rising_star

I don't think it's crazy, probably because I did this. The school I absolutely love has a fabulous post-doc program that often leads to TT positions on that campus and I would love to live there. Seriously, love it. That was a factor in my decision not to go there, even though they offered me more money. (The other factor? A bigger name advisor at my current program, whose name and advice will likely enable me to secure that postdoc or another.)

I would write the questions in a notebook or portfolio and then leave space underneath each for the answers.

Purple Rain

I would plan the trip for as late as you possibly can. Like late March or early April. That will give you time to wait to here from other schools.

Yea, I didn't consider it. My advisor is gong on sabbatical next year and it's really not a big deal. But, it didn't factor into my decision to come here at all, in part because my advisor is getting his first sabbatical in his 10+ year university teaching career. Typically, you get a sabbatical either right before or right after getting tenure.

In my experience, departments that nominate you for a university-wide fellowship are already willing to admit you with financial support, which they often offer as a placeholder until the results of the fellowship competition are known. And, it may not always be that much later. I heard from several schools about university-wide fellowships in early March. It's not just grants they are waiting to hear about. They're also waiting to hear how much the university plans to award them in teaching funds. Often, that isn't set until the upcoming year's budget is finalized and budgets don't typically coincide with the academic calendar (many run July 1 to June 30). And, given the current fiscal situation, universities are frequently revising their budgets to deal with decreased funds given to them by the state, lower endowments, and increased financial aid for students. If my current department waited until they knew how many RA and TA positions they would have available to extend offers, we wouldn't accept anyone until the first week of August, and they'd start their jobs about a week later. And, to be perfectly honest, we do admit people without funding for precisely this reason. Frequently, the university gives our department more tuition dollars than they originally said so that TAs can be hired to lead sections for gen ed courses. As a result, we end up extending funding to people that have already decided to come in the first week of August. So, while I see your point jeanne, I think it's important to keep in mind all the things that are in flux in a university aside from graduate admissions.

Pretty sure they can't formally do this due to FERPA. However, profs talk to their friends at other universities, esp if one of those profs wrote a recommendation letter for you.

Craig's List, any student listservs, and driving around are all good ways to find a place to live. Look for a duplex or something like that probably. For a pub, go to Proof on W Tennessee St. It's sandwiched between Ruby Tuesday and Starbucks, and has an attached liquor store (Liquor Loft). The beer list there is absolutely phenomenal.

You just made me wonder what the environmental impact of graduate applications is. Does applying to grad school temporarily increase one's ecological footprint due to the increased use of mail and electronic devices (ie, incessantly checking this site on your computer and obsessively reloading one's inbox), the extra food consumed, and the fuel used to go to the post office?

My department has a formal exchange with another department, so students can take classes or do research there. Usually people go during the coursework stage. It's pretty simple: either you email their Dept Chair or someone emails ours. It's a 1:1 swap, so you are able to get a TA position there (someone takes yours here, you take theirs there). Otherwise, a lot of us do research internationally and thus affiliate ourselves with local institutions when we're in the field.

Here's what I think: No, departments probably don't get knocked out of the running just because they had someone turn down a university-wide fellowship the year before. More likely, departments are told they can only nominate 2-3 students and they choose the best applicants in the pile or the ones that most want to enroll. As far as I know, there are no waitlists for university-wide funding. The awards go out and that's it, whether those offered them turn them down or not.

It already has one here: There's also if both members of a couple are applying...

The Archaeological Institute of America offers up to seven $1,000 Waldbaum Field School Scholarships for summer 2010 to help pay expenses associated with participation on an archaeological excavation or survey project (minimum stay: 1 month). The scholarship is open to junior and senior undergraduate students and first-year graduate students who are currently enrolled at a college or university in the U.S. or Canada. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have not previously participated in an archaeological excavation. DEADLINE: March 15, 2010 http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10400

Actually, I bet there are a lot of people like coya, but they just don't know it yet. I didn't know how much cold weather, short days, and overcast skies made me miserable until I spent four years of undergrad with that weather. And, after doing it, I knew that I would be miserable doing a 5 year PhD program in a place with that kind of weather. So, I specifically chose to apply south of the Mason-Dixon line. And, I should add that the weather related decision meant I didn't apply to top programs. And, even then, I'm at a lower-ranked program of the ones I got into because it's a better fit for me, I have an amazing advisor, and I've been really successful since getting here.

