newage2012

Because there is virtually no competition in the standardized test industry. ETS is monopoly.

Well at least I don't have to worry if that is true. Last fall i got a bunch of C's and NC's (No-Credit, like a fail but doesn't hurt your GPA) because of family issue and economic crisis that prevent me to switch jobs, and I am forced to work more for no OT pay.

If the loan has credited / disbursed into your account within the last 30 days, your school can cancel it and return it. Just contact your school's financial aid office on how to do this. If the loan is disbursed for more than 30 days but within the last 120 days, you need to contact the Direct Loan service center on how to do this. For both cases above, you are NOT responsible for interest and origination fees. If it is more than 120 days, you are out of luck and you have to keep the money and responsible for interest and origination fees. If this is the case, I suggest use the money to open an Traditional Individual Retirement Arrangement (Traditional IRA) account at your bank (if they offer this) or most stock brokers. This will give you a huge tax savings. You can contribute up to $5000 annually to the IRA. Or better yet, use the loan proceeds to pay off your current credit card debt first.

Most schools do not provide TA/RA funding for master's students, you either have to look for job on campus like I did (not student employment but staff position), or come up with sufficient amount of loans. (I come from a EE background too). If I were you I will take the GA and continue to feed my family. At least in my opinion, Just because "friends will be moving away " is not an acceptable reason for throwing away a sure offer, especially in this kind of economic situation. At least you buy yourself a couple years of time before going out to the real world, which sure be better by then. You may also see some path opened by then, like getting a PhD. You can still know more people if you willing to use non-traditional methods, i.e. social networking sites. You can keep contact with old friends too. There is an old Chinese saying, rolling stones don't gather mosses. A moving person won't gather greens ($$$), especially straight out from undergrad.

That's $66 million for the first year. Pocket change for the agency that has just got a $5 billion budget for FY 2010. Last year they are saying 900 - 1600 awards. This time they did NOT give a range, they give ONE number, something is boiling up. The award payments starts late next year. The stimulus $$$ will have been long entered the system.

It is virtually non-existent if you already admitted to another program in the same university, and use a petition or internal transfer to switch to the program you want later. For me it takes 5 DAYS to get admitted to a new program through an internal transfer process. The new program needs a 3.5 on all grad-level courses taken, I only have 3.11 when the application is made.

https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/grfp/Login.do

Isn't that foreign educated students suppose to have lower verbal scores? I don't see how does it raise eyebrows.

Mmm that is sky-high for me. I have 360V/650Q/4.5AW and that was two and a half years ago, with 2 cans of Red Bull fully loaded before the test. Lucky the student recreation unit need IT people, so I start work for them even before I got my bachelors. Once I got my BS in EE they switch me into a 2/3 full time staff position, and that comes with a part-time tuition waiver. I am planning to retake the GRE again in November for the NSF GRFP thingy. This time I should have enough firepower to break the 400 mark on verbal :twisted:

wow 850 composite that is rock bottom. If you have a high GPA and some undergraduate research expereince, or if you already have a Master's in a related field, then GRE shouldn't matter much. I keep having trouble breaking the 400 mark on verbal, but that was two and half years ago. I already got admitted to one PhD program for spring 2010 (as an internal transfer from the MS program), but I am going to apply to another two / three top programs for Fall 2010.

The site just got updated: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09603/nsf09603.htm Estimated 1,654 new awards will be offered pending availability of funds.

Besides RA or TA, which in most institutions are only available for PhD students, there are also general "administrative" assistants and part-time staff positions on-campus which has tuition benefits as well. In these cases, you will be doing 20 hours (or less) per week doing stuff that are NOT related to your research, like IT stuff, student event planning etc. In the case of a part-time staff position, health insurance is usually covered, along with 401(k) matches.

7h1$ 1$ 4n 1n

This is my summer routine pretty much every day. 0600 : Wake up 0600 - 0730: Breakfast - potty etc. 0730: Drive to train station. Arrive in 10 minutes 0746: Train comes. Arrive Downtown Chicago at 0835. 0900: Arrive on UIC campus. 0930: Workday starts. Server Maintenance. Log checking. Take calls from users. Repair computers. 1230: Lunch 1300: Class starts, goes all the way until 1630. 1640: Back in office until 1745. (Or sometimes to the gym) 1745: Walk to train station. 1810: Train leaves. Arrive on the other side by 1915. 1930: Back Home for dinner. 2000: shower 2030: Homework, if any 2200: Daily Counter-Strike: Source / Team Fortress 2 session 2330: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If we talk only about loans, then the order of preference is: Perkins > Subsidized Stafford > Unsub Stafford >> Grad PLUS >>>>>> Private Student Loan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bank Personal Loans>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Credit Cards

That why I said "It all depends". In my case my family lives in Chicago. So here is how that cost breaks in: If on campus: $800 / month with utilities (conservative estimate) $250 / month with food (that is with tons of ramen) TOTAL $1050 Now in my case: 180 minutes total time per day to reach campus from home and going back (car + train + bus) 22 working day in a month $150 / month for the train ticket $30 / month for gas required to drive from home to train station (3 miles one way) $20 / month for train station parking $0 rent $0 utilities $0 food TOTAL $200 Saved $800 a month, spending 66 hours a month on commute = $12.12 / hour of savings , and that is after tax savings. If you are CS major or something that uses computer a lot, you can buy a netbook and do stuff on the train. That will cut your work shorter. Obviously if your parents does not live near a big city that the above does not apply.

If you are considering graduate school, doing research will certainly count more heavily than internships and co-ops. Even though you won't get paid doing undergrad research, but it will certainly pays off in the long run in terms of networking and experience.

The program announcement won't come until August.

It all depends. With the current economy, I think it is a better choice to stick with your parents if you can.

Usually you stand a much better chance by completing the master's first, preferably with thesis option over than the project option. I am currently in getting a M.S. in ECE at UIC (graduating Fall 2009), and I applied to the PhD in CS for Spring 2010 Semester. My application was accepted within 5 days. But again your mileage may vary.

Usually in most cases, it is easier to get in to a PhD program if you have a bachelor's from the same place, because the professors already know who you are. In my case, the program I applied requires a 3.5 undergrad GPA, V+Q:1200/A:5 on the GRE, and 3 letters of recommendation. When I applied I got admission response in a week, and I met NONE of the requirements. This might be because I am working for the university already (as a part-time sysadmin, not in the same department), and finishing up a M.S. in EE. But either way the response was quick.

Use the time to catch up your Zzzzzz

I am living in a suburb near Chicago, and I am taking Metra every morning and I am using Zone F monthly tix (for those who live near you should know what I am talking about). It takes somewhere between 55-70 minutes one way plus another 10 minutes of driving.

Perkins does not have originations charge. Stafford has a 3% fee when you take out the loan. And Perkins have a 9-month grace period, and have special provisions/cancellation benefits. Thorugh, if you have high interest debt (i.e. Credit Card), take out every single penny that you are being offered and pay it off. Furthermore, you should consider open an IRA (Individual Retirement Arrangement) account, which gives you some generous tax-breaks and immune from any legal liability (i.e. bankruptcy, wage garnishments, child support delinquency etc.). Use your loan proceed to fund your IRA account. But