Vene

If you're applying to a MS program April 15th isn't a deadline for anything. April 15 just applies to funded PhD programs.

I've called up various landlords and am on wait lists. I also filled out the application for a university apartment. I did this last month actually and the landlords gave me the impression that I was looking very early for a place to live. FYI, I'm going to Burlington, VT and am hunting for a 1 bedroom if that means anything. I think I'm able to afford a little more than most students because my wife has an income so I won't be living on just my stipend.

I have, but I suspect I won't have much luck until the spring semester ends because I'm moving to a small city.

I say leave the job, but I tend to think a little more long term and part of why I applied to graduate school is I'm frustrated with doing contract work.

Throwing in my 2 cents to agree. It's the far more professional option and it gets the point across to the program that they have a professor acting inappropriately. And if they don't care, there is nothing you can do about that toxic culture anyway.

Thank you, I like this post a lot. A relationship is a partnership, you have to work together. I very much based the schools I applied to on my wife's input, she's moving too, her thoughts matter. A healthy relationship is a series of compromises and my wife means a lot more to me than letters I can write after my name.

Funny thing, I've worked in industry, it's not the Harvard, Yale, and Stanford folks who are the best researchers. In fact, the best scientist where I worked (a rapidly growing Fortune 500, btw, not some small start up) got his PhD at North Dakota State University.

Adding to this, I had two letters from professors and one from a supervisor in industry. I did research under only one of the professors, not both. Granted, I did do research under the supervisor. But I would imagine that doing 2 years of research under the same professor is just as good as doing 1 year of research each under two different professors, if not better.

Are there any professors who you have a good relationship with? You can see if you can do research under them instead. They may not be doing the exact research you want to do, but to a large extent it doesn't matter much what your undergrad research is on, as long as you do something and get a decent recommendation out of it.

Already did it during undergrad. The relationship with her led to issues with my family and I ended up leaving with an AS. I eventually was able to go back and finish a BA and now am moving from the Midwest to New England for a PhD.

I think this depends on the specifics such as how similar the two schools are, if you can see yourself completing the degree at either of them, your personal finances, and how competitive your field is for recent doctoral graduates. Personally, I'd have a hard time not following the money.

You basically sign a contract.

It's my understanding that you don't get an extension on the April 15th deadline, at least not if it's funded. But, this also means that UCSD needs to get back to you in time for you to accept if they're going to give a funded offer.

There are a few schools out there which don't require applications fees and some are excellent schools (Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) comes to mind). There's also the possiblity of getting a tuition waiver.

Considering that PhD programs take people right out of undergrad, I'm surprised at the idea that doing a thesis or non-thesis MS matters. Either way you're going to have more experience than the majority of admitted students.

I'm really thinking Stanford is looking very attractive.

The only way I'd say not to go with NYU is if the cost of living is so much higher that the reduced tuition isn't worth it. Somehow, I doubt this is the case.

Dartmouth is an excellent school and it's generally best practice to follow the money.

Of the programs I applied to, $25,000 was the norm. Those in a very high cost of living area (such as NYC or Boston) offered more, those in a very low cost of living area (Iowa) offered less. Seeing as how the program in question is engineering, I don't think $25,000 is anything spectacular, it's certainly sufficient, but not extraordinary.

$60-70k, that is a lot of money. You either have to truely love the field to go into that level of debt for it or you had better be looking at a very high paying career soon after graduation. Personally, I'd run like hell.

As a current resident of Minnesota I think the severity of our weather is exaggerated. And Chicago definitely gets hammered by the same storm systems that hit us, but we're not influenced by Lake Michigan in the way they are. I just don't think that weather should be a major factor in making a decision, especially when you're alreay committed to living in a northern city.

I'd just say something about how I carefully considered my options and while I appreciate the offer I'll be heading elsewhere for graduate studies. Ultimately, it's the applicants who have more to lose from a regection than the universities.

In many cases putting an animal in a shelter is a death sentence. You might be able to justify it if it was a healthy kitten, but even that's a stretch.

I want to do research for a living, I've mostly found temporary work doing quality control/assurance and I'm sick of it. The pay cut I'll be taking for a stipend is worth getting health insurance. I've also seen firsthand how valuable a PhD is for an industrial scientist's career. I've seen a lot of apprehension about an academic career, but not having that as my goal is actually really freeing.

This is my experience as a non-engineer working alongside engineers in the chemical industry. From what I've seen, a MS is not a wise move. The people I've known have been put in a position where they take low-pay, temporary work as they search for a real job. Companies tend to either want a BS, where a MS makes applicants too expensive (and if you're willing to work for cheap, they think something is wrong with you) or they want a PhD (and generally don't consider work experience to be sufficient to bridge the gap). It may be different in different industries. Alternatively, this could be a regional phenomenon. But, just thought I'd offer my experience.