rising_star

See, I don't know how awful the things you describe are, sqfasi. I say this because a lot of the things you describe (not giving detailed feedback on writing, missing a rec letter) are things that my PhD advisor did. It's just his way and I knew that going in. The stuff about the grad seminar is more concerning to me, though. Given that, I think you should talk to your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) about what happens if you want to change advisors. There may be certain procedures within your department that you need to apply by. You should definitely talk to the other professors about the possibility of having them as an advisor before you approach your current advisor. You don't want to quit one advisor without having another!

queennight has given you excellent advice! If you have two strong letters, then it's okay if your third one isn't an amazing one. All you really need is a rec letter from someone in your MA program that knew you. Perhaps you took a class of theirs or were their TA or something like that. One generic/average letter is not going to doom your application, especially if the other two are strong endorsements of you and your work.

I mean, this really depends on your field and your programs. My PhD department is relatively notorious among grad applicants for not giving out any decisions (admit, waitlist, reject) until the last week of February or the first week of March. For that program, not hearing anything by mid-February is basically meaningless since the adcom doesn't even meet for the first time until around then. But, for my MA department, if you hadn't heard by mid-February, it meant you were on the B list and weren't getting a first-round admission. Given these two experiences of mine, I find it hard to say when you should "cut your losses", Sorry, ucdude.

It just means that the prof wants you to get a feel for how classes work in the program. It doesn't mean you're admitted, if that's what you're asking. It gives you and them another chance to assess if the program is the right fit for you. Go to the class prepared (ask for and do whatever reading they might require), participate but don't dominate, and be yourself. Good luck!

You know what? I say screw convention for a second and go with what makes you feel most confident. Why? You'll do best if your clothes are not making you feel uncomfortable or out of place. So, go with what you feel comfortable in, which for you is the suit. I personally would never wear jeans on any sort of interview weekend. Maybe you could do khakis or slacks?

If you're going there for an interview in person, you'll get a chance to meet some current grad students. You'll also probably get a chance to ask them questions without the faculty around. Since you'll be meeting them, you'll definitely get the chance to ask them if they would mind if you emailed more questions later. Most of them will probably say that it's no problem at all.

Check the major funding databases: UCLA's GRAPES and the grad funding websites of Duke, Cornell, and UIUC. Those will allow you to search for awards based on your year in the program and area of study.

If you don't know what professor you want to work with, don't even bother. A move from one PhD program to another needs to be driven by your research interests, not by the desire for a different name on your degree.

What TakeruK said. The other major red flag would be an inability to answer basic questions about your research (e.g., your discussions leave them with the impression that someone else came up with your research project).

Crucial BBQ, that's not how I understood the PI's email to me at all. To me, it seems like the PI might be considering a small number of people but can't bring them all in for interviews or is being told by the adcom that they only get to admit 1-2 people out of that group. In that scenario (which happens plenty of times), the PI may be trying to get more info from that group of applicants so they can see who is interested and likely to enroll. It would suck for the PI to be forced to decide on 1-2 people out of that group, only to have them both say "You're my sixth choice. I'm not coming," you know? OP, be honest but not too honest. Say that you're interested, that it's a good research fit, etc. Don't lie but also don't say it's your top choice if it's not. Like TakeruK, I was always honest about where else I had applied (on applications, in conversations, etc.).

Most programs don't expect you to be available until early August, at the earliest. The exception would be if you're someone's research assistant and they want you to start sooner. I say pursue the job opportunity!

Do you mean they aren't letting you know that you're in or that they aren't letting you know about funding?

Jane Jacobs wrote a paper in... 1990 (I think) that's a classic overview of gentrification. There's a ton of books and articles about gentrification, but you'll probably want to identify some that are particularly relevant for your case study.

This thread might help:

It depends greatly on the program. Lower ranked programs may admit more than that, knowing that their top students will have other offers and may not choose them. It's probably partially based on what has happened in previous cycles, which you can't necessarily know. I know my PhD program had a matriculation rate way higher than 50%.

If you're an international student, how would you drop by? Rather than doing that, I would suggest sending another email asking new questions, reiterating your interest, and asking if they're available to Skype or talk to you on the phone?

You might also look at all the typical job sites, as sometimes postdocs are posted there. I know a lot of postdocs are posted on Higheredjobs.com, for example. I'd imagine key listserves in your discipline will also feature job postings.

People read these things so quickly that most are unlikely to notice. For example, right now I am correctly little typos (similar to yours) in a syllabus for this semester. I used this syllabus last semester, copying a lot of the language (and the typos) from someone else back then. So, even with lots of eyes and months of looking at it, there are mistakes. Life goes on. If that's what keeps you out of a program, you probably didn't want to go there anyway.

There was a good post about one's "digital identity" on the Chronicle's Vitae site (which you should all be checking since that's where jobs are posted and it's never too soon to look at jobs): https://chroniclevitae.com/news/854-how-to-maintain-your-digital-identity-as-an-academic

Definitely do your research! Be prepared to talk about their research and how it might intersect with yours. Remember that you'll have to have a committee, not just an advisor, so you'll need 2-4 additional faculty members involved. Plus, you'll probably have to take classes (if this is in the USA) with someone other than your advisor. So, it pays to make a good impression with those people. FWIW, it's customary, especially if flying an admitted student in for a visit, for that person to meet with multiple faculty members in 1-on-1 meetings. This helps you get to know the faculty and lets them get to know you. I would think it odd if you were there for a couple of days and only met with your advisor.

Well, you could ask them if there are openings in their lab for next year.

Yes, they would be of use. Any research experience that is similar (in methodology or techniques) to what you want to do will help you.

It probably won't do much, other than cost you a bunch of money. I would wait to visit until you have acceptances.

It's too late for this round but, for anyone applying next year, this might help. CIC allows you to request fee waivers for grad applications: http://www.cic.net/students/freeapp/introduction. Schools on their list include UChicago, Northwestern, UIUC, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers. (They're heavy on B1G representation.)

Depends. Do you want the adcom to know about your mental health? Is your ADD under control now or is it likely to cause an issue in the future? If you bring it up, you may have adcom members wondering if it will happen again...