rising_star

Did you get offered funding from any of these programs?

It sounds like you should go to Vanderbilt to me. Nashville is a fun city with a lot going on (professional sports, live music, comedy clubs, etc.) plus a decent airport so you can get out of town when you want. The cost of living is lower than NYC, which may be an added bonus.

GMU for sure. You want to go to the program where your research will be strongly supported, which sounds like GMU from your post.

Exhausting all your options makes sense. But, even with work-study, you'll probably need loans given the tuition and cost of living in DC. Going into debt for a master's program is a risky proposition. If you gain solid quantitative skills, it might work out because you could get a government job as a statistician or work in the private sector with the master's and make decent money. I would definitely look at some student loan calculators to see how much debt you might end up with, what the monthly payments would be like, etc. especially since you took out loans as an undergraduate. I personally wouldn't attend an unfunded master's program, especially since there are some funded master's programs in sociology out there.

I would go to the top program.

There are several threads in "The Bank" about negotiating for a higher offer.

Work-study typically isn't available at the graduate level. The financial aid at the graduate level is basically all loans.

You should go to the best program for your research, which sounds like UW-Madison. That it is a higher ranked program is even better. Go to Madison. Make the most of the opportunities there and you'll be fine. People have heard of UW-Madison and it has a great name, especially in scientific research.

I've never dated or been involved with someone I don't find attractive at all. That's just not something I would do because it's cruel, same as victorydance has said. If they're less than what I personally see as a 5, I'm not going to get involved with them. That doesn't mean that the people I've dated are those that someone else would find attractive because that's not important to me. I care about how I feel about the person, not how other people feel about that person or if other people think we're a couple matched in attractiveness. I would say that's something I cared more about in my teens and early 20s but now it's really about me and what I want, not what others think. At the same time, similar to fuzzylogician, I have noticed some commonalities in the physical appearance of people I have dated. I would actually say that this is something that happened in my 20s but that I didn't notice until my late 20s. It's not just physical characteristics though, it's personality traits as well. Over time, I've decided that perhaps some of those personality characteristics are ones I don't prefer or should stay away from for various reasons. Who and how I look for a partner has definitely changed over time, which I think is the case for a lot of people. I'm a lot clearer about what I want now than I was 5 or 10 years ago.

I've visited U of Illinois and I didn't find all of the things you did, rchien. Specifically, I did find good food and bars that weren't frat-boy bars. As has already been said, downtown Champaign has better options than downtown Urbana. In fact, I think I ate all of my dinners in Champaign and they were all quite good. I also saw some fashionable people but, it's hard to be fashionable when it's cold as crap outside to be perfectly honest. Anyway, a master's is only two years and if it's a good program, I would still consider it because two years really does fly by.

Duplicate post. To reply, go here:

