A. sesquipedale

Michigan's was December 1st, that I know.

The ambiguity in these types of situations is killer. Try flashing your ring right in front of his/her face on the elevator by drawing attention to it by scratching your nose or something. Or bring up your husband/wife in conversation. Then again, the above poster may be correct. But you sound like you are pretty certain or creeped out, so I would go with your gut feeling as there are obviously nuances we can't appreciate without being there moment by moment. Good luck!

I hear you completely! I feel the same way. And also I added the period you missed in your quote above in case it cheers you up It is especially difficult when you know you are set on the career grad school trains you for but that you feel like you are behind everyone else because of your stats (my overall GPA is 3.3 major GPA 3.6). I started taking college courses when I was 16 but it was more because I loathed high school than because I wanted a head start. As a result, my early college grades are all over the place from 4.0 to >2.0 to W depending on various factors. Sometimes I feel like I just can't compete with people who have 3.8-4.0 and 1500 GRE considering how competitive this process is. What's worse, last year I got basically universally rejected (although I'll admit my SOP was pretty unfocused and it was probably for the best as I've had a lot of time to re-think my goals and interests) and that really stings! I keep having this nagging feeling that even though I've done everything I could in a year to make myself a better applicant, things won't go as I hope. Ahhhhhh, that was cathartic, thanks for the thread

I have no clue, sorry.

I found Harvard's scholarship stuff pretty annoying to read for some reason. Maybe because it made me feel like such an outcast. No, I am not blood related to Sir Phillip the Second or Bartholomew the Great. No, I am in no way directly related to the Harvard class of 1899, but, six degrees of Kevin Bacon tells me I'm pretty dang close. No, I can't do the secret bird-flap-piano-fingers handshake. OK, in reality it wasn't that bad but I just thought it was kind of funny as I encountered no questions such as these on any of my other apps. I can second the frustration of uploading PDFs online, especially when the (school) program has a small file size cap. It took me forever to find an app that worked. I ended up going with PDF Creator and putting the quality to 72x72 (you have to do this the first time you change the JPEG or w/e to a PDF, doing so in subsequent prints of the PDF did not work, at least for me.

It probably depends on how the committee/school does things. It may mean the professor is vouching for you but you still have to get approval from the committee. That is my guess. From what I have gathered, at some schools/in some departments, professors have different amounts of power in their ability to make choices about their incoming student(s). It is definitely good news either way, so congrats!

Little Miss Sunshine is probably one of my fav. movies of all time (it did quirky so well)! That and Good Will Hunting. I think because I had such high expectations for Sunshine Cleaning I was a bit disappointed, though it was decent.

Yes it seems someone could make a career, if they were interested, in gathering these data as there seems to be a surplus of opinions with little evidence, I agree with you there. But, I also think these opinions help people at least reflect on, and think about what is best for them. You raise good points too about the possibility of an individual's research background weighing in on their decision to choose one style over the other.

"Guys listen up. Jeez Janice, is that your fifth cup of coffee? It's been a long day Bill, back off. Yes it has, It's been quite long. We've gone over at least a hundred applications...I'M HUNGRY CAN WE GO? Hold on Bartholomew, please don't interrupt. BUT I'M...As I was saying ...hungry AS I WAS SAYING, we've gone over at least a hundred applications but we've this last one for the day. Sesquipedale, hmm, ha. What is, haha, what is he, hahaha. What is he saying? Janice read this.We better save this and post it online as an example. This is brilliant, just what we needed. Call him and ask if we may. The web page will read: how NOT to apply to grad school. See if he will waive the rights to his application so we can post it online as a scarecrow to deter other silly applicants from wasting our time."

As I've been reading the boards and related internet sites in general, there seem to be two different views on what should constitute a good SOP. I've now submitted most of mine so I guess I am posing this question for either curiosity's sake or for future applicants. Should well thought out and studied research ideas be posed in an ideal SOP? Or, should broader interests that fit well with what you want to do, and the mentor you are applying to work with, be posed instead? On the one hand, there seems to be an expectation by some members/websites that well thought out research ideas are needed for a great SOP as it shows you are committed, serious, thinking, and able to hit the ground running in your program on day 1 (option 1). On the other hand, what if 1) our ideas are not that great? After all, we are applying to be trained to become professional researchers, and most of us are not yet. What if 2) our ideas don't match exactly with where the mentor(s) we are applying to work with hope to take their research? This is where the other camp seems to be: State your interests, how you got interested, and the general area you hope to research in graduate school while bending your interests slightly, if needed, to match with where the mentor hopes to explore (without laying out your thesis or dissertation proposal in your SOP). (option 2) The other thing to consider is, how much does this depend on the field (for research oriented fields)? For example, is option 1 preferred for the social sciences and option 2 for the natural sciences, or vice-versa? So what do you all think?

Artist Genre Song Note Jeff Buckley - dunno the genre - Hallelujah I listened to this and the next song on repeat for about 4-5 of my SOPs and never got sick of them Fiona Apple - dunno the genre - Across the Universe (Beatles cover) Beethoven - classical - Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate') Op. 67: I Allegro con brio I grew up with classical so I really enjoy it. It is also great and inspiring for studying/writing/reading for me so quite appropriate for here, I think Mozart (Jean-Claude Malgoire) - classical - Requiem aeternam and Lacrimosa Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin - classical - Concerto in D Minor for 2 Mandolins (Andante) Bach - classical - Well tempered clavier book 1, No. 6 in D minor, BWV 851

bearing children

Does anyone who has a blog/website that got into graduate school know if it had any effect on their acceptance (e.g., maybe someone commented on it at your program)?

the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is hilarious (and some episodes are on hulu)

