stillalivetui

Congrats to the Minnesota admits!

Congrats L13!

I'm extremely jealous you attend Brown. Beautiful campus and the city is wonderful. I especially envy the Grad Center Bar! My friend and I checked it out, and it was so awesome.

Nahhhh, interviews (only a few departments do it) are a cause of celebration. It means they are interested in you, and wish to get to know you better beyond your application materials.

Sorry I wasn't being specific. I was referring to UC-Irvine's application.

To the OP, I'm actually confused what you mean by that you submitted "unofficial transcripts." As far as I recall there was no option to upload transcripts on the online application, but merely where you enter your GPA and education history. So it sounds to me that you never did submit the required official transcripts to the department, and they only read your info from the application. In this case, it seems they want to verify your info and coursework.

Irvine actually requires an official transcript be mailed to them. It's one of the few schools I'm applying to that required it.

If anything, fit is the number one factor with all programs, elite and lower ranked ones included.

I personally don't think your GRE scores are weak. In fact, they are quite competitive, so don't sweat it.

Side question: I'm visiting a friend in Boston and Providence. Any recommendations for restaurants/bars in Providence?

Congrats! I got an email from UChicago today, but it was a mass one with info for FLAS applications. This process is so cruel.

I recently finished my MA program in Bloomington. I have nothing but fantastic things to say about it. Rent is affordable, but can get a little pricey if you live right near campus. (I notice you live in the Bay, rent might seem absurdly cheap compared to there). Undergraduates tend to live directly north and west of campus, so I would stay away from those areas as they are constantly partying. I highly suggest you live south of campus near Bryan Park. It's pretty mellow and a nice 15-20 minute walk to campus and downtown. My buddies and I rented a three bedroom house in that area for $1200, so it didn't take much out of my monthly stipend. Alternatively, another popular area for graduate students is east of campus at Fountain Park and Woodbridge apartment complexes. As for the weather, the winters are pretty darn cold. The city tends to be pretty prepared when it comes to making the roads safe to drive in snow. So snow tires would be entirely up to you, though I think you'd be fine with your SUV. I got a long just fine in my little sedan. IU and the city also has a reliable bus system. All in all, Bloomington is an awesome, special place. I'm from CA as well, and previously lived in Seattle before I made the move to Indiana. Needless to say, I was pretty nervous I would dread living in the middle of nowhere. I was quickly drawn to its Midwestern charm and easy living life style. Let me know if you have other questions!

I am chill. I just have a problem with how dismissive you are of other disciplines, and implicitly asserting they're not "serious." Needless to say, that's pretty insulting.

All I have to say is: WOAH.

Yeah cost of living should definitely be a factor, but I wouldn't let this deter you from applying to said "prestigious programs."

I don't think it would be unwise, but it's not following the directions. Take this as an opportunity to describe personal details and how they have impacted your intellectual interests. This gives the committee another side of your personality.

A couple months ago a couple of POIs and other faculty at schools I'm applying to showed up as suggested friends on Facebook. It was really strange.

I've kindly reminded my rec to upload the letter, but still hasn't done so. I'm at a loss of what to do.

I'm beginning to suspect that my late recommender has the same thinking as yours.

I have my own mistake that I caught just last night in my SOP; I foolishly fell victim to the effected/affected mix-up. This is me being paranoid, but how will this affect my chances? I'm pretty embarrassed by such a silly mistake, especially considering I know the difference between the two, and didn't catch this before.

That's amazing how fast Davis gets decisions out considering they have such a late deadline.

I'm curious as to how quick a turnaround programs have, one program begins reviewing apps next week already.

I'm in the same boat, and it's stressing me out so much.

I know UC Irvine explicitly states that all materials, including LORs, must be received by the deadline. I'm going to be pretty annoyed if I just wasted $90 because one letter wasn't submitted in time.

Welp, only one of my professors has submitted their recommendations. Anyone know how forgiving adcoms are with late letters?