GeoDUDE!

Most places the adcom does not look at every applicant, only ones recommend by Faculty. That being said, there are some programs that fund all first year students through department funds (like fellowship) and try and get the best applicants regardless of interest. I think there is some of that at every program (focusing on building a balanced incoming class in terms of interests) but most programs have a large focus on who has money to accept what student. Its an interesting way to look at things.

I think during the summer is fine (july, august) because that is when professors are least busy in my opinion.

Are they paying for your visitation? If they are, I would think it is more important to go. If they aren't funding you I would be surprised if they used it as a large component of their admissions decisions. All the campus visits I did were paid for, and I had already been accepted, which is the way I think most geoscience programs do it. edit: also everyone remember to update their profiles in this thread for future readers.

Funding might not have come through, or, hasn't been decided yet. There are many reasons why it could have been a TA over a RA. But he will know!

The explanation of your situation is a bit unclear, so I'll give it my best shot. My guess is you have misinterpreted your situation. Your teaching supervisor and research advisor can be different people. A RA is a different paid position than your dissertation work or a TAship. A RA might very well have you work on different research than your dissertation, though, in most cases that work overlaps because it makes the most sense for the student and the advisor. I think its more common to TA for a class your advisor isn't teaching than is teaching, at least in my department. In fact I'm doing that now! Also, they might just have a generic advisor for all the first year students. In my program, even though we have a major research advisor, we all have to have various meetings with the graduate program director ( a professor). 1) you should establish who is going to be your dissertation advisor if you do accept. 2) you should establish how many years of guaranteed funding (RA or TA) you have. 3) you should talk to your dissertation advisor about RA funding, in general 4) you should ask what types of classes you will be expected to teach, and what kind of training they provide. Of course, it could just be really weird and then I have no idea whats going on hahaha. I would contact the person you want to be your dissertation advisor regardless just to see whats up with the offer.

I'd be willing to bet the Kavli prize winning scientist's graduate school application was much different than yours. For the very strongest of applicants, its schools fighting over the applicant and not the applicant trying his best to get into schools. That scientist probably has no idea what it means to be a fringe candidate, or in your case, not really a candidate at all.

You might want to tone down the "bunch of women". I think there is some truth in what you are saying about this thread, but I am not sure this is a productive way of communicating that.

I think there is a lot of really sloppy logic in this thread. I find some of the responses offensive in their vitriol, especially considering what both my mother and aunt had to go through. The enemy of knowledge and critical thinking is the assumption of knowing in itself; when you think you know you stop thinking. A postmodern conundrum. To be clear, wanting to be around people you find attractive no way means that you disqualify other attributes. The large assumption you all made is that just because in my situation I chose the cute TA in my case, because she was cute, does not mean I completely disqualify other attributes to build my preferences. Which is the more reasonable assumption, that because the cute TA is hired by the university I think she is qualified for her job as a base or that an educated man would choose to ask questions of someone who is completely unqualified on the basis of their looks? You all forget that both have the same job, so both should be equally qualified to do their job. ALL other observations are subjective. As a male, who has TAed for 3 years, I've been uncomfortable for many reasons. Whenever I am uncomfortable because a student is out of line, I let them know. I know there are societal pressures on women that there aren't on men, but lets be clear: I've had few cases were a student has shut the door on my office and has made completely inappropriate comments to me. It happens to everyone. There is an implication from the responses to my question: that just because someone is uncomfortable it means that person causing it should stop. There would be solid ground for that implication if even a polarity of women TAs felt that every time they got male students asking them questions, it was because of their looks. But how can we know this? And how do we not know that some women don't mind, or a majority of women don't mind? How do we know that every woman thinks of it this way? If a student goes up to a female TA and says "oh your the cute TA, so i'll ask you questions", that is unquestionably sexual harassment. Preferences are not this case. Being unprofessional and having preferences are two different things. And my thoughts are my own. She might make assumptions about my reasons, but I have no control over that in reality. I have no idea what assumptions she's making unless she voices them. Some people are more insecure about things than others. I get that. I just don't see the logic against what most people already do anyway, even if they aren't willing to be honest.

