peachypie

Business casual is always the best bet. nice pants that aren't jeans but don't need to be suiting wear or anything.

Most correspondences i have received have been in mid-afternoon to later in the day except for a phone call for my interview invite which was at the beginning of the day. all my acceptances have been afternoon contact. best of luck, it is better not to think about it if you can keep distracted throughout the day that is best.

1. most gpa requirements fall into the above a 3.0 as long as you do that you have a decent chance imo especially if you have things such as research along the way. it does say something that you went to a higher ranked school. i know a dgs who asked me about where i went to school and was satisfied to know i went to a competitive school, this can also explain a lower gpa. you also say that you hope and plan to achieve a's for the remaining courses. that is great. grad schools love to see your momentum. getting good grades now is more important than getting good grades before. keep that up and it will speak volumes on your transcript. many schools will judge you on a whole profile and not get fixated on a number, many but not all. be wise in which schools you apply to and what they say are their requirements and some schools say you can be lacking in one of the areas as long as you can show through the rest of your profile that this is an anomaly and not the norm. 2. it shows dedication and determination that you have continued to pursue education. Graduate school isn't exactly about going through as fast as possible its tough and they like to see you have the ability to persevere. that is a positive you can highlight. 3. I really don't know what the consequence of a high school diploma compared to a ged is but i would hope that the rest of your profile can speak for you. practice for the gre and do well. This again will help supplement any doubts of gpa as well as show that a ged vs diploma is a non-factor. My best advice is capitalize on everything you can now and show how strong of an applicant you are. try hard to do real research and get what you can out of it, this is a bigger asset for any graduate program where you'll be doing research. You have no reason not to try in my opinion. You sound like you have drive and ambition. the idea here is to keep in mind that you have assets other people don't have, and its important to recognize the maturity and growth that you have. great research can help you rise above your weak points. also going back and trying to work on your weak points does. if you feel something looks weak now think about what you can do to show that is not the case. retake a course? do well on gre? whatever you think is: "eh i really don't feel great about this" and find something you can do now that can make you feel like: "i don't feel great about this BUT i did this to show i can do better than that" best of luck!

i think at this point all you can do is wait unfortunately. try channeling any of your anxious feelings into productive things like cleaning, working out, reading, studying, plan some activities with friends. You really just need something to distract you until you hear something. i wouldn't call the chair since I'm not sure what it would exactly do. best of luck though, I know its tough.

The ways i like to cut some of my spending is to forego things like cable for just internet. use gyms at the school or work. cook almost all my meals at home and bring a lunch. Find free or cheap entertainment things to do. Its all about making sacrifices where you can, if you want to live in a nicer place or without roommates you'll have to make cuts somewhere else so pick what you would like and work with that. plan out your stipend and before you sign a lease figure out what you can afford while allowing for food/gas/emergency funds/entertainment/ etc. Maybe look at what you spend for the next month and just tally what you spend money on and where it goes and that can serve as a basis. if entertainment is taking up 40% of your expenses you probably are doing too much pricey stuff. Look at some budget plans for ideas of what your breakdown for expenditures should be. Here is a pretty cookie cutter budget guide to get an idea of where to start (adjust as needed). http://money.msn.com/how-to-budget/how-much-should-you-spend-on-weston.aspx good financial planning early can really do wonders for your stress and down the road.

I'm really confused how the PhD program doesn't do direct admits, how were you able to apply? Honestly unless you can be guaranteed a fully funded MA and also a definite acceptance in the PhD program following either a few semesters or full completion then i would consider the second choice school that has given you option. Otherwise I'd go with the PhD fully funded program that assures you A. the degree you want and B. without a cost to you. I'm a little hesitant how a school can basically make you pay for an MA just to get into a funded program, seems like a program that isn't considering its students best interests to me. I am not sure of the ranking or foundation that the PhD school allows you but you have to give credit to them to offer you the degree you want without questions. don't be afraid to ask questions especially when I think you SHOULD investigate further as to that program and find out what it all really means.

0. and just about to start grad school and i don't anticipate taking out a loan for that with my stipends.

No reason not to try for a PhD. I'd say you should keep your sets on that and plan accordingly. good luck!

I think if they say your application goes back in the pile that is exactly what they do. I don't know why they would need to "protect themselves" in case you didn't get in. They have every right to make the decision as they see fit and you aren't promised anything just because you are an MA student there or that you asked them if you get any special consideration. Many times they don't take students from masters into phd in the same program at the same school because as geodude says they like to have a bit more diversity of ideas. It can go either way more inclined or in fact less inclined. there is no way to tell but I'd take what they say as what they mean.

Did the coordinator actually say that you were not wait listed? Did they clarify what/if any status you were? There is definitely still a shot since you haven't been rejected at this point. I know it is agonizing but try to keep yourself distracted for the next week or two and then you'll know for sure. I don't know enough about the acceptance/application for that program so I can't speak to the odds at this time. again watching the historical data would probably be your best indicator at this time.

