alexis

I can't help but wonder if they do this just so they can boast a lower acceptance rate.

Yeah, they're fake, I'm pretty sure.

This was probably posted last year on here, but it's pretty funny (best aka worst SOP, there are more in the Dec 2008 archive): http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2008/12/sop-contest-entry-1.html And now it's looking like there's a contest this year for the "best" LOR, THAT should be interesting: http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2009/12/letters-of-reference-contest.html

I would say it would be worth it to contact them...it's not like they're going to rescind your offer because you ask the question, so it can't hurt. If they want you in their program, I would think that they would try to work with you. Also, key word: they said "requested," not required. I have a feeling it was worded that way for a reason. They want an answer by March, but they know they aren't really supposed to require it until April 15 (regardless of financial aid, this is the generally used deadline in graduate admissions).

I'm fairly certain they can't force a March 1st deadline. You have until April 15th. You can try sending them this link: http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=201 And ask, "just wondering if the program falls under the council of graduate studies' April 15th resolution?"

joro, I agree. Could you go there and literally sit outside their office until they will meet with you and SUBMIT the letter to ALL the schools? (You can say something like, "oh, I'll just wait. Let me know when you're done.") That's what I had to do with one of my LOR writers. I know it's hard to do, but this person may be ruining your chances--not to mention for the SECOND year in a row--and it's not uncalled for to get quite aggressive.

I think it depends. One of my profs insisted that when we're doing our lab work, we call her by her first name. But in class etc, I call her "Dr." Otherwise, if they don't insist on it, yes, you would use their title. Depends on the environment/culture.

I went to undergrad intending to be a math major, also felt it was something I was good at and enjoyed, but found it wasn't for me for many of the reasons you list. Primarily, I ran into the same thing you are: professors don't really go over the basics, and you end up teaching yourself. I find that many of them are just mathematical geniuses, NOT great teachers, and they expect us to be at the same level of them, or already be really comfortable with the material (um, how is that possible if I've never taken this class before??). In doing equations in my Calc III class, I realized (after reviewing my notes and the material) that the professor was skipping (crucial) steps in his examples. I guess he was assuming we would just fill in the gaps. I did great in Calc I & II, then just tripped up in Calc III with that bad prof, and unfortunately I gave up on my math pursuits after that. I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you. You are definitely NOT alone. The fact that you're struggling at first doesn't make you bad at math or not cut out for it. Like you said, you are probably just playing catch up with your classmates--and dealing with less-than-stellar teachers (math is not exactly the most easily self-taught subject)--and it might take some extra work on your part early in the process, but things should get easier as each semester progresses (not the material, but just you as compared to peers & your ability to handle everything). The only tip I can think of besides just trying to study/review the material as much as possible before class is to see if you can get someone to help/tutor you. Maybe a fellow student who is knowledgeable & GOOD at explaining and breaking things down. For me, once I got a concept, I was good--it clicked. I could then know how to work those problems, and while I still might run into some confusion with specific problems, getting a basic grasp on the concepts, from someone who could explain them to me and answer my questions, was the biggest factor in improving my abilities. (This person SHOULD be the teacher, IMO, but what can you do.) And P.S. a "B" is really not bad...it depends on your program, but my grad school professor always says "nobody cares what you get in grad school" (as long as you meet standards & keep your funding, if applicable--or if you plan on later applying to PhD program). Good luck!!

I agree that in most cases, it will probably be fine (and if it was just a few minutes due to server overload, there should be some leeway). However, I have heard of some super competitive programs where if anything is submitted after the deadline, the app isn't considered, or put at the bottom of the pile (even if LORs are what is late)...it allows them to weed people out and cut down on the number of applicants they have to consider. Of course, they'll still cash your payment. In Donald Asher's book, there was a quote from an admin committee member, who said that they take the money but won't consider the application. One of my programs was very clear that their deadline was 5pm EST, and everything absolutely had to be in by then (even though they wouldn't look at them til the new year). They actually said something to the effect that "if your completed application--including all supplemental materials, LORs, transcripts, GRE scores--is not in our hands at the deadline on December 15, we will not consider your application." Ouch. I think that's the exception rather than the rule though.

