pears

another spam email from Ross University School of Medicine asking me to apply.
 
quit being so aggressive Ross University School of Medicine, I already told you my heart belongs to Rachel University School of Medicine.
 
 
 
 
yeah i went there.

i may or may not have slightly judged my acceptances by the quality and variety of items in their bookstores..!   when i make my final decision, i'm treating myself to a new sweatshirt from my school-to-be and a tattoo of my alma mater's motto.

hah! well, i committed this morning, so perhaps letting people off the waitlist and removing myself from consideration at the rest of my schools will set off some big domino effect that gives you some good news today!

GRE measures logical thinking. Study all. Really.

I was given a call by my POI that I was accepted.  I inferred from our talk that everything is decided, but that it might be a few more days yet before official notifications are sent out.  Good luck to those still waiting it out.

It's funny, as I've been reading through this thread I've been thinking about all the doubts that I've had over the last couple months.
 
Could my previous GPA be better? Of course! But there's no regret there as I've been out of school for over four years (nine years since undergrad). Nothing I can do about that now so I can make up for it in other ways.
Could my GRE scores be better? Of course! I study and prepped probably more for than ever in my life, save maybe my comp exams during my Master's program. I know I'm awful at multiple choice tests but I can't complain about my writing score of 5.5.
Could I have applied to more schools? Of course! But I did apply to the programs which best match the specialty I've been in for the last four years professionally, have faculty that I think I'll work well with, and are in areas I think I could be happy living in for the next few years. The population I specialize in is pretty specific, too, so it isn't like there are tons of options.
Could I have published more? Actually, probably not. There are good but limited research opportunities for me at the moment, but I've done enough to be on first-name bases with a lot of leaders in my specialty.
 
So here I sit, mid-March, with financial plans if I do get accepted and job stability if I don't. One rejection, one limbo, and interviewing at my first choice next week. I've strategized out the interview day as much as possible, all I need to decide at this point is if I should go with the charcoal or beige suits.
 
I've gotten so frustrated with regrets over past failures despite what others have said is adequate (or even excessive) planning and preparation. I've been trying to grasp the concept of doing everything "right" and still failing, I think for the first time I actually get that, actually get that in my heart, so if anything if I fail to be accepted this year I have a hell of a lot of work done for next year.

I'm in a slightly different position than some posters here but I am wondering if anyone else has run into a similar dilemma. I own a home in the town where I currently live and will be moving across the country for school.  I have the home rented out to former friends/roommates and have no concerns about just keeping it for rental income (I owe very little on the property and it is worth much more than I owe so if worse came to worse, I could sell for a very nice profit. However.....
 
What I am running into are property managers who are refusing to allow me to sign a lease because I don't have "rental history". REALLY?!?!?!??! Even providing verification from my mortgage company that I have never missed or had a late payment, they are still giving me hell. I understand that the housing market left a lot of people upside down and owning/owing more than they could handle. I am not one of those people, and yet I have been turned down by three people because I cannot provide a verifiable rental history.  So lame!
 
I will keep looking when I visit the new city later this week and am sure I will find something or someone that will see that my on-time mortgage payments since 2004 and stellar credit might be as good as some rando-landlord saying that I paid and left the place tidy.
 
The other glitch I have run into is that a lot of the larger complexes require that you show proof of employment with an income 3x that of your monthly rent.  I will be moving with the BF but he will be 2 months behind me in moving. As a result, we are not able to show any income from him yet and my stipend is not nearly enough on its own to meet this requirement. Previous proof of employment, tax return showing strong income, and even bank statements showing a stack of dough have been turned down. We have saved and prepared for this move but this is a problem I was not expecting to encounter. I assume we will end up dealing with a private owner of a condo or home via Craigslist, etc. to start because the larger companies have a formula that works for a typical undergrad/grad student renter and we don't fit that mold.
 
I plan on doing what a couple posters mentioned above and talking to faculty and other students when I am in town to visit. I will also do some aimless wandering in desired neighborhoods to see what pops up. I've had better luck going that route in the past anyways, so maybe that's the best plan. Additionally, I'm going to try and get some kind of paperwork from both schools (still undecided but they are in the same city) that shows a funding offer of some sort that will reassure the powers that be about my ability to pay.
 
I thought the 22 year olds would have it hard in this department but I feel like being older and having a record of resposibility is biting me in the behind. For any of you looking or planning to look for places this coming summer/fall, I would recommend doing a couple things:
 
1. Get copies of funding proof and a breakdown of when/how the $ will be disbursed to you to use as proof of future income.
 
2. Ask current tenants permission now to use their contact info for new rental applications. It might also make sense to have them write a letter recommending you as a renter (on their letterhead of course). This way the new tenant can simply call to verify that the letter is genuine. Most places I have contacted want 2 years rental history. One asked for 5.
 
3. Keep a little extra in the bank if possible now so that you can show that you have an extra cushion. I know this isn't always possible, but it helps.
 
4. Be prepared to pass a background/credit check (or at least don't be surprised when they want these things or have questions).
 
