rising_star

I second the idea of checking with the graduate school. There may be GA positions available in areas like student affairs that you're eligible for.

Given the current state of the world and our discourse, I actually think there's a lot of value in philosophy for the public AND that philosophers do a terrible job of explaining this to people in general. @Phallosopher, while your answer isn't wrong, I don't think it gets at the heart of people's inquiry. Rather than deferring to timing and tangibility, why not give people actual examples of ways in which philosophy is at work in their everyday lives, decision-making processes, etc. Northern Arizona University has developed a program called Philosophy in the Public Interest that gets at what I'm talking about.

@lemondrop825, yes, they exist but many are "cash cow" programs used to support the PhD students. And since most of the master's programs are at PhD-granting institutions, it's unclear in many cases how much attention/experience master's students acquire during their degree program. Either way, it seems like the OP has picked schools based on their name and without considering other factors like research fit, funding, availability of lab space/mentors, coursework, etc.

They aren't going to automatically rank your application lower because you submitted 900, rather than 1000, words.

Do the schools you've listed have faculty doing research that you're interested in or did you pick them because they're the big names? FWIW, master's programs in biology aren't popular or common and typically require applicants to self-fund the expenses. I guess I'm wondering what it is you hope to gain from graduate study and what specific aspects of biology you want to study in depth at the graduate level. Without having clear responses to that, it'll be more difficult to get in anywhere.

The two degrees seem a little different. What's your end goal?

My MA thesis was supposed to be about 75 pages (seriously, my MA advisor told me no more than 75 pages for my first draft) but, with revisions and things other committee members wanted, it ended up closer to 100 pages.

I think most people apply and get admitted without ever visiting. If I had to put a percentage on it, I'd say upwards of 80% of applicants. (Caveat: that doesn't mean they've never met someone from the university they're applying to because there are conferences, colloquia, etc. where one could meet prospective advisors.)

There are no easy answers except yes, there is hope. What you need to do is figure out how to make things work for you. Below are a series of questions to get you started thinking about that. Have you heard about the Slow University (or Slow Professor) movement? (See more here and here, for starters) Have you tried various speed reading techniques to increase your reading speed? Have you considered looking into audiobooks or getting texts you need to read digitized? Have you considered anti-anxiety medicine so you won't be debilitated by anxiety? For writing, have you taken the approach of writing every day or of not revising/editing at all but free writing initially? Good luck! Please keep us posted.

It's unclear to me what year in school you are but... I'll try to address some of your post. 1) If you're waffling between data science, literature, and public policy (or maybe sociology, as you mention that too) then you aren't really ready for grad school yet. What is it that draws you to the study of literature? Could you be just as happy reading French lit on your own, without being in a classroom? What draws you to pursue data science other than the possibility of a well-paying job afterward? Why are you interested in public policy and immigration more specifically? 2A) What's your preparation for graduate study in French? How many French courses have you taken? Have these included broad surveys in French literature as well as more narrow classes focusing on a specific time period or author? (What I'm really getting at here is your skill and comfort reading, writing, speaking, and listening in French.) 2B) What's your preparation for graduate study in data science? Have you taken computer programming/science courses? You mentioned that you did poorly in a math course so it's worth asking yourself why you did poorly in that course. 2C) Same thing as above but for public policy. Have you taken any relevant courses (or even a political science course)? 3) Don't worry about your competition because it's outside of your control. Instead, your focus should be on the things you can control like your research experience, language knowledge, writing sample, etc. But, before all of that, you really need to figure out what you're interested in because it seems like you don't know. I recommend internships, jobs, and more courses so you can figure out what you do and don't want to be doing. 3A) Writing a thesis should help you figure out at least some of your interests. Take the research process seriously and be willing to read things that don't immediately seem relevant but which may prove to be in the future. 4) Money and practical things are nice but, it's up to you to decide if that's the most important thing to you. For some people it is. For others, they want the intellectual fulfillment of studying and doing a particular thing. No one here can tell you which group you fall into but it's worth figuring it out. Hope this helps!

Are you sure about this? Most people start doing research for their dissertation while they're in the classwork phase. In the STEM fields, that includes doing labwork which later becomes part of the dissertation while completing coursework. If you are absolutely sure that you'll be able to count the things you're doing at work toward your dissertation, then it seems much more realistic/doable. (Also, it's worth considering what experiences as a PhD student you will be missing out on if you're a part-time student working far away from everyone else. Will you be missing out on valuable research experience/mentorship because you aren't in a lab on campus? Will you be able to present at conferences? Will you be able to attend department colloquia, get involves in service/leadership in your department or in the grad association, etc.? Will you be able to secure solid recommendations from faculty in the program for future job applications or other opportunities?)

Honestly, why wouldn't you try to get into a fully funded PhD program where you'd get a stipend of $30K+ and be able to keep your loans deferred? Do you really think you can take two courses at a time and do research for your PhD while commuting an hour to work and working full-time? I'm asking because I think you need to be realistic about all of this.

