mobilehobo

Wow, I couldn't imagine being able to do that! My program groomed us for GRFP. We do a writing program in the summer where we had to crank out an application, then my departments requires us to take a class where we learn how to write it as well. Then Grad Div. pays anyone who submits a full application $50.

Probably, but they did push up the due dates sooner this year than previous years. We can hope, right?!

Ok, so as a math student, your financial package is different than someone like me in a research focused department. First, you have two years of fellowship (that is called "stipend" on here). You will receive 15,000 each year, paid directly to you, without having to do any work for it. The next column is that 'guaranteed GSR/TA'. So while you will receive 15K each year, you will also work as part time as a TA and get paid ~12K. So you will make 27K total each year. The next column says that they will pay your tuition. Sweet. Going to the next column, they will pay your non-resident tuition (NRT, that's out of state tuition) your first year. After your second year, you will be considered a California resident as long as you follow the steps to residency. So now you have 6K of misc fees. Ouch. $1,000 of that is the misc fees students pay (gym, programming, etc.) The other 5K looks like health insurance. That stinks that they don't cover that your first two years. However, you are making an extra 7K on other grad students so I'm guessing that the extra money actually covers these fees, but for whatever reason they can't list it as such. 20K/year is plenty to live on if you get roommates. Your last three years, you won't have a fellowship. However, you are guaranteed a TA or GSR appointment each year at a value of 19K. They also pick up the tab for your health insurance once you're off fellowship, so that's nice. You can ask about finances any time. Just tell them you're trying to compare to other offers you have. A word of advice: Your total payments will get paid to you ONLY FROM SEPT TO JUNE. So during July and August, you won't receive payments. You're getting enough money for the entire year, but they're going to give it to you only during the academic year so you'll need to budget correctly!

Oh! I see. It's anecdotal, but my friend at Stanford said she got her admission decision reversed after winning GRFP. I've heard that admissions compares their entire applicant pool against GRFP winners and reverses decisions. So I have no solid evidence it happens, but I've heard this as well.

exactly. Any current first years who applied this year can still apply in their second year. For those entering grad school next year, you'll need to be strategic about if you pick your first or second year. Graduate division at my school is already trying to determine how to advise on this situation. I would only think in very extreme circumstances when there was clearly something wrong with a reviewers judgement on an applicant. Very rare to happen though. There really are no waitlists, just honorable mentions. However, if an awardee completely turns down their offer (also very rare), an honorable mention will receive it.

I received notification that I'm receiving the Distinguished Chancellor's Fellowship from UCR, can anyone fill me in on the details? --Just like previous posters have mentioned, there are two main fellowships UCR offers incoming students: Chancellor's and Dean's. I received the Deans fellowship (which gave me 20K fellowship for Sept to June my first year, then "guaranteed" GSR/TA starting my first summer) so I can only speak to what others have told me. Chancellor's seems to offer an extra 5K to the Deans (I think distributed the following summer), but I've also heard that it can be a two year fellowship. Also a note: UCR has a thing called GradEdge/JumpStart. This is a 5K award to come to UCR in July and work in a lab your first summer. If you don't have that offered and you want it, contact your prospective PI and they can help you get it. One more note about UCR award offers: They tend to list two years of support. The first year is almost always fellowship and the second year can also be fellowship or guaranteed GSR/TA. What's the teaching load situation with this fellowship? ---Technically with fellowships, you don't teach. I know some departments (possibly math) have their students TA their first year. These are departments with high teaching loads (EX chemistry). I'm not sure how they work that out financially, but a call to your department's financial office can answer these questions. The students in engineering I know who are TAing their first year are deferring their fellowship to their second year and taking TA pay their first year. What's the deal with the ridiculous fees the first two years? ---Not sure what you mean by ridiculous fees. Any tuition is paid by your fellowship or grad division. Your first year, it could be out-of-state tuition. UCR pays this your first year as well. There are also ~$1000 of fees per year. These are things like the activities fee, gym fee, GSA, etc. Whether this is covered depends on your department. Your award letter will tell you. Mine was covered my first year, but not my second year. Why isn't there any information on the web about it? ---I'm guessing because it's just UCR's fellowships, not a national or even a UC thing. Also, your award letter answers most everything about it beside department-specific things that grad division couldn't answer anyway.

I would definitely recommend a house in your case. Apartments near UCR are overpriced, but there are plenty of dog friendly ones (even large dogs). They like to charge a lot for animals though. My cat is $25 extra a month plus have a $200 one time fee per pet in the lease they didnt actually enforce. For price comparisons, apartments here are 900-1200 for one bedrooms, and about 700 if you share a two bedroom apartment. Houses generally run 300-600 to share a three+ bedroom and ~700 to share a two bedroom. If you decide to come here, hit me up and I can tell you which apartments are walking distance and dog friendly, or help you find other housing opportunities.