Basically, what shadowclaw said on the previous page. Additional tips: If you're looking for at-home workouts, many of which can be done with no equipment, check out fitnessblender.com. Kelli & Daniel have some great workouts, including things like High Intensity Interval Training, Kickboxing, Cardio, and much, much more. The videos are free and they've got advice on how to arrange them into a balanced weekly schedule. I like to do a lot of my trashy TV watching while at the gym. So maybe I watch an episode of "Hell's Kitchen" while on the elliptical or rowing machine or while lifting weights (because really, you don't need to watch, you just need to listen). I also use a bunch of apps where I can record my workouts because doing so makes me feel good. MyFitnessPal is a well-known option. I use FitNotes though, in part because you don't have to create an account and you can record both cardio and weights in one app. Cook at home whenever possible and bring your own lunch. I lived by my crockpot during the coursework phase of my PhD. I'd make a meal with 4-6 servings, eat one, then package up the rest to take for lunch each day. Another quick lunch idea is pasta/bean salads. I used to cook whole wheat pasta in batches then, for each day, add some pasta, 1/2 cup of canned beans, and 1-1.5 cups of frozen vegetables to a container. I'd top it with fat-free Italian dressing (or another sauce depending on my mood), some pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. This was a quick lunch that also kept well even without a fridge because of the frozen veggies (and because I kept these vegan so there were fewer concerns about food spoilage). Keep healthy snacks on hand! Granola bars are great but also keep fruit, nuts, and healthy crunchy items (rice cakes are a personal favorite) on hand for quick snacks. On the weekends, I'll roast a bunch of root vegetables and/or squash so that I can always just quickly heat half a roasted sweet potato or some other vegetable for a snack when I'm famished and might otherwise reach for junk food. Roasting something like a butternut squash or a sweet potato can also satisfy your sweet tooth. I didn't do this in grad school but I do it now and love it. I'll make a quiche or frittata on Sunday and then eat a slice each morning for breakfast so that I don't have to think about a healthy breakfast. I tend to eat these with 1/3-1/2 cup of oatmeal (use the old-fashioned or steel cut oats, not the quick or instant kind) that I prepare myself. The result is a balanced breakfast in 3 minutes or less. Amazing and also totally kills excuses about not having enough time to eat in the morning. Avoid the coffee shop! You'll be tempted to get a pastry or food item, a fancier coffee beverage (which can mean additional dairy, sugar, or whipped cream, all of which just ups the calorie count), or get refills, none of which are good for your health. If you find yourself in need of a quick wake-me-up, try going for a walk to clear your mind or doing some yoga or other stretches at your desk. Set an alarm/timer when working so that you have regular breaks and use those to move around some, whether it's walking, stretching, or some quick strength training. It's easy and tempting to just sit in your chair for hours on end but resist it if possible! You could switch to a standing desk set-up, which will up your calorie burn slightly. You could also get a medicine ball chair, which will force you to have good posture while sitting. I have both now (didn't in grad school) and it's awesome. Find a workout that you like and stick to it. That was a martial art in grad school for me and it really helped. But, that could also be Zumba, CrossFit, TRX, yoga, or something else. If you like it, you'll get excited about going and doing it 3x or more a week, rather than dreading it.

Yes, having funding looks good on your applications. Is School B a decent research fit?

$100K+ in debt would scare me, especially knowing that interest would be accruing for another 5-7 years while I did a PhD program before I even had a shot of getting a job that would enable me to pay off some of that debt.

If I were you, I'd find the appropriate thread on the "City Guide" and post there.

I saw this on Higheredjobs and thought it might be of interest to someone here. -------- https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=176036071 http://jobs.rice.edu/postings/3727 Position Summary The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University is offering a post-baccalaureate fellow position (one year in length) to begin August 2015. The fellow will work primarily with Professor of Sociology Dr. Stephen L. Klineberg to provide research support for the annual Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey, which is now well into its fourth decade of tracking this region's remarkable economic and demographic transformations and recording the way area residents are responding to them. The fellow will provide research assistance in preparing a book manuscript, drawing conclusions from the Houston Area Survey data. The fellow will also participate in survey design and analysis, implement the details of the project and respond to external requests under the supervision of the project manager. Occasional teaching assistant responsibilities are also associated with the fellowship. The application deadline is May 15, 2015. This is a one-year appointment beginning August 3, 2015. The post-baccalaureate fellow will have the opportunity to develop a variety of research and writing skills through on-the-job training to prepare for a future professional career. Performance evaluations and letters of reference will need to be available upon request.

Definitely agreed about contacting current grad students. In addition, see if there's a grad student list (either in your department or across the whole university) where you could find housing ads and info.

I wouldn't do a master's at a program that I know will treat me like a second-class citizen. If this is just for the master's go to Northeastern. You can always "upgrade" to a more prestigious program for your Ph.D.

"Thank you for the offer. After careful consideration, I have decided to attend a program that is a better fit for my research interests. I look forward to seeing you at (disciplinary conference) in the years to come. Sincerely, XXX"

If it's not going to cost you anything to apply, why not apply and see what happens?

OP, there's no reason to post this twice. This post has been locked. To reply, go here:

Hi Holly, I just wanted to clarify one thing since I think you were responding to me before. I never said that anyone should get preferential treatment and certainly not based solely on their race. I said that the adcom should take all sorts of circumstances into consideration, including having a lower SES (socioeconomic status), which would include someone like you. It is worth being able to consider whether someone only did one semester as a RA because that's all that was available versus someone that did one semester but had the opportunity to do 4-5 semesters but turned that down. That's what I meant by not reducing everything to just the CV on the first pass and wiping CV's of identifying info when doing so. I hope this helps clarify what I meant 2 pages ago in this thread.

This thread might help you:

You only need to post once. To reply, go here:

Yes, it would definitely hurt your chances to apply for both options in the same program. It's likely that the same people would be reading each application.