Neist

As a married father, I'm glad I do not have the option of dealing with some of the housing situations everyone else has to deal with. These stories are terrifying! If I get into a program and it does not sufficiently cover the cost of housing, I'm just going to have to take out loans to supplement my income. I see no other option.

I can confirm that this is generally the case.

Congrats! Hopefully the rest of us hear some good news before too long. It is slightly disconcerting, though. Everyone else is hearing things. You hear nothing. I know it's because my schools haven't made decisions yet, but it's still disconcerting.

I agree. What you said was cordial. If your POI get's upset about it, maybe that's something telling about their personality. I didn't think you did anything unacceptable, at any rate.

This is pretty much what my advisers have told me, @artsy16. You need to be careful being both too broad or too specific. If you're too broad, it doesn't look as if you've thought over your studies as rigorously as you should have. If you're too specific, potential programs might wonder their purpose is, as you've already determined the minutiae of your interests without their guidance. Programs want you to be focused, but they also want to help guide you. My SoP was a careful balance of the two. Not sure if it balanced it well, but. And like nevermind stated, this is what I know in my own discipline, so it might not apply to yours.

I'm suffering through intermediate Spanish. Ergh. Like you said, this is the last time! I'm also hoping I get into a program that doesn't have foreign language requirements. My studies really don't require it.

It's always nice to have company! If I judge by historic reporting most certainly won't hear back for another two weeks, and more likely four weeks. Some years stretch into March. Sort of glad I got this TA'ship. At least it'll keep me occupied. I was only taking one course this semester because that's all I needed to graduate. I was going to work on getting a paper published, but I guess I can do it all. I've managed worse.

Thanks @nevermind and @Pink Fuzzy Bunny Mine were Jan 1, 10, 14, 15. Yup. I'm going to be waiting a while.

Doesn't concern graduate school, but... My undergrad program just offered me a TA/grader position for an undergraduate course this semester. I'll make some money, it'll look great on a resume. I'm pleased. Still have to make sure that it's doable from the HR side of things. I already have a permanent appointment on campus and it's complicated how I'll get paid for the TA position. My budget head has to okay it first.

I'm a pretty big fan of tea myself, and I generally get mine from specialized online stores (most of whom import their tea in from somewhere or another). If you just want some earl grey or the like, you can find some okay packaged brands, but if you want more specialized oolongs, darjeelings, greens, and the like, you have to get them loose. I'm not sure what type of tea you drink, but if you drink it unbranded and loose, by variety or type only, I can probably offer suggestions of some decent online stores.

Congrats!

Unfortunately, bacon is different in the US. So, you can still do that, but it might be a slightly different experience.

Congrats! I'd have a difficult time not excusing myself from class.

Hey, if it pays for beer, it's a skill well-fostered, I say!

I'm actually quite good at finding weird things on the internet. Too bad they don't have fellowships for that.

Hot Pocket

Clean Toilet

Chimney Sweep

Only if they are these. In all seriousness, I think it's probably fine, though if it were me, I'd probably apologize for the fact (even if you don't think it's a big deal). It's just considerate to do so. It's much better to communication well rather than look well, I say.

You deserve a cookie for this one. And you should become a motivational speaker, too. My schools are the same. I'm not even stressed about them, but I am rather bored of waiting. It's like getting a haircut. All you can do is sit there until its done. I always hated haircuts.

My understanding is that this is pretty common within all disciplines. For example, philosophy undergrad with no technical experience applying for an engineering program. Weird stuff like that. I've heard it's pretty easy to dismiss a considerable chunk of applicants almost immediately.

At the very least, I'd comment in your SoP what situations arose which forced you to alter your path. However, how willing they are to accept you again is difficult to know. Departmental preferences probably affect your likelihood significantly. As per funding, much like @rising_star stated, it's impossible to know. Available funding in graduate programs fluctuate wildly from year to year.

You might poke around at program's websites that you're interested in and see what they typically offer as a funding package. You could even consider emailing said departments graduate coordinator (if they have one) and ask what the percentage of accepted students receive funding. Many schools list their funding on their websites, even if you have to dig around a bit. Here's an example in the college I'm currently an undergrad in. http://cas.ou.edu/funding-your-graduate-education Someone here can probably give you a broad idea of costs, but most of the details are going to be provided by either someone who's currently in the exact program you're interested in or an administrator or support staff within said program.

Random tangent. Out of sheer curiosity, did you find that repeated attempts improved your score? My score was decent for my field, but not amazing. It probably wouldn't immediately disclude myself from good programs, but it probably isn't helping, either. Wondering if I should grind out like you next cycle, assuming I don't get an overly attractive offer this round.