aginath

Check with your lender on the requirements to defer. Most will have a standardized form you can fill out and have signed by your school verifying current enrollment.

I've been out for almost 9 years now, but I made an effort to stay in touch with some of my faculty. Use Facebook and former friends/colleagues to track down professors. Start talking to them now and let them know you're thinking about going to grad school. Solicit their advice on prospective programs to investigate. And use that as your segue into asking them to write a letter of recommendation.

I'm reminded just how relative things are. I have so many friends who squawked over having 5% and 6% undergrad loans earlier this decade. I graduated in 99 and again in 00. My loan rates were 8%. While I won't argue that 3% and 4% would be awesome, I would never refer to 8.5% as "crazily" high.

I'm hesitant to lend credibility to the details provided. I looked up my undergraduate/master's program and they have extremely outdated contact information (the individual listed hasn't been the department head for nearly four years) and the faculty count was two years out of date. When I looked up my incoming doctoral program, the information about admissions requirements wasn't correct, either.

Networking means making an effort to meet new people, not closing doors, and building alliances. It really is a small world and you never know who you'll meet or what influence they can have on your plans. My best example: A few years ago, a friend invited me to her holiday party. My husband and I went, knowing that we would know few people there, but enjoyed ourselves. The hostess introduced me to a number of people at the party, including a friend of hers who she knew had the same research interests as me. After chatting with my new friend for a few minutes, I mentioned wanting to apply to UGA; keep in mind we're in Texas. As it turned out, she and the outgoing program coordinator for my field at UGA worked on their doctoral degrees together at Syracuse. We continued visiting through the evening and she gave me her contact information. It was a lovely night and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Judy. When I went to meet with my prospective program, one of the first things I mentioned to Dr. Reeves (the aforementioned coordinator), was that Judy sent her greetings. It was a perfect ice-breaker and you could see the disposition of the room shift significantly. When you go to conferences, when you meet new people in the workplace, when you go to a concert, pay attention to your surroundings. Take note of the new people you meet. Networking can open all sorts of doors you thought closed and even ones you never knew where there. They can also help you out when you're stuck in a rut or just need a quick hand. Through networking, I helped a friend's son get back into college and watched him graduate a few years later. Try this resource for a starting point: http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html

Yes, that is for two people. We make our own bread and have a vegetable garden (we can/freeze surplus). That figure is beans, meats, cleaning supplies, and the occasional junk food.

Sorry! Grocery line is $300/month

I can't speak to all of these, but I am in the boat of budgeting a stipend to include a spouse. I already use a spreadsheet to budget and track income and expense. About a week ago, I created a copy that would take into consideration my severe decrease in salary. Based on the budget, I'm anticipating: Rent/mortgage: $750 Phone: $100 Electricity/Gas: $160 Internet/TV: $70 Vehicle payment: $340 Vehicle insurance: $60 Fuel: $75 DVD/Entertainment: $35 Total: $1590 Yes, that is well above any stipend I might expect, but my spouse is a Paramedic and has income of his own. My estimates are based on current expenses for those categories and research of current costs in the city to which we're moving (Athens, GA). We currently have two cars, but I am planning on selling one of them when we move and relying on walking/biking or city buses. The bus is free for students (yay!). We both currently have BlackBerries, but will be downgrading from SmartPhones to just a general cell phone with messaging capabilities; this means a decrease in our data plan requirements. I currently have a number of credit card payments that will be paid off right as school starts, and I currently have two student loans (one state, one federal) in repayment. I will opt to defer both of them in the Fall and resume payments again after graduation (and likely a reconsolidation, if necessary). When I started this task, I simply took my current salary and compared it to my stipend "salary." That told me at the very least how much I needed to cut from my monthly expenses. In an effort to be cautious, I kept trimming knowing that my husband may not make as much as he makes now.

It took me years to understand the value of good public transportation. Few cities in Texas offer anything above a sporadic bus service. Even at Texas A&M, the campus buses leave much to be desired. Things are spread out and sprawling. I have friends who live 20 miles away from campus just so that they can still have that country feel. Even though my house is city limits and barely 10 miles from camps, the nearest campus bus stop is 2 miles from me. When I have traveled for work, though, I often revel in subways and the like. I interned in DC while in grad school and loved the Metro. And now that I find myself moving to Georgia, my main concern is dropping down to 1 car and finding a place to live that is on a bus route. I understand the bus system in Athens is actually pretty decent and will allow me to do this.

