KindaHardWorker

In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.

This "Personal History Statement" is required for all applicants who are US Citizens or legal US Permanent Residents and is different from the "Statement of Purpose" that is also required for all applicants. The "Statement of Purpose" is expected to focus on your academic/research background and interests while the "Personal History Statement" is expected to focus on your personal background.


I'm a white middle class male. WTF.

Keep the door open during meetings

Keep the door open during meetings

Keep the door open during meetings

Oh that's probably good. As far as I know, most students are not paid solely under a grant from their supervisor--usually the department covers a part of your pay too, so you might still see an increase even if your advisor's grant is limited. And, often when new profs move to a new school, they are able to negotiate for additional startup grant. (e.g. my supervisor was paying me out of her startup grant before she was successful at applying for a grant for our work).

I'm closing this one because you've made this post in two other places. You only need to post once to get comments.
 
People can go to the thread in "The Bank" () if they want to reply.

Keep the door open during meetings

I think thats going to be real tough, even with roommates. Also, UCLA is in a super nice part of town, one of the more expensive areas, so it might be difficult finding housing close. You might want to contact current graduate students there, what their pay is, and how they live. I think that might be the best course of action. 
 
I'd personally lose the car, even though LA's public transport isnt the best. It would make it more livable, since gas is exensive and you would likely have to commute further. My mom commutes from Redondo Beach to Santa Monica every day (places in la), about 10 miles, and it takes 45 minutes and sometimes more during rush hour.

I think $1500/month in LA will be tough. It will definitely a big decrease in quality of life compared to $1500/month in Phoenix, I think.
 
If I understand the situation right, you will still be a ASU student and will graduate with a ASU PhD. It's just that you will be at UCLA working with your professor? If so, then it's normal that you don't get a pay increase. In these cases, you are just considered a ASU student who is doing work away from ASU campus. But if you are completely switching and will be graduating with a UCLA PhD degree, then you should probably be on the UCLA pay scale and system.
 
In either case, I think if you are worried about it (and there's no reason to *not* be worried), you should directly ask your supervisor and bring up your concern that your ASU stipend won't be enough in LA. She might be able to negotiate more money from UCLA to use to pay her students that move with her. You should also bring up moving expenses and see if you can get anything covered. If this doesn't work, would it be possible for you to switch advisors and stay at ASU and/or stay at ASU and work remotely with your supervisor?

Your advisor may not be able to change your pay because of a grant budget, for example. You should definitely be upfront about your concerns.

To clarify: I would not want to be in a relationship with someone who thinks it is acceptable for me to sacrifice everything to be with them, and I wouldn't enjoy my life if that happened, even if it's the most amazing SO to ever walk on the face of the earth. I don't think my relationship could survive it. There is a difference between compromising (acceptable and necessary in a relationship, goes both ways) and giving up everything for someone (straight up unacceptable). 

I would do a cost/benefit analysis here: what is $133 in the grand scheme of things? If you are starving or have a family to provide for, that's one thing. But if you have money that is rightfully owed, you need to pay it. Trust me, as someone who has wished for collections to go away, they don't. Start a Kickstarter if you have to, just get it paid.

Are there any professors that you know, or really any staff from undergrad you're close to who could maybe help with this? I find insider advice is the best sometimes.

Also being a white middle class female, I wrote about previous (crappy) work experience motivated me to pursue a degree in something I was passionate about so that I could get a job I enjoyed. As far as the socioeconomic stuff, I only talked about not appreciating my education until paying for it myself, which alluded to horrible grades my first year at a university (where I went on my parents' dime).

I don't think that being a white middle class male means you can't write an awesome personal history statement. Maybe I'm completely off the mark, but I took it more as explaining why you are choosing to pursue graduate study and what you stand to contribute to the community as a person (be that diversity, community engagement, your sparkling personality and good looks, etc). As a white middle class female, I used mine (for UCDavis) to talk about my volunteerism, activism, and community involvement. I actually really liked it because it gave me a chance to explain some of the stuff on my CV that wasn't relevant to my SoP.

I am sort of very certain that MIT's lower bound of GPA is arround 3.9 in majors such as Materials.