Neist

I know that it's pretty common in the library world to resort to it. Library jobs don't tend to pay very much, so often qualifying payments aren't all that much. Will I take more loans because of it? Well, no, but I'm certainly not sweating my loans, either.

Good luck!

I faced this very decision a few weeks ago. Here's few of the mental steps I took which ultimately finalized my decision. How rare is either opportunity? If the MA is incredibly difficult to get into, and the PhD program (or ones of a similar status or ranking) isn't as much so, I'd consider attending the MA program. For example, the dual degree I've accepted is fairly difficult to obtain funding in, and I know if I were ever to reapply that the chances of funding are probably unlikely. Have to take break when it appears, I say. Will the MA program make you a better applicant for a PhD program afterwards? As annoying as it might be to reapply to PhD programs in two years, you might be able to do far better than the PhD program you were accepted into. You parents might lean towards the PhD program, but attending MA programs can be incredibly beneficial to your health and growth as a scholar. What are the career paths that each program opens? Does one program necessarily exclude a career path that the other offers? I ultimately chose a program that gave me the most flexibility, regardless of what I decide to do in a few years. I considered these points every day, and I eventually found myself leaning towards one program. As much as I loved the other program, I found myself creating reasons why I shouldn't attend the one I chose.

The link just opens into a website for me..? Not sure why it'd try to download.

Yeah, It'll be more painless at any rate. I'm interested in scientific biographies, and the most published scholar on the subject was the director of the Medical Museion, Thomas Söderqvist.

I, too, am a first-generation college attendee, and I've had to dig through quite a bit of information to educate myself. If you're looking for a really basic introduction to the graduate application process, I'd suggest a Graduate Admissions Essays by Donald Asher. It covers far more than essays, and I found it to be useful. The McNair program director at my current university held a graduate school prep course and this book was the course's only text. Do you have any specific questions? I'm more than happy to tell you what I can, and if you want to do so privately, feel free to send me a private message. Edit: Speaking of McNair Scholars, you should see if your university has a representative. Their incredibly useful, and often if you participate in one of their programs, many universities waive application fees. Their specific purpose to help people like you and me.

Congrats! And wow! That's quite a relocation! I had briefly considered applying to a Medicine, Culture, and Society program at the University of Copenhagen, but my POI is retiring later this year. Boo.

I echo this statement. I'd be leery of their ability to properly support me if they've been this unorganized. Again, I echo this. It's been a long time, and I don't think a reasonable person would criticize another kindly-worded email.

Congrats!

Congrats!

Be careful! They are addicting! Good luck on your work! If you need encouragement, I hear Grad Cafe is fairly friendly.

I don't have imposter syndrome, but I'm a little shocked I got funding at the school I'm attending in the fall. I met the other funded applicant (there's only one other funded individual), and their experience was far more impressive than mine. I'm chalking up my luck to fit. I'm an exceptional fit in the program. I could probably work with at least half of the faculty members.

I actually think that sounds fascinating, but I'm a science and technology guy. Got through Rabid, now I'm starting Free Radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science by Michael Brooks. I'm only about 40 pages in, but I think it's going to be pretty good, or at least better than I thought it might be before starting. I should post in here more. I burn through a lot of books.

I wouldn't do option two unless they told me upfront, but then again, I'd have severe anxiety about the burning of bridges if I broke a contract. I can't see myself ever putting myself in that situation. It'd be bad for me. However, such a decision is very personal, and I can't say that doing so would be bad for you. If option 1 was a PhD program, I might be more concerned about its rank. But, since it's not, I'd think that the experiences you'd gain there might contribute to future PhD applications wonderfully. More so than PhD programs, I think MA programs are what you make of them, regardless of where you are. As long as you're supported and happy (and it definitely sounds like they are supportive), most programs are going to be enjoyable, assuming the fit is right.

I wouldn't know precisely, but I imagine there's no reason why anyone would know whether you were funded or not on once you graduate. The one obvious disadvantage that I can think of about lack of funding is that you'll probably be unable to experience some things funded students might, like TA-ships. Depending on what you're long-term plans are, this might or might not matter.

So, do they tell you if you have an offer at all, and you just don't know the details until you accept? Or do you have to accept before they confirm either way? If it's the former, then it makes that option slightly better, I admit. However, for me personally, the offer of an editorship sounds appealing. It might be a good experience.

I can only speak to what I use, but I like Paperpile in combination with Kami. You can import articles into Google Drive straight from your browser (assuming you use Chrome), and Kami allows you to insert citations from your browser directly onto the articles you've imported into Google Drive. All you have to do is import them in with the widget button in Chrome, edit them as you like, then forget about them. Paperpile also sorts the articles by author's name, and you can tag/sort them within the web-based app however you like. Paperpile is also searchable, and it aids in citation insertion and bibliography creation. I've never had any issues with this strategy yet, and if you use Google products, I'd highly recommend them. Kami has a free version, but Paperpile does cost a monthly fee ($2.99/month for academics). Edit: I should note that whatever you use, make sure you can export your work out as either BibTex or RIS. Most reference management software read either of these, so if you want to migrate later on, it should be relatively painless if you can export into these file formats.

Yup, I echo this comment. Everything you've mentioned sounds excellent for option 1.

Have you tried PDF annotation software to make one's life easier? I simply annotate the PDFs themselves. Infinitely easier, once you get the hang of it.

I emailed RPI at the end of February. They told me it'd be early March, and I'd be notified for sure. It's past early March.

I know nothing about the program, but it doesn't surprise me that you haven't found anyone here who's applied. STS or history of science isn't incredibly well-represented on these boards, and the GaTech program seems to be reasonably small, although this isn't necessarily a bad thing. As for GaTech itself, it's a good school, and it's generally well-regarded. It's only an assumption on my part, but I doubt the program you applied to is bad. If you found the program nice, then I say it's worth consider attending if you get admitted. Sometimes I feel as if smaller programs are looked as lesser programs, but they can be great places if you mesh well within the departmental community. The program I'm attending in the fall is actually quite a measure smaller than GaTech's by the looks, and it's quite well-regarded within the discipline (although not as well-known outside of it). Hope this helps!

Ack! Well, on the plus side, I'm not sure if it would have been fun to fight with support staff if such occurrences are common. Every time I hit a hiccup, I like to tell myself that. For example, RPI still hasn't given me a rejection, either via their portal, mail, or email. The program's wave of acceptances went out Feb. 4-6. At this point I'm curious if they'll ever notify me. Although, it is a fun game to see what happens.

Congrats! Ride the high! I'm a parent with a full-time job, too. I feel your pain! I haven't even revisited my application materials, and I doubt I ever will unless I need to. I'm fairly afraid I'm going to find glaring errors in them.

I haven't had many negative reactions regarding my family, but I'm not in the sciences, either. If you do experience some bias, I imagine it should be easy enough to show them over the course of the first semester that you are equally capable doing the work anyone else is, if not more. I find that being a parent conditions one to a certain level of drive that traditional students rarely match. I wish you the best.

https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/AwardeeList.do?method=loadAwardeeList You have to tab to/sort what you're looking for, but it's definitely doable, with some patience.