orthogonalcode

I demand full transparency because 1) Berkeley is a public university which is funded by taxpayers' money. So the "I reject you because I can" response is not acceptable. They need to provide equal opportunity based on merits. I am not seeing that here. There are very clear rules and regulations. They asked for a minimum CGPA of 3.0 and a general GRE (no minimum score required). I look at university application as a kind of peer review. If you reject me, you need to give convincing reasons. If you claim that there are more qualified candidates, you shouldn't have any problem disclosing the data (of course, not the private info, but what exactly do you mean by more qualified). 2) I paid an application fee. You are offering a paid service. I am the customer and you are obliged to respond to my enquiries. 
 
About the "I am better than this class" argument: I attended an Asian university, so believe me when I say that a large portion of or class had 4.0 CGPA. How did they manage to do that? I give you an example, we were taking a programming course. 50% of the marks were based on assignments. Virtually none of the students developed the algorithms and wrote the programs on their own. They simply got a copy from senior student and submitted it. They were kind enough to send me a copy as well. However I refused to do the same. I tried to develop my own program. It was only partially functional, but hey it was working. I got C+, everybody else got A. When I told the lecturer that I expected him to value my original work, he didn't care. Another example, we were taking an optimization course, I developed my own algorithm and achieved 96% correlation, everybody else copied the algorithm from the notes (developed by the professor). They got 99% correlation. I ended up getting A- and everybody else got A.One more:  In the Robotics class, my friend and I were the only people who actually solved the equations, rather than memorizing the answer. We never managed to finish answering 8 questions in 1 hour (even the professor knew there were too many questions, so he actually gave the answer a week before so everyone could memorize). Everybody else got A, we got B. I don't regret any of this. Now if you think i am arrogant, well good for you. I believe in doing science in a meaningful and productive way. I was nearly getting an F for not following the lecturer's instructions in a class. He taught us only basic HTML and CSS, I used advanced Javascript and AJAX in my website. He told me I was trying to make him look bad in front of the class! Is that how we are educating our students nowadays? We want them to be mindless slaves? Call me a bad "student", but you can't do that to me. 
 
About SOP and LOR: It's not applicable here. As I said, I only applied because the professor was interested in my work and his collaborator/ ex-post-doc invited me to. Besides, in all my papers, I am the corresponding author. LOR normally applies to those who have been working in a group as a student, so they need some sort of endorsement from the PI in the group. In my case, I was the PI myself and I have students. 
 
I only applied to 1 program because I already have 2 jobs (paid scientist by day, unpaid entrepreneur after working hours). PhD is only a title which is already carried by millions of people. I was only hoping to have easy access to the equipment. I even offered to bring my own funding for a joint research project. 
 
I guess when they were reading my SOP, they thought it was too good to be true!

Who could be angry with you? We're thrilled that your parents have decided to make your tuition money available in a competitive scholarship right here on Grad Cafe!

I hear the adcomm includes those aunts you still haven't mailed thank-you notes to...

Better start polishing that SOP!

Sure, I don't disagree that tests are silly. Hell, even grades are silly. I got a linguistics degree and then pursued a computer science degree later on. I had linguistics and language/English professors who said standardized tests were silly because math and arbitrary vocabulary doesn't say anything about your comprehension, creativity and writing ability. I've also had computer science professors who said grades are silly because you can have a 4.0 and still be a shitty programmer. But it's silly to say "screw a school" because they have some kind of minimum cutoff. Schools don't know you. No matter how special you might think you are. They need to have some kind of standard. Accepting students is really just a guessing game. There's really no way to know who will come in and excel. They need something to look at. Grades, test scores, writing samples, recommendations. I can't hate a school for having some kind of requirement. I might be bitter if a low this or a low that kept me out, but I can't blame them. 

This is so incedibly rare and true only because the scholar wanted to study that ish. If that chick came in wanting to do quantitative studies on literary authors, then yea i guess she shud know math, but is probably going to have a hell of a time being accepted anywherr with that interest.
She wil do....no math at all.