5. Find out before you invest time and effort what the rental company or landlord requires in terms of income/credit/prior rental history documentation. This will save you from looking at places you won't be able to live. Falling in love with a place, only to be rejected sucks big time- trust me.
 
Hopefully this might save someone a little headache in this fun transitional phase. Happy Hunting everyone!

i was in the same boat! the last few weeks have been a decision roller coaster for me; i got into my top two choices, but being the occasional self-defeatist that i am, i never expected to find myself in a position of choice, let alone a difficult one. i ended up having to look into every factor all over again, from cost to classes.
 
as others have said, "second tier" considerations come into play now. i was deciding between two small cities with access to many outdoor resources and party-loving undergrad populations, so they seemed similar at first glance. after talking to students and non-students residing in both places, what i found is that one had more of a "bourbon and beer" vibe, while the other was "shots and lots of makeup"; i would probably be incompatible with the undergrads of the latter. also, the "bourbon and beer" place is a little more crunchy with more access to the kinds of outdoor things that matter the most to me, so my decision was made there. long story short, talk to students and residents as much as you can. everyone will offer a unique insight, and after talking to 5 or so people, you can start to pick up on the general "vibe" of a place. also, reading between the lines for things like enthusiasm helped a lot, especially when it came to talking about the program, the professors, and social life.
 
also, my decision was essentially made for me when i sat down and created "dummy schedules" for each place. i went through the course listings and made up schedules to compare credit load, class choices, and so on. this is probably easier for me to do as an incoming terminal MA, but, again, my choice was basically  made for me, because it became immediately obvious that one program would do my interests the most justice, even though they had seemed similar at first.
 
so, yeah. talk with students as much as you can, and pretend like you're a student yourself (i.e., check out schedule/course choices, housing options, and so on as if you were already enrolled). i thought my choices were neck-and-neck, but after some careful mulling and observation and research for the "little things," one instantly became the obvious choice. hope that helps! 

i wish i had your problems.

this weekend, i met my S.O.'s family for the first time- his parents own a store dedicated to every sort of new age thing you can imagine (crystals, meditation, yoga, astrology, incense, and so on), and although he doesn't buy into it, i'm intrigued by it all, so i let his parents tell me about my astrology (natal chart), totem animals, crystals, etc., just for the heck of it. 
 
in short: i was told that a "chronic illness" recently cleared up, and they gave me a few stones for luck, among other things, and told me that i would have a dream that would answer a question that'd been on my mind for a while. a couple weeks ago, my doctor confirmed that i was 100% rid of a chronic illness that i've been dealing with for a few years, and last night, on the train home, i had a vivid dream that i got accepted to my second choice program via email. i got an acceptance email this afternoon from the same program.
 
dang, universe. you freaky.

i may or may not have slightly judged my acceptances by the quality and variety of items in their bookstores..!   when i make my final decision, i'm treating myself to a new sweatshirt from my school-to-be and a tattoo of my alma mater's motto.

thank you for supplying a lifetime first for me: spitting out my drink (i would say water, but.. well.. it may or may not be a bourbon and lemonade) from laughing so hard.
 
i'm a sucker for cute heels — not all archaeologists are poorly dressed, i swear! — but i always carry a pair of comfy, super-worn-in flats with me. i have a coral pair with flowers (same material as the shoes) on the front, and another muted gold pair; between the two, i can't think of any business/professional outfits i have that wouldn't match one or both. it's nice to have an excuse to carry around a big, bright, adorable bag anyway!
 
edit: as much as i like cute clothes, i should also note that i spend a lot of my time in wolverine steel-toed boots, carhartt carpenter pants, extremely unflattering field shirts and fleeces, and a camo budweiser hat, so take my advice with a grain of salt. i'm only a shovel bum, after all.

i wish i had your problems.

i wish i had your problems.

Most of the prior comments are spot on. Missoula is the "other " larger college town in Montana (I live in Bozeman- which as a side note has WAYYYY better skiing) but I have spent a ton of time there and if you can handle the cold, the rest is no sweat. Housing is a little challenging if you want something brand new unless you are willing to live a good distance from campus. Parking has always sucked at mid-day. Don't see that changing, but again- if you can walk a little way in the weather, NBD.  In the summer, on the hot-hot days, the river smells a little.  It really bothers some people, others couldn't care less.
 
In general, Missoula is probably the most liberal town in Montana. Fairly forward thinking population- relatively of course.  Crime is not going to be a big issue anywhere and there's a pretty active art/theater/music scene that you wouldn't expect to find in Montana. The worst thing going for UM right now is their reputation in athletics.  There are some current/former undergrad athletes and former athletes that have been in trouble for all sorts of crimes ranging from rape to drugs to gun violence lately. I don't imagine that undergrad student athletes are the biggest concern in this forum however- or at the top of the list for why we choose a certain grad school.
 
I'm not sure what the specific archaeology interests you have but I know that Both UM and MSU have good reputations/researchers in the Northwest so my advice would be to buy some Sorel's and a warm coat and come on up here.  It's a pretty damn cool place to live.
 