Can't say I've heard anything bad about them. I had a friend who lived in the fourplexes to the west of HbtP years ago without any issues and another friend lived off of Holik at Holleman and loved it. The location is fairly close to campus (straight shot up Anderson) and right behind HEB and Target. It's a highly populate student area, so expect HEB to be PACKED. If you'd like to keep looking, this is one of the more useful websites. http://www.bcsaa.com/

A few years ago when my exhusband moved out, he turned in a forward request for an individual. Apparently my mail carrier decided I had moved, too. Only since I hadn't submitted a form, my mail was being returned to sender. I went for a week and a half without any mail whatsoever, which rather annoyed me at the time as my season tickets to Aggie Football were due in any day. I called the post office to report the problem, and they took two days to investigate it. Based on what I was told, your route carrier is responsible for sorting mail on their route and knowing who has forwards, holds, etc. They are individually responsible. However, my regular carrier was on vacation and her relief had funked everything up. Needless to say, it got fixed, but quite a bit of my mail was returned without my knowledge or request. You mention that you know mail hasn't run on Saturdays, because you put mail out and it goes uncollected. Report it. Call your local post office and report non-delivery and non-pickup. Be as precise as you can with dates, especially the uncollected days. They can write off an occasional non-delivery, as not everyone receives something in the mail every single day (albeit rare with the amount of junk mail out there). However, they can't ignore mail that is not picked up when you put it out hours before regular delivery.

Very few of my non-academic friends and colleagues are beardless. That is to say, many have a mustache or a goatee at the very least. Still, I am amazed when I encounter people, usually of an older generation, who comment on facial hair and how it signifies someone who is untrustworthy. :roll: Honestly, I think it's of a regional and social issue. When in Rome...

Average snowfall seems to be about two feet per year. Not astounding, but still something to consider. Also keep in mind that just because it doesn't snow doesn't mean it isn't cold.

Without considering the programs, where are you coming from and what kind of environment would you be comfortable in. Urbana-Champaign has a population of about 200K. Austin is at 1.5M. So, do you want the smaller town feel or the bustling big city?

I read that as you have been waitlisted for housing (NOT admission), and anyone on the housing waitlist cannot be pushed through VISA processing. You're talking about apples and oranges here.

I will admit bias towards A&M. Rice definitely carries with it an air of prestige, but I can't speak to graduate programs specifically. I also know that RPI is a fantastic program. These things said, step back from the rankings and look at the faculty. What type of contact did each have with you during the application process? Did you connect with any of the faculty during the application process? Which program has funding or focus on specific projects that match your interests?

As well as Purdue, Iowa State, Case Western, Illinois Tech, Va Tech*, U Virginia*, West Virginia*, Case Western*, Kansas*, Dayton*, Washington University in St. Louis* and Missouri*. *Arguably "cold," but still cooler than the remaining southern and western states.

That's really a tall order considering how diverse a list that is. Each has its own merits, but there are too many factors, including yourself, that should be weighed against those merits. Do you want to be in a small or large city? Do you require public transportation? What type of relationship are you seeking with your faculty? Comparing Texas A&M to Texas is like comparing Virginia Tech to UVA or Oklahoma State to OU. One of those in each pair is the state land grant institution with a more prevalent agriculture focus on campus. Relevant? Perhaps not to you, but might be to some. Some of those are more rural. Will you require access to a major airport to travel home?

