Reputation from TeaOverCoffee - Page 3

TeaOverCoffee reacted to orphic_mel528 in Hindsight (is) 20(/)17 March 3, 2017

I have to echo the "fit is everything" statement.
You can have the highest GREs and GPAs in the world and the most brilliant plan for research; if there is no faculty/other resources available to support you, they will not take you. So when you're writing that SOP, I feel like the most important thing to make a case for is how you fit into that program and why you'll be successful there. Attrition rate concerns are real; do your best to prove that their investment won't go unfulfilled.
Moreover, don't just ask what your country can do for you; say what you can do for your country. How will your goals and philosophies fit into and support the initiatives/goals/philosophies of the university?
Finally, as to fit: if you apply to a PoCo program and you've taken literally one class in PoCo, I think it's safe to say that's going to hurt you. You have to demonstrate adequate preparation.
As to personal retrospection: I think there are some things I could have paid more attention to, but really, I think I did the best I could for an unusual situation. I was applying with a low undergraduate GPA in an entirely different field and a high MA GPA. If I can take a guess as to what may have influenced my rejections, I don't think it would be unfair for an ad com to say, "She's not sufficiently prepared." I can see how that assumption could be made based on my transcripts when considering my subfield. If I hadn't been accepted to any program, I likely would've taken more classes as a non-degree seeking student in an MA program.

TeaOverCoffee reacted to Dr. Old Bill in Hindsight (is) 20(/)17 March 3, 2017

Yes!

I actually had another paragraph about "luck" that I decided to delete before I posted (since, as you say, it's out of the applicant's control...).

Going back to the original question of this thread, one thing I wish I had done was contact POIs. I'm not convinced that it helps a great deal, and it always has the potential to annoy, but if I'd had more time, I certainly would have touched base with more professors. One of my friends in the Ph.D. program here swears by it, and it worked out well for her -- she'd established a rapport with her eventual mentor long before she was actually admitted. If the questions you ask are well-formed and on point, you can potentially stick out in a POI's mind, and that might help you when an adcom is convening. There's a lot of "might" here, of course, but it's one of my minor regrets regardless.

TeaOverCoffee reacted to Dr. Old Bill in Hindsight (is) 20(/)17 March 3, 2017

"Fit" is almost everything.

No matter how often I've read this on GC over the years, I never fully internalized it until around halfway through this cycle. There's still a part of me that thinks that GRE scores are prized more highly than we'd like to admit, but by that same token, there's little question in my mind that having your interests mesh well with a program (specifically POIs) is the biggest factor in application success.

TeaOverCoffee reacted to la_mod in Hindsight (is) 20(/)17 March 3, 2017

Hey, everyone!
Now that decisions are nearing to an end, and before we all go off into the world of grad school (or return to the drawing board), I wanted to ask: what have you learned this year while doing applications? I mean this broadly: both personally and academically, triumphantly and regrettably (as in, things you'd have done differently), maybe even embarrassingly! Would you have done anything differently? Is there anything that you realized half-way through that paid off in a way you wouldn't have expected?
Hopefully it's a somewhat-fun chance to reflect, but also something constructive that those of us applying again next year can look to.
I'll start:
First, I learned that the application forms themselves take TIME. I waited too long to start, and spent the first week of December working 8+ hours per day on this after being in class and work all day. Next, I wish I would have been slightly less specific in my SOP. That's probably not helpful to anyone else, but I went with a really niche angle, and no one is working on exactly what I'm working on — which is cool, but I think it made me a less attractive applicant.

TeaOverCoffee reacted to imogenshakes in 2017 Final Decisions March 1, 2017

Fantastic! Congrats, @Mippipopolous and @TeaOverCoffee! You're both at incredible programs, and I'm so glad you ended up at your top choices.
I haven't made a final decision yet, but right now, it's pretty much between Santa Barbara and Davis. Either way, I'll end up in California, but both programs are equally incredible for very different reasons. It's pretty much going to come down to funding negotiations (if they're successful) and the visiting days, I think.

TeaOverCoffee got a reaction from mouthfulofstars in UMD MA Program worth it? February 28, 2017

I hope to see you at the open house!

TeaOverCoffee reacted to Mippipopolous in 2017 Acceptances February 28, 2017

Guys, after that Oscars flub I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have nightmares that I didn't actually get into a PhD program. "I'm sorry, but there's been a mistake—we've actually admitted Moonlight to the English PhD program at Notre Dame!"

TeaOverCoffee got a reaction from loganondorf in Let's talk notes. :D February 25, 2017

I'm v obsessed with fine-tipped art pens -- these in particular: https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Art-Supplies-Micro-Line-Ultra-Fine/dp/B01FWIE032/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488040090&sr=8-2&keywords=pigma+micron+pens

I also use gridded notebooks to take notes for all of my classes. I really prefer to have notebooks that have a ribbon bookmark, but sometimes I have to sacrifice the notebook in order to afford my pen obsession.

TeaOverCoffee reacted to orphic_mel528 in Let's talk notes. :D February 25, 2017

I am a paper/pen snob, and I ended up unintentionally converting about 2/3 of my MA cohort to my system, including a couple of professors.
Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Notebook-Brown-Leather-LB/dp/B000ZYF22M
Midori is a Japanese stationery company that makes gorgeous paper and a number of other organizational accoutrement.
Is the notebook expensive for a notebook? You betcha. Mine was a gift.
Are there cheaper knockoffs that are just as nice and work just as well? Yep. https://www.etsy.com/market/fauxdori
Have I now had it for five years and would never write notes in anything else? Yep.
Is it refillable? Yep.
Can you fit like five of the notebooks in the cover and keep them separate and organized? Yep.
Can you buy moleskine or knockoff moleskine cahiers and have them trimmed down for free at Staples so you don't have to buy the expensive Midori paper? Yep.
Do they have an accessory binder that keeps your full notebooks archived for highly-organized future perusal? Yep. https://www.jetpens.com/Traveler-s-Notebook-Binder-011-Regular-Size/pd/13655?gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqaxdqILFJvcKr2aTe6C6oNcqQg4g_qtnwS68KzwDmlkaArmG8P8HAQ

TeaOverCoffee got a reaction from snuz in 2017 Acceptances February 24, 2017

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND! Thank God!
I cried in my office for an hour because this is the best news I've heard all year.