pears

+1 to what biscuits said (i feel like i say that a lot!): i, too, am super petite (short & skinny), so skinny jeans a good option for me. i also have a few pairs of skinny corduroys from uniqlo that i like a lot. as long as they're not unholy levels of form-fitting, you should be fine!

if it helps, i've read it all, so feel free to delete it whenever. understood- it is, as you hinted at, pretty much off the table. it might still be worth it to contact your POI(s) there, but i wouldn't expect too much.

i'm so glad someone else uses the term "orchid child"! my mom has been calling me her orchid child since then, and keeps orchids at home when i'm away; my SO's mom (super little hippie woman whom i adore) likes to remind me that i'm an indigo child. both are a much healthier, positive, and (perhaps) accurate way of looking at so-called "genetic 'doom'" and a generally one-dimensional way of looking at things like asperger's, ADD, etc. anyway, personally, i don't see why uchicago is off the table. i know you said "I just cannot be the one who initiates such a conversation," and i imagine it would be incredibly nerve-wracking and difficult for you to do. however, realistically, nobody is going to go out of their way to contact a past applicant; they can't read your mind, so how are they magically meant to know exactly when to send you an email or call since you're considering transferring, and encourage you to apply? if you want something to happen, you have to be proactive about it, and really, uchicago sounds like it would be too ideal and wonderful of an academic opportunity for you to pass up, even though it's probably going to be a strained interaction at first. camaraderie within a cohort can be amended with apologies (in person, with sincerity, and perhaps followed up with a positive upswing, e.g., inviting people to lunch). even if it's over email, i would strongly recommend getting in touch with past POIs at chicago. offer a sincere and detailed apology, and ask whether they think you could still reapply for transfer (rather than relying on the opinions of others). it doesn't seem impossible, considering you were the one who decided not to attend, at the end of it all; they didn't flat out rescind your offer, right? the worst that happens is they say "no," which is a really friggin' hard life lesson to learn, and you'll have to move on and consider other places, and continue to work on building a better relationship with the students and professors who will likely be collaborators in the future. the best that happens is you end up at your dream school in a delicate balance with your cohort that could provide a good opportunity for you to learn how to navigate really difficult social situations. in sum, you'd be exchanging long-term academic strain without social issues for short-term(?) social strain without academic issues, which, to me, seems like it would be very much worth that first email to POIs at chicago. however stressful or awkward.

holy moly that is a long post. for your benefit, i'm going to try to reduce this into a few bullet points for ease of reading. you'll probably get more responses that way. please correct me if i'm wrong at any point! · Background: Astrophysics major, did undergrad at University of Washington. Studies climate modeling, particularly of planetary atmospheres, per a professor’s recommendation. · Would be happy studying anything highly computational. · Last year: got into UChicago with fellowship (top choice), and Brown. Interviewed at Yale, also considered Columbia and MIT. · Had to decline UChicago’s offer because they went into the wrong bathroom (???), took Brown’s offer, but things are not going well there. · At Brown: meant to have multiple advisers, one left, so the other 2 couldn’t take them on. One is in Physics dept.; transferring not feasible now. Other adviser abandoned them. · May have to leave Brown if an adviser cannot take them on, but there may not be anyone. There is one new climate modeling hiree, but they may not take on new students. Also competing with incoming students for research fit. · Applied to other schools: at top of waitlist for Penn State, but there are also pending faculty changes in OP’s dept. · OP is worried about how they and Brown will look if they transfer after their first year, and the gamble of transferring. Also advised by professors to consider AZ, CO, UCLA; regrets not applying to Cornell. Hesitant about moving from Brown but also in a bad situation. · OP applied for fellowships: rejected by NSF because of reviewer (???), waiting on DOE CSGF and NDSEG. Worried about finding non-academic options; probably not an option. · OP has Asperger’s and ADD. i added the (???)s as an indicator of things i'm skeptical of. i'm sorry, but there has to be more to the uchicago situation. it may be to your benefit to fully explain that, because i don't see why uchicago isn't a transfer option. also, i think it's odd that you're pushing off a grant rejection... but then again, i have no firsthand experience with that sort of thing, so it may well be possible that a great proposal can be shut down by a single reviewer with non-compatible views.

birthday cake (cake cake cake cake cake ad nauseam, if you're rihanna)

Deadmeat: i totally feel you! i grew up mostly in NJ, so a lot of my relatives on both sides of the family live there. i love them all, of course, but... a lot of them got stuck in the trap of inertia and comfort, and never left the towns they grew up in where their parents still are. they were shocked when the closest undergrad places i applied to were in boston, and simply didn't understand why i wouldn't apply to princeton or the laundry list of state schools, or "at least some ivies that were closer to (them)." blugh. now i'm getting the same complaints, but at least i can tell them that none of the schools in NJ or PA have what i want to study- which is true, but really, it'd take one heck of a stipend to convince me to go back to the east coast any time soon.