If they say typical, then there are likely some students above that and some below that. Your ROI would be higher if you spent the time crafting an excellent writing sample and statement of purpose, rather than trying to get your GRE score up by one point.

In brief: Pros: getting to explore a new area of interest, gaining experience working with multiple PIs (you'll need 3-5 rec letter writers for academic job applications typically), possibility of engaging in more interdisciplinary work. Cons: new literature to familiarize yourself with, changing supervisors may not go smoothly, overall time to degree could be longer.

Small town rents can be more expensive because of simple supply and demand--there's fewer available options, which means people can charge more for the things that are available. It's definitely not uncommon, though it is annoying.

This forum isn't the appropriate place for your question. If you're having help preparing for an exam, I suggest you meet with the professor (and/or TA if there is one), consult your textbook and other course materials, and form a study group with classmates. Good luck!

You should ask the professor what they prefer for students to do. In general, as an undergrad, it can be difficult to come up with some sort of groundbreaking/innovative project on your own because you just aren't steeped in the literature as deeply. That's common and why it's pretty common for undergrads to be given research projects by a PI. BUT, that doesn't mean you shouldn't familiarize yourself with the literature in general and as preparation for this interview. As for your second question, I'm not sure your sexuality matters since you wouldn't be studying yourself as part of this study. Consequently this isn't something that I'd bring up at all. To better understand why the professor focuses on estrogen not testosterone, you probably need to start reading the relevant academic literature. It could be that other researchers focus on testosterone or that it's not the right thing to study for various reasons. Keep reading and keep asking questions. For interview tips, consult the "Interviews and Visits" subforum on this board. Good luck!

In grad admissions, there really are no "safety" schools. Admissions are dependent on a number of factors, with research interests and the availability of an appropriate advisor being foremost among those. At this point, you don't have enough background in the field to really know where you research interests lie and none of us can say who may or may not be available to serve as your doctoral supervisor three years from now. At this point, you should focus on excelling in your courses, getting to know your professors, and taking advantage of any research opportunities which may arise.

I think Marxist theory/thought is more common in anthropology, cultural/interdisciplinary studies, and geography than it is in either sociology or political science.

Is the MA you're doing a one year or two year program? I'm assuming it's a two year program but just wanted to make sure. To answer your questions: Re #1: It's possible that you could ask but, given that you won't have written any final papers, it'll be difficult for those professors to comment on your research skills and potential, which is what would be most beneficial to your application. (BTW, did you contact any of the schools you didn't get into to ask about ways to improve your application? It could be that your LORs are excellent and not an area where you need to show improvement...) Re #2: Is it ethical? Well, that depends. Are they funding and expecting you to complete a two year MA program that you're planning to leave early? If so, then they may be disappointed by your decision. Ultimately, you need to find faculty who are in your corner and will support you to do what is best for you, which may very well mean leaving a program early. You'll have to suss that out for each person individually. Re #3: The ability to transfer graduate programs is going to be department and institution-specific. Some programs may only let you transfer credits if you received a degree while others will let you transfer in some limited number of courses. My PhD program let me count I think 4 classes from my master's done elsewhere (so 12 credits), which is definitely not the equivalent of a year of coursework. Do you have funding for this MA program that you're doing? Because, if so, I'd encourage you to stay and complete the program. You'll have the chance to gain valuable research experience, present at conferences, and make connections with faculty to help you have a successful round of PhD applications. Good luck!

I don't know that there is a "typical" master's applicant, especially when you don't specify a course of study.

I'd say it also depends on what your interest in American history is (in terms of topic/region and time period). If you're interested in southwestern history, then Spanish is a good choice. If you're more interested in the colonies or New England, then you may want to study French. There's really not enough information here, OP, for us to advise you.

This recent Business Insider gallery of the 12 best cities for public transportation in the US might be helpful to some. The major cities on here (NYC, SF, Boston, DC) aren't a surprise but I was surprised to see Long Beach, CA on here.

Agreed with this. The department and its adcom may not care much about your GRE Q score BUT, when it comes to university-wide fellowships, total GRE scores are taken into account, largely because this is one of the easiest ways to compare applicants from disparate disciplines. Those university-wide fellowships typically provide a higher stipend and/or lighter teaching load (or no teaching at all), which is a huge advantage in the early stages of your PhD. There may also be external fellowships that you'll want to apply for in the future that will ask for GRE scores.

Have you tried having a conversation with your PI about all of the projects where you ask him for specific desired outcomes for each and to rank each project in term's of priority? Having that might give you more clarity about what you're being asked to do, how to spend your time, etc. It might also be a nice way to remind your PI of all the various projects you've been asked to do (because, tbh, it's possible ze doesn't realize they've put so much on your plate). In the course of that conversation, you could also ask which, if any, of these projects could serve as the basis for your master's thesis work. (In terms of finishing, your path will be much easier and more likely to be successful if you can find a way to use one of these projects for your thesis.) During the meeting, develop a clear list that you both can agree to. Then, afterward, you can email your PI with that list as a "reminder" of what you've agreed to. I hope this helps. Good luck!