rising_star

I know this is traditional wisdom around here but, I've been giving this a lot of thought lately. There are states where it's basically impossible for a full-time student to become an in-state resident for tuition purposes, regardless of how long they're in the PhD program. In Arizona, for example, to establish state residency for tuition purposes you have to either marry someone who already has that status or spend 12 consecutive in the state without being a full-time student. (See here.) Since that is basically impossible for even US graduate students moving from Arizona to another state, I'm not sure getting funding as an international student would be that much harder than getting it as someone coming from outside the state. Does that make sense?

I think the dessert and board games night is a great idea. I would substitute that for a bar crawl because it's far more inclusive, especially if you offer a range of desserts (so from fresh fruit to cake to gluten-free, etc.). I feel like I might not have had the guts as a prospective student (one who was not yet accepted) to decline an invitation, especially since not going to something can make it harder for people to get to know you (as you rightly point out).

Are you sure it's not though? I got frustrated at various times during my coursework but, often it was helpful for getting me to think about things from another perspective or consider alternatives. When it came time for my fieldwork, I ended up having to rework almost my entire project about two weeks into data collection so those skills did come in handy for me.

You would definitely be jumping the gun. A lot of PIs won't even know what their funding situation will look like a few years from now. For now, I'd stop looking at your grad program list altogether because it's a distraction. You already know that you're going to need to have the highest GPA you can manage plus excellent quantitative GRE scores to be competitive. So, you could start studying for the GRE if you really want to get going on the grad school prep. I highly recommend that you focus on trying to get relevant research experience by working in a lab or in the field. I don't know what botany job boards are out there but surely there are some you could use to find potential employment. For conservation jobs, check out the TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Job Board, as well as the Society of Conservation Biology's board.

From the applications FAQ that @fuzzylogician so helpfully wrote: "The application asks what other schools I'm applying to. Why? What should I say? Should I leave it blank? This information is used by schools to gauge who their competitors are. I have never heard of it being used in any nefarious way. If you are concerned about this and it's optional, just leave the question blank. Otherwise, I would suggest picking 3-4 schools that are similar to the one you're currently applying to in terms to the research interests and methodologies it can support, and are generally similarly ranked in your subfield." For more, see here.

Given this, why are you trying to slide in your GRE scores? It's pretty clear that this program doesn't want them. Not sending the official score reports but putting the scores on your CV is akin to giving them unsolicited documentation.

I don't know about archaeology but, I'm in the social sciences and did my master's and PhD at two different universities. My MA department also offered PhDs and I did apply for, get accepted to, and offered funding to stay there for my PhD. But, ultimately, for a variety of reasons largely related to the research I wanted to do, I decided to accept a funded offer elsewhere for my PhD. The only regret I have about it is the additional time to degree that was involved.

There's some advice on this recent post you might find helpful. In general, Meetup groups, events organized by the university-wide graduate student organization, young adults networking events, attending community events you're interested in (talks, shows, concerts, open mic nights, etc.), and/or church/religious organizations if that's your thing.

Why would you go for anything other than candid, direct clarity? It doesn't make sense to do that ever. People want to see that you can write and convey your ideas clearly, so there's no reason not to show them that you an in your SOP. You really don't need to be including citations in your SOP. Identifying overlapping interests and articulating how the available resources will help you with your intended project is really what you need to do.

The Adjunct Project over at The Chronicle will give you some idea. Pay range is $1800-6000 per course, highly dependent on location and institution. At most institutions, you can't teach more than 3 courses a semester because then they would have to offer you benefits. Consequently, there are a number of stories about adjuncts on food stamps. Sure, as a single person, you may not have many expenses now. But, can you be sure that you'll never need decent health care or that you won't get sick? Are you okay living with multiple roommates forever to save money? These are things you should consider now, before you take on the debt.

