MathCat

Since you're there, I'd try to talk to somebody in person tomorrow if email is not working.

Glad it worked out.

This, so much. I see so many people talking about doing this because they're waiting on waitlist results or just to hear back, but I think it is far, far better to be honest and act in good faith first (i.e. ask for an extension). Accepting and rescinding should be your last resort, only happening if the department won't "play nice".

I'd like to be living alone, but the housing where I'm going is extremely expensive. The only way I'll be able to afford it is if I can get into the university subsidized 1 bedroom apartments... that have a 2 year waiting list. So I'm on the waitlist for that, and I guess I'll be having a roommate for the first couple of years (also in university subsidized housing, but I'm only guaranteed a spot in the 2 bedroom apartments they have). If it's well-matched, a roommate could be good, but I'm worried it's going to be hell. I really need some privacy and solitude for my sanity. We'll see, I guess. I have no control over who my roommate will be.

You say 3 is the only place that has given you an offer. Are you saying you're waiting to hear from 1 and 2, or you were rejected there? I don't really have any good advice, but this bit was unclear to me.

There is absolutely nothing unethical about it. Wait until you know your options.

It could mean you're an alternate, or they haven't decided yet. I got an e-mail from one program that I think was an alternate notification (it sort of seemed like a rejection letter, but they said they'd notify me if one became available, so I think I was an alternate). They didn't update the portal. It still says "Received by administrator", even though I've declined my offer from that school now. UBC did notify me already, but it's NSERC.

Nothing is certain until you have the official offer, so I would wait (and perhaps politely ask when you could expect it). It's uncommon, but people do sometimes get rejected by the graduate school after their departments have recommended them for admission.

You can rescind your acceptance, but it is possible you will burn bridges if done carelessly. Try to be as polite about it as possible. On another thread, user Vene suggested saying 'After reexamining my financial situation I regret to say that I will not be able to attend next year. I am deeply sorry, but I wish to withdraw from your program.' I think this is a good way to put it. I also think rescinding your acceptance and accepting the funded offer is absolutely the right thing to do. Even if the program you withdraw from is a bit annoyed at you, you should not second guess that. I would be surprised if they take it any worse than being somewhat annoyed, if you do it right.

I would ask this on the academia stack exchange if you want a broader view point. I agree with the above that it is probably just a bit tacky, and not plagiarism.

I don't have anything very helpful to say about the decision process, but I would suggest the possibility that your interests in English can remain a passionate hobby, even if it is not your profession. Since the job prospects are really, really bleak, I would consider that. But, if you absolutely want to do the PhD, it could be a great experience, even if it does not advance your career. Of course, it is a huge time commitment, so you have to decide if that is worth it.

I already declined all the other programs, but I am now worried that something will go wrong with the I-20 paperwork and I won't be able to attend the one I accepted. It's highly unlikely, but I can't help but think up nightmare scenarios.... I don't think I'll stop being at least a bit worried about that until I actually start.

You can, but you'll burn bridges and this is not recommended except as a last resort. If you do get an offer and are still waiting for your first choice school to respond, wait until a few days before the deadline they give you. If you still have not heard from your first choice, ask if you can get an extension. Only consider accepting with the possibility of rescinding your offer if they say no, and even then, I would wait as long as I could before accepting.

It sounds to me like you already know what people can tell you - personal fit matters a lot, but so does research fit. It is very hard to weigh these things. If you really really hate the environment at Maryland, you'll be unhappy and your work will likely suffer. On the other hand, it's hard to be sure how the atmosphere is just on visits - you tend to see the more outgoing and social grad students, because many introverts just wouldn't go to the recruitment events. It is possible the "frat-social atmosphere" only represents a fraction of the community there. Do the graduates at either program do better in getting the kinds of jobs you want? That could be a deciding factor for me, if there is a big difference. I would not go to the school with the environment I liked better if their graduates don't get jobs. If it were me, I'd consider UCLA. If you're sure you really hate the environment at Maryland, and are very unsure about your interest in seismology, somewhere you think you could be content and have a decent research fit might be a better balance.

At least for the CGS-M, you have to use their online system to make their specific electronic CV. I'll mention it for the PGS-D application I think, but I agree that it might be kind of meaningless on the general CV.

I had to decline the CGS-M everywhere because I'm going to the US. I still intend to apply for the PGS-D next year (not quite eligible yet). I was planning on including that I had declined the CGS-M on my CV. Do you think I shouldn't, in this case? I agree that the CGS-M is a special case, being tied to specific programs, so it's maybe a bit weird. I also declined an OGS, but was not really planning on including both on my CV.

I don't think it's a big deal, as long as you ask politely and don't sound presumptuous (and don't tell them they're not at all your top choice, of course). Be prepared for the possibility that they will say no.

I'd say the committee is now looking at your application, or possibly has made a decision. I think the former is more likely.

Actually, when I took the computer based test, they did allow me to see the (unofficial) verbal and quantitative scores before I sent the free reports. I didn't know my writing score.

Well, you will get a few thousand more usually (in the case of my offers, I would have gotten $8k more at one place and $6k at another, and TA half as many hours per week at both). It is also beneficial for academic job applications to have received grants/scholarships/fellowships - there is a certain amount of prestige associated with them.

It is normal for it to be reduced. You don't just get an extra $17.5k on top of what you were offered. Usually you still end up with a few thousand more, and a reduced teaching load, but this depends on the department.

In answer to the title question - if applying to quantitative programs, a low Q score can hurt you whether the others are good or not. In the specific case, I think your 161Q is fine. It's still 80th percentile, so that's not too shabby. I think you'll be above any minimum cut offs.

Definitely do not do this unless as a last resort. Contact the other programs, as palaeopathetic suggested. If email doesn't work, calling might get you a more immediate answer.

I've got the Yoga 2 13 and I'm pretty happy with it. I bought it in Canada almost a year ago, and everything with similar specs was either the same price or not available here when I was shopping, so I was okay with that. I got one of the higher end configurations (~250gb SSD, 8gb RAM, etc.), and I'm happy with it. Portability and SSD were the main things I was looking for, as well as being good enough to be my primary computer. The only annoyance is that the wifi card is spotty - that is a known issue discussed on Lenovo forums, and if you can believe recent postings, the ones shipping out now are better. I can't claim it's the best value or anything like that, but I like it a lot. I'd highly recommend shelling out for SSD if you can afford it, unless you really need tons of space.

If you are still waiting to hear from other programs by the end of this week, I would ask for extra time to think about it. I doubt it will strain the relationship if you do decide to attend - they did offer the extra time, after all.