KieBelle

My work experience isn't relevant to my intended field of study, but I'm putting it on my CV anyway. I'm sure they want to know what I've been up to for the past 4 years and regardless of what field your work experience is in, you learn valuable skills that will be useful in grad school (i.e., time management, leadership, teamwork, etc.).

I just ordered my GRE scores today (had to do it by phone because their website sucks!) and they said they send out scores 5 business days after they're ordered, UNLESS the school they're being sent to chooses to receive scores via CD-ROM, in which case scores are sent twice a month.

Okay I've written the first draft of this wretched essay. Now I need help figuring out if it's alright or completely off the mark. Anyone willing to take a look and give some constructive feedback? Let me know and I'll PM it to you. Thanks!

I'm not sure how/why you would think that was a bad sign- it's a great response! Even if you don't have any follow up questions for him, at least send a short response (even one sentence) thanking him for his response.

I am so relieved to see that I'm the the only one who thinks this! I was starting to feel very lonely. Frankly, I think the argument that GPA is unimportant is total rubbish- it simply doesn't make sense.

Have you looked at the websites of the schools you're interested in to see what the average GRE scores are of those they admit? That might give you an idea of how far off your scores are from where they need to be. Or you could call the admissions office and just flat-out ask them if those scores are too low.

I emailed the director (and potential future advisor) of one of the schools I'm applying to a couple weeks ago and didn't receive a response. So I emailed her again today and got a response within a half hour. She said: "I am glad you are applying to our school. Your interests seem to be a very good fit for our program." and then went on to give me a bit more info on why it's a good fit for my interests and said she was copying the Director of Graduate Admissions with my email and her response! Yipee! :D

Eek! Three is not enough! I know this from experience- apply to as many as you possibly can to increase your odds of getting in to at least one. That said, make sure you'd actually want to attend every school you apply to. You still have enough time to apply to more schools for admission next fall.

Yes, definitely do your research- look on each school's website for their LOR submission guidelines. Most will want them submitted electronically- when you start filling out your application online there will be a section where you give the names and email addresses of each recommender. The university will then send an email to the recommender with a link to fill out the LOR online. For those schools that want hard copies sent in, they always have a form that they want printed, filled out by both you (waiving your right to view the LOR) and the professor, and stapled to the typed letter. You should print out the form and send it to your recommenders along with pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for their convenience. Some schools want you to send the LORs in, some want them sent directly from the recommenders.

The first point makes sense and I've heard that argument used before (and also in reference to the SAT). The GRE test itself may not be a great measure of an applicant's ability to succeed in graduate school, but I believe that some sort of standardized test being required is a good thing. I went to a small school and scoring well on a standardized test allows me to demonstrate that I'm just as "intelligent" (or whatever it is they're trying to measure) as those who went to Ivy League schools. That said, I have a hard time taking the article too seriously because of the poor way it is written. The grammar and spelling mistakes really erode the author's credibility IMHO. I'm happy you mentioned this fuzzy because I keep reading similar statements in these threads and it's something I've really had a hard time believing. How can four years of grades be unimportant? I don't argue that having a good SOP and LORs is crucial, but if GPA wasn't important in the admissions process people with 3.0 or 2.5 GPAs would have a much easier time getting into good grad schools. And that's definitely not the case. Anyone else have any thoughts about that?

I've been advised by a few people (including professors) that if you don't receive a response in about a week to send one more "to make sure they received your original email", because your first one was most likely just lost in the shuffle. If they still don't respond, try contacting a different professor in the department.

I'm not sure bitterness is the right word. Perhaps exasperation? Mine asks for 500 words, although my essay will probably be half that length, haha. Thanks for everyone's great suggestions!

So I'll admit I was unsure about the new look at first, but I've decided I love it! It'll take a little while to get totally comfortable with it, but so far I'm happy.

First off, I realize that similar questions to this one have been asked before. I've read through those posts and am still at a loss. So any help would be much appreciated. One of the schools I'm applying to requires the standard SOP AND a Personal Statement. The prompt for the PS is this: How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University X? For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. Please do not repeat your Academic Statement of Purpose. I've learned through this forum that this is actually a "diversity statement", the university's way of finding out your ethnic background. My question is, how does a white, middle-class American with no traumatic life experiences or significant challenges to overcome answer this question? I'm sure that when they ask for a "discussion of the journey" that's led me to grad school, they don't want "I've wanted to be a _______ since I was 5 years old." So what the heck am I supposed to write? Has anyone else in my situation had to write one of these? Any suggestions? (Of course I realize you know nothing about me or my life- I'm just asking for general ideas.) Thanks in advance.

Maybe the Q section is all high school math, but as someone who hadn't taken a math class in 5 years, I found it to be pretty difficult. By the time the Q section was over I was literally in tears because I thought I had failed it. I ended up scoring really well, but it certainly wasn't without a struggle. As long as you spend a good amount of time refreshing your "high school math" skills, you should do alright.

