Munashi

I can't log in either, so I guess I'm out of the race too. Congrats to winners!

Are you winners receiving email notifications or are you logging into the award site to check? Congrats, guys!

Not dead yet - which is always a bonus in my book. I hope you're all well...

I don't know much about OD, but if you plan to go applied, I/O is going to be a lot more friendly to you. OB/Management programs are geared toward creating academics and often (not always, but PRETTY darn often) expressing an interest in an applied career is looked down upon. It's not that it wouldn't be possible for you to do that work, but OB programs are geared toward producing academics (read: professors). I/O programs tend to take a more balanced approach. Some lean more heavily one way or the other, but there are several top-ranked I/O programs that try to prep you for either career path.

If you were to post your stats, people might be better able to pinpoint any possible issues. Of course, no one here can make guarantees about your success. But some more information might allow us to be more helpful.

First I/O in the poll.

I prefer "advisor" personally, but I've been known to flip flop arbitrarily.

I always appreciate being corrected and learning what's what. Thanks for the info, and cheers!

Okay, I am not an expert, so please verify everything I say here. If other users are more knowledgeable, please correct me if needed. 1. Personally, I prefer to make as few stops as possible. It minimizes the chance of missed flights, delays, and lost luggage. I would do A --> JFK --> B, but it's ultimately up to you. If you think you need a break in flying, maybe more stops will be better for you. The longest flight I've been on was about 13 hours (USA to Japan). It does suck, but it's doable. Bring things to amuse yourself, as always. 2. If you do end up passing through a European city, don't worry about it. Your visa should be fine as it is. You are not actually "entering" that country if you stay in the airport terminal, so don't worry about that. Similarly, you'll be asked to fill out a form on your flight to the US listing where you're coming from and if you're bringing any goods with you to sell. If you stopped in London and were just in the airport to connect flights, you will NOT need to list "England" as a place you visited/came from - just your home country. 3. Baggage transfers will vary by airline. Are you flying with one airline the whole way or is there a change? If there is a change, call one of the airlines and ask if they have a "baggage agreement" with the other airline and confirm that they will transfer. You could also travel light and just take a carry-on if you want to avoid this. 4. This is trickier. I'm honestly not sure how much time you'd need for connections in Europe if you decide to make one. I think the minimum amount of time an airline will sell you is 45 minutes, but I'd personally want at least 60-90 minutes (especially with checked bags). You will need MORE time between your flight from JFK --> B if you connect within the US. Even if it is not your final destination, when you first land in the United States, you must clear customs and re-do security screening. This can take up a lot of time. If you checked bags, you will have to collect them and re-check after customs (it's usually easy and you can re-check your baggage at a desk like 100 ft away from where you picked it up). This is in case you are randomly selected for screening. Check with the airline about how much time you need. I'd say at least 120 minutes, but you need to check with them. If you buy tickets online, don't assume the computer will automatically give you enough time to make the connection. You need to be sure. I hope this helps. Basically, a call to your airline(s) should help clear up any questions you have. You'll want to double-check everything I've said anyway. lol

I think a lot of this is very true. Stats are one thing, but most people applying to programs in I/O like Michigan State and Penn State are going to have great stats. In the end, it comes down to fit. Research fit with the faculty (1-2 matches per program is fine), your career goals' fit with the program's orientation (academic? practitioner? A balanced approach?), who else is applying that year, some demonstration that you know what you're getting yourself involved with (both in terms of I/O and research in general. Most programs know I/O experience and courses aren't available, but make sure you're letting them know that you're educating yourself with textbooks and some top I/O-OB-Management journals). If you haven't finished your year of RA or your thesis, make sure you still mention that you're doing it. It all depends and it varies widely by program. You may not get into a "top program", not everyone does, but that may not matter. I think as you begin thinking about applying, my advice would be to focus less on "get into top program!!1~1!" and spend more time figuring out which programs are a match with you and your goals. Where are the faculty that match interests with you? Do you want a program that's purely academic in focus or do you want more of a scientist/practitioner balance? Is the program a match with your mentorship needs/what kind of mentoring model do they use (do you belong to one faculty or the whole department? Some places won't allow you to work with more than one person, others require that you do so)? Who would be able to offer you solid funding based on historical trends? Once you're in, also ask: is the program a fit culturally? If you are not hyper-competitive, stay away from a competitive environment and find one that is more collaborative/supportive. And again, who is offering the best funding? Funding maybe "shouldn't" be the end-all, be-all but it is a huge factor for most of us. Also, just be aware - you may not get in the first time you apply. Or maybe you'll only get into a program you realize you aren't as excited about as you thought. That's okay. Try again in another year, it's not the giant failure some people make it out to be. Sometimes a small break is a blessing you didn't know you needed. ALWAYS strive to success - but be cool with needing to try again. I forget who said it, but seriously, the key to success is a high tolerance for failure. If you want to apply to a top program? GO FOR IT. I'm an advocate of attempts. My stats and background are quite different from yours, but I will say that the places I got accepted to were "better ranked" places than where I was rejected... and -surprise- the fit was better at the top places. You never know how the dice are going to fall. It truly is a crapshoot. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me. For what it's worth, your stats background will probably be attractive. The biggest issue is lack of research experience, so learn as much as you can in the mean time and emphasize what you have already done/are doing in your personal statements.

For me, the transition wasn't so bad. Having worked full time before (2 years post-BA), it helped me manage my time and do my best to treat grad school like a "9 to 5" gig instead of procrastinating like mad as I did in college (I'm finishing my first year right now). duran0 raises a good point - it can be challenging to adjust to not having disposable income. All in all, I'd say it actually helps with the transition. You're used to working and know how to structure your time.. you've also likely already had the experience of doing things like paying your own bills and managing a house/apartment. I think you'll be fine.

Thought I'd check back in since it's been a while. Last week was a little rough - rejected from NDSEG, receive honorable mention (but no funding) for the NSF GRFP. ...But life goes on! I feel like I'm back in the groove, and now I'm just dealing with all the upcoming end-of-semester business (papers, exams, etc). How are you all? Soon we're going to be second years. We'll have to make a new thread, lol.

Denied. Bust for this and NSF. Maybe next year! Congrats to any winners.