have been researching about programs, and I have realized that some top institutes locate in notoriously dangerous and chaotic places. Specifically, the University of Chicago, Yale, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, Columbia and NYU. I am a girl and I plan to live off campus for my graduate study. Therefore, safety matters tremendously for me and my family. I was wondering how terrible are these places? Do their locations hugely affect the quality of students' life in these institutions? Should I rule these awesome programs out because of their locations? Thank you!
Out of the schools you listed, I am only familiar with Johns Hopkins. All campus's are safe in and of themselves, however, what happens immediately off campus depends on which campus we are talking about. Homewood is pretty much all-around cool and is in one of the safest parts of Baltimore City. But, like all of Baltimore, you are never far from the ghetto. The medical campus and Bloomberg School of Public Health are, well, not in the greatest of locations. The neighborhoods to the south of the medical campus/BSPH are nice (Fells Point is one of the best in Baltimore. Butcher's Hill and Washington Hill are hit-or-miss but greatly gentrifying everyday. Patterson Park is one of the best public parks in the U.S., and so on). Everything to the west, north, and east are complete shiz holes. I know people who either went to BSPH or are still going. They all live[d] in Mt. Vernon, Fells Point, Charles Village, or by MICA. There are free shuttles that will take you campus and back.
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What? I was supposed to run this by my advisor? I didn't. I barely talked to my advisor as it was. I went to a non-researh school where practically every biology, chemistry, and math major were pre-med/vet/dental or pre-pharm. A few looked in forensic science. The general consensus was to simply get top grades and ace the MCAT or what-ever. And to do lots of volunteer work. For those who wanted grad school, we were encouraged to talk to a biology professor who was the "guy to discuss grad school with". He offered a ton of great advice, but never really gave the nod to a particular school/program or not. My advisor was a great guy, he really was. I just found individual professors a better resource when it came to questions about grad school.
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Perhaps the Interviews and Visits sub forum is a better place for this, but seeing as how this forum is more active....
There seems to be some confusion about interviews and acceptances. Generally it seems that when a poster writes that he or she has been declined an offer of admission there is usually a quip about "...did not interview...so I expected a reject..." This is in conjuncture with another misconception "I was interviewed, yet still rejected. I thought I was in. I mean, I interviewed. WTF?" Perhaps this is not an across-the-board kind of thing, or maybe it is, but interviews can be broken down into two categories.
The first, Not Having an Interview.
Three things are happening here: 1). Your application was flat-out rejected, 2). Your application was accepted without need of further action, 3). The department/lab/PI does not have the time or believes that interviews are a not a good predictor of future grad school success (Google this, it's for real), so why bother.
Just because you did not get an interview does not mean you were rejected or will soon be.
Got the Interview.
Okay great. Interviews are conducted for three reasons, also: 1). To be used as a tie-breaker between you and so-and-so applicant, 2). They want to admit you but there is something in application that is not pushing you over, so the interview is used to help aid their decision, 3). The interview is to clarify and verify a few things.
Of there are probably other reasons, but my point is that just because you got an interview does not mean you are accepted and just because you did not get an interview does not mean you are automatically rejected.
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I think people are overstating the challenge of having pets in the Boston area. I have lived in multiple spaces where multiple pets were completely allowed (don't own any myself, so it was never an issue). In terms of finding a space that is pet friendly, you're probably going to want to look in more residential sections where there are small houses and three-flats and the like as opposed to apartment complexes/buildings. There's a lot of this more "traditional" housing available without even leaving Cambridge; some in walking distance to Harvard Square, and then a lot also around the two red line stops before and after Harvard Square, plus Kendall Square. You may even be able to find a place with a small fenced in yard in some of these places!
Whatever you do, don't live in Allston. Unless you don't mind never sleeping again due to the constant loud parties.
I agree that there would be better luck with converted, detached/stand alone, housing; which is why I suggested Jamaica Plain. In hindsight, I understand that most would not have picked up on that, though. I apologize. I also agree with, and strongly encourage, all avoidance of Allston. Brighton is hit-or-miss depending on street. I lived on Comm Ave and Washington near the Whole Foods yet could still hear the parties and tuba players at night.
My experience with pets is just my experience.
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Look at Watertown, Arlington, Medford, maybe Davis square. Davis and Arlington will be more urban, a bit younger-feeling and Watertown/Medford a bit more suburban (though still retaining some urban features).
Medford will be okay, same with Somerville in my opinion. I'd also suggest looking at Jamaica Plain, but that might be too far out. Eh...what ever bus runs down Harvard St...the number 9(?) runs 24/7 although severely limited at night...goes into Longwood...could take it to Huntington and the E train to Heath St. Or, the Orange line to the Red Line.