Kindred spirits are we, Aaron. My masters is in Agricultural Education, but I specialized in Educational Technology. I'll be working on my PhD in Learning Design & Technology at UGA in the fall. At the end of my first semester of my master's program. I had just wrapped up my first semester of grad school with a 4.0 and realized I craved learning in the social science graduate environment. I completed my degree in four semesters (including summer) and knew I would be back. I've spent the last nine years in the work force missing it every single day. I started scouting school websites in June 08 for fall 09 admission. I took the GRE in August (since my scores were long expired; started studying in June) and had my first application packet complete by September 1. This was mostly due to a visitation program at UGA with a deadline in September (visitation in November). It meant having all of my ducks in a row early on, but it paid off in the end. In January, I applied to NC State and IU. The frustrating part was having my applications in well in advance, but still having to wait until late March for responses. Sounds like to me you're right on track. I did a little of both. I consulted profs from my masters on where to apply. The overwhelming response was UGA. It was through my own research that I sought out the IU Learning Sciences program. NC State C&I was more or less third choice and last resort. Reading websites that talk about 10% acceptance rates don't do much for the ego when applying, but I was overwhelmingly relieved when I was accepted to all three. Publishing helps, but don't kill yourself. My only publication is in effect an informal white paper picked up by a regional council for eLearning. I have busted my butt over the past year and a half to get picked up as a speaker at state and local events. ASTD and the eLearning Guild never accepted my proposals, but I have spoken at the Texas Distance Learning Association annual conference as well as a few regional seminars. Keep in mind that I've been in the workforce for the past nine years. I'm not coming straight out of academics and felt I had to prove my worth to get back in. It was a double edged sword, though. In my interview with UGA, they said I looked stellar on paper, but were concerned that they don't really prepare anyone for industry (moreso for academics). I had to impress upon them my desire to return to academia and get out of industry. Your LoRs can make or break you in some cases. Make sure you ask people who will speak specifically to your skills and aspirations. I have maintained contact with a number of my faculty and was honored to include my former department head, committee chair, and one faculty member who is now the Associate VP for Student Affairs at Texas A&M among my letters. Your personal statement is of utmost importance. The visitation at UGA showed me that. I was able to meet with faculty from other departments as part of that program who gave wonderful insight as to how statements are used and what they look for in a good statement. All too often, applicants recycle statements (which in and of itself is fine), but fail to tailor the document to the school/program or revise it after sending to a different school. Think of your personal statement as your own love letter to convince your soul mate how perfect you are for one another. Baby steps. Take baby steps. Map out a plan. Identify schools to apply. List out requirements in a grid if you need to and focus on knocking out each item.

A friend of mine asked this morning how many days I have left. I took this pic for her.... No, I'm not counting. I don't keep track of how many working days are left. :mrgreen:

It's like looking into a mirror. Seriously, I could've penned that myself. It got really tiresome to repeat, "no, they haven't made any decisions yet." Then once I knew I was accepted at all three, everyone had to weigh in with their opinion. Our Assistant Director still asks me weekly which one I selected, because he can't remember. :roll: Our director asks me every other week when I'm leaving. And every time it's, "you have me until July 22." I'm in somewhat of a mid-management position. They knew when I took the promotion three years ago that I would leave for grad school, but I don't think they believed me until October rolled around and I was submitting apps. I spent much of March detailing every little task I perform and now have this monstrous 20+ page indexed document for my successor. They're actually interviewing people this week for my replacement in the hopes that they'll get them hired June 1 and have six weeks to shadow me before I leave. I want so much to have "gradschoolitis," but can't. I have to present at a seminar June 4th and host a state-wide webinar on June 15th. Administration is focusing heavily on my program (eLearning) right now to decide how much money to invest and how to invest it. I have to stay on my toes and spout off responses from last year's program evaluation at a moment's notice. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I have to keep moving at full force to get there.

I did well my first few years of undergrad and had one disastrous semester towards the end of my degree. That mistake resulted in a 2.6 final GPA. I was extremely fortunate in that I woke up one morning after graduation and said, "I think I want to go to grad school." I was still working at my undergrad institution that summer as a student worker and paid a visit to one of my old advisors. He pulled up my record and in short order told me I needed an 1150 on the GRE for full admission or 1000 for probationary. I barely got in with at 1050, but never looked back. Less than 18 months later, I graduated with my Masters and a 4.0. Don't let your GPA discourage you from trying to excel. I just wrapped up teaching Business Communications this spring at a local community college and one of the questions I asked my students last week was, "do you think your GPA accurately reflects your skills and qualifications?" My answer is that it depends upon the coursework. I took to grad school like a fish to water. Obviously with my undergrad, that wasn't so much the case.

I've known a number of faculty at Texas A&M who have all three degrees from A&M. However, the youngest of them received her PhD more than 15 years ago, and the practice is essentially frowned upon. There is administrative pressure to hire from outside the Aggie Family, though exceptions are often made if your undergraduate is from A&M and graduate study is elsewhere. I think the philosophical change and emphasis on diversity picked up steam while I was in grad school. I was often reminded that I needed to broaden my experience should I wish to continue my studies. While I have no plans to return to A&M, I have done just that. Both my B.S and M.S. are from A&M, but my PhD will be from UGA.

And the response is in...

I can't give you any hope on the response side, but I can tell you that you can add a sports pass to your fees when registering. You have the option of Football Only, All Sports with Football, or All Sports without Football (obviously there is a price difference). Here's the FAQ: http://sports-admin.tamu.edu/mysportspass/faq.php IIRC, new grad students are low on the totem pole and don't pull tickets until Thursday with the Freshmen. I could be wrong on that, though.