Loric

Last Mohican

Clicked all the ones i had in any manner.. used other for Twitter. I also have a youtube channel.. a GoodReads fanclub..

It's a classic behavior modification technique. Need someone at an event at 7pm? Know they are always an hour late? Tell them the party is at 6pm. The same concept applies to reccomenders. They have solidified notions in their heads that they can turn in their letter late.. because some places allow it.. but it's not like they research if the school you're applying to allows it. So while they're doing what they do.. you could end up thoroughly screwed over. So you lie... you lie for the greater good. You tell them YOUR deadlines for the LOR and set your benchmarks to check in and see how progress is going, to touch base, to see if there's any questions you can answer and if there's more information you can provided. And then, 2-3 weeks before the actual deadline you'll get your letter - minimal stress. Still, a week after the faux-deadline you set up, but well before the school deadline. This is the practical and pragmatic way to approach get a LOR. Asking, waiting, replying on a prof to be professional and do what they say they will.. is an effort in futility most of the time. This forum exists as nothing more than a constant reminder of the stress, panic, and anxiety the "old way" has caused. Save yourself the heartbreak and do it the new way.

And i say all this knowing very much that at many places it's all about Rubrics. Every piece gets a "grade" and has it's unique value in their overal equation. There's enough variables that any single poor one can be overcome by the others. Also, even in-fighting, whjere one admin on the com votes the opposite of another because they want you pushed though. It happens.

I think they sort of make heaps.. Basic score, gpa's, etc.. are the easiest to process and so they probably have a "bad" "good" and "great" heap. Then they look at the SOP/PS or other writing sample. I recall one program saying they'd at least be "skimmed" before an applicant is cut. This where i suspect the first "discard" heap is made and then just yank the bad SOP's with bad grades and bad scores clean out of the grouping and there's no debate amoung the group that they're no goes. Then a few with really good SOPs from the "bad" pile get upgraded to the middle "good" pile. The good group gets a more overall look, delving deeper in the grades and also the reccomendations. Several "good" grade people will get dropped for having SOP's that dont fit the program at all, maybe even for the cardinal sin of writing to another prorgram in the SOP. Those go on the discard pile and there's still some "bad grade" people left, some "good grade, poor SOP" people, and a few "good grade, good SOP" candidates. Then they delve into the "great" heap and have no qualms about removing the people with bad SOP's, as "they should know better." All three groups are chopped down a bit. Resumes get picked up and the LOR's get read from the smaller pool. Different people on the adcomm being making their "deck" of applicants they want to convince the rest of the group to sign off on. Applicants who a majority want to be in right away, they're in - they're sent off to be processed for funding, placement, etc... The middle heap remains. The group debates, cites this work experience, this great statement and ideals.. another counters that their research is nonexistant and the letter of rec was practically a form letter. For another, the LOR is really saving what is a mediocre SOP (but on point with what the school wants, just written poorly in general.) The groups debates, quarrels, plays their cards and see's which slots they fill and can agree upon. Finally, the last of the yes and no's are doled out and people hear back. In that, the GRE didn't serve as much more than a starting point to establish the basic ranking. They will "cull" more agressively from that group, but if you given them reason to believe you fon't actually belong in the bottom group they'll bump you up.

Also.. go see Gatacca if you havent. For that scene alone.

I don't understand why your cardiologist wants you to live in a bubble.. Many very good schools have hospitals on campus... Any chance of a second opinion..? Maybe at a bigger city in the first place..? This just.. i dunno.. reeks of small town thinking that's limiting your life experiences for no good reason. I'm not saying to just go out and avoid your doctor's orders, but certainly get a second opinion if it's going to be so detrimental to your prospects. I can't imagine speed of health care staying in a small town is better than a major metropolitan area. At my undergrad (which has graduate programs, just not in my field) it was highly unlikely anyone would drop dead there from a cardiac issues as there AED diffibulators everywhere, half the buildings were shared with a major cancer research/treatment center, and the grad programs were full of thousands of Dr's-to-be, particularly cardiologists.

Yeah, I did the "tell those people to suck it" thing.. it feels great for a few weeks... ok a few years.. but later on you'll regret it. Look into maybe a transfer or some sort of graceful opt-out. All else fails, if on "probation" go take whatever ridiculous electives you want (glass blowing! I reget not taking glass blowing!) to survive another semester but being outside the department. You often can technically do that, as the department can't just drop kick you out of the school per the guidelines.

Blah. I'm almost at the end of the third week of the 1-3 weeks the rolling admissions mentioned as a timeline. Then I think "well 1-3 to decide, then they'd inform "immediately." But I also submitted just before a major holiday and when the advisor said was their busiest period - gee, I know how to pick 'em.

For the record, i'm the TA was who guilty of numbering students because I couldn't be bothered to learn their names.. In my defense, it's nicer than giving them nicknames based on their obvious traits.

When you say you've never taught.. Not even a Graduate Assistant covering a basic 101 class or as a TA covering a lab...? Because most of the people I know who may have thought the grass was greener got that basic "taste" and decided it was something they wanted to avoid in the future at all costs.

Well, this whole thing reminded me of "intrusive obsessive thoughts" - Notes from Google for coping: "Remember that the content of your thought is irrelevant and you must apply the paradoxical approach to cope with them. If you try to engage your thoughts in any way—such as reasoning with them, pushing them away, altering your behavior to stay away from threatening situations—all these approaches will only serve to make them stronger and more intrusive. As with other forms of anxiety, your job is to do the opposite." Steps for coping with Intrusive Thoughts: Label these thoughts as "intrusive obsessive thoughts." Remind yourself that these thoughts are automatic and you can safely ignore them. Accept and allow the thoughts into your mind. Do not try to push them away. Breathe diaphragmatically until your anxiety starts to go down. Continue whatever you were doing prior to the intrusive thought. Try Not To: Engage the thoughts in any way. Push the thoughts out of your mind. Try to figure out what your thoughts "mean." Convince yourself that you would never do what the thoughts are saying. Change your behavior so that you avoid the possibility of acting on your thoughts. Try to: Label your anxiety level and watch it go up and down. Allow the thoughts to remain without hindrance. (They will go away on their own). Focus on managing your anxiety in the present. Diaphragmatic breathing is especially helpful. This approach can be difficult to apply. But if you can keep applying it for just a few weeks, there is an excellent chance that you will begin to see a decrease in the number and intensity of your intrusive thoughts. ---- Not exactly the same, but seems pertinent. PS: Not a doctor, don't go do anything nutty based on internet advice.

Actually, you dont "have to" successfully go to grad school. You can choose to go, and once you're there you can choose to do well or choose to do poorly or even choose to drop out. The variations have different consequences, but each is always an option. There is always an option. Free will is what makes us human. Sometimes it's best to exercise the right.

It doesn't. At least not to intelligent educated people.

God the first time around I just scribbled out my "SOPs" (again, term I didn't know) in 10mins and didnt even spellcheck them. I typed them right into those little boxes. Back then the whole process took a week, mostly because my LOR writers had to get the letters emailed. Admittedly the school search, portfolio showings, and on-site interviews with multiple faculty took months. Back then it was the consensus in my peer group that if you emailed a POI and they didn't write back, that was a "don't bother." But we're talking programs that may take 1 person in my old field once every 2-3 years, and my old university was proud of it's ability to place students in MFA programs (as the university didnt offer one itself.) The whole last year of the program was "some" education but 75% portfolio, interview, conference, etc.. prep. I didn't even think about "if" i was going to grad school or "if" i'd get in anywhere, with my old program the day you signed on and passed the first hurdle that was your intended goal and assumed position (every year you were evaluated for your work in the department as a whole and each year there were cuts.)

It seems the school intentionally changes tactics constantly. Some people get a simple letter, some people get a FedEx package with all kinds of other info (and sometimes a t-shirt), and further still there's sometimes just an email. I think they know how to play this game and it's infuriating. My acceptances the first time I went to grad school were via email. But I also had a dialogue going between a "POI" (i didnt even know that term back then) and myself going and was "asked" to apply after interviewing. This whole "put in an application and wait" thing is very new to me.

Well, i'm not sure how far you read into the treatment or anything, but you know these thoughts are irrational. Be sure to remind yourself that they're irrational and unjustified, and you're not "crazy" for thinking them. Just as the wikipedia article says it's a reaction to a situation, not an inherent personality trait. Just keep reminding yourself that it's an irrational thought and not to take action on it because it is irrational. Ask someone you trust for advice if you come to a point where you can't seem to make a decision for yourself because you're not sure if you're being irrational.

In my last field interviews were compulsory - but you also didn't apply until asked to do by a department. On here I've seen that many fields don't require anything outside the app itself. It was a big change in how to approach things for me. In the past I'd find POI's, visit and interview, and then be asked to apply (barring school base standards, you were admitted the second they asked you to apply)

They called it unicorn studies, among other derogatory terms.

Well my apps are finished...

I don't talk about it on here really - some people have been really mean about when I did mention it, and I'm sure some programs fish around in these forums to see what the word on the street is.

I keep getting the automated emails to do their open house campus tour days too. Get all excited before realizing its spam.

I have to keep myself from looking seriously at apartments so I won't get my heart set on anything. And my admissions advisor sent an email when my file was complete saying to contact him if I had any questions. What questions do people ask at this point? The only question I want to ask is what questions people ask.. But that doesn't seem like a good idea..

Who said I'm not? I googled acceptance and rejection letters from my school and I know what size package to look for, typical turn around time, and what office it gets mailed from. Oh and I tried logging into their student systems - no such luck. My theory being if I was accepted if have an account and know it maybe a few days prior to getting the mail.

But the typical applicant doesn't have an interview, no? So whatever is on paper is what there is. The portrait is already more humanizing than most apps.