nadimishka

Yeah..... I just called.... I didn't get in sad but I know their program for forensics is super competitive. At least it's a decision, I guess. Here's hoping I get some good news from one of the other schools...

Thanks!!! I'll try this tomorrow. Here's hoping it doesn't look too bad that I'm trying to switch things out after the deadline.

Phew, okay! Thanks a bunch!! My heart attack has stopped now. Still going to call them tomorrow though!!!

Ecologaia, are you the poster on the results for UFlorida Ph.D.?? I also applied there (forensics) and just checked the website and it changed and now says they "use a decentralized process to increase faculty involvement in admissions decisions" and to contact the department directly. Which of course means I will no longer sleep tonight. Super worried cause I have NOTHING in my email.

Ah. See my problem is this- how in the world am I supposed to fit everything that should be on a CV (but can't be because they don't want it) plus my thesis research plus my dissertation plans plus my career goals plus why I chose Tulane in 500 words? Seems slightly impossible to me. Help?

Any other UTK forensic applicants losing their minds out there? I called the department for a timeline and they're saying apps are coming out of the committee and about to be making their rounds through the subfield professors. Should expect to hear something by end of February/first week of March. Said to call if nothing by the end of the first week of March. Also was told they received around 160 applications for MA and PhD. Just a heads up!

Fellow applicant here! I'm a forensics gal though. Yeah... I totally missed anything about a 500 word limit... my SOP was almost 1500 words... oops. They didn't have anything specifically on the anthro website about a word limit though so I'm going to take that as a good sign.

Well! 1. The professor who started the program not only completely revolutionized the field, but the lecture I attended in high school that he gave is the whole reason I ended up in my field. 2. It's in my hometown, where my Dad lives and where my brother is in undergrad, and with two kids it would mean I was just switching my support network around, as I have my mom and grandmother here. 3. The resources they have are PHENOMENAL. Absolutely perfect for what I want to do. 4. The faculty that I've met (I've done a field course and an internship there) are super invested in your success. 5. Most/all PhD's are fully funded, and the first year funding is practically free money, as they don't require any work so you can focus on the program.

Most of the results I've been seeing are for straight STEM fields. I'm in Anthro and for my Masters it took till the beginning of March. I'm going off of a relative timeline based on app deadlines (based on previous applications since I'm going for the phd this round). From all schools I applied to, it took approximately 1 1/2 months for a reply and none of my schools do interviews (that I'm aware of). Therefore, a Dec 1 deadline puts you at the beginning of February (gotta account for the break), Jan 15 puts you at beginning of March, and so on. I might just be making up bullshit in my head but I hate waiting, need structure in my life, and I am seriously losing my mind.

The people who have told me about multiple score submits didn't say why per se, they just said it looks bad, though mostly when you're doing consecutive retakes, usually because there's not a significant score difference and it makes you look like you're trying too hard for a score you can't get. If there's a year or more between the scores that's more acceptable. Scenario- if you take the GRE the first time, and submit your scores, then take it again and submit your scores, the schools will still have access to the other scores. For example, the schools that I'm applying to for my PhD that I also applied to my Masters still show my previous GRE score submits from 2 years ago although my retake in December is shown first.

Honestly, there's no way to win either way. I'm 25, have two kids, and am going from Masters to PhD and people are like "what about the kids? Don't you miss out on a lot of stuff? You won't even start a career till their pre-teens!" -.- like I'm not already aware of this. Some of my faves- "So when are you going to grow up and join the real world? You can't go to school forever you know" "You're a grad assistant? But that's not a real job, right?" "Don't worry about it. It's not like there are a ton of people trying to get PhD's. I mean everyone gets in right?" Sometimes when I meet someone and the "grad-school-heading-to-PhD" convo comes up they just stare at me awkwardly and then end the conversation quickly......... it's weird.

The GRE is more like the SAT without a guessing penalty, but honestly there's no comparison. The GRE is a monster within itself. IMO, the GRE tests how good you are at taking the GRE, not your math or verbal skills. Majority of questions are logic-based. Basically you need to get a Kaplan, Magoosh, Princeton, whatever review book and practice the tricks they give for solving the problems. They also give you good tips to avoid traps, i.e. on the quantitative comparison questions, if you have an equation that doesn't specify whether the numbers involved are positive or negative, then your answer will always be D (not enough information) because the answer could be positive or negative and would change the column values. The GRE is a tricky little beast, and the more practice tests you take the better. Figuring out how to avoid traps and answer everything in the time constraints is harder than the actual material.

I actually just turned in new scores after the deadline- app was due Dec 1st but my GRE was on the 4th. I contacted the head of the ad-com and was informed to leave the score section on the app blank and just have ETS send them my scores. I self-reported my scores to them about a week after the exam (my AWA came in pretty quick) and they said that was sufficient enough to review my app but it would be "formally" completed once they received the scores from ETS. So I'd say just contact the DGS or ad-com chair and let them know what's up. Communication is the most important thing. I don't know where you heard that it takes six weeks for them to get your scores though. My schools had them two weeks after I took the exam. Oh, the beauty of computer based testing!

Nadimishka is a nickname I picked up in Russian class. My name was Nadiegda, and one of the first things I brought to class was a jar of "myod", which is honey. Honey led to a discussion of Winnie the Pooh, and someone said honey bear- "mishka" is bear, so nadimishka (Nadi bear) I became. My avatar.... I love King Julien. He is one of my most favorite animated characters ever, and I like to think this lemur is channeling its inner diva. Even super awesome dancing lemurs like to rest every once in a while.

Wow this thread went in a much different direction than I expected when I clicked on it. I don't know who in the world decided that having a child in grad school is irresponsible. Bad timing, yes. Stressful? Definitely. OP is getting ready to go down a lifelong road (contrary to the whole 18-year theory- who here HASN'T needed their parents for something after turning 18??). OP, you are not irresponsible. You are making the best of it. You are going to bring a mini-you into the world who will make you laugh, cry, scream, smile, and every emotion in between. It's pretty awesome actually. Speaking as the (obviously SUPER irresponsible) single mother of two (4 and 2 yo) girls, I can tell you I wish even now that I had the stability that you seem to. I was a sophomore in undergrad when I got pregnant the first time, and a senior the second (and GASP, I was on birth control! Using it the right way! Shocking!). I graduate with my MS in May and am applying for a PhD. You are a million light years ahead of where I was on every level, and I've managed to make it this far, so you guys will probably make the most stable and adorable family ever. You all sound more than capable of raising a child. Kids happen when they happen. Prevention only goes so far. If I didn't have my girls, I don't even know if I would be where I'm at right now. I have motivation and determination to finish that's bigger than me. It's not just my life here, it's theirs too. Once you have your little one you will understand. They just make you want to excel even more. I will consider my life a success if my kids look back and are proud of me. You can do this!!! Congratulations!!!!!! Now, feeding time- Pinkster, you are making yourself look like an ignorant, uneducated fool. Have fun in la la land where everything is sunshine and roses and you, my special and unique snowflake, have everything so perfectly laid out and planned. Those of us in reality won't judge too hard when the sh*t eventually hits the fan for you, because that's life. I feel sorry for you. My life may not be easy, but I have two beautiful children who look at me like I'm their whole world. I will sit here with my love and happiness, and pity those who feel the need to make themselves feel better by shaming and degrading others who have more love surrounding them than they do. Hope you like your career, because with that personality, it's probably going to be the only thing that you'll be able to hold on to in your life. Shame on you for taking a thread that was supposed to be uplifting and affirming and turning it into a self centered rant on how you're better than the rest of the world.