DropTheBase

I am told that a huge mistake would be to choose a PhD program where I can only see myself working under one adviser. I got an extremely good vibe from the adviser and the students within the group during the visit. I can easily imagine myself succeeding in the group. How risky is this decision if the POI has guaranteed a place for me in the group? Thanks!

Read your POI's papers and generate conversations from them. Demonstrate your genuine interest. Execute it properly. All these others you're competing with will just stand by and watch you two talk.

They sent an email: "MIT Chemistry Application Decision"

Congrats! I really hope this doesn't detract you from seeing a counselor. The stress of succeeding in graduate school (and life afterwards) is much more difficult to handle than that of waiting for decisions. Good luck!

Did nobody else catch this??? How can you apply ONLY to MIT? Either you're not telling us something, or you must be delusional to think you can't study computer science anywhere besides MIT (so much that you didn't apply anywhere else). Even the best of the best candidates get rejected from MIT simply because there isn't enough space!

Thanks bsnyder2, keep up the good work!

The visit date (March 7-9th) is of course the same day I booked a flight to Northwestern....wonderful.

Another Boulder here! Just now. Congrats Faraday!

Biohopeful basically answered this one. On top of that, I'm going to recommend re-reading Biohopeful's post to let it sink in. PI's want to see dependable, mature students because they are more likely to handle the stress of many years of failure. Based on your disregard for humanities classes and fixation on top 10 schools (who happen to have plenty of PI's who don't care about your research), it sounds like you could benefit from a year off to gain perspective.

They actually do have an online system, but I assume you did the free chemistry "pre-application" instead? I'm pretty sure it will be fine, the deadline wasn't that long ago, they're probably still right in the middle of reviewing applications. This situation is probably fairly common exactly because there aren't any automatic confirmations.

Congratulations!!! Usually stipends reflect the cost of living in the area, but either way, that's a decent chunk of money! Here's some previous data:

What are we defining as a "less-than-ideal" PI? The decision seems clear if a "less-than-ideal" PI is someone who mistreats his/her students. But what about in the context of research fit?

What if you don't intend to get a postdoc (continue the academic route)?

I've been told that it's dangerous to choose a school based on hopes of working with ONE particular POI. That POI might not be able to take on new students, lose funding, die, leave the university...etc. I think it's fair to say that the higher ranked schools have departments filled with PI's doing incredible research, even if it isn't our exact cup of tea. It seems best to be open-minded about the work we do, and I think it's easier to be open-minded in a "better" chemistry department (more/better options). Maybe it's smarter to find a way to convince ourselves that the "less-than-ideal" POI at a top-10 program is actually the ideal POI? By the way, is there a similar article for industry jobs instead of academia?

Another Georgia Tech + Presidential Fellowship here. The April 11-13th visiting date is very bizarre. Other date is March 14-16th.

I had a C+ in my first semester, and B-'s and B's all over the place. If you're record shows that your grades are continuously improving, that's good enough. Research, research, research!!

Graduate school is about research. My advice would be to do as much research as possible, early as possible. Letters of recommendation confirming your ability to do research are by FAR the most important part of your application.

Even the Grim Reaper himself pays his dues to the monster that is ETS.

They will definitely email you if they cannot reach you by phone. If you look at results submissions from previous years for MIT chemistry, you'll see that plenty of people were admitted all the way up to March. As for the letter, I would have just asked your mother to open it! And for your anxiety:

If you think a certain professor's work is particularly interesting (which you should since you're applying to a PhD program), then you should definitely contact him/her at any stage of the process. PI's always have a a specific research 'focus,' usually more than one. I like to ask about the current progress and future plan for projects within that research focus, since it is almost always different than what is written on the group web page. It is also important to mention that you're applying so that the PI has a vested interest in divulging information to you.

Riding a bicycle around my neighborhood on a sunny day. When's the last time any of us had the time to do that?

I agree with cyberwulf. If you really have to do this, make sure you include anecdotes. Remember that reference letters rarely have word limits. Then maybe ask a trusted advisor/prof. to read it to make sure it sounds like something a prof would write.

You'll be fine. Try not to think about everything you need to do at once, it'll always be overwhelming. Break it down into steps and take it one step at a time (checklist). Try to always get a few steps done each day. The best way to relieve stress is to eliminate the source.

To me at least, the only sensible reason for asking "what are my chances?" is to decide whether or not to apply. Since this is your dream school, and the deadline already passed I believe, I'm assuming you already applied. So what would you like to hear, and what do you wish to do with this information? I suggest you stop worrying about your chances and start improving your chances by contacting some professors, if you haven't already.

Of course! Congrats!