rising_star

You may need to cast a wider net with what you're looking at. You have a degree in education so are there other ways you could start working in schools now, rather than going back for a master's? I don't know about Canada but I do know that in the USA, a BSW is not required to get into a MSW program.

Well, they aren't always taken care of. My experience is that they aren't taken care of when the professor is leaving for tenure denial reasons. In that case though, you usually have a year (or more) to find a new advisor or a new institution so you can land on your feet. Those that want to make it work do and those that don't struggle.

There really isn't much need-based funding at the graduate level, except in the form of Stafford loans.

I'm not a psychologist so I can't answer that, though I think there's a poll over there where people are reporting on their highest/best funded offer. Definitely go look for it. I'm accustomed to seeing funded offers which include full tuition remission as well as a stipend of at least $14K.

Definitely ask about the untenured prof. But, I think people blow that kind of thing up into something bigger than it is. Profs leave schools all the time for various reasons, including those with tenure. My PhD advisor moved to my PhD university as a full prof, stayed there for I think 6 years, then went to another school as a full prof. In each move, he took care of his PhD students, either working with them to complete their degree, bringing them along, or arranging for someone else to be the new advisor. So sure, not getting tenure can cause a serious issue. But even with tenure you can't guarantee a prof won't leave during the 4-7 years of your degree. I would go with the better funding and higher ranked program. If worse comes to worse and the young POI leaves, you can transfer to School B. But that is almost a worst case scenario.

There are already a bunch of threads about this in discipline-specific forums (Political Science and Literature come to mind) and also over in "The Bank". Check those.

I've always been able to postpone due to school. You probably need to talk to an actual person to get information on how to do so.

Instead of a BSW, why not get a MSW?

bsharpe, you act as though the world is equal when it is not. I personally would want an admissions committee to consider that, while I may not have been a RA in 2-3 labs, I did take advantage of the limited research opportunities available to me at my institution. Thus, as a result, my CV may not be the equivalent of someone else's but that also isn't entirely my fault. I can't force my institutions to offer more research opportunities to undergraduates. I can't make someone give a student money for an otherwise unpaid RA or internship. But, those things result in people having different CVs for reasons that can be entirely unrelated to their skills or abilities. If you (and others on this thread) want to live in a world where you believe that everyone has equal opportunities and race, ethnicity, and gender don't matter, then that's fine. But, as I clearly said above, I don't want to live in that world because it has/perpetuates/creates a false sense of equality where there isn't one. Just because you want to be treated the same as a white man doesn't mean that you are or ever will be in the eyes of many people. But, if you do want to be treated that way, take care to leave off all mentions of your race or gender on your applications (this may mean changing your name, dropping certain scholarships/fellowships or activities, etc.) and see what happens. I don't think anyone has to do that because I don't think it solves anything for society if one does.

I would turn that down because you'd be trying to live on $7K/year, so you'd be reliant on either savings or loans or a combination of those two.

goahead, you can ask but, if everyone gets the same stipend it will be difficult for you to get more, especially since there are limitations on the number of hours international students can work.

This is an incredibly personal decision. I did the summer program and actually ended up with only a few days off between graduation and when the program started. I don't regret it because I made great friends through the program, learned a lot about what the expectations were of a grad student, and got a chance to get started early on research, which ultimately helped me finish my master's on time.

Difficult to say without knowing if your wife will be working and what her income is. You should also consider what it will cost to ensure your wife and kids on your health insurance plan or if that's entirely covered by the health benefits you're being offered.

ucdude, I'm not in your field so I don't know how pubs work. But you want to make sure that grad students are getting the chance to be lead author throughout their time there so you can come out with some first author pubs. You also want to make sure you're not always relegated to the middle/end of the author list. Summer funding really depends. Sometimes the PI funds you, if they have a grant. But, if they don't, you may have to TA over the summer to get a paycheck, assuming TA opportunities are even available. That's why this is something you should find out about. (And, while you're at it, find out if grad students who do research over the summer are paid as full-time employees or if they only get paid for 20 hrs/wk during the summer.)

I would add factors like the travel distance to your home and the cost of getting there. Summer funding. Conference travel money. Average # of publications per graduating student. How often profs co-author with students. Success at obtaining research funding (both the PIs and of helping their grad students get NSF or other major grants). More qualitatively, I would add things like the demographics of the university and the area, whether the hobbies I enjoy can be pursued there, and the outdoor opportunities.

UGA's education programs are very highly ranked. Athens is a fun city even though it doesn't get the publicity Austin does these days. What are your career goals?

aberrant, many places have first-time homebuyer programs which will allow you to have a lower down payment. That and FHA loans are two options you might want to consider if a mortgage would save you significantly over rent. I looked into both when I started my PhD program and regret not pursuing them as I could've sold for more money than I paid in all likelihood. Adelantero, I recommend looking into no-load mutual funds with a good return over the last 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Vanguard and T. Rowe Price are two popular companies.

Can you defer your admission to the lower ranked program? If so, then it might not be as risky to apply again next year since you'll have a backup plan already. Whether or not you should go to the lower ranked school also depends on what your career ambitions are.

You'll be okay. At this point in March, I hadn't even heard from the PhD program I ultimately went to. I didn't have a chance to visit, as I did for other programs, but I was okay with that because I talked to current students via email, phone, and Skype, had previously met the POI, and asked people when on visits about not only their program but also the others I was considering. It worked out. Were there a few things I wished I'd known before deciding? Absolutely but I also knew it would be impossible to make a fully informed decision.

Not even in your field but I also highly doubt LSU geosciences would get cut. That is an incredibly well funded department with strong alumni support (financial and otherwise). If you talk to them, my guess is that everyone there will reassure you that whatever budget cuts do happen, they'll be protected thanks to their industry ties.

Don't call the grad secretary or ask another student. Call the Grad Admissions Office and ask them directly since it's their rule you need to comply with. But, in all seriousness, I delayed my MA graduation from May to August and no one cared because my degree was conferred before the first day of classes for my PhD program. In fact, I don't even think I ever told any of them. I finished my thesis on time and was all set to graduate when the dept chair called me in and offered me a summer TA position, which I took so I could use the money to pay for the move to my PhD program.

Part of the reason you probably can't get a straight answer is that everyone's tax situation is different since things like number of dependents, whether you're married, mortgage or student loan interest deductions, etc. affect one's tax liability. Those are individual so it can be difficult to answer without knowing the specific details of your filing. In addition, if you're a non-resident your first year in CO, you will likely owe some state income taxes on the T32 grant in whichever state you currently reside, though this can vary depending on how much you have made in your current state. Like I said, it's very individual. Focus on whether or not the current grad students in a similar family situation (so without children if you don't have children) find the stipend sufficient to live frugally but comfortably or if they are relying on their parents, partners, or loans to get by.

To me, no, that doesn't make it more viable. You'd still need loans/saving to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of your tuition, plus there's also the living expenses to pay for. It just seems like a lot of debt to take on for a one year degree that may or may not make you a stronger candidate in the long run.

fluxussuxus, I think it's totally okay to tell a school that they're your first choice. As far as who to communicate with, I would not communicate with the financial aid office since at the graduate level all they offer is loans. I would instead communicate with the Grad Program Administrator/Admin Assistant and the DGS if the funding would be coming from the department. If it would be coming from a specific grant, then you may want to communicate with your POI.

As long as you've graduated before you start, you should be fine.