Munashi

TakeruK is right to mention the risk of scooping if this is an extension you intend to perform yourself in the future!

Consider the following: -How long do you have to resubmit -How long will the suggested extension take to complete and incorporate? -Will the suggested extension significantly improve the paper? If you feel like it really would improve the paper, but are concerned about time - ask the editor for a few weeks of extension and explain that you'd like more time to incorporate a really insightful suggestion from Reviewer X, but you need some more time. If you don't feel like the suggestion is worth the effort, or perhaps that it is but it would take a LOT more time than is feasible even with an extension, then incorporate it into the paper as a potential follow-up/future research suggestion and explain in your response letter to the editor/reviewers why you chose not to perform the extension yourself and note that you have added the suggestion into the paper instead.

I put little descriptors on my CV, but saved the details/how the experience is relevant for the SOP. I think go with whatever works best for you. It may also depend on the depth of your experience and what you were responsible for. Perhaps if you were project lead for something or managing your own research project, you'd want to highlight that. More general experience may not need explaining (as TakeruK notes). Either way will be fine.

^ Definitely this. I don't think a polite inquiry about whether or not it would be possible to get some relocation money would hurt you. It may not be available, but you won't know unless you ask.

I will be no where near Portland this fall, but I did take a few classes at Portland State. I think you'll very much enjoy the town and the program. Best of luck!

If you're going to rent your own truck, try Penske. We had a great experience with them for our move. They had the best rate, plus the truck was clean and in great condition with not too many miles on it (~50,000). As Between Fields mentioned, make a reservation. Penske (unlike Budget and U-Haul) actually guarantees your reservation. So if you make one ahead of the time, the equipment WILL be there. We also hired some local guys to help us unload.

Has anyone relocated yet? I've been in two for about two weeks (started work in the lab early) and I love it so far. I hope you all have smooth transitions!

People do it both ways in the US, but as Geodude said, it is more common to go to different schools for undergrad and graduate work.

I slapped my CV onto every POI email I sent. In my case, I figured it would be handy since I have a sizable number of publications to put on there. I tried not to be presumptuous about it, and probably said something along the lines of "if you are interested in learning more about me, I have attached my CV" (phrasing would've been shinier, but you get the idea.. this was also included in addition to some brief tidbits about my research interest and how it lined up with theirs). I suppose I didn't want POIs to think I was assuming they had time to comb through my CV, so I left it as kind of a "if you want it, it's there. if not, please disregard" kind of thing. I'm not sure it matters. In the end, do whatever suits you best.

I generally go home for about a week in the summer and another 1-2 weeks for the Christmas/New Year holidays. I might visit more often if I lived closer, but my family lives about 1200 miles away or so (not as far as you, VioletAyame - but far enough that some airfare is required). I have found my relationship with my immediate family works better at a distance. If I spent more than a week or 10 days at home, I might implode. But so far, about 2x/year has worked for us.

I have one made by Patagonia that I bought at an apple store years ago (2008). It is just fine for carrying around my 15'' laptops + other personal items/books.

My SO and I made the cross-country move ~2 weeks ago (last day at work was Friday June 20th, left the old apartment on Sat June 21, arrived Thursday the 26th). I've been working in my lab part-time since July 1, and it's going pretty well so far. I'm still in the stage where I'm just getting acclimated to things, but I'd say the summer has been productive so far.. to say the least. I'm enjoying it, though! The relocation has been great and my advisor and I seem to be meshing well so far. We'll see what the next few weeks/the fall semester will bring. EDIT: Aaaaaand I just now noticed this was posted specifically in the Philosophy forum. Apologies for the invasion.

As others have noted, buy only what you would be able to move in a couple of years. When I finished my undergrad and moved to LA to work for 2 years, I bought all of my furniture from Ikea. I got a mattress, sofa, small kitchen table, a nightstand, a tv/bookshelf, coffee table, and some kitchen wares (glasses, plates, etc) for about $1500 total. I ended up taking pretty much all of that with me when I moved for my grad program (literally last week). Since it was all relatively cheap, I wouldn't have minded selling it and re-buying when I arrived. A series of other circumstances lead to me needed to rent a truck anyway so I ended up just taking it with me, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending a ton of money on furniture that you might not want in 2 years or that you end up needing to get rid of. Set up with your essentials first, and if you feel like you need something else, just buy it later.

I had the same thing happen to me, Bren! I don't think it's because you're a bad judge. Best of luck, 2015 applicants!

I was just about to link you to that article - it's the most recent thing that I'm aware of. Glad you found it already. (Feel free to start up a 2015 thread, guys. It can't hurt and it makes it easier to find your peers.)

Your research experience will help you, be sure to strongly emphasize this in your apps. The only potential hurdle I'm seeing is your GRE scores, and you've already noted that you are re-taking the GRE soon. Do your best to shoot for a combined score of ~320, but just do the best you can. EDIT: I should note that your scores now are not terrible by any stretch, it would just make your app a little stronger to get the scores up a couple of points. Good luck with your re-take!

The master's can be a great route. However, it is still going to take an additional 1-2 years (I say 1 because some people do apply mid-masters and leave before the second year if they are accepted to PhD programs). I think you should consider trying to land a paid research coordinator positions for the following reasons: -The research is full time. With a Master's, you have coursework to worry about on top of it. -There may be more opportunities for publications by working full-time in a lab (this will vary by lab and by the MA program you compare it to, but it is entirely possible) -A research position is paid. You will have extra costs/possibly debt by taking on a masters However, if you are limited by geography (perhaps there are not many labs with openings in your area and you are not comfortable relocating), the master's may be the better option. Neither one is going to hurt you and both paths will greatly help your application strength. It's just worth considering the pros and cons of each situation.

Saman - You would still be able to get applied positions with a PhD. Many people do, and they tend to be higher paid than those with a terminal master's degree. A PhD is not necessary to go applied, meaning that you could go applied with only a masters. This can be a good option for people who definitely do not want to go into academia and aren't drawn to the idea/time-commitment of a PhD. However, a PhD potentially gives you the freedom to go either applied or into academia. I am starting a PhD program with the intention to go into an applied setting.

I put a field-related Coursera course I was enrolled in on my CV while applying to grad programs. I don't know how it affected my application overall, but I don't see how it could hurt.