LOL I was there and I remember you asking that question! I was happy that you did- I was wondering the same thing.

I found out about this one through idealist.org - they host them all over the country. It's free and there's 120 programs attending, so it's an awesome opportunity. pea-jay - I wonder if we're going to the same one - in San Francisco?

Hey everyone, I'm going to a grad school fair tomorrow and two of the programs I'm applying to will be there. Has anyone been to a grad school fair before? Any advice? Thanks

For those of us who post semi-regularly, we see the same 30 or so "names" over and over, but I was just thinking about how little we actually know about each other- most of the time it's impossible to even know what gender you people are, lol. I find myself subconsciously assigning genders based on certain things, but I have no clue if I'm right. For example, I've always thought of rising_star as a guy because of the *ahem* abrupt style of his posts, but for all I really know she's 100% female. Some people are easy to guess (like me), but socialcomm, fuzzylogician, psycholinguist? No clue. Gender, location, age... it's all a mystery. Which is kind of cool. Anyway, how's that for a random and pointless thread? 8)

I hate to say it, but if you're looking at mid- to upper-level programs, I'm not sure your application is strong enough for a Ph.D. program. From everything I've heard/read/seen, research and/or related work experience is really important for admission to Ph.D. programs. Combine that with your GPA and GRE scores and.... yeah. IMHO I think you have a better chance of getting into a master's program. And I also think you should retake the GRE in November- I agree with natofone that it really can't hurt you. That verbal score is too low for a psych program. Sorry

I did my research, poring over every faculty member's CV, reading whatever publications I could find online, and found the professor whose research interests most closely align with mine. So I sent a short email (one medium-sized paragraph), demonstrating I was familiar with his work, telling him what my proposed focus of study is, asking him if that's a viable focus of study there, asking if he'd be interested in helping me explore it if I'm granted admission, yada yada yada. His response? "You need to talk to the X Director, not me." That's it. The entirety of his email. Ouch. I'm pretty sure he didn't even read my email. What a jerk. I understand these people are busy, but being a professor at a good university does not excuse you from basic manners. And the Director's research interests have NOTHING to do with mine, other than the fact that they involve the Middle East, so it's not like he was trying to direct me toward someone better suited for my area of interest. Okay, done with the rant. Should I contact the Director anyway? I don't even know what I would say- I don't really have any questions for him. Or should I contact another professor whose interests don't quite match (but are better than the Director's)?

Oh yeah. My first SOP is close to 800 words. That's fine for the school I wrote it for, but I have 5 others that only want 500 words (and one even gave a range of 300-500 words! how can you possibly explain your background, academic goals, future career goals, and why you want to attend that school in 300 words?!). I have no clue where I'm going to shave 300 words off this essay. I've given it to one of my friends who's currently in grad school (and a fabulous writer) and just told her to butcher it- hack away! And of course there's the school that wants 1200 words, which means I'm actually going to have to expand this wretched essay. Good times!!

I'm not sure I can help you with the LOR from a lecturer, but as far as everything else - I think you should do whatever is going to make you the happiest in the end and give you the greatest chance of success. If what you really want is a PhD, I would wait, personally. Your GPA isn't bad, but strong GRE scores may help strengthen your application. Also, taking a year off will also give you an opportunity to further build your application. Save up some money for the GRE and more application fees so you can apply to several schools. When you only apply to two schools you're really taking a risk- and do you REALLY want to go through this awful application process all over again if you don't get in to either one? Just my 2 cents.

I just found a current student list with brief bios for each student on my Top Choice University's website. I read every single one, and every single student has spent significant time studying in the Middle East, usually in more than one country. And all have previous academic experience involving the ME (even if it's just an undergrad minor). I do not have either of those things. I knew that this school was a reach, but now I feel like I shouldn't even bother applying. I'm really (really really) short on cash for application fees so I don't have the luxury of applying to schools just for the heck of it. Even if I am admitted, the chances of receiving funding with that kind of competition is near zero. I'm thinking that it might be a better idea to spend the money on a school more likely to admit me, even if that school isn't as highly ranked as Top Choice. What do you think?

Some ideas... 1) What will you be doing while you're in Korea? Is there any way you could take anthropology classes while you're over there (even at the Korean equivalent of a community college) and get a LOR or two from your instructors? 2) Are there any anthropology organizations or associations you could get involved in while in Korea to beef up your anthro credentials? (and you could possibly get a LOR from someone higher up the chain of command there) 3) Or, failing that, you could get a LOR from your employer in Korea. Not ideal, but better than nothing. 4) Also, I would contact your old history professors now and let them know your plans and ask if they'd be willing to write letters for you next year. Have you saved any of your old work? If so, hang on to it and send them copies when it comes time for them to write the recs, that way they'll be reminded of what a fabulous student you were. :wink: