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johndiligent

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Everything posted by johndiligent

  1. I'd go with the one that isn't financial murder (i.e. NOT THE NEW SCHOOL).
  2. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea. I know it seems like a good, good, good idea but it's a bad, bad, bad idea in disguise. There's a reason response deadlines exist and it's not because adcomms are evil and want you to make a split-second decision that you'll later regret. It's because they want to be able to extend offers to other people. If you wait even a month, the department could effectively lose the opportunity to offer the position and/or funding to another student. Or, by the time you make your decision, a student who badly wanted to attend but actually observed the rules of the game could be committed somewhere else. It's a jerky move. But the people who care about that kind of thing are usually people who aren't selfish bastards. If you care more about you and the me-me-me-ness of the process, then don't forget that there are serious consequences for you personally. Academia's a small world and word gets around. People working in your discipline are going to recognise your name and usually there are friendships across departments everywhere. Especially if you're fake-accepting more than one department, word is going to get around and people will find out. You may have to one day apply for a job with one of the departments you're screwing over. A reputation as a douchebag is not going to help you. Instead, ask for an extension. Most are amenable.
  3. Several times during this process I thought I anticipated rejection because someone else had posted a result before me, and it turned out fine. Don't give anxiety a head start! Wait until you really have something to worry about!
  4. Seconding this. I'm in my mid-20's, I've never had a credit card, and I've rented several apartments without ever having my credit checked. Don't live in a complex, rent an apartment in a house. Not only will you get a nicer apartment (yay for character and individuality), but you'll probably also get a nicer landlord, for whom it's more of a hobby than a business.
  5. It happened to me, too. The first two years of undergrad, I pulled all-nighters A LOT. Like, three or four times a week. It was pretty normal for me to only sleep, very soundly, two or three nights a week and the rest of the time I'd be awake apart from the occassional power nap. Then, around when I turned 22-23, I just could not pull all nighters anymore. I'd try and invariably I'd wind up exhausted by 4:00 or 5:00 AM. I have concluded, unfortunately, that I've just become too old to stay up all night anymore. If I'm going to be a reasonable human being who can actually find my way to classes the next day, I require 6-8 hours of sleep per night no matter what. I've had to change my work and study habits. I had to do a lot more work between classes and during the afternoon and early evening, in order to make sure that I can go to sleep at a reasonable hour. But your body changes over time and sometimes you just have to roll with the changes, unfortunately.
  6. All of my results were in as of mid-week, so I guess March really was it! Best of luck to those still waiting!
  7. I've been stressing: - funding level - conversations with mentors - connection with potential advisor (I know that they all share interests with me and want to work with me but I'm delving a bit more deeply into how we click as human beings) - interviews with current students - comparing the PhD/T-T destinations of students over the last five years - comparing the relative benefits of each programme and what level/style of work I could put out in each environment - on a superficial level, I've also been comparing how well the department has been treating me overall (Do they call? Do they reply in a timely fashion to my questions? Do I feel jerked around at all?). That's not really going to make my decision, but it gives out bonus points to certain departments.) I think I've all but made my decision but overall there are still three departments that I'm continuing to seriously consider.
  8. I hope yours included some info. I waited two weeks for a letter to come in and it basically said: "We are pleased to inform you that you are being offered admission to the.... blah blah blah. If you require information about funding level, please communicate directly with the department." Oh for Pete's sake! And I was trying to be all respectful by waiting for the letter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  9. Thanks. It seems a bit odd to me but they claimed not to want to lose me to another school without having a chance to make an offer. So apparently it's like dating and once you lose interest, they're all over you.
  10. Thanks. I'm very bewildered by this whole experience.
  11. Cancel that. They replied and offered me admission anyway. So the dust has finally settled and I was accepted everywhere. Now I just have to make a freakin' decision.
  12. Really awesome spreadsheet! Thanks for the link!
  13. If I were you, honestly, I'd apply again next year (possibly to more schools if it's feasible). I read your other post concerning Iliff's offer and the fact that it seriously limits the amount of income you could ever have relative to your fees seems ridiculous to me, and only all the more so if you have concerns about the program limiting you in the future. It's not a great offer, and I'm sure you could do better next year. It's a hard call to make, but I think you should definitely give it another go.
  14. I sent a hand-written thank you card to each of them shortly after the deadline for the final letter. Once I've made a decision, I'm going to send a short letter telling them where I was accepted and where I ended up. With that, I'm thinking of sending a $10 coffee-related gift card or something along that line.
  15. I withdrew my McGill application today: they still hadn't received a LOR from my most absent-minded professor and since it was never a top choice and I have a few offers already, I decided to call it quits rather than chase him down and force his hand. So I guess at last all the dust has settled for my application season, apart from awaiting some more funding info from Alberta, McMaster and UBC.
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