MathCat

I would recommend checking out http://www.mathematicsgre.com/ .

I was offered an OGS at one of the schools last week.

Despite setting up my university email to forward to my other email so that I get notifications on my phone, I still manually refresh my email from time to time. It makes no sense, but I can't stop myself. Ahh!!

I think this is very accurate. It's what I did, and it turned out as you said. I think my application was far more competitive than I had anticipated - despite being apparently shut out of my two reach schools, I got early offers from the rest. I had gone in feeling very pessimistic about my chances at the US programs, because I was constantly told by almost everyone (including by my letter writers, who apparently all wrote me strong letters) that it was very hard to get in as an international student. This in part made me apply to more Canadian schools, my "back up" option, and also made me pick less competitive US programs. But, as I said in my previous post, I think this actually turned out well for me. I don't think a tip-top program is the right environment for me for personal reasons, even though I now think I would have had a shot if I'd applied to more. edit: almost all the programs I applied to are in the top 30 internationally. So, maybe all of them count as reaches. I'm not sure if the numbers people throw around for rankings are generally US-only rankings. If so, the top two offers I got are in the top 10-15 bracket, depending on which ranking you look at. But I think they are more supportive departments than the very top programs, which is hugely important for me. I don't know that I'd get through in a highly competitive place. I think generally, if they are good fits, you should be top-heavy in your list, as TakeruK says. But you should not apply based on rank alone!

Definitely not every week! Maybe one inquiry if it's past when you should have heard, but don't nag them.

I applied to 8 schools in total. 2 of them are reaches (top 5), and I was rejected at one with the other still pending. They were the only schools that I wanted to apply to in the top 10. 2 more were top 10-20 US schools, depending on who you ask, and great fits (got into both! The choice will likely be between these two). One more US school I applied to for location which is ranked about top 50 and a worse fit than any other school I applied to. I don't think I should have applied here. I also applied to 3 Canadian schools, all of which fall in the top 25-ish bracket internationally, and top 5 in Canada. They are pretty good fits, but I will probably go to the US. When I say good fit, I do not only mean academically. Location and community/culture matter a lot to me as well. I set out with the intention of applying to 2-3 super reaches (top 5-7), 3-6 "somewhat of a reach but still a chance"s (top 10-30), and I identified one 'safety'/backup that also had a late deadline that I could apply to if it looked grim. I wanted to cast a reasonably wide net, to increase the chances of getting a good funding offer. Further research and reflection on what I wanted shrunk the list a bit. A couple of schools I applied to were still not the right choices, in retrospect. A couple of schools admitted me with really bad funding offers - they are also in the places with the highest cost of living. So, I'm glad I applied to enough programs to have options in that department. When I got many more acceptances than I expected, I did initially regret not applying to more reach schools. But the top 10 programs I did not apply to were poor fits for some reason or another - poor research interest fit, location, program structure, etc.. I got into two programs that I'm very excited about (with good placement histories!), so it worked out well.

Gosh, everything about this has been hard. Probably the biggest difficulty for me is balancing course work with applications and visits. In the fall, I spent a lot (a LOT) of time studying for the GRE subject test. The moment I finished that, I was working on my SOP and trying to decide exactly which schools to apply to - I had picked a few, but had not finalized my list. This term, the stress of trying to balance course work, visits, refreshing my email/application portals every 13 seconds, and in depth research of the programs I'm seriously considering is very draining. But it is also really exciting! Trying to decide which school to attend is also daunting.

This might seem odd, but for me the biggest concern about studios is refrigerator noise. I had a hellish stay in a hotel room with a loud refrigerator, and now I'm not so sure I'd be able to handle a studio, haha.

Yes, I think it could definitely work this way as well, especially in a field where you are admitted to work with a specific person or group. Most math programs don't expect you to commit to anything from the beginning, so that influenced my assumption of how it works.

I think they usually have a ranking. If only one spot opens up, they probably already know who they will give the next acceptance letter to. If you're very high on the list, it means you probably have a decent shot of getting an offer, because you don't need as many people to decline their acceptances as somebody who is lower down.

They care more about your last two years than the first two. You are not doomed. Just work hard and do well in the remaining years!

A different Canadian school gave me an early deadline. I negotiated an extension until early March, with the possibility of a further extension. It is fine to ask for an extension. I would also recommend inquiring with the other schools about your status. Tell them you have an offer with an early deadline. By the way, the April 15 resolution applies only to funded offers, and only to schools who have signed on. It is not a universal agreement, and it seems that many Canadian schools don't adhere to it.

Some programs have minimum cutoffs for standardized test scores, including the GRE. I doubt your score is below such a cut off, but it is possible.

If you've already been accepted at a school, usually the only issue is if you fail to graduate or your GPA drops below the minimum cut off. Check what conditions have to be met to retain your offer, but I highly doubt taking a pass/fail course will be a problem.

I agree - broaden your horizons and go to Cornell.

I think you should just be honest, and not worry about what answer they are looking for.

Yes, the name of the school will matter a lot, as will the reputation of your supervisor. I believe most professors will have come from programs ranked above the top 50. That doesn't mean it's impossible if you don't go to such a school, but it's an uphill battle - you will need something else on your CV to make you stand out. You may be stuck in teaching positions.

Ask them.

You can avoid mentioning that you think her research is lacking the breadth you want. Just say you are particularly interested in projects that connect to the bigger picture, such as <example>, and wonder if such a project would be available there. She will be able to read between the lines.

It does happen, for sure. I'd ask them for specific numbers on how many do successfully transfer to PhD.

I had an extremely vivid dream that Berkeley updated my application status page to accepted. Every detail of the webpage was there, and it felt so real. Waking up sucked...

I think it depends a lot on your relationship with your letter writers. One of them I know very well, and I've told him pretty much everything as it comes in. He has connected me with people who know those programs I was admitted to, and been a sounding board when I'm trying to figure out my feelings about the schools. The second I am not as close with, but he has still helped me out with a lot. I updated him less frequently, about every 2 responses, unless I was already talking to him about something anyway. The third I am the least close with. I told him about my first acceptance, and then updated him recently about the rest. Since you are only applying to three programs, I don't think it would hurt to send an email for each one, and especially for your first acceptance! Congrats

I think the problem with this approach is that you aren't giving them a chance to fix it. You definitely have to be careful about how you phrase it, though.

I wouldn't include something like "Better luck with other graduate students." It might sound like you think too highly of yourself (they are missing out on something great by you not attending). Others might give different advice, but I would say that I can't attend for financial reasons. It is a completely legitimate reason. Maybe they don't really care, but there is a small and nonzero chance that somebody might want you enough to change the offer. I think honesty is better for everyone in this process.

I don't think it would ruffle any feathers to ask if there is anything they can tell you. They might not have anything to say. Just keep the e-mail brief and polite. I sent early inquiry emails (had an early Canadian deadline) and all the responses were fine. Two said there was nothing to tell me, one told me I was accepted, and the other gave me a precise timeline of when I would hear from them. I don't think they thought anything of the request.