Eigen

The most negotiable thing I could see offhand is an extension from a 9-month support to 12 month support. Other than that, what rising-star says is quite valid- compare the stipend relative to the cost of living. You can negotiate, just be careful doing so. I've heard of people getting better offers, I've heard of people losing their offers- it depends on the school and how badly they want you.

If you're accepted, the school will likely pay all (or most) associated costs of your visit.Mine were also really flexible about working out dates on holidays and such that worked for me.

This. After visiting, my first choice became my last choice... And the school I hadn't been considering nearly as seriously became my top choice.

Sure. But I don't see nearly as many people bemoaning their 3.9 GPAs as I do their 4.0 writing skills- and I'm sure quite a few people have a B or two hidden in their transcript, 4.0s just aren't all that common.

Yes. Lots.

This is quite annoying. But also amusing. It almost seems to be people that want to brag about really high scores, but feel like they need a complaint to make it post-worthy. Either that or they're really such perfectionists that ever getting a paper published is going to be quite difficult for them.

This thread (and those like it) have been entertaining from the start. I find the "Oh no! I got double 800s and only a 5.0 writing score! How can I possibly be competitive!" posts more amusing than the flames, honestly Applicants make such a big deal out of the GRE (positive or negative), but I have yet to meet a fellow grad student that worried much about it, or thought it was worth worry about it.

All depends on how well you remember it, and how fast you usually pick up math-y things. I had a 2 year break between finishing Calc 2 and starting Calc 3, and it wasn't much of a problem. And then I had to re-learn it all again 4 years later when I took my quantum mechanics class in grad school. I'd get a book from the library, and refresh your memory on what these derivative and integral things are, and then just give it a shot.

This isn't just in political science, this is pretty widespread across disciplines. However petty it might seem, that does seem to be the predominant opinion- just thought I'd give you a heads up. How long ago did you defend your proposal? And how did it go?

Each time I've needed letters (Grad school apps as an undergrad, and then fellowship apps as a grad student) I've had one professor send me the letter- but only one, and I've never asked to see any of the others. What they wrote is between them and the committee, and I don't think it's my place to ask. If it's offered, that's fine.

In STEM fields, high verbal scores aren't "required"... But they definitely help. I've had people on adcomms at my current school and at others say that it usually makes an app stand out- you see lots of 750+ (and 800) Q scores, but in STEM you also see a lot of sub-500 V scores. So any of the high percentiles (95% and up) on verbal certainly separate you from the pack. And as much time as they expect you to spend writing, and as much of academic writing is using a large and impressive vocabulary to sell grants and papers to publishers and funding agencies... It's a nice cherry on the top of an otherwise solid application. An 800 Q on the other hand, most really seem like they could care less about.

I'm sure a lot of it also depends if this is post-acceptance interviews or pre-acceptance, but either way they do really want you to come (most of the time), and I find most schools to be pretty helpful.

It's probably a combination of seeing your fit for research interests and trying to convince you to come to school there, I'd imagine. Everything I had post-acceptance was mostly the school courting me, with a mix of me trying to court the two prof's I was most interested in working for.

Actually, I had a situation similar to that: We wanted to stay around after the interview (it was our winter break) and have fun. The school payed the plane ticket (for me, not my wife) as normal, but just set the return trip later, when we wanted to fly out. They payed for the hotel for the interview (2 days), and we covered the rest. They were quite helpful and accommodating. Let them invite you, and then mention that you would like to take the time to visit family while you are in the country, could your return trip perhaps be out of a different city? Or somesuch. Either that, or just move the dates so you can purchase your own flight from where you are to where your family is and back before you would need to leave.

My visits were pretty much entirely arranged by the department- once we settled on a date, they booked my flight, my hotel, my transportation to and from the airport, and my meals while I was there- breakfast/lunch/dinner with either grad students or professors. The one that was closer, I drove to- so they just did hotel/meals. It wasn't reimbursed, though- it was booked and directly paid for by the department.

I will add that scrubs (pants, at least) can be a nice way to be comfy without dressing down too much. They're nice and utilitarian in the lab, and don't look that out of place in a med school. There's also a difference in how I dress if it's 4 am and no one else is there, or if it's normal working hours. I even keep spare clothes in the drawer of my desk.

Have to be careful taking a break ABD, though- some school guidelines won't let you come back where you left off, and in fact might make you predominately start over depending on the length of the break. If you really just want to teach, a MA might be a good option- you'd have to ask more specifically Poly Sci profs, but I had a young instructor in chemistry that had his MS, and really enjoyed his job. He was a great teacher, and he didn't really want to do research, he wanted to teach. The pay was lower than a professor position, but it was sufficient for him and his family. Instead of publishing in "research" journals, he now works to publishing in the Journal of Chemical Education. I know other fields can be more competitive on the teaching front, though- especially humanities/social sciences, mostly due to the lack of industry positions.

Hehe, crossing in the aether. Although, it's important to remember that even an instructor position can get tenure track- just a different aim overall.

Again, is that for a professor position or an instructor position? I know plenty of people with lower degrees that teach, but they won't have a professorship.

I'm sure they were teaching classes without a PhD... But I doubt they had full professor positions- or even assistant/associate. They were probably instructor level.

I try to dress a bit more professionally to help my interactions with students/faculty... Setting yourself up as a grad student instead of an undergrad can be quite helpful.

While writing can seem like such an insurmountable obstacle, if you actually go around and talk to a lot of faculty (I remember interviewing a Pol Sci prof once), the actual writing doesn't take that long, if you can really sit down, grit your teeth and get through it. That said, if you really just want to teach and are OK with an instructor level position, then go for it. As a note of caution, however: There's a whole thread on the Chronicle of Higher Education forum of complaints/gripes from search committees, etc. with people advertising they are ABD or "have an ABD"- the prevailing opinion there being that the dissertation is so key to the degree that the rest really isn't worth putting on your resume, and may actually detract. You have research experience/teaching experience/publications from your time which you can and should list on a resume, but you have no "degree" past MA (ie, don't put ABD in the "Education" section of your resume). Just thought I'd warn you that there might be possible backlash depending on how you word it when you go looking for alternatives.

Not sure if you can make it past an instructor position even at a CC with no PhD... Or are you talking about getting a position while you finish your dissertation?

To me, grad school is about developing your research skills. And I always learn more if I look it up/figure it out myself than if I ask. If something is really time sensitive, I'll ask... Otherwise, it's better to take what notes I can, supplement them with a few hours (few days) of research, then go talk about it again.

It is my understanding that even at a community college, you will still be an instructor. Maybe a tenured instructor, but an instructor nonetheless. A professor will likely require a PhD.