ihatechoosingusernames

I had a long day of travel yesterday, got home around 3pm, took a nap, and saw the update. I don't know if my body can handle another long night, but I did have a nap...so maybe?

I've also heard the GhostBed is pretty good too, and it seems to be cheaper than the Purple. Have you looked at sleepsherpa.com? They've got all sorts of reviews and rankings of these mattresses, and GhostBed ranked very high.

Good to hear from you! I'm not a believer in fate or that "everything happens for a reason," but looking back at where I was when I applied the first time I now realize that I'm in a much better place to be attending graduate school. Unlike you, I wasn't able to find an actual lab position, but instead volunteered at a research lab once a week for almost a year and a half before reapplying. This is totally going to make you the best version of yourself It is also proof that there is life after rejections. It's tough for sure, but if you're really set on that Ph.D. it's a bump in the road that can be overcome with time and hard work.

From reading through the past NSF GRFP posts, it looks like it'll be near the very end of the month, and they'll announce that the site is down from 10pm to about 3am. I think seeing 2am or 3am as the end time is key.

BINGO! That's me, too. I mean, I did start it a lot earlier than y'all did, but it was more of a line on my CV than anything.

I'm planning on getting a Purple Mattress too! It seems so easy to get it delivered to my new apartment, and the online reviews are fantastic.

Same here. I don't even think I really have that great of a chance of getting an award, and I won't be super bummed if I don't, but I just want to know either way. I feel like I've been anxiously waiting on one thing or another since the end of October!

I didn't hear back from Florida International, but that's okay seeing as I've heard conflicting reports about whether or not the I/O program is going to continue or not. I'd rather not take that chance. You could try emailing the programs at this point. Usually no news is good news, but it could also just mean you're on some sort of unofficial wait list. I think most offers should be extended by this time.

If you're okay with a commute, you might see if he can't get a job in Spokane, WA. It's a 1.5hr drive, but might be worth it if he can find a job. You could also try to live somewhat closer to Spokane so you could split the distance. I don't know how much work there would be in Moscow, ID, but it's worth looking in to. Also, is there any chance he could telecommute to a job that's based in Seattle? What are his thoughts on all of this? Personally, (and this is coming from someone who LOVES Seattle and UW...Go Huskies!) I'd go with the paid Ph.D. program and see if he can't find something nearby. It would be sooooo expensive to live in Seattle and pay out of state tuition. Have you thought about long distance? I see you're in Portland. Is there any chance he could drive/fly out to see you on weekends? I'm doing the long distance thing with my spouse. It can be tough, but totally doable with Skype, text messaging, and phone calls.

Yeah, the fact that there are no guarantees of acceptance in future years (even if you are more competitive) is a huge deal. If I hadn't just received an offer from the school I wanted to go to, I would have gone to a school I wasn't terribly impressed with. My thought was that I'm a tough person who could make the best of anything for five years with good funding. If I needed more opportunities to publish, I could take that into my own hands. If I needed more travel or conference or whatever funding I could apply for grants. The only thing I felt I couldn't overcome was a total personality clash between myself and my POI. And while the personality of the person I interviewed with didn't fill me with warm fuzzies, I was able to overlook some quirks in order to for sure have a grad school slot. Especially if you're trying to pass up this opportunity and apply to someone specific next time, just know they may not be accepting students.

I've made my final decision! Signing the paperwork this weekend, then sending it in on Monday!

So does anyone know 100% for sure where they're going? I just need to hear back from a few places (seriously, let me know either way!) before I make a decision, but this month seems to be crawling by. I'm ready for April!

That's definitely a fair point. I'm at a point with two of my top choice universities where I'm waitlisted pending funding opportunities (as in one school is waiting to hear back about an internally funded fellowship), and I wish I knew whether or not I have the NSF fellowship. It would be lovely to be able to go to my first or second choice rather than my third, but I also realized I'm lucky to even have an acceptance at all. We're getting closer, though! This month just needs to fly by

Well. There's this one. Just know that you're not the only one in bummer town. The population is growing this month... University Of Texas At Austin (New Writers Project) Creative Writing Poetry, MFA (F16) Rejected via E-mail on 2 Mar 2016 A 2 Mar 2016 1a/0w/1r rnLove this program! Bummer town, population=me

Has anyone heard anything about Michigan State's ecological/community psych program? I'm not expecting much since I know there's been at least one acceptance, but I have yet to hear anything either way. If you could post something publicly or send me a message with any info, I'd appreciate it!