This is definitely the case. I have friends who've gotten their letters in Jan, and some found their way into UCR after July! Depending on the program, UCR frequently sends acceptances well into March and even April.

Thanks! Lab 1 is very flexible with topics. Bringing in nanofab would be difficult, just because of the expense and the nature of the direction of Lab 1, but I'm sure there's always a way to find a connection!

Thanks for the insight. Both PIs have been awarded NSF career grants, but Lab 1 is newer so she still has plenty of it left while lab 2's is running thin now. Lab 2 has had at least 4 grants awarded since 2010, while lab 1 has 2 NSF grants, but has been here only since 2012. Both have had one NSF fellow in their group. So I guess, Lab 2 has a track record of funding while Lab 1 is new, but known as a great grant writer.

The physical space in lab 1 is shared with another lab, with each lab getting two long benches. There is one stool for the microscope and one or two stools that floats around for other uses. All bench space is only for experiments. All mechE students get assigned a desk outside the lab somewhere. BIEN (my dept) does by priority (TAs and more senior members). I will not get assigned a desk this year. It sounds trivial, but having to constantly move around (10 min each way to the library, setting my laptop back up etc) wore on me during the rotation time. The other lab has both desktops in the lab (one open for me) plus an office down the hall that I would have access to. As for her moving, it's a rumor from her students. New professors are constantly getting poached from my school. MechE lost three professors this year. It's a rumor that gets thrown around all the time without substance though. There's just not a lot of women in mechE, and this lab rarely considers BIEN students (where the women are). This isn't a big concern for me, but I went through my physics program as the only girl and have already faced the issues this brings.

I've narrowed my adviser/lab choices down to two and I'm looking for some outside perspective in making the choice. We'll assume that either lab will take me if I choose them. About me: I'm beginning my first year in a PhD program in bioengineering, on rotation. My undergrad degrees were in physics and chemistry, while my research topics during that time focused on biochem, soft materials, and nanomedicine. I have a good amount of experience in these areas. I've always had in interest in nanofabrication and attended programs with opportunities in it, but I've always been shuttled onto other projects that matched better with my background (nanomedicine). I've wanted to go into academia before, but I'm very unsure as of now where I want to end up after. The labs: First Lab: DNA technology/circuits. I was invited due to my previous work in DNA. I know the techniques well, and have caught up on reading. Due to the timing of this rotation, I'm writing my NSF GRFP with this lab with no obligation to join. I have more time invested here. The project is interesting, but not what I envisioned doing in graduate school. It's a fast moving field, but still basic science. Second lab: (current rotation). MEMS devises. Something I've been interested in through my undergrad. My school doesn't have large nanofab facilities, but they have enough to get the job done and access to a facility 3 hours away. I believe I'd enjoy nanofab, but I won't have the chance to experience it without joining the lab due to training. I enjoyed the actual lab space and the lab as a 'group' a lot better. This lab would put me in a good position for industry afterword. Lab 1 PROS CONS -STELLAR adviser; lots of potential -I'm meh about the project and lab work -Good with grants, has money for supplies -limited space and no where to sit in actual lab -Willing to spend a lot of time on students -Adviser might move to (slightly better) school -Project has good publication power -(some) students seemed stressed/pessimistic Lab 2 PROS CONS -Great, more senior adviser -Can't be 100% that I'll like lab work -I feel I fit better in this lab, they do more together -low on money (I only have fellowship for two years) -Industry potential -My background doesn't fit as well with this lab -Lab as windows and seating -All dudes right now (I'm female) I feel that I'd enjoy 5 years in either lab. Both labs are in MechE, not BIEN. Both advisers are hands off unless you want the help, which is what I prefer. Both advisers are young and friendly with their students. I'm obviously going to talk it out with other students, but my program hasn't actually gotten going yet and I was just looking for opinions from anyone out there, Thanks guys!

