G2A

Thank you for your replies fuzzylogician. My reason is two-fold, I've been invited to a wedding a couple of months before my "allowed entrance" and I will do fieldwork in the month prior to the program start. I just got home from a 2.5-yr stint as a grad student and my stuff is in storage at the moment, waiting for a cross-country haul as soon as I get there. Also, since I will be there for a while now, I'd like to go and see some possible apartments/houses before I arrive. I called the Embassy earlier today and they said that it would not be a problem.

Dear all, I've been trying to find a topic on this subject but without any luck. I've accepted an offer to start a PhD at an American university and am currently making plans for the summer and early fall. The F1 visa I will receive will allow me to enter the the country on July 25th. My question is, am I able to enter the U.S. prior to this on as a tourist (visa waiver) despite me having the F1 visa in my passport? Any suggestions/comments would be highly appreciated / G2A

Although I agree with most of what has been written in this topic, I feel like there has been a lack of nuance when it comes to blogging. I do not blog. If done right, however, I think it can be a powerful tool during some points of one's graduate education. This post is a good example: http://downwithtime.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/on-blogging-and-collaboration/ Having that said, OP's energy is better spent elsewhere in my mind. BOL though.

In terms of interesting city, you should also consider that the rail connection between Uppsala and Stockholm is very good. It is a 40 minute ride but there are trains every 30 minutes in regular hours (every 15 in rush hours and every hour late at night).

Congratulations. Great city and great surroundings. I'm sure you will enjoy it there.

From what I remember (a couple years back, got my VISA in Belfast) I had to upload a photo to the US Embassy website and that was then used it my VISA.

I am not sure whether this will help but: http://admin-apps.webofknowledge.com/JCR/JCR?SID If you choose "view all journals" it will not break it down into publishers. Not sure whether or not that is easier though since I can't find a field-specific search. Good luck.

I need to find a new place for September since my room mate is defending his dissertation soon. I do not plan to start looking for another couple of months at least. @Jbenrod, I've been very pleasantly surprised by the public transport system here. The light rail is great (going N-S) and a second line will open up in the near future (W-E). Both intersect at the University. Busses come fairly often and are always on time. There is also a campus connector (from the East and West bank to the St. Paul campus) which is free and some people can use as their regular bus since it does stops along the way. Overall, I'm impressed by the system (means a lot coming from a European). That being said, there are definitely a lot of characters on the bus lines. If you don't want to talk to them, don't worry, they'll talk to themselves.

I agree but nothing in OP's posts suggest that he/she got an R&R. From what I understand, the manuscript went through to review but was rejected (flat out). OP, is the ecology journal you submitted to high-impact? If you think it may not appeal to the broader ecology community, would you consider submitting it to a more specialized ecology journal?

I agree with Dal PhDer, it is a great way to get your feet wet if you are considering teaching in the future. One thing I'd like to add as a pro for TAing is that it gives you a different perspective on your own work. Being able to explain what you do (or something related to what you do) to a non-expert is a really good skill to have, and it is not always easy. Scientists will always have to prove why their work is relevant to the larger community and I think communication is becoming more and more important. I remember being nervous when I first came to grad school. Not only had I never TAed before but English is not my native language and it was my first year in the US. There were ups and downs but once you get into the grind, it isn't that bad. Sure, not all students care about the class but the people that are genuinely interested more than make up for the ones who aren't. This semester, I am back to TAing after a year of RAship. I would lie if I said that getting up at 6 am two days a week is fun (never got up before 10 last year) but I can honestly say that if it hasn't made me a better researcher, it definitely has made me a better person. So don't let the prospect of TAing stop you from going to a good program.

I think some people put more weight on these types of questions than others. You obviously have very strong feelings and perhaps you would not be happy there. However, I must ask: did you not think about this before you applied? The scandal was known well before even the earliest of application deadlines. Again, these factors are very individual. If I were to apply to Penn State, I would not factor in Sandusky. On the other hand, I would never attend Boston College because of political reasons. I doubt that many people would give my reasons any thought when they apply there.

I'm currently at Minnesota, finishing up a masters. Contemplating doing a PhD somewhere else in the US, starting next year.

Grattis! Funded? Hope you get more good news. What would be your first choice?

I am a international student just finishing my masters at a Big Ten school. I would not have come if it wasn't for full funding. I did TA the first semester here, but have been fortunate to been given RAs since. My department offered a five-year ride and I think they assume that most people do a masters + PhD. I've talked to another international student in another department who had a similar experience. I have a feeling it will vary from university to university, but also from field to field.

Already attending. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you guys.