TakeMyCoffeeBlack

That's probably the point where it's no longer about the obvious things (fit, past performance, LORs, etc.) and more about... who even knows. Wow, to think that our names are just being scratched off lists. There's something existential about that.

Don't stress yourself out too much. Enjoy your long weekend! You have the good fortune, of course, of being an early admit to a great program. Thanks, too, for your information on the timeline at top programs (or at least, possible timeline).

In one of those moments of perfect optimism, I looked into varying stipends. They all vary quite a bit. I believe the OSU baseline is around 12k, for example (but Columbus isn't an expensive city). The Ivy's tend to have some of the higher stipends, but they're also in very expensive areas. Also, this number will typically increase as you move through the ranks and take on more responsibilities (or at least, one of my top choices does this). I do wonder about A&M, though, considering 1.) they run on a 12 month academic calendar and 2.) you have to pay tuition and fees even as a Ph.D. student. Edit: Though if that post is correct, then I'll take it to mean that "full funding" indicates covered tuition and fees?

Anyone willing to claim the Texas A&M? Or are those suspect too?

I keep forgetting those of you in the States will likely have tomorrow off. That could also mean little if any action tomorrow (though who knows). I hope you all are planning to do more than I am (namely, watch the previous night's animation domination trifecta).

I got a "There is travel in your future" right before I moved to Europe.

Thanks for your insights. I hate to have asked you for some speculation, but to an extent I think committees at top schools are going to be looking for similar qualities. Your comments are valuable (even if 100% generalizability isn't possible).

Would you say that there's variation to this process if, for example, an admissions committee member who is not a POI were conducting the (informal) interview? Though I can't say I expected an answer different from the one you've offered. Well, I wanted to hear, "they just want to win your heart." But I knew that wasn't realistic. Thanks!

In an "informal interview" like the ones OSU has done this year (though as I understand it - and I'm not an OSU applicant - this is more of a preliminary recruitment/getting to know you process in OSU's case, no?), what would be the types of things the interviewer might be looking for (positive and negative)? If a University has granted an interview, are they at this point gauging student interest, seriousness, etc. or might it be the make or break of the application?

My sister does Tastefully Simple and loves it. She works one or two nights a week, gets to socialize and eat at the parties, and pulls in a decent amount of cash.

Guy here... But in the next month a place like JC Penney's will have great deals. Not sure how you feel about Penney's brands, but I've gotten some blazers there for ridiculously low prices. I mean, someday I'll go get custom tailored suits. But for now, I'd rather drop $30 on a $150 jacket and have it tailored to me for $15-20. Just a thought.

To be fair, you do come across as generally very intelligent. You can just be generally very frustrating.

Congrats to the newest U Washington interview!

I like Smithwicks. The first taste I ever got of it was during a seminar as an undergraduate. We got extra credit for bringing a "culinary bonus" for our country related presentations.

Whoops, sorry guys. I have a habit of bringing this forum with me down the rabbit hole. I swear I don't drink much (I'm just a culinary tourist!). I'm about to wish on you all something that should be wished on no one. Well, part of this anyway. Can you guess which part? What to expect in grad school, according to The Simpsons

Apparently Strongbow is brewed by the UK Bulmers. Which is confusing, because the Irish drink Bulmers, but not the British Bulmers. And since there is a British Bulmers, they sell Irish Bulmers as Magners. ... So this red wine I'm drinking...

Do you carry ciders? For some reason when I was in Ireland, we drank mostly cider. Of course - and I'll probably make enemies - I'm not a fan of Guiness. It's a dark beer that tastes like a light beer. As in, I don't think it tastes like much.

Will you have to show credits, or will content be good enough? You may be able to find a free online course.

Well fine. Then I'll just go to the bakery and have Johannisbeerkuchen, Sachertorte or Herrentorte, or something along those lines. And I'm going to enjoy every bite. As revenge. Sweet sweet revenge.

What can I expect to show up via express delivery Monday morning?

Anything fun on your weekend schedules, Grad Cafe crew?

Weekends are an odd mix of release and tension, as far as admissions season goes. Hope everyone's doing well.

They also seem to accept students without any distinct pattern. Believe you me, I already had my UW related panic.

It's my understanding that the composition of the adcom should, in the end, play very little role. If you think about it, most adcoms have what, 6 people? And most faculties are much larger than 6 people. In cases where the adcom reaches out to POIs for opinion, I doubt that she wouldn't be consulted even though she is on leave (it's in her interest to have an opinion on these decisions!).

Ah, yes. I was the low income yokel of my study abroad program a couple years ago. My friends would eat out all the time, take out 100 Euro every other day, etc. I survived off of about 30 Euro a week, food and drinks included. I don't think I could have afforded to study abroad at all, but got very lucky with some extra income the summer before (I needed to study abroad to graduate, though...). Now I'm drinking wine with the American and German governments' money. The good news is, of course, that depending on your research interests, you can probably tap into some grant resources to do some travel as a graduate student. That's my hope! Of course, travel means scouring books, sitting through conference presentations, etc. but who says you can't enjoy a glass of wine between pages?