If your goal is to become a professor in a humanities field, then you may struggle to pay off your student loans after completing a PhD. I say this because it is increasingly difficult to find a full-time teaching position in most fields, including the humanities. Many people find themselves working as an adjunct (paid by the class, no benefits) for a year or more before landing a full-time position. But you really need a full-time position (not necessarily tenure-track but something with a multi-year contract) in order to have the financial means to make a dent in your student loans. The only upside might be the government's student loan forgiveness program for those working in public service for 10 years.

It's hard to say if they unseen letter would be better. Does that person know about your ability to succeed as a counselor? Are there specific clinical experiences that they can draw on? If not, then it will probably be a weaker letter than the RN's letter. You already know what's in the RN's letter and you can add in the additional information to make it even stronger. Were it me, that's the option I would go with.

You're definitely not legally bound by that acceptance. And, any reasonable department will understand why you ultimately chose to go somewhere with funding rather than attend their institution. Good luck with your applications!

I would assume she's concerned that she can't say as much about you as a professor might. But, why not ask her why she thinks you should ask someone else? Seems like a better way to get an answer than asking a bunch of strangers on the internet.

I used to teach in one of the summer terms to earn extra money, even though I wasn't taking classes then. So, while you may not be required to be on campus, there may be benefits (financially or otherwise) from being local for at least part of the summer.

Have you checked to see if there are any Meetup groups or university clubs that are interested in outdoors stuff? I actually joined a club that had a mix of undergrad and grad students while a PhD student (martial arts club) and loved it. I still train that martial art. Though it was sometimes weird to be around a bunch of 19 year old macho boys, I never let them ruin my experience. You can definitely find someone out there who shares your interests and wants to explore PNW with you!

Okay, so I was not in your situation, OP, but I was one of the few that got to be the advisee of my department's version of Cool Prof. No one resented me for it or, if they did, they never brought it up around me. I'm friends with people who had CP on their committee and probably could/should have been their advisee given topical overlap. But, you know what? It doesn't matter now because all of us have careers in great places, got the funding we needed to do our dissertations, etc. Plus, as everyone else has said, it's not like you're trapped into your dissertation research for the rest of your academic career. Most of the research I'm doing now has nothing to do with my dissertation and I'm absolutely loving it. You'll be fine, provided you get out of your own way and don't offend the person who is getting CP as their advisor. Chin up! Now, start looking at other professors and move on.

It won't matter for grad school since the only thing you'll be awarded via FAFSA are subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans.

I would think about offering an alternative to the bar crawl for those who don't drink or whose religious beliefs may not allow them to be in that setting. Basically, I'd try to be as inclusive as possible in the planning in terms of thinking about how someone's gender, sexual identity, religion, food allergies, etc. might affect their ability to participate fully in the interview weekend. I'd also make sure that the applicants have some downtime so they can relax and decompress. Especially for introverts it can be hard to be "on" all day long.

I would submit your best work, which sounds like the two papers. When I applied to MA programs, my writing sample was from a different social science than the field I was applying for and no one had any issues with it since it showed my ability to work with primary sources and do an in-depth analysis.

So, I read a scientific study a few weeks ago that used leaked data though they did triangulate those data by combining them with other sources. Here's a link to the study, in case anyone is curious.

Don't email this to your POI, please. If/when you email your POI, it should be to inquire about space and funding available in their lab, not these other things. You can list your job on your CV and the research you did underneath the job title. Use bullets to make it easier for the reader to quickly identify the research-related tasks you completed. They will look at both of your GPAs though they may actually weigh the master's GPA more heavily provided it's from a similar (or the same) field and was completed at a decent institution.

It's impossible to really answer your question without knowing what your field is and what you want to do with your master's after graduating.

Yea, your advisor/chair usually has to still work at the university. However, there can be exceptions. I know of faculty who negotiated to be able to remain advisor/chair for students up to 1 year after officially leaving the university. That said, @ruru107, your first step should be to send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies for your department. In that email, say that you've heard Prof X (your advisor) has departed and are wondering what implications this has for the final approval of your thesis. That's all you need to include, other than an opening greeting and a closing.

Why would you cite the intermediary if you ultimately used the original source?