uromastyx

zapster summed it up quite nicely for the SOP. But by "personal statement" do you mean personal statement or statement of purpose? These are quite different, indeed. The personal statement would articulate your desires for pursuing graduate study, usually wrapped in anecdotes and outlining struggles that you've encountered, that is, that you've had to overcome.

I think many do, right? But from what I understand, graduate programs don't give "preferential treatment." No? Now I'm curious...

Probably not, but this is always something that you can address in your personal statement, particularly if you recognize it as a factor on your journey to grad school.

Yikes, you have issues. Still. And perhaps you should read more than two posts. If you're gonna stalk me then do it properly. And anyone that listens to this nonsense about not needing good GRE scores is at a huge disadvantage and I feel sorry for them. I do agree about collegiality. Things like your creepy links might not fall under this category. It's almost like you're still going out of your way to make me feel bad (I feel like I've read this somewhere). For everyone that doesn't appreciate the truth about graduate school applications there is someone that does. You attacking me certainly isn't going to change that.

This is precisely what I did. I'm not in your shoes. If it's put a sour taste in your mouth then that's the crux. But to be under the impression that the politics of Penn State (as a structural institution!) are isolated is a bit strange for me. This is not to say that it isn't reason for concern. Penn State is an excellent school, with excellent departments and excellent faculty. Just like any other.

V=32nd percentile, Q=77th (for CS!) percentile, and AW=11th percentile. Harsh is an empty bank account and a stack of rejections letters.

Personally, I can't imagine that the politics of this matter are idiosyncratic. If it's a great program then I wouldn't decline their offer solely on the knowledge of this scandal.

So who received a place at Oxford? Will you be attending? Waiting on funding? What is your field? Have you heard from a college yet? Have you visited? Cheers

I think it's really up to you. I had four interviews and emailed after one of them. This was a particularly enjoyable conversation, so I sent them a quick three sentence email.

NO. All you need to say is that you it took you a bit to develop academically (which your current work shows). Plus, this should be a tiny 'paragraph' in you SOP. It should be mentioned, but the SOP should illustrate past/present matters as they relate to your application and illuminate your potential for PhD work, not focus on problematic matters of the past. IF a school requires a diversity statement or personal statement, then you can address overcoming hardships. Again, be careful here to not create a sob story. These are very tricky to write. So, no, I wouldn't get into the disadvantages. I had a 3.16 undergrad GPA, with a brutal first two years. I addressed it in my SOP and emphasized that it was a thing of the past. I too did a master's with a solid GPA, like you, and therefore, it was self-apparent. It wasn't, "I promise I'll do better." It was "Look, I've done better. My trajectory has changed." That strong graduate GPA will really allow adcomms to look past the undergrad. Best of luck.

I am not in your field so I can't offer much advice. I will say that publications will help your cause greatly, but often only if it's in a reputable (i.e. good/great) journal. Also, publication seems to be the thing to do these days. But it is tough. IF you have a paper that is publishable, or you are capable of writing a publishable paper, then go for!! But it seems that many grad students are attempting this and truly aren't ready. When I began publishing as a MA student I spoke with professor about where to submit (after he encouraged me to publish a term paper). I took a list of journals that he provided and began to research these journals (as well as others). You need to understand the field, understand the journal. What type of research does a particular journal tend to publish? What is their estimated review time? Submitting a paper only to have it rejected 8 months later won't help your CV. Also, avoid this common mistake: don't submit a slew of papers and list them all on your CV as "under review." No one cares, and typically it looks as though you are simply submitting papers just to add it to your CV. If a paper is genuinely under review then ok. So because of this, and the turn-around time, I recommend getting stuff sent out as earlier as possible. I will add that I am currently applying to my PhD and have 3 solid journal publications and a book chapter (and a professional blog). Adcomms have mentioned that they are impressed by this. Best of luck to you.

SO many applicants go through this. You must stay positive, but also realistic. I mean, you've had multiple interviews. That means that programs are interested in you. You will get in somewhere. Also, if you felt that the first school wasn't a great fit, then chances are they did too. Nothing more. Best of luck, and remember: Keep calm and carry on!

I think there are many factors to consider here, and thus a truly subjective decision. Which program has waitlisted you? Is it a top program? Is it well respected? Are there people there that you'd like to work with? What does their particular waitlist mean? Are they selective? i.e. do they admit 2 people and waitlist 2 people or do they admit 20 and waitlist 5? Was competition stiff? If so, then a department may be very happy to have you. But it's a simple matter of whether that is a school that you want to attend. If it's your top option then I don't understand declining an acceptance after being waitlisted. (I can see feeling bitter, of course) If they didn't want you then they would have rejected you outright. Ok, you aren't mommy and daddy's favorite, but I believe that almost all profs will judge your academic performance, your character, your potential, etc. And many people blossom in grad school, that is, the "top candidate" isn't always the top candidate. Whether to accept an admit after being waitlisted is a personal opinion. What do you want? Where do you want to be? How do you personally feel about being waitlisted? It all depends on your perspective and your desires/goals.

Mine have all been somewhere between casual and downright enjoyable. Some were more geared towards an actual interview, while some were more of an opportunity for them to describe how their program would suite me well and allow me to ask questions. (And in my field most also want to speak a bit in the target language.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have also been told that you can say, "Hey, School X gave me $$$. You are my top choice. Can you match that?" Programs understand that money is a factor and it's perfectly ok to ask. Plus, if program X competes often with program Y then they very well may try to match the offer. But you can't try to get 5 schools in a bidding war. If there is a discrepancy between my #1 and my #2 I will try to get #1 to match it, or at least sweeten the pot.

But the issue seems to be that chron will only receive an acceptance if (s)he pre-commits to the program.

That's terrifying.

It depends on the field/programs, BUT often this is not a good sign. The only way to know for sure is to wait and see. IF the department has notified some candidates with BOTH acceptances and rejections then I wouldn't totally stress out yet. That may very well mean precisely that you haven't been accepted, but you haven't been rejected.

I have only been told (by profs) that yes, they will write 'good' letters. Keep in mind though, you could certainly get lukewarm letters. The odds of getting a poor LOR are slim. But if a PROF doesn't feel comfortable writing a 'good' letter then they will find a way to let you know that they don't want to do it. There is, of course, a difference between a 'good' letter and a 'great' letter. Nevertheless, this is why *almost* everyone mentions in their profile that they have 'strong' letters.

Well, no news is no news. There is no way to be certain. However, if acceptances to these programs have gone out awhile ago, chances are that no news is bad news. But all you can do is wait until an official notice is made. Kent is a fine place, although moving the family can be tough. Best of luck to you all.

Agreed. If you're certain then it's better to let them know.