I've been here for about a month and wanted to share a general impression. First off, around campus, one bedrooms all run around 900 or more a month. When looking at two+ bedrooms, it will be around 500 to 700 / room as stated above. The apartments around the campus do roommate matching for free if you don't have anyone in mind. If you are really worried about money, most apartments around here allow you to rent "by the bed" (so, two people per room). That lowers it to around 300 a month.The apartments around here do have a lot of undergrads during the year, my roommate tells me it can get a little loud around our apartment. I live in the area north of campus. Most students I talked too during the visit called it "sketchy". I can see where they get that from, but it feels safe for me. You see some "sketchy" people around, it's mostly people who ride the bus to this area to search through the garbage bins for discarded goodies. However, there are pockets around (2 miles north of campus, riding to downtown) that make me feel uncomfortable. Buddy system is always a good idea anywhere. There is a grocery store, K mart, and a starbucks within a 10 minute walk from my apartment along with other restaurants and things. Campus is about a mile. University Village is less than a mile. With a bike, downtown and many other areas become assessable. There is a mountain with trails less than a mile from campus, and more trails downtown. Riverside is fairly bike friendly, the mayor even hosts a monthly bike ride for the public with him. You can easily live without a car, it just kind of sucks since the public transportation isn't great, so you're pretty much stuck around campus unless you have friends who will drive you around. A lot of things are "an hour away" from riverside (disney world, LA, beaches, skiing, breweries and wineries, etc), so a car helps with that. The nicer area is south of campus. It's mostly houses. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the rates would be similar to sharing an apartment. I would probably recommend this area first if you could work it out. I feel like it would be quieter and safer. There is a facebook group for UCR students looking for housing. It is better than the inland empire craigslist, and the UCR website I'd say. I definitely recommend living within walking/biking distance, especially at first, since parking is expensive like any other university. To me, it's worth it not to deal with traffic and gas prices (which are about $4/gal right now). If you register a bike on campus, they either give you 4 or 5 free anytime parking passes per month, or an unlimited after 4 PM/evening pass for each month for your car plus a free U lock for your bike. Family housing: Very close to campus and cheap cheap cheap (750 for a whole 2 bedroom vs 1300). It's waitlisted, I've heard up to a year. They look pretty run down from the outside. They are those movable houses without foundations, like, one step above a mobile home. They used to be military barracks. You must supply the air conditioner, and other appliances I think. Campus WiFi reaches. I don't remember what I was told about utilities here. Pets are OK, and you get a yard. To quality, you have to have dependents/kids or a partner with whom you've had a joint bank account with for a year. I've heard some exchange students from China will get the houses, leave their spouse behind, then rent the extra room and living room to other international students. It's very independent living compared to dorms. The houses are on a plot of land somewhat off campus, on their own. I have been here a month now and haven't seen any polution/haze. The views are beautiful and clear. I see why people say there isn't anything to do in Riverside, but coming from a slightly smaller city I feel I have plenty to do. Pretty much any type of food you'd like to eat is within 30 minutes with plenty of options. The bar scene is pretty baren in the summer, though. There's movie theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, karaoke. I mostly hike and bike and that keeps me busy. If you homebrew, one of the biggest supply stores in the nation is just down the street from campus. Feel free to contact me with questions in the future.

Mine is department specific. Your department may still have a visitation. They sent the information for mine only a couple weeks in advance, but I emailed their graduate assistant right after my offer and asked and got the information earlier since I needed to know for work.

My visitation isn't until April 9th, but I'm planning on doing some apartment hunting while I'm down there. Hopefully I'll still have time to get a decent place by then. I'm coming from a Kansas town that has one of the lowest cost of living in the nation, so seeing everything over 700/month hurts, haha! I live in the "pricey" apartments in my town and they're 600/month, fully loaded. I also start in July for the jumpstart/Gradedge program, is that what you're doing?

Good news to me really since I would have to give up my cat to live on campus. Do you have any places you've heard just horrible things about that I should avoid?

I'll be attending next year, anyone have information about living on campus as a grad student? At first glance, it seems cheaper than finding an apartment.

Anyone heard anything from UC Riverside? My application is "being processed" and I haven't recieved responses to my emails. Do they interview?

I will PM if interested. I grew up very poor in an unstable family situation and have wrote about this in past applications to REU programs and such to segue into talking about my strong work ethic and appreciation of the opportunity for education. I've left it out for graduate school since I felt kind of cliche and depressing to bring out the I had a terrible childhood card and to simply make room to talk about my research and interests.Any comments on that and anything else will be greatly appreciated.

I'm currently an NNIN intern and also learned a lot about the program from the 2012 interns I met at my REU that summer. First thing, NNIN REU grant is up for renewal this year, meaning there is a chance there may be no program next year. Frankly, our program directors have told us how the program has been going downhill in recent years. I am doing great here though. My research is nearly finished and I'm preparing a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. All NNIN research also gets published in NNIN research accomplishments (a real publication you can use on your resume, just not peer reviewed so you are free to also submit research to peer reviewed journals). Doing NNIN instead of research at your home institution is a tricky question that would take into account various things such as the opportunities at your school and how they align with your interests. NNIN has been a great opportunity for me because my home institution is small so research is limited. I'm also making a jump from science to engineering (which my school doesn't have) and I am highly interested in nanotechnology. Because of the REU I know have a lot of experience on nanotechnology equipment (clean room lithography, SEM, TEM etc). Plus, the stipend is usually better than people can get at their home institution (4,000 dollars, free housing, and travel to REU site, to/from convocation). If you have any other questions let me know! It's a pretty competitive program, but because they give their deadline relatively late compared to other top REU programs (cornell etc), a lot of good people have to drop out of the running. They're application advice is great, so if you follow that and submit everything you should have a very strong application.