jujubea

My wait was TWO MONTHS!

Oh gotcha. No worries. FYI "Macchiato" is my umm status or level. "jujubea" is my screen name Welcome to Grad Cafe!

Sorry I don't think you can get actual past exams. If you're looking for sample exams, I recommend reading the "Practice GRE Scores vs. Real GRE Scores" thread, where people simultaneously give their opinions on the most accurate practice tests offered by various companies. I have a TON of materials I am trying to sell right now. Feel free to PM me if interested (for instance I have a full Kaplan GRE course of books and practice tests, and several others books as well).

I highly recommend talking openly with the DGS or someone similar to ask them how TAships and the like work at the specific program(s) you're wondering about. Every school is a little different, and probably every program. Only recommend doing this after you've scoured their websites thoroughly for the info first.

Oh....nothing major... Planning my wedding, getting married, and going on a honeymoon Looking for high schools for the kids Looking for homes to rent or buy that are big enough for all of us but not so expensive we can't afford it... (impossible in CA...) Going through the lending process for a mortgage Getting the house ready to put up on the market, and actually putting the house up on the market (so deep cleaning; fixing crap; painting over other crap; staging; and photos) Helping my new stepkids prepare for the transition Packing up the house Garage sale or two Finish editing three awesome books (for my clients! yikes!) Teaching myself French Perhaps begin studying Classical Chinese Going on a couple visits to Santa Barbara, including one official recruitment visit, and at least one home-hunting visit Cutting my hair and dying it a crazy color (after the wedding; I can't wait; I'm considering going Fifth Element style) ...you know... the usual...

Oh no, I think I used a total of perhaps 7. Including 3 all at once... after the word "excited".... ...But i AM!!!!!!!

Magoosh has a good averages table by program and tier of school! Have you looked there yet?

I responded via the Web portal, which provided no area for personal messages. Then, I emailed one of my POI's (the one I had been most recently in contact with), and told her I was so excited to come there this Fall, in what was probably a mix of casual and professional tones.

It's officially official! I'm going! Anybody else? (besides you, miss lurker.... I know who you are )

....Word. This scares me. For the first time in my adult life I will be partially dependent upon someone else (my SO), and I will be making $60k less than my last job.... GoodNESS what was I thinking?! Free food, eh? What are the free food opportunities I should look out for when starting school? ...haha, my thoughts exactly when I read that post!

A couple of my programs seemed to be like this. I was given notification either by email or phone a full one or two MONTHS before receiving the officially-official notification through the web-portal or e-mail or snail-mail.

You deserve a medal. Straight up.

We're scouring Zillow, talking to multiple realtors and lenders by email and phone, and planning a trip out there over the kids' spring break to actually look at a few places we found on Zillow and our realtors' MLS listings. I will also be looking again when the school has their grad visit day next month. We are 13 hours away by car from the place we're looking to move to. FYI, Zillow lists both rentals and homes for sale, of all types.

I had a very opposite experience with two Communication Studies programs. Well, not entirely opposite. People definitely wanted to know why I was there (in late summer, before applications had even opened), but as soon as I told them it was for family reasons (in my case, I told them I have my SO and stepkids to consider in the move), people were immediately understanding - even at one of the programs where there were no other students with kids. People seemed to understand quite quickly and be sympathetic - not in a pity way, but in a "Oh yes, that's wise, I would probably do that too" way. I ended up getting in as a top applicant to both of those schools.

fingers crossed for you

WELL thank you!!!! Thanks as well. No single final deciding factor... but, see your PM. Thank you:) Also thank you and also see your PM..

This is why I greatly valued UCSB's combined MA/PhD program... I don't have to worry about a second round of applications after just a year. This was a priority for me.

Aw.. no... I'm sorry to hear I was hoping to meet you this Fall...

Congrats How very exciting

This is an important one!

I'm surprised I got in to the schools I did with the funding I did. I'm surprised that I'm surprised at that, too.

Well..! Turns out I've been spending my time in the wrong thread all these months...! (Been over in Comm) My family and I have decided on UCSB for Religious Studies!!! Has not sunk in yet!

We're going to school #1, UCSB.......... Between the fellowships (more time I'll have with my kids, potentially, and less stress potentially) for the first couple years, the equi-distance as we are now from the kids' bio-mom, moving closer to family in California (on all sides), and the fact that when I originally went to apply to grad school, this was the only program I was going to apply to.... and I got in.... with flying colors. To be honest, one of the things we (me and my beau) also really latched onto from your guys' advice above was, if it's going to suck and be really hard financially and custodially no matter where we go, we may as well choose UCSB. It was incredibly difficult to decide between #1 and #2 in the end, but, we realized how much harder it was going to be to make school #2 happen (due to the court battles), for not too many more gains. What's fascinating is now that the tables are turned in our relationship, and my fiance is making the major sacrifice this time instead of me, I understand his reactions when I was doing the sacrificing last year. A tearful speechlessness and disbelief: you love me this much that you'd be willing to risk all that, and work that hard, and make this happen? Definitely one of the most humbling experiences in my life. Thanks everyone for your opinions and insights. It really helped us rethink certain negatives and positives, and to view the entire situation from a different, and healthier, angle. The commute will not be fun though, no matter which way you look at it!!!

Lol! I am having some really WEIRD reactions to having decided!!! I think a lot of it is early signs of impostor syndrome... But also sheer disbelief that this is how things turned out, and this is what we're actually doing... because it seemed the most impossible and out of reach... And protecting myself from disappointment ... like going on to accept the offer and then realizing I read it wrong, that I'm actually waitlisted or the money is conditional or or or I don't know what... or if I say that this is where I'm going then the whole application season and rounds are over.... and I almost can't come to grips with that!!! I feel like I'm going crazy! I'm going to UCSB!!!!!!!!! To learn French and Classical Chinese and become a Religious Studies Fellow.....! This whole time I truly believed we'd end up at Boulder or UNM and I'd do Comm (and I guess I might still at UCSB since they're so interdisciplinary). It's ironic because you guys are my gradcafe family! I've only made a handful of posts in the Religious Studies threads ... haha! I can't believe it!!!! Maybe posting it will help make it feel real!!!