Hmm good question. This is just my take: I think technically it should be "has," since grounding is singular. The sentence implies that educational & professional grounding in history and educational & professional grounding in law have provided you with the skills, not separately...I think if you wanted to make them distinct, you would need to reword it as something like "my educational grounding in history and professional experiences in law have provided me with the skills..." if you wanted to impart them as 2 separate things.

I agree with many of you in this discussion regarding the exorbitant cost of the GRE and the discriminatory nature of it. The GRE has been known to show an achievement gap based on SES, ethnicity, and in some areas, gender. The gap isn't as great as it is with the SAT, but it's still there. (The GRE also has been shown to predict graduate grades by only 9%, but that's another issue.) However, I think it's a mistake for anybody to say, "anyone can spend a little bit of money and do well on the GRE" as if to imply everyone has equal opportunity. That's precisely part of the problem, that spending hundreds/thousands of dollars (that some don't have) can improve your score. How is that a measure of aptitude? And it's completing ignoring a plethora of data on how SES and other contextual variables of one's life can affect how individuals do on these standardized tests, despite extra studying and training. I'm middle class and have been relatively privileged, attending good public schools and parents who read to me, never had to worry about where my next meal was coming from, could focus on school, etc. But if I didn't have this--and was in a different type of situation that a lot of other students are in--I don't think I would have done as well as I did (I didn't do fabulously either, despite a lot of studying; I'm smart, but not brilliant on standardized tests). The existence of the achievement gap is one reason why affirmative action is still in place in graduate admissions, in addition to the need for diversity. I don't know what the solution is--the GRE does allow admissions committees to compare apples to apples--but what if we're all just pears, kumquats, and grapes, and they're just forcing this artificial standard?

$535.12 (For 5 programs, and even one was a free app; post office, transcripts, GRE score order)

100% ditto.

Heh I used some contractions in my personal statement...on purpose. Maybe I'm the crazy one, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

joro, I'm so sorry. I can't believe this person has done this to you TWO years in a row. (I remember seeing that on one of your earlier posts.) Is there anyway to constantly bug them today to get it done? If your schools enforce the deadline when it comes to LORs, and won't consider your app if it's late, I don't think it's uncalled for if you were to put some serious, serious pressure on this writer...especially after last year, and he/she guaranteed you they would get it done this year before the deadline.

Haha this prompted me to google myself under search terms I assume they might use (just name, location and/or colleges attended)...and just realized that facebook publicly posts pages you're a fan of! Good to know now in case I decide to change my privacy settings

blankets, I'm fairly certain they get sent all scores, so it doesn't really matter. If the application only allows one entry, perhaps put the most recent, but those are unofficial results, so they're going to be looking at both anyway on the official score report. Rarely is there a set published policy on how they look at them (only the recent one? an average?), and since the AW is so funky anyway, I don't think this is an issue for you.

I don't see the problem with basing graduate school applications/acceptances on location. True, if you're in a really specific research area--or if you're really set on going to a top-ranked program--there are probably only a few places that "fit." But at least for me, there are SO MANY programs across the country I could see myself be happy at and do research in my area. Maybe I'm just in a popular field with a lot of relevant research going on and professors I could see myself working with. I actually am limited by geography at the moment, so perhaps I'm biased, and maybe "fit" is better known once you visit there in person...but I think geography is a legitimate concern and consideration regarding PhD programs.

I agree...I really don't think you have much to worry about. My guess would be most people print on normal white paper, and there's almost always an admin person putting things into a certain format before the adcom even sees it. In terms of the postcard, you should be fine. If they've asked for a postcard, and you've addressed it to yourself, they should figure it out. On mine, I wrote the name of the university, and "all application materials have been received and processed" (heh the "processed" part may be wishful thinking.) You could put "please drop in mail." But honestly, I don't think it matters what you put on there. Just make sure it's addressed to you and has a stamp on it. Some admin person will just end up sticking it in the mail.

