jujubea

I have several W's on my transcripts. And B's in important classes. (I worked two jobs and volunteered and was dealing with some family trauma though...) My GRE scores were just OK. I have a bit of a question-mark LOR, that, if this person was having a bad day, could be a big negative. I don't have a track record of committing to anything longer than about 2 years (even though grad school is a lifelong dream, and I have zero doubts about my ability to complete a program). I don't have a degree or classes exactly in the fields to which I'm applying- and I am quite worried this is apparent in my SOP's.. that I'm not totally familiar and immersed in the field... Hopefully the schools can "hear" my genuine eagerness to learn and to be trained, in my statements...!

Omg. "Congratulations" e-mails! How cruel indeed!

Yeah somewhere on here there's someone who waited until 11:59pm and due to internet/loading issues, it wasn't "submitted" until 12:01am. They didn't have a problem but... y'know.. that's a mini heart attack right there.

Agree! ONLY apply to the schools you really feel are the right fit! I'm only applying to three!

Straight up: it sounds cocky. Also repetitive. Specifically "research works to identify research problems" and "academic performance.....as indicated by my high academic performance.." It also sounds like a key to your success was not your high performance per se, but the things your alma mater, its classes, and its teachers, taught you. Genuinely, good for you for kicking butt in your undergrad. It will be apparent from your other materials without needing to restate it in the SOP though I think.

I left my last job (overseas) in order to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. and be with my family. If I don't get in anywhere this round, we're going to move anyhow to one of the programs' cities, to get the kids out of the really crappy school system we have where we are. I freelance right now, and I'd continue that, and take a couple relevant classes for my intended major(s). I might also start (re)learning Spanish, and keep up my existing other foreign language skills. I would look into a short-term immersion program, also, if I could afford it (or get scholarships for it). Besides taking relevant classes to beef up my background, I'd also beef up my GRE scores, and redo my admissions essays. I might also look into publishing some original research, or revamping some older research for publication. If after two rounds I didn't get in, I'd probably return to the traditional workforce, and reapply after a couple more years (though I'd rather be under 40 before I finish my PhD....). On the plus side if that were to happen, my geographic limits would be lifted by that time, and I could apply anywhere I (and spouse) wanted.

I really go back and forth on this. Sometimes I'm convinced that one program is the best fit, but then I remember another aspect that one of the other programs has that I love. Also, with a whole family to consider (partner employment, schools for the kids, affordability of housing and cost of living, etc.) that really makes it hard to say one place is the "best" or my "top choice." In that way, all three are basically my top choice.... which is one reason I narrowed my list down so far! I would be thrilled to go to any one of these schools. That said, there are places that are better for my family (and better for some members of my family but not others). And, once offers come in (hopefully plural!) the funding package will kind of ultimately determine which program is my top choice... If I were alone and had no one to consider but myself, it'd be a whole different ball game.

Oh wow, congratulations Riddle!!!

Me too! Going crazy with excitement and anxiousness and excitement and dread and excitement and... Really though - it depends where you applied. Have you looked at the "Results Search" on this website yet? You can look up your schools and programs and see, historically, when they have begun to notify students of things like interviews, acceptances, funding, rejections. Some of the top comm schools are already getting notices now for both interviews and acceptances. But, for example, I know that at least one of my schools won't be getting back to anyone until at least mid-February. So it depends on your school and program!' Hang tight! Good luck! It'll all be over soon!

Sweet, thank you!

Wow so soon! Good luck all!!! I see Roflbot on this thread may have applied there - good luck!

Word. I have never had five years of my life certainly mapped out. Not since I was a very small child. That I have no idea where I will live next year has been somewhat of a norm for me - knowing where I'm going to be for five years or more .... now that's odd

Now you've got it!

When you Google me, an article about me in another language comes up, which, if you translate it via Google into English, comes up with a horribly embarrassing and completely incorrect translation about some very, very private activities... sigh.

No but Boulder is supposed to start reviewing apps this week

Boulder is supposed to start reviewing applications this week!

Programs seem to have their own definitions of diversity, or at least their own interpretations of what it "means" to be or represent diversity. For all three of my programs, I was able to do some researching on their websites (and sometimes the general school website) to find out what they meant by diversity.

I edit the "the"'s out of all of the my clients' writing because the it annoys the poop out of the me! People use unnecessary "the"'s all the time. Also unnecessary "that"'s. Just to be a stinker (really, this is in jest): "Why is it that writing in the social sciences--especially those that skew towards the humanities--so often uses definite articles with singular nouns or nouns derived from adjectives? As in "the anthropological," "the hipster," etc. My instinct is to assume that this is an artifact of translation from French, which like the other Romance languages loves to use definite articles, that was then picked up by scholars working from those translations."

Oh my gosh! Congratulations on winning the diversity visa lottery!!! That is amazing! I don't know much about pharmacology, but, you might try posting in that area of the forums. I'm sure those students would know. Really, congratulations, that is so exciting. I am very happy for you. Will you be bringing a spouse? Be careful if you are not married, suddenly many people might want to marry you!

See PM....

What are some of your favorite (or some of the "best") scholarship search tools for grad school? "Tools" doesn't have to mean Websites... maybe it means a librarian or grad program assistant. I am finding a lot of undergrad scholarships with the websites I know of... Some don't even offer the ability to select that you are going to grad school vs. undergrad. (Oh! The unbearable FWP!).

Not to mention that the U.S. economic system in its present state pretty much only functions because people don't save...

Don't worry! Your preparation will not be all for naught, no matter what happens. If you don't get in anywhere this round, that means you have another year (or 9-10 months anyways) to beef up your GRE scores, and bolster your package with other things - for instance finding a LOR writer who can speak to the fact that your uGPA does not accurately reflect you overall as a potential grad student.

Mmm thanks, makes sense... I think I have been in a very straightforward and literal thinking mode lately...

Firstly - It's never too late to do almost anything. Secondly, what you do have is a long-term history of volunteering, period, and a long-term history of volunteering for people who are disadvantaged in some way or another, which goes along with your interest in serving "people in the margins." The fact that you volunteer when you can shows your capacity, willingness, and ability to "serve" the public, as social workers do. Work experience is different. But volunteering is volunteering. Whether it's one day or one year. Jump into the game. It's never too late, and it almost always means something to do so. Edit: And, I think it's great that you volunteer your time.