Funding rates are super low from NSF, much lower than getting into graduate school. It's not surprising. Its one of the reason why some of the earth science labs that have graduate programs are so difficult to get into: they are almost all based on research funds and endowment and have no TAs since they don't teach undergraduate classes !

A lot of profs want graduate students, encourage them to apply, and hope that they sort out funding by the time they can accept them. Much of the time they cannot sort out the funding, as NSF grants and admissions are not on the same timelines.

If you aren't accepted, its a mixture of both (more them wooing you). They just want to make sure that the people they send formal offers out to accept as well. And for good reason. I'll have to bite my tongue about which place I think you'll like best because I'm biased, but congratz, it looks like you are going to have a few really good departments to pick from !

If they are paying for your travel and stay, then you probably have a very good chance. I don't really know why they would have a visiting students day for candidates that aren't high on their list regardless. Just, like has been said before, be yourself and don't worry about "studying" everything or trying to sound smart ect. My guess is that its mostly likely not "interviews" but more of trying to put actual bodies to applications they are interested in. Having someone come into the department for 4-6 years could have a big impact on culture.

Yeah, I got one on a Saturday last year.

I would also take the full funded offer, but if its a phd, and say the first 2 years or so are funded, you might trust in your ability to win a grant... but I wouldn't take that risk and have no debt. I turned down 5 years of no TAing to TA my first year at another department with the faith that we would win a grant in my first or second year that would knock me off TAing (though the TAship was guaranteed for 5 years). Some people might bet on their skills though, so it all depends on when you have to take out the loans.

TAs arent funded by professors, so there is still a possiblity of you getting a TAship. I'm doing a TAship my first year and we have submitted grants to fund the rest of my PhD. It's actually really hard for new students coming and grants to line up, so its more common than you think.

Thats really strange.... I've never heard of that happening at any place for a PhD.

You will still do research in industry if you want to use your PhD. You just won't be in academia. Industry does more R&D than academia in the US.

I don't think offers have gone out yet, but there aren't many TAs available since we have had high yields the past 2 years. It really depends on who you are applying to work with I think. I know we have had some individual students visit, but we haven't had an accepted students day.

I don't think stereotypes and situation I described is the same. And to be clear just because you find someone attractive does not mean you 1) flirt with them or 2) try and make them feel uncomfortable in anyway. It just means your attracted to them (cute) and thats part of life. Maybe I'm the only one who likes to be around people I find attractive, when given a choice, and I've just learned a valuable lesson. Its better that I learned it here then in a place that has real consequences.

worth it. You want to meet the grad students(in and outside your lab), who you will interact with much more than your advisor (unless hes SUPERRRR hands on)

I dont know the situation, but If the TA was cute (and yes, being a women is required to be cute in this case) I would rather speak to her than the dude. But I'm guessing that kinda gender bias is more acceptable?

I wish my departments had a course like that! I still can't identify rocks/minerals/ect except for the very obvious ones. Mineralogy and Petrology, outside of subduction zones, are a mystery to me.

I think I got my news from URI in march last year.

fwiw at my department its very common for the bio/geologists, geochecmists, and geophysicists to have come from biology, chemistry, and physics respectively haven taken 0 geology classes. We are currently in the top 20 on USNEWS (if that matters)

Hey guys, current UC Davis student here. The good/ cheap places open up and get taken very fast so you have to look diligently. I just signed a two bedroom for 810 each ~ .5 miles from downtown. Really downtown isn't that noisy, its not like downtown in other places. The current place i'm living is 650 a month, and is a 4 bedroom, and thats ~1.5 miles from south campus (where my building is) by the trader joes on sycamore. Really, prices are pretty homogenous, but the further away from markets ect the cheaper it will be. I suggest South Davis as the cheapest place that isn't ghetto (i guess no where is really that ghetto, but east davis is kinda meh). Anyway, lemme know if you guys have any questions. I live comfortably on 18000 (after taxes), but thats only 9 months, and I have summer funding at the same rate. I'd say 15k on 9 months is doable, but you wont be saving much. Its also important to note that I don't have a car, I bike everywhere. Renting a car from enterprise is really cheap on the weekends (10 dollars a day with a 100 mile limit). I suggest not owning a car unless you absolutely have to have one.