And on the topic of ppl ad comms wud do this or if i were on an ad comm it will raise a red flag that. You are not on ad comms. You are not even close to being on one. You are just a graduate student. That is it. And even worse, you are not even an English graduate student, so why should ppl who score low on math and study English listen to you?

Chicago chick! No worries. Like I said before I got a 140. Months later, I now have TWO acceptances from top 30 schools and i havent even heard back from several other programs yet. The gre is such bullcrap and so overblown. If a school rejects u for ur score--math or english--id say screw them. I wudnt wanna invest in a program that places so much emphasis on tests. Ive never believed tests were in anyway indicative of anything. And if a program does, then that program is not for me.

I certainly think they can! I am a mathematician but I love reading and writing. Intellectual curiousity should branch out to all fields! If I were reviewing applications I certainly would not want to see someone completely disregard the quant section. At least put some effort in, you know?

Hey guys,
I am wondering what people think my chances are of getting into a Clinical Psychology PhD program. I just submitted my applications and haven’t heard anything. I have a 2.76 GPA and a 3.0 in Psychology. I have some brief research experience but unfortunately I had to quit because it interfered with my pledge week responsibilities (I’m in a fraternity).  I have some relevant clinical experience giving my frat brothers advice when they had drank too much, which was pretty frequent. My GRE scores are 148/151 and a 3.5 on writing. The president of our fraternity was one of my reccommenders and I think he probably had some pretty great things to say. I also had a professor write me one whose class I got a 3.5 in so I can imagine that one was pretty good as well. I currently DJ at a local bar on campus. I have to be very emotionally aware of what songs people want to hear. I talked a lot about this in my personal statement. I also watch Dr. Phil and Criminal Minds, so I have a pretty good grasp on how the mind works and what would make a good counselor. So wut do u guys think? Again, I’m kind of freaking out here, so any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

It's a classic behavior modification technique. Need someone at an event at 7pm? Know they are always an hour late? Tell them the party is at 6pm.
 
The same concept applies to reccomenders. They have solidified notions in their heads that they can turn in their letter late.. because some places allow it.. but it's not like they research if the school you're applying to allows it. So while they're doing what they do.. you could end up thoroughly screwed over.
 
So you lie... you lie for the greater good. You tell them YOUR deadlines for the LOR and set your benchmarks to check in and see how progress is going, to touch base, to see if there's any questions you can answer and if there's more information you can provided.
 
And then, 2-3 weeks before the actual deadline you'll get your letter - minimal stress. Still, a week after the faux-deadline you set up, but well before the school deadline.
 
This is the practical and pragmatic way to approach get a LOR. Asking, waiting, replying on a prof to be professional and do what they say they will.. is an effort in futility most of the time. This forum exists as nothing more than a constant reminder of the stress, panic, and anxiety the "old way" has caused.
 
Save yourself the heartbreak and do it the new way.

Grow up.

Can I take a moment and be honest with you Eigen?
 
While I feel that leaving my response to you with just a snide remark - fitting of the offensively smug superiority you use to address others - I want something to be perfectly clear. Lest you continue to have even the remotest inclination otherwise.
 
I think exceptionally little of you, your clique, and your ways. I think you'll amount to nothing, but worst of all think you've accomplished something. I think you'll make no mark on the world and die unknown, uninteresting, and as unappealing as a human being as ever. You've constructed this entire little world where butt-kissing and doing as your told is the right and righteous way of being and you tell other people to do so to stay within the good graces of your chosen peer set.
 
I'm just waiting for the day the real world gets ahold of you and does what it always does.
 
I don't doubt you can eat data and crap out conclusions so you're "good" at academia - but I seriously doubt you've ever learned anything and I would never believe any of your research work is going to amount to anything other than a gold star from your superior... which sadly is all you live for.
 
My attitude toward you and your equally rotten little cohorts is contempt - and it is "justified."

I certainly think they can! I am a mathematician but I love reading and writing. Intellectual curiousity should branch out to all fields! If I were reviewing applications I certainly would not want to see someone completely disregard the quant section. At least put some effort in, you know?