ginagirl

thanks- I want it so bad

I thought that too, but I thought maybe I would have been told that when I asked about my status. Instead I was told to "hang tight". I know this is sort of not worth discussing at so much length, I guess I'm just frustrated and getting discouraged. I know it's a hard process for them and I should be more understanding if it takes them time to get through everyone.

I wonder if that is a current Masters student who got internally accepted. Just a thought, being that I haven't seen anything else. I wasn't given the impression that there would be rounds of acceptances or rejections- the whole process was made to sound like it would be pretty quick. I'm in a tight spot though because they're my top choice right now, and I would like to know if they're going to just reject me. I am planning on going to UMN's accepted students weekend (for Masters), which is this weekend and would obviously not go if Hopkins accepted me. I still need to buy a plane ticket >.<

I emailed Hopkins Biostats last Friday inquiring about my status and I was told that they would have "more information early next week" (this week). They were closed on Monday, so I thought I would hear something Tuesday or yesterday but I haven't. Have you contacted the department at all? I can't believe its been nearly 5 weeks since the visit weekend.

I would say try to bring it up during the interview (I'm sure they will ask about your experience), and maybe ask as an aside if they would like you to send them an updated one.

I don't have any serious health issues, but in your shoes I would probably opt for school with the better coverage as well (especially since you said you like them pretty equally). I think if it would cause you serious financial strain and worry, it may negatively affect your academic performance. With good health coverage, you would be able to focus more energy on your academics.

I'm not sure what would be best, to be honest. It seems like you would have some time before the 25th anyway assuming you might hear back from other schools before then, and I'm wondering if you should just wait a bit longer before you ask for more time. I think if you do ask for any time at all, you should just ask for more time in general, and see what they come back with.

I think it sounds good but I would change "...I would appreciate your flexibility.." to "...I would appreciate any flexibility...". It's subtle but I think the latter sounds less assuming about them giving you an extension. But if you've already sent, I think either is really fine.

Sure sounds like a lot! Yes, don't forget to practice timed. I would say work on getting the right answers at first, and then increasingly try to get through the passages faster and faster, until you get up to the speed you need to finished timed passages accurately.

I would suggest the Manhattan GRE Reading Comp and Essays prep book. It gives tips for exactly the kind of assistance you need, and also gives you access to 6 full online tests (which I found helpful for more timed practice in these sections). Also, while taking the exam, I personally found it helpful to do the short passages and the vocabulary first, because I knew those were the quickest for me, and would give me the most chances to get correct answers. Then I would do the longer passages.

Ah, that stinks, but I would just let it go. It probably won't affect your application much either way, and if it were me, I wouldn't email.

I personally included papers I was acknowledged on, under a section titled "Contributions & Acknowledgements". I think as long as you aren't deceitful about your level of involvement, there is no harm in including them. I did a great amount of data collection and analysis for those publications, and although I wasn't an author I felt that is spoke to the caliber of work I was involved in. I think it is up to you whether or not you want to include it. I think also as most of us are early in our careers, it's not unlikely we haven't co-authored many (or any) papers. The more positive information you can provide, the better.

"Not excited" In response to an acceptance. Just made me smile

Well, I have no idea but I did notice that my online application now says "Final Official Transcript Upon Admission: Not Received" when it didn't before. Not sure if they do this for all applicants or not but..

Just discovered how great jigsaw puzzles are as a distraction tool. It's not food, it keeps your mind and hands busy for a couple hours at a time, and you have something to show for it at the end. Highly recommend.

same for me

Congrats! I'm glad it worked out for you. Good luck on your interviews!

Oh fun! I don't think I ever thought about doing this but I will definitely start a list! I'm new to Arizona and probably won't be back on "west coast" for a while, so I know I definitely want to go see the Grand Canyon at least, and do other exploring in the area.

I would say as long as you are comfortable in heels that should probably be fine, but be sure you can stand or walk in them for a long period of time without being uncomfortable. As for your second question, I think you should keep it tailored to their school. They will be asking that question mainly to find why you are a good fit for their program specifically, and I think that is a stronger response. In general though I would say to keep it academic.

Sorry to hear that! I would suggest contacting the program and say that you noticed that your scores weren't received. Tell them you will request them to be resent if the website posting is indeed correct. It is possible their website is not correct, but you should be prepared to resend the scores if they will allow.

I have been replying with those questions to the person that asked about redirecting my application, or also to the person who we would contact about accepting or declining an offer (in one case that was the DGS). I usually do my typical "I have a couple of questions- please let me know if there is someone else who could better answer these questions", and that sort of would cover your bases. But if you are in contact already with someone at the university, just email them.

I can relate to your concerns a lot. A couple of my thoughts: 1. I have been emailing the programs that only accept me for masters and ask them about funding, and also previous students' success at internally reapplying for PhD at completion of the masters. Each program is different and there is no sense speculating about your chances or their policies when the department can tell you for themselves. 2. I did have the same concerns about asking to be considered for the masters even if you might be likely to decline. Don't feel bad about thinking that they would be insulted if you ask to be considered and then decline an offer anyway. You need to provide the most options for yourself, and the program is just trying to offer you a spot where they feel you are the best fit. 3. In terms of MA vs PhD and "why bother" with the MA, I think that's an individual thing. It depends on the program's answers to the first question, your financial situation, your goals, your fit with the program, etc. All you can do is gather all the information you can and choose the program that works best for you.

I wouldn't worry at all- "strong" is probably one of the best adjectives that can be used to describe a letter.