the_sheath

What's your cv look like in terms of math? Coursework? Have you gotten good rec letters lined up? How about the mGRE? Are you looking for funded Masters programs? Research experience of any kind? Coding experience of any kind? Math minor gpa? Where do you plan to work?

Wait but classes start on the 2nd? We have a day of training?

Regarding your parents' insurance: Make sure you can actually use it wherever it is that you're going. Certain insurance companies aren't contracted in a lot of places out of state or in a different area of the state (unless on an emergency basis), so if you end up attempting to use it, you may find yourself with a bill of several thousand dollars. I work in healthcare, and know full well that there is a possibility that you can be seen and have procedures done with this sort of thing going unnoticed. Your program/school may not be the place to contact about this.

Oh yeah, my pleasure. This exact topic is posted fairly frequently, so I think I'll just keep linking if someone else hasn't done so first.

That's actually pretty common, or at least as far as I can tell. You may have a bit of trouble if your application (coursework/research) doesn't match--but it doesn't sound like that would e a problem. "Switching" to another university is pretty common too. Even if you're in a PhD program and get a terminal masters, this is usually fine, within reason (i.e. bad fit or different research interests or different area of study).

I dunno how common it is, but I do know that a few schools do it. I've heard UCLA does it (or rather, I heard of a more personal case where someone offered a PhD applicant admission to masters after the 15th deadline). UW-Seattle did it for me for applied mathematics. I think it depends. But these offers, due to them being masters programs, aren't usually funded. Some masters programs (e.g. the applied math/CS thing at Ohio State University) do offer funding. I think you should decide whether or not to apply to a PhD or an MS before applying. The better an idea that you have about what you're going to do, the better off you'll be. But failing that, you can always apply to MS and PhD programs. Also, an old professor told me that most PhD programs ward a terminal masters, so you don't have to go for the 6-years-or-nothing option. I.e. if you decide after 2 years that the PhD option is not for you, you can quit early with a masters. It's bad form to do this without ever having had any intention to do a PhD (which people would do if they wanted guaranteed funding), but it's definitely an out if you decide you can't stand it there. My tentative decision is for a PhD, but I say that because I don't really know what I'm getting into until I'm actually there, and things could change--so it's nice to have that out.

As usual, TakeruK has a much more eloquent and complete answer.

"Ask for an extension" seems like the better option. The other option, at least from what I gather from this forum, is a real bridge-burner.

You say you're flexible, but how much is versatility important to you and how much do you want to work in graph theory? I personally would go for ICME, but that's because of how vital that versatility is for me. The fact that Stanford doesn't have anyone in the field you want to work in sounds like a red flag, so whether or not that is so to you depends on how flexible you actually are. That, and how much you value ranking/prestinge over your research interests. I think the general rule is go for the funding, and if that's secure, go for the research over the prestige. Of course that can vary though (e.g. I don't really have super specific research interests, so prestige weighs in a lot more). Curious, why would accepting the masters and then moving be bad for the NSF GRFP? I'm not very familiar with it.

Don't we have TA training or something too?

Also, make sure the program allows you to come in with your own funding. Some programs explicitly forbid that.

Well people come in with their own funding pretty frequently. I wouldn't email unless you secured the funding though. Otherwise your uncertainty in funding is just about as good as theirs.

Steady state

OH GOD YES. I was accepted to two programs, and the one I had to turn down (UCSB) was suuuuuper friendly. THEY EVEN CHECKED IN ON ME AFTER THE VISIT TO ASK IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS. It felt really bad, because I definitely like the people there, and I even liked the program, and everything about the place was great. It just wasn't as good as the other place (UCSD). But it took hours to take the plunge and reject one school and accept the other. I know they have several qualified candidates and all, but STILL. UGH. They went through all that effort to persuade me to enter their program for NOTHING. And to know I had to make some other person feel the harsh sting of rejection, after having been on the rejected end not even one month prior? Feels bad.

It's official. I'm heading to UCSD!! PhD in math~ Move-in in September, I think?

Suggestions: "I regret to inform you that..." "There were several competitive offers, and I must decline appealing candidates..." "It's not you, it's me..." "I hope we can still be friends" How much sarcasm could you pack in there without burning any bridges that you aren't looking to burn?

Thanks, beccamayworth! Turns out I couldn't use lyft because no one seemed to be awake at like 1AM when I got there, and well, it was significantly more efficient to take the bus back. But the cab number was useful, and I'm almost certainly going to use that app (Lyft) in the future.

Hell no. I'm single and not ready to mingle. The reason why is that I've been there and done that and I know exactly what it's like to drop everything that I am for someone I "love". It ended up hurting her and destroying myself and I'm still picking up the pieces from that disaster. Don't drop everything, since a large part of that holds the relationship up.

divided differences

Yeah, so I'm from SoCal and there are certain places I can go and see a new attractive person every 10 seconds. I fully acknowledge this. I don't think it's bad to be flirty, since banter is fun and harmless. I honestly cannot see how flirting with absolutely no intent to pursue from either side is inherently morally bad. Unless you're insecure or on a high horse, I guess.

Partial derivative

Time derivative

If you've got some form of work study, it should be possible to get a part time job. But since your international, I don't know if federal aid is available to you at all. It is fairly difficult to get a job on campus without work study (since those of us who had work study were cheaper), but I would recommend it if you can. Are you allowed to get a part time job? I'm not sure if you're here on a visa, but if you are, I think there may be certain restrictions depending on the visa type, and you may want to look into that. Also, your program may have restrictions on whether or not you can get a job at all, and how much time you're allowed for that job. You are technically there to learn, after all. As for saving money, I'd suggest living a but further from campus and with roommates (rent is cheaper the further you are from campus, unless you're in Santa Monica or something) and cooking instead of eating out (I do not recommend the stereotypical grad student ramen diet).

Nono, I'm definitely intrigued. The problem at the moment is that I'm going to be coming in at midnight, so the availability of a lyft car might be unlikely. Do they service SD after midnight?

Hmmm...safer you say? I've heard of lyft (well, sorta, but up until now it was just known to me as "the thing with the mustache cars"), but I thought it would be random people who sorta volunteer to give rides. What's unsafe about cabs? What makes Uberx and lyft safer?