It's all about coming up with a routine and sticking to it. For me, that meant signing up for a fitness class that I enjoy (capoeira) that meets twice a week for two hours. I also try to go one additional time per week but usually don't make it because it's on a drop-in basis so I haven't lost the money yet if I don't go. I find exercise to be more sustainable than something like Weight Watchers...

I agree with the suggestion of getting your letter writer to contact the grad admissions office and see if she can resubmit the letter with a corrected name. Otherwise, I would try not to stress out too much over it. My first name is commonly misspelled by pretty much everyone that isn't a family member... It's probably been misspelled in recommendations or other application materials but I've been lucky enough to have never read them (unlike some people I do NOT want to know and, even when I had the chance [my advisor forwarded me the email with his password in it to say that he'd written the letter], I still didn't look at it). Good luck!

Don't panic!! It is still really early to hear from schools. Plus, if you get another offer, you may be able to negotiate your way to something better. To answer your question, yes, you would probably be digging yourself a hole. Think about how it would affect your relationship if you didn't get funding, had to take out loans for tuition/fees, and rely on your boyfriend for rent and food. I imagine the stress of that alone is probably not worth it.

It is super common. Current grad students stayed with grad students when they visited. Wherever you attend, you'll be asked (and expected) to host prospective graduate students. So no, it's not weird at all. Just be polite.

@comp_math, why don't you think this is a proper offer? @jblevins09, what I would ask is what happens with the out-of-state portion of tuition or fees or whatever? And, I'd ask if there are RA opportunities so you can earn more money than what the readerships pay.

It's hard to say without knowing what the disciplines are. It could just be a bias of the instructors that you have, rather than of the discipline as a whole.

My advisor had 11 students when I and another student started to work with him... The number alone is not a death sentence to your application.

Loan info is separate from TA/RA stuff since it comes from the Office of Financial Aid, not the department to which you applied.

Look on the bright side. With the universities closed, professors don't have to teach, which means more time to read applicant files, which could mean an earlier adcom meeting.

Have you thought about moving expenses assuming you get into a program? You'll need first month's rent and security deposit, plus deposits for electric and other utilities to get them turned on. Then there's either moving your stuff or buying new stuff, transporting your car if you have one, moving your books, etc. Both times I moved it cost me more than I thought, particularly when I moved across the country. And, depending on the program, you may move in August and not get paid until sometime in September (ouch!). So definitely keep that in mind when deciding what to do with your savings. I agree with the suggestion to pay off a chunk of the debt and to keep the rest in savings. Since you're in the position of being able to have money for those emergencies, rather than having to try to borrow it either from a credit card company or from friends/family (and that's making the huge assumption that any of them are even in a position where they could help), I think it's a good idea to keep a few dollars set aside. Some would consider this foolish because you're planning for any number of things that may or may not happen. But the thing is, costly things crop up all the time. I think preparing for them, when possible, is a good idea. So, I guess what I'm saying is I'd keep ~$2000 in savings and use the rest to pay off debt. Then, I'd use websites online to find the lowest interest rate credit card (under 10%) you can that has no annual fee and try to get a limit of about $5000 so that you could use it for any emergencies that arise that would cause you to run out of savings. In a nutshell, I agree with everything artschoolhopeful said.

I agree with the suggestion to pay off a chunk of the debt and to keep the rest in savings. Why? You can never predict when you'll slip, fall, break a few bones in your wrist, and need a MRI that costs $450 after insurance, just for example. Or needing a root canal, not having dental insurance, and learning that it's going to cost you about $1500 out of pocket. Or your car might need four new tires = $500 or a new transmission = $1000. These things happen and can be backbreaking if you don't have any savings. Also, OP, do you have any pets? If so, I would definitely try to keep at least $1000 set aside for any medical emergencies that arise. So, I guess what I'm saying is I'd keep ~$2000 in savings and use the rest to pay off debt. Then, I'd use websites online to find the lowest interest rate credit card (under 10%) you can that has no annual fee and try to get a limit of about $5000 so that you could use it for any emergencies that arise. liszt85, while it's admirable that you've been able to save so much, there are many considerations. For example, some programs pay over 9 months, so you have to set aside money each paycheck in order to pay for your summer living expenses. Cost of living varies from one place to the next, which you can factor in somewhat when making your decision about where to attend. Furthermore, a lot of people out there, whether in the social sciences or the humanities, would be entirely envious of making $18K/year before taxes. There's not a single non-science department on my campus that pays that much, and it sounds like rent here is more than rent where you are. But really, I don't want to get into another debate about money with you; last year was enough. In a nutshell, I agree with everything artschoolhopeful said.