I see the SOP and personal statement as slightly different. My personal statement was about 1/3 about my experiences and skills gained (both work and educational, in my case) that led to my research interest and desire to pursue a PhD; the second 2/3 discussed previous research experience, with one last paragraph about fit and some future directions I would like to take regarding my research if accepted to that program. So maybe if you could keep what you have, but edit it and add a paragraph in the beginning about what got you to this point/skills you have built/etc, and make it a bit more of a "narrative." If you're short on ideas what to write, perhaps brainstorm on events in your life or milestones that have had an impact on you. Even if they don't seem relevant, thinking of these various things might give you an idea on what to write about. To answer your question, I would say "yes," this does apply to any general life experience. However, it should be relevant to some aspect of your graduate study--i.e. helped your research skills, got you interested in your field of study, etc. Also, you probably already know this, but it's perfectly acceptable, and encouraged, to use "I" and discuss things in the first person. It's good for the tone to be both conversational and professional, so keep the writing natural, and you should be fine. Some people advise against using contractions- e.g., "was not" versus "wasn't." However, I found that for me, my personal statement had better flow when I did use them, especially since I was talking in the first person, but that's just me (and I used them sparingly). Otherwise I don't think there are any "rules" you need to follow, just have others look over it. You can't force your "voice" to come through, but if you're honest and add that personal touch, the adcom will see that in your statement. Also, Donald Asher's "Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way into the Graduate School of Your Choice" is a good source. Good luck!

There are a lot of good options off campus in better parts of the city, though, if you were interested in that.

Haha right on! I've been dreaming about what it would be like to get my ivy league acceptance, how I would tell people, and how I would be on cloud 9. (Or, frankly, how happy I will be if I get any acceptances). It's more fun to think about than stressing over the waiting.

I've noticed that in my field, it seems only the "top" PhD programs publish acceptance rates, usually in the 8-10% range. (I know other disciplines can be even lower, I've seen 1-3% on here, which is just insane!) It got me thinking, though, about the lower-ranked programs. They don't seem to publish their acceptance stats, and they just say that admission is "highly competitive." This leads me to believe that they probably have a higher acceptance rate than top programs, since they clearly get less applicants, though still have a decent number of slots. I'm just trying to figure out how high they could be...15%? 20%? 30% or more? (Or is this just wishful thinking...) I have no idea; I can't find any stats online. I know that it's highly discipline, school, program, specialization within the program, and even individual faculty specific. I know you guys probably don't know either, just curious what others think about this. (Translation: I need something to think about during the waiting period, even though I'll never really know the answer )

No, they're not off, those percentiles sound about right. Yes, your scores are compared with everyone who has taken the GRE (in the past 5 years I believe). This allows the admissions committee to compare you to all applicants. 590 verbal really isn't bad at all. In a way, you actually did "better" on that than on your quant, since you're in a higher percentile. The GRE is just weird like that; the quant is easier to ace. (Though I am surprised you're only in the 80th percentile with a 780 quant, unless the test percentages have been updated lately. In October, I was in the 78th percentile with a score of 730, so things must have changed.) I can't imagine computer science programs caring that much about your verbal or AW scores. Your verbal is good anyway, and it's generally accepted that the AW isn't the best measure of writing ability, and 4.5 isn't bad either. For CS, I would think that they'll just be happy to see that 780 quant. In my humble opinion, you don't have anything to worry about. Your GRE scores are good!

I have to agree with Pamphilia. I went into the process thinking it would be easy (oh how was I proven wrong). I thought, "I've already taken my GREs, I don't need to submit a writing sample, just fill out some applications and write an essay." Even for those of us who don't have to submit a writing sample (which goodness, I can't even imagine how much extra work that would be), making sure you do the proper research on the programs, contacting professors at the programs, coordinating with LOR writers, writing about 20 drafts of your personal statement, creating/perfecting the resume, etc etc DOES take up a lot of time. Yes, I probably over-stressed myself, and worry too much, but most of that work was necessary--to get into programs, we have to be thorough. Not to mention the issue that most of us have a lot of other things going on in our lives...jobs, full-time students, etc, which is why there is a lot of stress/strain on time with this application process.