my quantitative (math) scores were pretty weak at first, but i improved a lot by basically going through kaplan and princeton review books thoroughly: i took notes on each chapter, studied the concepts i only had a fuzzy memory of every day, grappled my way through the hardest practice questions first, did the easy and medium questions second with a timer, and did a timed practice test every 2 weeks or so over the course of 3 months before my test date. i did quite well, but was really pleased with how my math turned out, so i'm guessing the practice helped! the timer is especially useful because it makes you push yourself to a point where you can cruise through the easiest stuff without wasting time by second-guessing yourself and save your time for harder things and quick revisions at the end. i don't see any problem with using books that are a couple of years old for the content, if you want to study a certain topic in particular, like geometry. better to invest in some 2011-2012 books than a course; there's not much an online or in person course can teach you that being really thorough with the books can't. online courses offer extra practice quizzes and tests, but you can probably find enough online for free that paying a couple hundred extra bucks isn't worth it (speaking from experience).

to be fair, you did start a thread asking for other peoples' recommendations about bags. i would say recommendations are quite intertwined with opinions- don't you agree? although i'm sticking with my exceedingly "undergrad/schmuck" burton skateboard bag -- thanks to a tight budget and a longboard -- i've heard good things about seagull bags, too. also, cole haan makes really handsome, long-lasting leather messenger bags, so if you're willing to scour outlets, you might be able to find one at a good price, as long as you don't mind the material's upkeep needs (e.g., weatherproofing).

some of my cold weather favorites: tretorn and sorel boots, patagonia nanopuffs (they fit very well under shell/snow jackets), fur hats with ear flaps (yes, real fur; you'd be surprised how easy it is to find gently used rabbit fur hats!), and stockings (they keep heat in under leggings really well). keep an eye on steep and cheap, the clymb, sierra trading post, and backcountry online- they all tend to have really good deals out cold weather apparel, especially now that the snow season is coming to a close.

i think a common misconception of east coasters is that they're mean, which isn't true; there are just different social standards and expectations of how you act, which are perceived as being antisocial, e.g., avoiding eye contact and pointless conversation with strangers, because most people are busy professionals, overloaded students, the occasional snobbish new moms in yoga pants, scary bums who want to grope you because you made half a second of eye contact, et al. it's a mix of being courteous by giving people their space and keeping yourself safe. i've found, also, that people in east coast cities put a lot of effort into appearances, and, for lack of a better way to express my feelings about it: "ain't nobody got time fo' that." the expectations don't overlap with how i am naturally: i'm pretty soft-spoken, but i like to chat with people, and i'm "crunchy" (read: i spend a lot of time in fleece and flannel, on a mountain or in a river, eating organic avocados and shaking my fist at the man in between rounds of reading emerson). i found it very difficult to steal away from the social expectations and hustle-and-bustle of NYC in particular; boston was better, but it was still a solid hour or two of driving to NH for my favorite hikes. people at home look at me like i'm a weirdo for wearing birkenstocks and saying "hello" to strangers while in the grocery line. by manhattan standards, i'm invading their space, but in SF, few people seem to mind. i grew up in a nice suburb and migrated to a really nice part of nyc, and went to school surrounded by some of the nicest parts of boston, so i've had a very biased experience on the east coast. in general, i'd just say it's less rough around the edges and more fast-paced, which is for some, but not me. there's also very little work for me on the east coast.

1: depends on the school and the department. some places have rolling admissions, where they admit/reject in waves of various sizes: at these programs, yes, you should hear back sooner. however, many schools simply have a set schedule they use to review all applications at once. if you're really curious, you can always ask a department admin or your POI whether they have rolling admissions. 2: in most cases, yes, but not always. it depends on the school's deadline, whether they admit on a rolling basis, etc. they'll typically alert you quickly if you're on an official waitlist, i.e., your admissions decision was to be waitlisted. however, some programs (like one i applied to) have a sort of unofficial, semi-waitlist situation: they admit a first round of applicants, give them a preferred deadline to commit (or not), and then admit from the second round of applicants based on the number of spots declined by the first round of admits- presumably, as spots are left open from the second round declining, that's when they admit waitlisted people. either way, they serve the same purpose: they give a list, sometimes numbered and sometimes just a pool, of strong applicants who weren't in the (often very small) first round of offers, but would still do very well there. 3: beats me. i'm guessing it depends on the school, but i'm in a totally different field.

if you're really neck-and-neck because things like funding and cost, course options, research opportunities, faculty fit, etc. are equal in your mind, you can move on to secondary considerations like location (this is a primary consideration for some, but, personally, i'm flexible, so it wasn't a huge factor until after i'd narrowed my choices down), housing options, cost of living (including gas prices and food prices), and so on. personally, talking to as many students as possible (read between the lines, too- enthusiasm across the board vs. a lot of cut-and-dry answers says a lot) and creating a dummy schedule for my course of study were really helpful and made my choice very clear.

my mind is kind of blown by cal being boiled down to "okay," but more importantly: i would go with the funding, especially at the master's level. (i wish i had any funded options for what i'm studying! especially now that i've written the MPN for my 2013-2014 loan... oof.) the bay area is full of lots of great schools and students and labs and research facilities; i can pretty much guarantee that there will be plenty of ways for you to make up for a lack of coursework with a for-credit internship, a "winternship" in the bay area, or something similar, so you can focus more on your specific interests. just make the most of your large blocks of free time also, depending on what your commute is like, you may be able to get away without a car, too. i'm living in SF sans-car, and i'm totally fine. gas is pretty expensive here these days anyway, and i can't imagine it'd drop off that much before you'd be starting.

one of my most prized possessions is an unopened surfer rosa vinyl LP from one of my best friends! maaan do i love the pixies. listening to the entirety of doolittle now, just 'cause.

i WWOOFed a few times when i was an undergrad, as a cheap alternative to vacations when i wasn't going home. in sum: you work on an organic farm for an amount of time specified by your temporary employer (i was never told i had to work more than 6 hours a day, but i often found myself putting in 8+, just because i enjoyed it) in exchange for housing and food. typically, i've found they'll give you a daily hot shower or bath incl. soap towel etc, an air mattress or couch with bedding and a pillow, and will stock up on food of your choice or include you in their meals, depending on how they eat and what your eating habits are (e.g., i ate 3 meals a day with a largely vegetarian family, but had my own section of the pantry when i worked on a small meat-producing farm). if you find yourself with, say, a spring break devoid of any academic work to do, there are probably places you can get to and from for $300 or less round trip where you could WWOOF for a short period of time.

sharp cheddar

theclymb.com sometimes has timbuk2 packs on sale. personally, i use osprey packs in the field and a burton skateboard bag for books, but i've heard lots of good things about tb2. you can also click around to see if companies like osprey, arcteryx, kelty, et al. have any messenger bags; chances are, they're made of ripstop, waterproofed goodness.

my first bit of montana apparel is arriving on wednesday! woohoo! can't wait to start wearing my maroon griz hoodie

+1 to faraday's comment. i'm really stoked! and i'm only here in SF for a half-year job, and i'll probably be moving at least once more for work before i go to missoula. i'm from nj/nyc, and— no offense to my home side/the (b)east coast, but — it's not for me, for many reasons. in the last year i've lived 6 different places, and SF is the closest i've come to feeling like i've found my place in the world. missoula seems like it'll have a mix of many things i like. but, to answer the question: yes, i'm f-in' nuts, but mostly in good ways faraday: have you heard bowie's cover of "cactus" by them?

hey! i'm living in SF right now, and as you mentioned, the weather is... well, finicky at best. it's actually been a very mild and relatively clear spring, but we've had some rain this week, so april may shape up to be somewhat drizzly- not bad enough for wellies, but it's worth bringing an umbrella. personally, i like bright solids, so i bring a pair of coral flats, green heels (similar to these, but olive), and/or black pumps if it's a multi-day thing; for one-day events, just the flats in a bag with the green heels. sheer (or no) tights, high-waisted (but never form-fitting!) skirt, tank top, blazer, colorful necklace or scarf, simple stud earrings, hair in a braid or down, peacoat, casual shoulder bag. my field is super informal for the most part, but i find that being on the ever-so-slightly overdressed side of things never hurts. i usually have a casual outfit with me anyway, so if i really feel out of place, i'll mix and match pieces with dark denim.

QFT. sometimes i wonder "why the heck am i so addicted to GC?" and then i have major bummer of a day or week, and i see threads full of wisdom and kindness like this. yall rock.

currently revisiting the shins, spoon, zero 7, fountains of wayne, dispatch, rilo kiley, and all sorts of other goodnesses from the mellower parts of my high school tunes.

i'm not going to be an NYCEP student, but i call the neighborhood around CUNY hunter "home," so i have a semi-helpful tidbit of advice: many of my recent-grad and grad student friends who live in the area were able to find somewhat "affordable" -- quotes because, well, it's still manhattan -- apartments by moving further up into the 90s, and further east towards the river. many of these places are "railroad" walk-ups that have funky layouts (e.g., one bedroom is converted into a public space for parties, or walking through someone's bedroom to access the bathroom), but it's not totally impossible to find "affordable" housing uptown. chelsea also has a fair number of oddball-railroad-walk-ups, but i would avoid anything between the 40s and 70s. you just have to find one or two like-minded people who are okay with walk-ups, fan-only A/C, strange layouts, etc. a lot of the pricing in bk is just as bad as manhattan now.

ah, yes, middleburg. a fine NESCAC institution! right up there with goldy, will.i.am, plates, and bowdonkadonk, bless our well-intentioned parents' hearts, for they know not what they say...