Monochrome Spring

I agree not to retake the GRE unless you know from a reliable source that your sources of funding are based off of your qualitative scores being in a certain percentile. Your verbal at 95% is great, but if you know that you need around 85% in quant for a competitive fellowship (this would be a very specific situation), then maybe retake it. But still probably not.

Vocabulary: Magoosh free vocabulary guide Manhattan flash cards (500 beginner and 500 advanced) Reading: New York Times Wall Street Journal Peer-reviewed Publications Science Journals Literature Reviews Etc.

I found that some professors requested that a CV be attached to the email on their websites. So, look out for that. Also, I made a point not to sound to anxious about particular projects that the lab is working on, since students are expected to do their own work to some extent. Some professors don't update their webpages often, so they may not be taking more students for that particular project. I focused more on the goals of the lab, in general. That way, I can fit into current projects if need be, but I can also add with my own ideas. I started contacting professors in July, and found that most of them respond quickly. I think that emailing them now is plenty early, because you want to maintain contact throughout the summer and fall. My emails have been something like: "Hi, my name is so and so. I am a rising senior at X school with X GPA in X major. My current research interests are X, Y, Z. 1 sentence on current research project. 1 sentence on senior thesis project coming up. 1 sentence on how I want to build on those ideas in graduate school. 1 sentence on how I think that the POI's lab and the university fit with my interests and vice-versa. I was wondering if you are accepting graduate students for fall 2014. If you are, could we please talk more about my research interests and graduate school plans? Thank you for your time." I usually leave the URL to my personal research website in the email signature. It includes more detailed discussions of my current research, future research interests, and my CV. If they decide to continue a conversation/phone call/skype call with you, they will often read through that information, just like you read through theirs.

1. Instant ramen. Use the time it's cooking to chop up onions, jalapenos, oregano, other spices, tofu, red pepper, etc. 2. Tomatoes with: olive oil, oregano, basil, and crumbled feta. 3. Scrambled eggs with veggies. Throw on some sriracha sauce and a piece of toast. 4. Canned/Boxed soups with whatever veggies you have. 5. Fruit. Almost always easy to prepare. 6. Potatoes. Microwave then top with anything.

Mk. That helps a lot. Thanks. : )

I wondered about the CV thing, because I was told that a CV is just for your shining moments. So, I was told that I don't need to list my JC courses. In that case, I would rather report my cumulative. But I think I'll stick with the university GPA, to be safe.

Although it's good to get an honest answer, and of course there will never be enough time to look over every applicant in detail, this made me feel a bit queasy. I'm glad that in my field, professors can often get more say if they like a student from pre-application phone/skype/email conversations. I also noticed that there was no interview portion of the committee's decision. I think that makes a big difference at the end, especially where it gets more "political". Though, you could also say that the interview is "political". In the end, it's good to keep this in mind. Many great applicants have not been accepted, simply because they lost the luck of the draw and situations were too "political". Or maybe they got rated a 2, but had extenuating circumstances that would have been noticed if the adcomm had just a few more minutes to read each application. So, not every rejection is personal, and there is definitely hope to try again for many of us that don't make it through the first season.

I recently posted a status about my undergraduate institution not showing certain aspects of my GPA to me on our online "unofficial transcript" site. My GPA's are: Junior college 3.95 University 3.56 Upper division university 3.68 Cumulative (JC and university) 3.73 My question is this: Can/Should I report my cumulative GPA when I am sending emails to professors, on my CV, and in applications where there is a place to self-report? I want to report my cumulative GPA since 1) it is higher than my university GPA and 2) courses from JC are being used as graduation requirements for my university so they should be incorporated into the GPA as such. This is opposed to using only my university GPA. I am going to purchase an official transcript from my university to see how they break down my GPA. And, I know that I'll be sending transcripts from both schools, so they will see JC and uni. GPA's. In the end, I feel like my cumulative undergraduate GPA should be what I report on non-transcript items however, because I don't see a point in disregarding my JC work or listing them as separate. I hope this didn't come off too vague. I just want to be certain of how I should report this.

In regards to analytical writing, I had a professor tell me that (at his particular institution and his particular program) the analytical writing is not looked at, because they do not agree with the scoring. That is a unique instance though. Also, a lot people say that your SoP is a major factor. I've had another professor tell me that the SoP matters very little to him when choosing a grad student. It is, however, important for the admissions committee as a whole. I agree, overall, that responses on gradcafe need to be taken with a grain of salt. Each program, professor, university, etc. will be unique. We can only offer information based on our particular circumstances.

