rising_star

Honestly, this varies from one department and university to the next. My PhD program believed that everyone should be paid the same so they didn't offer extra funding to anyone unless that person came in with external funding. And, as far as I know, the university didn't even have any entrance scholarships available. Other programs aren't like this, obviously, but some are. It could also be the case that they don't view the other program as serious competition, particularly if it comes down to you choosing between a master's program and a PhD program.

Are there really no loans available for the summer? That strikes me as odd.

You can and should ask if there's any chance that you would attend the school if they offered you more money. I'm not a huge fan of sending out the exact offer unless it's requested, especially in your case where you're trying to negotiate between master's and PhD admissions. Before asking, I'd seriously think about the ranking of the programs as well as the cost of living in each location, using these to come up with an acceptable amount (to you) for funding.

If you want to date non-academics, you can and will find someone to date. I dated both academics and non-academics when I was doing my PhD. I can't say that academic vs. non-academic was the hallmark of whether or not those relationships were a success, though you certainly get different reactions at parties depending on what the person you're dating is doing. (That's my somewhat polite way of saying that grad students and faculty can be total snobs if, for example, they find out the person you're dating never finished college.) I would also point out that there are definite differences in types of academics. That is, dating someone doing a MFA in creative writing, studio art, or music might be very different than dating someone who is specializing in organic chemistry, in part because their main work uses different parts of the brain. YMMV though, OP. I think, at least to some degree, you just have to put yourself out there over and over and see what happens. At the same time, being rejected in dating can be a lot when your work life is also full of rejections (that grant you didn't get, that article that got rejected, etc.). If you don't want to take it all on at once, then don't. I definitely went through phases where I was more proactive about dating and phases where I was less concerned with it while in grad school. And, you never know when a chance first date could turn into a more serious relationship so you have to be willing to take a chance!

I stored my things in a storage unit that was convenient to where I had been living and to where I planned to be when I got back. I went with climate-controlled indoor storage with decent security, just so I wouldn't have to worry about damage to any furniture or about theft. I drove my car to my mom's house and left it there, with the assurance that she or my stepdad would drive it every week or so (which they did). I didn't have roommates or anything to worry about. The rental market where I did my PhD was pretty much a year-round market so I lived on a friend's couch for like 5 days when I got back to town before securing a lease and arranging to move my things in. Paid some grad student friends to help me move things plus borrowed a friend's pickup truck. It was actually pretty smooth and easy, all things considered. I moved into a different place when I got back though, ironically, my previous place was available but I just didn't want to live in that particular apartment again (I remembered its flaws too well!). I hope this helps!

First step: Find other replication studies and read them. Second step: Talk to your advisor and fellow students about their experiences with replication studies. Then proceed from there.

To me, the funding amounts are meaningless without taking into consideration cost of living, @cellec. Do you care about the size of the program? If not, leave that out. Do you care about the ranking? If not, leave that out when you're considering things.

Pretty sure Michigan State has some dual programs in anthro and also a social justice concentration. You might check out UCSF as well. Ilan Kelman does work on disaster so maybe see where he is or has been too.

Grad school funding is generally separate. There are also different (higher) loan limits for US federal loans for graduate students.

Were you able to articulate clear research interests in your statement of purpose? Does your intended research focus fit in with the faculty research at that institution? Because looking at this, my guess is that fit was your real issue.

I guess it depends on how many courses people typically take in a semester, how quickly you want to finish, and what your financial situation looks like. Maybe do one to two online courses (in different sessions so you're only doing one at a time) and work full-time?

Are those rankings for the school as a whole or your specific department? IMO, working with someone who does what you want to be doing is more important than going to a higher ranked program, though this will also depend somewhat on your career goals.

Master's programs don't typically provide funding. So, I'm not sure why anyone would pay for a degree if they're unsure about earning the degree and have no idea what they would do with that degree after earning it. You should ask yourself whether you'll even finish the program if you're not interested in it. If the program does not offer funding, then you should be asking yourself why you'd spend $10-40K on tuition without knowing what you'll get out of it. Even if the program does offer funding, you have to consider the lost earning potential (that is, the salary you aren't earning while you're doing the master's program) and whether you'll ultimately be better off having earned the degree.

No one here is going to be able to tell you whether or not they'll let you switch to Skype. You'll need to contact the program directly.

I would wait it out if there's any chance that you'd accept the program you're on the wait list of over the other two programs you've already been admitted to.

If you don't want to go, don't go. It's that simple.

Honestly, I doubt it will help. The availability of funding for you is going to depend on other people declining their funded offers. If you want to have a chance to make a good impression, ask if you can have Skype meetings/conversations with the faculty you're interested in and perhaps grad students as well.

As the owner of two dogs, I wholeheartedly agree with @TakeruK on getting people's permission. It may irritate people because they cannot do the same (can't bring a cat in, can't bring their children in, etc.). Think of it this way: if your colleague had a child and didn't want to pay for after school care, would you be okay with their six year old being in the office/lab with you for 2-3 hours every afternoon, five days a week, for months on end? If so, then it's worth considering that others may feel exactly that way about your dog. For reference, I sometimes bring a dog with me to work, usually either at times of high stress for students (and will then tell students to come by to pet the dog if they need to de-stress) or because the dog is sick (two weeks ago, I had a dog with a serious UTI which meant issues with urinating in the crate because of an inability to control its bladder). I know, from having talked to all of my coworkers, that it's no big deal to them if I have a dog in the office for a few hours. In fact, I get requests from coworkers to bring a dog in more often because they like petting and having a dog around. But, like I said, I've asked and made it clear that the dogs can and will stay at home if there are any issues or problems. Also, it isn't every day (honestly, I'd be annoyed if anyone brought their dog in every day, which is on the list of reasons I don't do it personally) and usually isn't for more than four hours on any given day. To accommodate the dogs' need for exercise, I have a dogwalker come and take them out 2-3 days a week so that I can stay at work and the dogs get the exercise they need. On the other days, I take care of it myself and I've planned my work schedule accordingly. I'm rarely gone for more than 6 hours and live a short (10-12 min walk) trip from the office. As others have said, having a dog has forced me to get exercise, go outside, work shorter hours, etc. I often say that the most important thing for helping me complete my MA thesis on time was fostering a dog that wasn't housebroken and needed a bunch of training. All of my reading, writing, coursework, and paid work were done in such a way that the foster dog could have regular bathroom breaks and training sessions. It worked for my stress and ensured the dog got the attention she needed.

Taking fewer courses and doing well in them as better than taking three courses this semester and doing poorly across the board. Keep in mind that most adcoms will not know what else you've been doing (e.g., working a retail or restaurant job to pay the bills; taking care of sick family; etc.) so if all you can do is two classes, then that's all you can do. Focus on how those courses will improve your application and make you a more qualified candidate for admission to the programs you want to get into.

Similar to fuzzylogician, I left a bunch of money on the table to go to a higher ranked program that was also a better fit for my research interests. There were a few moments when I regretted it (you know, like when all your working friends from college are going on a vacation and you can't because you don't have the money) but overall it was the right decision.

I would also add two more areas of difference: 1) The on-campus employment opportunities available to you. Public universities often have many more teaching opportunities available insofar as there are more departments, more students, and thus more potential TA positions. If you want to go into teaching, that matters. There's also often more opportunities for on-campus employment outside your department in areas like student affairs or residential life at public universities. 2) Town-gown relations. In many (though not all) cases, private universities have much more complicated town-gown relationships due to the "champagne socialists" and elite student dynamics others have already mentioned. I'd just add that these play out in all sorts of ways which may constrain your life/hobbies/pursuits, especially if said university is also in a small town. This can and does exist with public universities too but the relationship is often quite different, as many more people will have familiarity with or have attended the public university in town.

@racecar1, email or call them and ask if there's funding available to assist with your visit. It's really that simple.

This is going to depend largely on your location. Where I did grad school, it would've been fairly easy to bring my dog along to happy hours, brunches, or the office (though not the classroom due to concerns about student allergies) because there were lots of outdoor patios and the area was dog-friendly. Where I live now, there are basically no places I can take my dog for happy hour or brunch. So, a lot will depend on location. Location will also matter for thinking about what you'll do with your dog over breaks, conferences, etc. I fostered dogs in grad school and always had roommates who were willing to pitch in with extra dog care when I had to travel for a conference or to see my family. I do fieldwork for my research so having a dog then would've been complicated (gone for 4-8 weeks at a time) but it's doable. In terms of having a dog in grad school, there are a few relevant previous posts: There are also a bunch of posts on pets in grad school that may be useful.

I'm not really sure why you wouldn't go ahead and at least look up the procedures for applying for a TA position in French or Spanish. It doesn't hurt to fully explore your options. That said, if it ultimately comes down to paying $25K a semester to go to grad school or not going at all, I would choose the latter. You can ask admissions committees if they're willing to share info about why you were rejected once the application cycle is over. Based on what you've said, the lack of linguistics coursework may be hindering your applications. If that's the case, then you could take more linguistics courses at a community college or local university and apply again in a year or so.

Can you be more specific about what you want advice about?