Ew! OMG! Someone getting involved in the political process?!? How bizarre! Could you you imagine someone trying to piece together politics AND psychology?! Not in my Ivory Tower! I mean, what are we? A group of people who might want to use relevant research to eventually craft sound public policy for the betterment of society? As IF! And seriously? Having diverse interests outside of academia?!? They're doomed. Not only are they doomed, but they're crazy! Totally uncommitted jerks! I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't even THINK about letting people know my personal preferences on anything until my masters thesis is defended and I've passed my comps. Remind me what school you're at again? I'd like to know where not to go.

Objectivity would be pretty difficult to achieve overall I've been able to email students I've met afterwards and ask for their opinions. Some of them definitely try and sell the program, but they also give honest opinions about mentorship styles which I find to be very helpful. I've also been successful with asking if they feel like they have plenty of opportunities to publish. Some aren't as interested in publishing a lot because they want to go applied, but most are cognizant of the fact that they need to publish to make a name for themselves. You can also try to find your POI's profile on Google Scholar. If they have a profile set up there you can see how many publications they've put out in the last 5 years (I mean, they show all years, but I'm mostly interested in the past 5 or so). You can also check co-authors and see if they've been students or other professors. I think it really depends from person to person about whether or not they're still going strong when they're older. I've talked to some professors who are still active, involved, and care deeply, and others who have clearly stated that they're slowing down and pursuing more casual lines of research. For me, I've tried to look at programs that have more than one faculty member I could potentially work with. If one is a dud for whatever reason, I don't want to have to reapply or transfer schools. I just want to hop from one lab to the next.

Depends! Have you taken the GRE yet? Do you only have 1 conference presentation? I have a 3.3 GPA (and took an online grad certificate course with a 4.0), and I got into a PhD program on the second try. 3.55 isn't terrible at all, but it's a competitive field. Research fit is one of the most important things you can have, and you'll have to show that in your statements of purpose.

I think it depends. I think the rankings are good starting points, at the very least. It's good to know how often professors are publishing and publishing (and especially how often they publish with student co-authors). I also see that a lot of faculty members tend to come from the same top universities, so if you were looking for an academic career you might want to take that under consideration. For non-academic careers, I think name recognition is important (as is a good program alumni base), but if your school can help set you up with a dream research opportunity or internship, that's great. Fit is super, super important and I don't think you can pass up a place where you felt at "home," especially since it's a huge commitment. I'm of the firm belief that you'll flourish if you go to a school you're passionate about, with research you love, under an advisor you enjoy. I mean, how much of a difference are we talking regarding rankings?

I would say that while some offers have been extended, some of us are still waiting to hear back about financial aid/stipend stuff too. No one holds multiple offers purposefully or maliciously, but it does take some time to make a fully informed decision and go and visit schools I also hate to say it, but even if someone turns down an offer, it doesn't mean the school for sure will pull people off the wait list. And as for your second question, I was invited to visit/"interview" at A&M earlier this month.

If you happened to be at UConn this weekend I just want to say how great it was to meet you all!

But on the plus side you have a nice new bra! There's not a lot that can beat that new, perfectly fitted bra feel (says someone who is in desperate need of a new bra because I've gained too much weight during this applicaiton process)

Hell no! If you have a 5 year program that puts you at 35...at least 30 more years until retirement age You're fine!

I know we still have at least a month before the results are announced, but I'm feeling really impatient! I wish the results were announced in December so that we could know when we were applying for graduate programs.

Hey! Thanks for your comments! What would you define as sketchy? And did you often drive in to campus, or did any of the buses run out that far?