Can you repost the tinychat room? I can't remember where the link was.

Paper Planner I have a simple monthly/weekly planner that I got for $8 at Target. I write down major events like due dates and exams in the monthly, so I can see everything important that's coming up. I also put a post it with my goals for the month on the monthly page, so I can reference that quickly. I write daily tasks and to-do lists in the weekly section. If I have something that isn't given a specific day to complete, I write it on a postit note that can move with each day. I cannot stress this enough: write in pencil. Things come up and you will need to erase to make space. Google Calendar I preprogram all of my repeating events in my Google calendar. I also add any events that are at a specific time, once I know them. The Google calendar allows me to see my day spatially, instead of as a long list. And it helps me determine how much free time I really have to complete my regular tasks. An example of how I do this: My current monthly (July) has the following events: birthdays, paydays, doctor appointments, dinner/coffee dates, appointments with PI, phone interviews. The post it has: write academic statement, write personal history statement, email more POIs, finalize grad app list, plan honors thesis, finish reading current meta-analysis papers, student for the gre general and bio. My current weekly (starting July 22) has the following events in their respective pages: the daily chapters assigned in my gre practice books, submit timesheets, clean the rat cage (needs to be done every 5 days), skype meetings, when my lab group is at the greenhouse, coffee date, and write academic statement. The post it has: remember ti exercise, drink water, keep up with literature, and smile. I used to use all electronic, but I really like to see my week laid out in front of me, as well as my month. I can get that better with paper. Also, I am often in the field, so I need something that won't lose battery or reception.

Different schools have different preferences. Some schools will only allow you to apply as a fall applicant, so be careful to look for ones that do allow spring applicants. Each professor is also going to be different. Some professors will not like spring admits, but others will have no problem with it. In your emails to the professors, perhaps add to the bottom section something like "I am very enthusiastic about [X] university's [X] program, and would like to ask if you are accepting students for spring 2014 admissions. If so, could we please keep an open dialogue about how I should proceed with applying to your university? If not, are you accepting students for fall 2014 admissions instead? Thank you for your time."

You should be looking at faculty at the universities that you are thinking of applying to. You should be looking for similar research interests, where their previous students end up, funding, etc. This person will determine how your graduate program goes. You want to find one that is going to help you with research, provide a supporting environment, and have the resources for you to do well. A POI, depending on your field, can make or break you. In some ecology programs, I'm finding that only students who have previously contacted a POI have their application looked at (at all!). Also, the POI is going to advocate for your funding, which can determine whether you are accepted to the program. This isn't to say that every field needs previous POI contact. Some gradcafe'ers didn't contact professors and still got into great programs.

If you can't edit it to be a quality paper, then you definitely made the right move. Your publications will follow you for the rest of your life, and you want them to be high quality.

I just use a basic planner from bluesky.com. It has a monthly and weekly view, and I really like that it has tabs and a thicker plastic cover to protect against liquid spills. I had a moleskine, but I like that the bluesky one is wirebound, so it can lay flat in half.

Fine with me. See you then!

Let's confirm a tinychat room for today?

I'm taking GRE Biology. Not the GRE Biochem. Also, I find my alphabetical flashcards work just fine. And mine are premade with context, synonyms, etc. from Manhattan, so I just use them when there's a commercial on TV or I'm waiting in line.

I've heard great things about the MacBook Air and Lenovo Thinkpad for graduate students. I think there are a couple forum posts in "Officially Grads" that have more feedback and reviews on specific computers, too.

I've been using manhattan essential and advanced vocabulary flash cards. I'm mostly focusing on quantitative though.

I'm taking the GRE October 20th, which is just over 6 weeks from my application deadlines. I thought that this would be a good amount of time, since I'm only applying within the US and I am a US resident. However, I recently read that some schools prefer that your scores be received by 6 weeks before the application deadline. Do you think I should pay the $50 rescheduling fee and push my test earlier? Or do you think that 6 weeks is enough time? Personal experience would be greatly appreciated. (Additionally, I am going to ask a professor at the school his own take on the situation.)

It looks like Sunday 12-4 is the best time then? That gives time to arrange future meetings and study a bit.