Loric

To gauge the competition, and student interest. Also, if you're obviously using them for a backup school they retain the right to not admit you, but to admit someone who isn't using them as a backup. Yes, "level of interest/commitment" to the school is a factor in admissions.

You're right at the 290 (some places it's 310) cutoff that apparently several places use for cumulative. Anywhere that does a holistic app without an automatic cutoff will probably be willing to overlook it.

Only mention it if they ask. If they're going to look, they'll see it, and there's really nothing you can say that will make it look better. Many applications require you to disclose something like this. It's not an instant "rejection" but it's not going to be seen in your favor. Not disclosing it if they ask IS an instant rejection.

Here's me playing the world's tiniest violin for professors who are soooo burdened by having to send out a 2 line email saying they can't/wont/etc, so sorry.

While I do think this is more on the side of.. "find a new rec" - this whole process has made it very clear that profs are A) human and sometimes B ) a-holes. Pester them daily for not responding to emails sent to professional account involving professional correspondence? Sure, have at them. Who cares if they hate your guts. Jerk.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Start contact other potential writers while you clarify with her.

Note: In the end, it's better to be a grad school applicant than an undergrad applicant.. lest you be mowed down by the helicopter parents that run rampant on those forums.

Wow, you actually prompted me to post again.. A) We are not all scientists, thank you very much. Have you MET the people who hang out around here? They live for academia, not because they give even the slightest crap about science, world peace, or anything altruistic. They want gold stars and if someone with a higher rank isn't patting them on the head they don't understand how they can be allowed ti exist. Frankly, your thread was comforting to see - i'd written pretty much everyone here off as an absolute jack wagon a week or so ago - but it's good to know not EVERYONE is insane or misguided or whatever the heck is wrong with these people and the way they think it's ok to think and place priorities. A first I thought it was the stress that made people completely unpleasent, but the deeper I dug the more fundamental character flaws were exposed. "I did "broader impact" (aka: community service but for grad school apps) to boost my applications.." - Heaven forbid they do it for.. i dunno.. the sake of helping others. My colleagues were aghast to learn of the nonsense I found in the grad school applicant ranks.. further they were saddened by how rampant it is. So bravo to you for not being a total douche nozzle. Here's hoping you get in, and they get the serving of reality they seem to desperately need. We know it wont work out fairly like that, but sometimes apparently adcomms do give applicants the "sniff" test and sometimes weed out the ones who seem to be completely full of it.

Some do say "list your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice schools" or other things that are asking you for an inclusive list.

Do you have any knowledge of a second language..? Because in a pinch I can say "French" and i do know -some- French literature and can Rosetta Stone and Babelfish my way through most anything (Lived in Paris for a while, but still cant speak it fluently.) Don't sell yourself short, lord knows other applicants aren't.

But I will

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You might decide later you want to try again. For me the current app being accepted would open a lot of doors that I'm presently not finding ways to open on my own as an outsider. But i've been both in and out, so I know it's not some life ending thing to get rejected. Heck, it would have been a favor compared to the first school I chose to attend.

And adults should be able to handle being told they're wrong and not coddled.

I'll just point out that I've been accepted to more programs and offered more funding than you have, if you want to pull people's history into things as a means to belittle the advice they're giving. The goal here is getting in and getting funded, is it not? I offer sound advice for that. It is not presented in a manner to spare your feelings.

I don't suppose you have the statistics on how often your suggested course of action actually had a good outcome for the student in question..?

It really depends on the major/emphasis. In the arts, a single professor can push someone through by just writing an email that says "Accept XYZ, offer fellowship, tuition waiver, and GA position. Thank you." My understanding is that it rarely works that way in other areas, or even in some of the arts departments at some schools. I also think in the arts you're more likely to have a single professor for an emphasis who all the others will defer to and not really question.

Then my question would be why you're going through with all these applications and why they're on your "final" list in the first place. Schools can tell when you're just applying for the sake of applying. They do not look kindly on it.

You actually have them ranked in a strict order already for yourself..? Have you even set foot on these campuses?

I have nothing but contempt for weakness. I suggest for your sake you adopt the same outlook.

Top 3 or 4, including that school and never listing it last. Top 5 if you're in a fairly large applicant pool with your degree. If they're #1, of course list them as #1. No one wants to see their program as outside of the top 3.

Da ist Norge..? I don't even know if that's spelled right.. but in general asking Americans if they're of some heritage anywhere in the world is going to get a "yes" from someone in the group. We're mutts, proud mutts, who might only know of krumkaker and yulekaker and that's about it. As for your questions.. the folks at the schools will have whatever method they feel is apt for converting. You can always just write them and ask. We're a very informal country, you're not stepping on toes to get information and there's not very much heirarchy in who is allowed to speak to whom (which exists in many other cultures.) Remember that applications are often more holistic and not based solely on academic scores. Being an appealing person with something about you that's interesting along with an obvious drive to succeed goes a long way. Don't confuse the American colleges with the Brittish - where outright ambition is frowned upon. We love ambition. Your english seems more than passable. That's more than can be said for a lot of foreign applicants.

In my field, being invited to apply is pretty much an acceptance as long as you meet the school's minimums. However, those invites come from the department itself - as in hand written by someone on the faculty, not a form letter.

They'll hate you. If this is the route you want to go, go with something like Interfolio and get a generic letter and tell the writer you want to use it for multiple schools. Frame it as you saving the writer the time, effort, etc.. of writing out multiple letters.. but dont tell them it's 18. Cuz that's legit insane.

First sentence has too many commas. Try not to end sentences with "is" - "became fascinated with the study of memory" flows better. Over != on. Use on, about, pertaining to. In the last sentence of the first paragraph you're pair disparate ideas that while they seem related neither is fully fleshed out to make sense. "August, 2013," - and is the title of the article Perchance to Prune..? Add the word "entitled" to clarify, otherwise it sounds like the issue is titled that. There's also no reason to commasplice out the title of the article. "that has given" - "gave" "Authors" are a thing, "the authors" refers to a specific group - like the ones you list. It also sort of justifies your commasplice but it's really not neccessary.. Ditch their first names too, it just makes things confusing. You used "proposed" so in the article they will have "suggested." Watch your tense. Yay you used just the last names! But there's no reason for a comma there. "Due to the connections that can be made between this newly proposed theory of NREM sleep and epilepsy, an area of research that I would like to pursue would be to further look at the possibility of epilepsy being related to NREM sleep, and the effects of anti-convulsants on NREM sleep patterns in non-epileptic individuals" - way, waaaaaay too long and confusing. Restate. "to continue researching" - "to research" as all researching would be a continuation. "between sleep and memory, as well as teaching" - "of sleep to memory while teaching" - rid yourself of confusing use of extranuous "and" "Through teaching I would hope to inspire psychology undergraduates to pursue an interest of some of the less popular areas within psychology." - no 'some.' Oddly phrased. What are those less popular areas? Ideally: "My goal as a professor would be to inspire young students to explore less popular areas of psychology such as XYZ, YXG, and DSFG." "Currently I am working with Dr. Elizabeth Vella in the development of a research protocol to be submitted to the institutional review board by the end of the current semester." -- "Currently, my work is with Dr. Elizabeth Vella on a research protocol which deals with the biological reactions to Facebook induced stressors. It is expeced to be submitted to the insitituitional review board at the end of the semester. " Correlates? Not sure if that's proper terminology. Correlation sounds better, but perhaps i'm wrong. "ADHD(. period) This.." Second use of "I am also" - "Addittionally, I am working.." "for facilitating in class discussion, holding private tutoring sessions, and holding review sessions before exams." -- "the facilitation of class discussions, private tutoring, exam reviews, as well as the grading of the exams and extra credit assignments." Yeesh, i'm not gonna lie this was rough. The whole thing is rough. I think I put out several of the fires with phrasing and such but.. structurally it's got issues. The second paragraph is the most compelling. Lead with it. Start from there and rework/rewrite what's left.

You really want to avoid the concept that taking a scantron test - one you knew was coming and was important - is a skill you should know by now, or rather, something you should have the skills to cope with. If you got through 4 years of college and don't have basic problem solving skills then I maintain that you are not well suited for graduate study.