kseeful

Is this about Scripps Institution of Oceanography? Because the chemistry department is not a department of Scripps, it is a department of UCSD. Scripps is the oceanography department at UCSD. If you're talking about the Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry subdepartment within Scripps, I don't know if we have any NMR machines, but we'd definitely be allowed access to any instruments in UCSD's chemistry department.

Only two of the schools that accepted me invited me to visit. The others accepted me only after (I assume) their top students had turned them down after visiting.

I applied to work with one professor (X) and then got invited by a different professor (Y). I didn't realize that this meant that X was not interested in my application even though Y was. I proceeded to tell all the people I met at the open house that I wanted to work for X, and they got confused and asked, "But isn't Y hosting you?" It was more awkward than I realized at the time.

Huge bonus to get to know the campus and compare it to the place that's on the top of your list. Also - applicants treat interviews like an opportunity to show the schools "I'm who I say I am and I'm really neat so please accept me" (as they should) but schools use interviews as "We know you haven't made your decision but let us show you why you should come here". So you'll learn a lot and be able to ask questions at your top choice that you wouldn't have otherwise thought about. And if the PI you want to work with at your top choice dies suddenly or moves to a different university in BumFuckNowhere between now and April, you'll have another option. TD;LR: I'd definitely, definitely go.

1. No, they haven't made their decisions. They've already invited people to the open house, so you probably didn't get an invite to that. That doesn't mean you didn't get in though, it just means you're not on the top of someone's list. It looks like the profs go through and pick one or two students to host at most. If those students aren't a good fit/decide not to come, it's still possible that they may reach out to more after the open house (but honestly, not likely). 2. Yes, pick a very specific question! Whoever invited you to come visit - look at their research, identify an ongoing area of research and COME UP WITH A QUESTION. They really, really want to see that you're able to identify something specific you'd like to study. Yes, this is HARD. Yes, it'll help enormously. I didn't do this but I would have been way better off if I'd tried. "I want to study ocean acidification and how it affects coral reefs" is not nearly specific enough. Also - if they throw you around to a million different professors, don't worry about knowing their research. Ask lots of questions about their research, about the area, about the program... they literally just want to chat and see that you're going to be a tolerable person to be around. If a professor starts grilling you, s/he's in the minority and being kind of a dick (UNLESS it's the prof you're actually trying to work with). Good luck!!

Hey, I'm a first-year grad student and felt totally lost when I did my interviews last year. I also did an interview at Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, but that one was way more laid back than Scripps'. By some fluke, I made it in. So if anyone is in the same situation for the open house this month, I'm here to answer any questions (:

I just signed up for the grad housing listserv (basically craigslist among UCSD grads) and the postings on there look immediate and very, very reasonable.

Oh God D: My mom was the only person I told and once everything was set, everybody thought I was such a weirdo for keeping it a secret. It was a reality check for me when I told people though... their reactions have been so nonchalant - "Oh, cool. Good luck." Not even a whole lot of congrats... as if I'm just letting them know that I enrolled in some random program. Suddenly I feel a little silly for keeping it a secret and feeling like I already won a marathon for just getting into grad school

Same boat - my top programs haven't given out decisions yet, but the program that has accepted me (excellent research, shitty location - do I really want to give up a social life for 5 years?) let me know that another student is in limbo until my decision is made but 'didn't want to rush me'. I just contacted my POI from my top program and asked if I could hear anything earlier (ohmygod whathaveIdone). Very anxious. Irrationally frightened that offers will be rescinded.

@thepinkdragon76 @ChrisTOEFert SoSoSo sorrysorrysorry psipsipsi JeanneJeanneJeanne. WhatWhatWhat thethethe fuckfuckfuck isisis goinggoinggoing ononon withwithwith mymymy phonephonephone. IsIsIs thethethe mobilemobilemobile suresuresite reallyreallyreally thisthisthis badbadbad?

Jesus. The carelessness is bordering on sadism. What a mindfuck.

Rope Top

Not sure, but I've got some travelling musical friends based out of San Miguel de Allende that I would likely follow around AK would be somewhere I've lived before. If I get rejected (or maybe even if I accepted??), I'm leaning toward the new experience. Agreeeeeed. Life as a PhD candidate might be challenging, but I'd rather be challenged than aimless (and harshly reminded of my own overestimation of my abilities/potential) any day. Dude. I hate "you'll get in". So. Much. .....great, so now all my friends and family think I'm just being humble but they might be about to realize that I actually am underqualified, over-reaching and not as smart as they think I am. (Oh my god, sorry. That was a lot of anxiety in one sentence. I need to go find a puppy to pet.) Maybe I should sign off the Grad Cafe for the next 15 days or so?! Stop willfully riddling myself with anxiety??

I'm really happy to be in solidarity with someone at least... all those green signature lines are killing me softly. Now... should I move to Mexico and learn Spanish next year or move to the Alaskan bush and learn to hunt? (These are places I can hide/escape my shame)

Yeah, you too, Happy March...........

Never heard of a program that compensates you with humor... :o)

Wish I had more for you It was nice though that when I showed up for the visiting weekend, all the other applicants seemed as clueless and lost and anxious as I was, so there was that. Good luck!

So. I just had my first interview, and I was contacted by a professor who was not someone that I had mentioned in my SOP. Like a dummy, I still expressed interest in another lab but after meeting with 11 other professors (agh, so exhausting) during my visit, it became clear that the only way that I was getting into the program was through this professor... which was uncomfortable for me because I didn't know anything about her research when I met her and I didn't want to show immediate enthusiasm without actually understanding her research. I'd say - evaluate the program and decide whether or not you can get what you want out of it, and if yes, show full enthusiasm for the professor who is expressing interest in you. Since you've done that - yeah, I think that's a great sign. I don't think the professors usually overwhelm themselves with contacting toooo many potential applicants. And I doubt it would be considered any kind of interview. The interview process is also so that you can get to know the program and voice all your own questions to determine if you are a good fit. That takes more than a couple casual email exchanges. I'm anxiously waiting for a decision post-interview because I feel like an idiot for not focusing on the professor who was showing interest in me until halfway through my visit when I realized no other professors were interested in my application. Oops

Agreed. And while my small team plans out their vacations, counting on the fact that I'll be there... I'm like "Nah, it's cool, I don't have any vacations planned past July....." ...except a permanent one.

Stomach knot ...... no, not relevant at all

Wow, that's something to think about. I just feel so clandestine waiting til 2 weeks out because it sure doesn't give them a whole lot of time to replace me and will impact my coworkers. Thanks for this.

Well, it sounds like a dirty little secret when I put it that way... But I'm currently employed way outside of my field and when I was job searching, it became clear very quickly that I couldn't mention grad school if I wanted a job, so it felt like something I always had to hide at my current job. So far, I've heard back from one school who invited me to an open house and I'm taking PTO for it (and I'm out very sick this week, fudge...) but I'm worried - what if another school invites me and I'm taking all this time off... should I just eventually explain it to my employer? BONUS! What if I explain it to my employer and then don't get into grad school??? AWKWARD.

it's basically my full name with a lot of letters left out

white heat

Tell me about it. I have a cold and read that there's more evidence that whiskey cocktails help symptoms more than there is for cough syrup. So I'm at least taking all the whiskey excuses I can. More whiskey, plz.