If you have questions about Missoula or MT in general, feel free to send me a PM. Been here my whole life and can tell you more than you'd ever want to know.

thank you for supplying a lifetime first for me: spitting out my drink (i would say water, but.. well.. it may or may not be a bourbon and lemonade) from laughing so hard.
 
i'm a sucker for cute heels — not all archaeologists are poorly dressed, i swear! — but i always carry a pair of comfy, super-worn-in flats with me. i have a coral pair with flowers (same material as the shoes) on the front, and another muted gold pair; between the two, i can't think of any business/professional outfits i have that wouldn't match one or both. it's nice to have an excuse to carry around a big, bright, adorable bag anyway!
 
edit: as much as i like cute clothes, i should also note that i spend a lot of my time in wolverine steel-toed boots, carhartt carpenter pants, extremely unflattering field shirts and fleeces, and a camo budweiser hat, so take my advice with a grain of salt. i'm only a shovel bum, after all.

Dal phDer mentioned what the undergrad students were wearing that might be poor choices and it made me think of something I think is soooo important- in academia at 9 am or at the club at midnight:
 
DO NOT wear shoes you can't walk in.  It doesn't matter how cute the kitten heels, 5" wedges, or pointy boots might be- if you look like a flamingo with a bladder control problem because you can't walk in them, don't wear them.  I see younger girls doing this all the time but older women occasionally as well.  I wear heels most days and am pretty comfortable with most heel heights, so it's not like I am anti-cute shoes or anything. I simply don't think women realize how strange they look though when they have this footwear problem.
 
For those wanting/needing to wear dressy shoes and heels but have not done so much in the past I offer the following advice:
 
1. When shoe shopping: try shoes on in the evening when your feet are a little more swollen and tired.
 
2. Wear shoes around the house to break them in.  People at home might make fun of you but if you live with them you probably know them well enough to throw something in response. 
 
3. Try to wear them out of the house on a few short trips before you try to pull a whole day in them. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 hours for that weird blister to show up. What sucks is when you end up with 8 hours after that wearing the same pain monsters.
 
4. If after all of this, they still hurt like a mothergoose, they are probably just crappy shoes.  Give them to your sister. Or someone you don't like.
 
5. If you abolsutely LOVE a pair of shoes but they kill your little toesies, you can try this trick:
 
A- Put on cute outfit and your amazing new shoes, pour yourself a drink
B- Call your friends and invite them for a girls night out, pour a drink while you wait for them to get ready
C- On the way out the door, check out your outfit and your sexy shoes in the mirror and take a quick shot
D- Immediately upon arriving at a bar/club have a shot with your friends and listen while they compliment your shoes
E- Dance, take a shot
F- Repeat step E any desired # of times
 
The end result is a hell of a hangover and some nicely broken in shoes.  The trick is to reach the point where the booze cancels the pain.

interviewing tips, from dogs:
 

don't be too formal.
 

don't be too casual, either, and definitely get lots of rest the night before.
 

talk yourself up, but don't try to be someone you're not.
 

don't forget: strong, engaging, open body language is important!
 

a little personal touch to the old "skirt and blouse"/"blazer and tie" look never hurts, but don't get too crazy.
 

no matter what you decide to wear, a smile is the most important accessory!

i'm with newleaf on this one: i'm currently occupying 3 spots, and i intend to commit within the next week; i have a few friends who are occupying 2-4 spots who also intend to make a decision within the next week or 1.5 weeks. some of my programs, as well as my friends', have requested a response within the next 2 weeks so they can begin moving through their waitlists, both official and unofficial. i think there will be a lot of card-shuffling, so to speak, between now and 4/1.

(at ridgemont high! )
 
good times (bad times, you know i've had my share..)

(at ridgemont high! )
 
good times (bad times, you know i've had my share..)

Ok, just had to share this "omen" of sorts...got accepted to HGSE!! ( that's not the omen). They issue you a Harvard ID number....it is all "sets" numbers that have direct meaning for me! I already have it memorized!

break into a panicked sweat, immediately step down from my job, and hope that i saved up enough of my salary to become "chief beer officer" for all applicants instead. yknow, the person who hands you a nice cold one immediately after your decision is made, no matter what the outcome.
 
that's a thing, right?

pears = favorite soap brand, favorite poached fruit, and an aesthetically (aurally and visually) pleasing word, i think.
 
also, pears are notorious among fruit trees for being particularly bad at successfully growing and making pearbabies on their own; they're dependent on the support of others who think they're worth helping along, and their own ability to survive through various weather extremes. the payoff is tasty, though! so, i suppose it's an odd metaphor for my studies: don't be afraid to accept help, savor collaboration, be perseverant (even when things get super tough), and reward yourself and others well for all the work in the end.
 
as for my avatar, well, it's grumpy cat in monty python trimmings. i don't think i really need to explain or justify myself there.

"the player formally known as mousecop"

 
 
Also, I work with mice.  And Roll Tide, bamafan