Some schools give you a relocation, one of the schools that I was accepted offered a 500 relocation fee for out of state residents. However, i would think it would be very difficult to ask and receive for one when a school already does not provide it. You might have to try to figure out a very cheap way to get there or possibly (and I know this isn't ideal) do a short term loan until your first stipends come in...sorry to hear its not easy. Maybe you can talk to the department and see when you can receive your stipend upon enrollment and see if there is a way to get one earlier or before you arrive? Hope for the best for you.

I have heard most things on Thursdays and Fridays regarding both interview invites and acceptances.

First question: I wouldn't contact them to update the resume. I would bring a resume with any interviews or mention your internship in any communication you might have. Your bonus question: I don't think it has any affect unless you tweet something stupid and then I think it would be negative, maybe if they knew you were applying and could figure it out.

I can't speak for all micro/immuno but this is pretty late in the application season to apply. Most official offers will be given out shortly if they havent already (micro/immuno is an earlier field) and typically you will accept by 4/15 for the following fall. Masters you may have more luck, but I applied for PhD so I am not so certain about the masters timeline. I would strongly consider getting ready to do applications in fall of 2014 for admit into fall of 2015. Best of luck.

Wouldn't worry about it for now. Just wait until you hear back. I got into schools (PhD) in which I didn't contact anyone ahead of time. It is not a necessity but can be nice if you have the time and have a very specific person you are interested in talking with. Again better to do it before apps and not deadlines and not after. Good luck rest easy!

It is unfortunate if you can't tell them. Mine were well aware and were happy/excited to let me go. I'd ask for time off if I could. Calling in sick for an interview is kind of shady. I used to work and knew someone who interviewed at a job and called in sick the day I later found out they were interviewing...it didn't look the best on their part. Do what you can I suppose. Ask for two Fridays off in a row will look suspect either way, so it may end up being better to just tell them whats going on. you don't have to go to specifics you can say you are traveling to talk to a prof about possibly going to school or something like that. Not like I'm planning on leaving soon.

I guess there were some issues, I can't say since I don't know who or what caused it, all i know is one day it was gone and what i figured out was that much. there is another post/topic about this shortly after it went down. If I can find it I can link you to it.

Yeah it has been down for awhile since there were issues with complaints and people. The mods took it off. there is an alternate chat that people have been using. I believe someone said they posted it on GC somewhere recently with the website and info.

Pretty sure they want to have received it all by then and not necessarily processed it. Normally you want your actual application in, your LORs should be in by then although those don't even have to be, and your GRE unofficials or official should be sent and on their way (usually pretty fast anyway). Transcripts as well. Other than that, you are good to go. Best of luck, sounds like if you had everything started or submitted by the deadline it should all be there when they are ready to process it. Best of luck!

The status of the person writing your LOR is important. I would try for the professor if you can over the postdoc. Are the other LORs from higher up profs as well? A prof should still write you the LOR even if you don't interact daily they should at least have an indication of things you've been doing and can speak to your abilities.

I'm a badger alum and i won't be offended by that. But Wisconsin is a great school and i don't think you'd be disappointed education wise, and there are a lot of NY natives who go there (at least for undergrad). Have you visited these programs both? What is the difference in funding at each school? how important is funding to you in your decision? these are the things you should consider and will ultimately lead you to the program that best fits you. Best of luck.

I can't really speak to a specific program or school. What I can say it is worth a shot to improve yourself. Have you been working and achieving good success in your field outside of school while also going back to take classes? I graduated with not the BEST gpa in the world but I went back and aced a few courses while I worked and though in my field it mattered less over time and more about what you had been doing it was a great plus to be able to say see I know I'm ready and I can do it because I went back and did just fine now. I'd say take those classes and do well in them, you cant upgrade by doing the same or a bit better, you have to excel to show there is a marked difference. I'd also try to talk to someone on an adcom in your field maybe even at your current locale and see what they say. Be completely upfront and say what can I do that will improve my competitiveness as an applicant. You can explain your ongoing illness or anxiety issues in a SOP if necessary and if you feel that you are now able to better handle or that portion of your life is over. Like I said, my gpa was not blowing anyone away but the rest of my profile did. I got an acceptance to a dream school for me that isn't easy to get into at all. It can happen but you have to be ready to do what it takes if you really want it. Best of luck and feel free to PM if you want any specifics answered.

I think it is fair to contact them at this point and touch base and say you are still very interested in the school and was wondering when people would be contacted for interviews or decisions. If it was due Dec. 1st chances are they've had time to review students by now and so I don't think it is too early to ask over 2 months after the deadline. If you are comfortable waiting then that is fine. You can also start to decline offers from the ones you know you arent interested in over the ones you May be interested in. Where does this later school rank in regards to your others with interviews/offers as of now?

I honestly would still consider going just in case you are swayed more in person than you think you will be. you get a much better feel from a visit than you do a website. It is always better to have additional information and options to make the best informed decision. I would encourage you to still take the visit if you can make it work. have you been accepted officially by your preferred school B?

So far I've been hearing back about a week or within 2 weeks of my interviews. Depending on if they had additional interview weekends after mine or not. You'll hear when you do, so until then just try to relax and distract yourself. The news will be coming. Best of luck!