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I did undergrad in Boston not too long ago. I am not sure what Harvard offers in terms of housing and pets, but seriously having pets in a rental in Boston/Cambridge is going to be a nightmare for you. If you do find a place that is cool, except to pay a huge (probably non-refundable) pet deposit, and/or "pet rent". Yup, you can be charged x-amount more a month...per pet. I want to say this is illegal, but Boston-area landlords are not known for giving a shit if it is. I lived in Brighton, in what was supposed to be "professional and/or grad student only" housing. It was, for the most part, but it was smack dab in the middle of BU and BC right on the border with Allston. Student ghetto hell. Anyways, I just had to pay one rather large lump sum for a pet deposit and that was it for me.
Also, start looking for an apartment/rental NOW! and try your damnedest to have a place by June 1st. Also, seriously expect to have co-signers no matter how old you are or how much money you have in the bank (and be prepared to show bank statements, too). Expect to pay first, last, + security deposit months before you move in (you know, to secure your spot).
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Why are you waiting for San Diego? To see if they have a better offer?
I am from Southern California, yet went to school in Boston. The housing market in SoCal is nowhere near as hectic as it is in Boston; there is no need to secure a place 6 months in advance. I have no way of proving it, but I guaranty that for every one sublet that is being "snatched up", fifty more are sitting vacant. LA is effin' huge.
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I had one copied from a week or so ago...then lost it. It was from an International student who was rejected from a Ph.D. program, who didn't know why s/he was rejected since s/he already had a Ph.D., and thus, should have been the most qualified applicant.
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I just want to know if emailing a grad program will affect my chances anyhow because I am REALLY at that stage of emailing schools to ask especially if they are rolling admissions? This is March, can't believe I have no idea at all where I am going in the fall.
I don't think it will affect your "chance", however I would simply ask when you can reasonably expect a decision by, not what that decision may currently be.
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The only people I know who attended Scripps did so for marine biology or biological oceanography. It's pretty much the best in the world. Or at least in the top 2 for sure. I passed up applying this year, yet went for MIT/WHOI. If I am rejected everywhere, turn down my offers for what-ever-reason, or get into a Master's program, I plan to apply to Scripps in the future.
Not really sure about the "culture" around campus.
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It means you are "admitted" on a probationary condition. It means that your application is essentially good enough but there are doubts. Basically, it is your way to prove you can hack grad school academics on your own dime and time. If you get that 3.0 (probably a minimum 3.0 per course, not total GPA...but I could be wrong), you will automatically move into officially admitted grad studentdom. But if you don't, you are gone.
Ironically, which ever admitted student has the 2 or 3 more GRE points that you are lacking has some wiggle room to screw up a few times. You don't.
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A bit more of an update:
On advice from my advisor and another professor from my department (both who know people at program X), I requested an extension.
It took several days for X to respond. When they did, their response was odd. Basically, they said, "Well, love to grant you it, but, hey, we might give your slot away. Hope you make the right decision."<--They really did end with that. Pressure, much?
I'm going to accept the extension, but am figuring that I will probably either lose my spot or turn them down.
They have seats to fill, fundings to finance, and research to get on with. No offense to you or anyone else, but, in reality they have a business to tend to. With that, personally, I would turn down their offer after receiving such an unprofessional email.
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I am not sure if you would stay in Baltimore, but BMore to College Park is not that bad of a commute, in particular since you could avoid the Beltway. If you can afford the move, tuition/fees, and living expenses, Northwestern might be worth it. But honestly, if I were you I would think about where I plan to go for the Ph.D. It might be best for you to take the offer at College Park, then apply to Northwestern for the Ph.D.
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Crucial BBQ, I din't get the acronyms in your signature: CSMB? MLML?
And sometimes I don't get the program's name on the Results page...
CSUMB = California State University, Monterey Bay. MLML = Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. MLML is the "marine biology/oceanography" department/program for a seven campus CSU consortium. Applicants apply to both MLML and one (or more) of the participating CSUs, and need to get accepted by both (which is why some applicants apply to more than of the CSUs). I just happened to select CSUMB because it is "next door" to MLML.
It can get especially confusing with the California State University school system, since some schools are "California State University [city name]" and others go by "[city name] State University".
For example: Cal State Northridge and San Jose State University (CSUN and SJSU) are both in the CSU (California State University) school system.
I was born and raised in California, Chico State was the only "State" school that I knew of growing up and CSU Northridge was just "Northridge". The rest were all CSU Something, or CSUX.
Luckily, the most confusing acronym for the universities I applied to is UMD (University of Maryland). I refer the other two universities as simply "Lehigh" or "UDel," which folks can usually figure out.
Before moving to Maryland, UMD to me was University of Minnesota, Duluth. People around here simply refer to it as Maryland. Or College Park. UMD, UMCP, and so on will get you confused looks.
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How could I combat that aspect?
I dunno. It is really up to you to decide. The irony is that there is no set formulae. But, if you select programs/labs/PIs based on fit, then you should "know" how to present yourself.
Hey, all. I wanted to get some help on research?
in Applications
Posted
As for how to now gain that research experience if you truly are out of school....you can try volunteering. You can also do your own literatrure-based research and write/publish at least one journal paper and/or book. Outside of that, you'd have to do it through employment.