jujubea

Now that kind of dedicated space I think would get my brain in gear. *Daydreaming about the TA's dedicated office space at UNM...*

How are your English scores? Many places have minimum requirements for I think it's called the TOEFL ..? It may help you to narrow your search based on those scores.

Yikes - I see it - it's the PEPPOR program. I would definitely ask (demand, really) for a refund of the application fee. Also, it might behoove you to look into what happened. Did they expect some folks to graduate who did not? If not, why aren't students meeting their graduation deadlines? Or, is something going on with management/administration? Are they shrinking? Are they not meeting their own internal deadlines for some things?

UCSB's diversity prompt actually cites financial hardship as an example of what to include. And by the way, good for you for kicking a** in your life even though life was kicking yours when you were a kid. Not easy.

Practicing for the GRE, Cpoco? If I have a serious deadline, I can force myself to work pretty much any hours except between 6am and noon. Ironically, if my deadline is not tight, my more productive hours are between 8am and noon. I am worthless most of the time between 1pm and 4pm, and then the kids come home and I'm making snacks and dinner and doing household stuff. This means my second-most productive hours, if I can push through the tiredness, are about 8pm to 1 or 2am. Like others, I also prefer public spaces to get myself in gear. I do horribly with any family members around. But I can work solidly with friends or classmates around. I think it has something to do with the "purpose" of my role within the environment, as I've conceived of it. For example, my purpose at home is not to work. My purpose at where I work is not to study. But, at a public place that I do not regularly frequent for goofing off, I have not conceived of a purpose for myself there, and so I am better able to mold my activities to the studying/researching/writing task at hand. In a way, I like to have "freedom" when working on academics. Public places do that for me. But this means that libraries sometimes have a similar entrapment feeling as home or work: there is already a pre-conceived purpose for myself at the library, and, even though it is in line with what I'm attempting to achieve, it feels less "free." In short, I'm a weirdo. I'd love to check out that book and see what all the famous weirdos do/did.

I also had 6 years away from academia before applying for grad programs. Are you a US citizen? You mention "language" - are you talking about improving your English? Or building proficiency in a relevant "foreign" language? If your undergrad major was unrelated, then I would look at taking classes at a local university or online that can improve your foundations. Consider building proficiency in a second or third language relevant to what you want to study/research. Research graduate programs and start making your list now of which schools you'd like to go to according to your interests, and which faculty you'd like to work with. Faculty may be gone by the time you apply, but it is a good exercise to help you prepare. As you decide which programs you are most interested in, you will be able to see which strengths they look for in applicants, and you can form a plan for your next few years according to what the specific programs look for. If you don't know hat you want to research, then read! Look at helping with some relevant research, perhaps at a university, or find someone who is writing a book on a related topic who needs help. With 3-4 years, you don't have to choose between either GRE prep or language prep - do both! As for whether to apply to a Master's program, that really depends on which programs you want to apply to, so, again, you should look into that sooner than later! Good luck.

UCSB submitted!

Ugggh, they do... they do! (get worse on rereading) which is why I am all with you, kings! Once submitted, I do not re-read. That would make me go crazy.

Thanks hermes and autumn My latest LOR was submitted on the 28th for a Dec 1 deadline... can't imagine waiting until today! Almost done with the Dec 1 one!

Yes, one. Putting finishing touches on it. Feel like a loser because I waited til the last minute and my MIT-acceptance brother is telling me there's no way I'll be accepted if I waited until the actual deadline to submit my application.... hrmph. Are we supposed to title SOP's??! I can't believe I already submitted an application with no title... I imagine we should at least be writing "Statement of Purpose" on the top..?

Word.

February sure sounds a lot better than April!

Noah - don' fret. I had a letter writer go silent for almost 6 weeks who re-emerged yesterday to say she has the letters on her radar and is swamped but it will happen. She always comes through for me so I trust her. hermes - one of my places has a 15 page limit, and I found it buried on some other page that it's typical for this to only be an excerpt of something larger, like a master's thesis.

I was very glad to have the word "provenance" newly added to my vocabulary, because I discuss for quite a while the "roots," "antecedents," "lineage," "origins," and more of the same body of knowledge in one of my SOP's. I used it. I'm proud. I mix academic writing with more simple writing also to vary it up a bit.

1. Focus on kicking butt at what you're already signed up for. 2. Deferring is dangerous - you can lose funding, lose credibility, lose your spot, and those are just the things I know about that can be lost!

My programs are all 2-4 pages double-spaced.

Wait!

I'm specifically interested in how UCSB, CU-Boulder, and UNM notify applicants, but why not share your own schools, too? Does it come by paper mail? E-mail? Do you get a phone call? A singing telegram? Pigeon carrier drop it off? Bat signal in the sky?

I'm still working on statements. One is just needing tweaking, the other is a work in progress... having the same issue about broadness and specificity. I think my first draft was wayyyy too specific, because I'm entering at the MA level (even though I'm all geared up for the PhD).

You can do it, noah!

Thanks! My goal is to teach as much as possible during the whole process; I'll be sure to prioritize other areas as well!

Perhaps you could also search from different angles, such as social network analysis, "web-mediated" interactions or behavior or language or psychology, cultural anthropology, ethnography of online or virtual communities, urban art or street art programs (because the internet is seen as akin to "street" space for art in some circles), or try to find scholars looking into Banksy's work, because some of that research examines his online presence, too. Just some ideas

pasteltomato - it makes me giggle that you're going into neuroscience and you're a "neurotic wreck" - Like smg, I had some very limiting factors to consider, which meant that I only had three schools in the end which matched my total needs... so, I'm only applying to three. If there were other schools that matched my criteria, I would definitely be applying, but probably to no more than 6 or so.

It was so worth it for me to go check out the campuses and cities before even applying - mostly because I'm bringing a whole family, but also because I got to really feel the different vibes at each school. And they are REALLY different. But I guess you could do that after you are accepted. I really wanted to make sure I was applying to schools I'd actually, really, definitely want to go to, more than just because of what they look like on paper/online. It looks like every school is different though as far as visits, timing in the application and decision making process, and funding for them.

I'd find a new letter writer.