In the general test, fatigue was an issue for me (I never took the subject test). The sheer length coupled with the anxiety of knowing just how important the test is, slowly chips away at your energy. It's tough. Here are a few things I have read about/ and or did in an attempt to keep my mind sharp. Keep in mind this is for the general test but I'm thinking most of it will generalize over to the subject exam. 1. I did several full-length practice tests including the essays before the quant and verbal sections to simulate the kind of length I would be dealing with on the real deal (mostly two weeks before my exam). This is sort of a pain to do and you really have to remind yourself why you are doing it, as writing an essay and throwing it away right after can be difficult. I would get a hold of several subject practice tests and do those, simulating real testing conditions as much as possible. I thought of it as building my test taking muscle. 2. To answer your water question, I've actually read that drinking a lot of water before the test can be a bad thing, as there is no pause button once you get going, so you really have to figure out how much water you can drink beforehand without feeling like your bladder is going to burst during the exam. I drank a moderate amount of water and ate a few power bars before the exam. Then during my break I drank a little more water at the center. The water where I sat the exam was pretty gross. There were little disposable cups in the bathroom and you just filled up with bathroom sink water and drank from that. 3. Before the test, I did (most of) the tutorials and just tried to relax and breath deeply as the computer showed me how to use a mouse and left click. I also took my allotted breaks and did some deep breathing there too, to relax. Test anxiety can really mess up your energy levels, so it is important to keep it under control. 4. When you are doing practice tests, really be cognizant of your pacing, as this can help keep anxiety levels down too. You don't want to spend too much time on each question or else you will really be screwed in the middle and end of the test, and this will freak you out. 5. I've read mixed things about caffeine. I'm not a coffee drinker so I may not be the best person to give advice on this. Some sources say not to drink caffeine on test day (which means you'd likely have to give it up several days beforehand so that your brain can adjust) as it can lead to burnout halfway through the test. I'm not sure how accurate that statement really is, as you also have to consider that if you studied on caffeine and you do everything on caffeine, you might just want to take the test on caffeine too. 6. Another thing I've read is to not make any big changes in your diet or habits. Don't quit or start smoking before the test for example, as this could really mess with your energy levels. Hope that helps.

I really don't think it will affect your chances of acceptance one way or the other. At least in research psychology, the committee is going to be interested in whether you can perform research both during your stay in their department and after. If you are a stellar applicant they will pick you up regardless of whether you say thanks at the end. Likewise, saying thanks won't help you get in if they don't think you can succeed in their program. There may be one or two cases in the history of admissions where two applicants, identical in all but the last sentence of their essays, faced off in a late afternoon committee meeting and only one of them ended with thank you. And, it might have been the tipping point, but I seriously doubt it.

Great points. I am entirely convinced now that a list is not the best idea I've ever had. Thanks for posting your response on this matter.

Hmmm, these are good points. It sort of goes back to the whole show don't tell thing also, at least in a general sense.

For anyone looking to apply to master's programs with funding (full or partial) here is a list (not sure if it is comprehensive) feel free to add to it if you know of any others: Augusta State University Ball State University Bucknell University College of William and Mary Indiana State University Montana State University Mount Holyoke College University of Hartford University of the Pacific University of South Alabama Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Western Caroline University Villanova University Originally found here: http://forums.studen...ad.php?t=622774

Background: I am applying to psychology PhD programs There is a section in my SOP where I essentially list a bunch of authors' books and/or articles I've read to educate myself on my research interests. My coursework doesn't really reflect my self-education on my interests (I'm the same major as my field, but did not focus in school on my particular subfield of interest) nor is my research experience reflective of what I hope to do in grad school. Because of this, I thought it necessary to discuss how I've prepared myself for what I want to do. So the whole paragraph, as it is currently, basically follows a format like this: In preparing for blee blee bloo, I have taken into account blah blah blah works on these subjects by A, B, C, D, E, and F. My views on blah blah has been influenced by G, H, I, J, and others. Finally, to understand bloo blah I turned to X, Y, Z, and others. My questions is, is it generally better to go with a broad brush approach to describing these things or instead focus on one or two authors/books/papers in more detail keeping in mind 1) space requirements, no room to do both 2) if you take the microscope approach, you sound more knowledgeable about that thing or couple of things (and you can just list tons of authors without having honestly read them, yet you can't fake a deep understanding of one of those authors' works), and it would be more interesting to read than just a list. 3) but with a list, the committee/the mentor you are applying to work with will see that you have been reading up a bunch and are prepared to hit the ground running. But 4) again, a list feels incredibly boring. And 5) again, my coursework and research experience will not reveal anything about my knowledge of these subjects. What's the verdict? Broad brush or microscope? Thanks all

The way I look at it is, the potential opportunity cost you might incur by NOT applying (i.e., if you would have gotten accepted to a top program or your dream school had you applied) is huge compared to the cost of applying. I too am cringing at expenses though. 23 dollars to send scores from ETS to each school is bonkers. Not to mention application fees. One school I am applying to has a fee of ~ $150

I would greatly appreciate some feedback on my SOP. Leave a message here if you are willing to read and give feedback, or PM me. I am also willing to reciprocate if you'd like to take a look at yours. Thanks!

There seems to be a mixed consensus on this, and I think sometimes we can over analyze the consequences of either outcome. I sent a card and small gift <$5 to each letter writer (for grad school applications). I think it is perfectly fine to not send a gift and it isn't strange to send a small gift either. Just put yourself in their shoes and ask if you would be offended if you did or did not receive a letter or gift, that might help clarify your predicament.

I'm going to make a point for the other side of the argument, just to balance things out a bit. I also did 2 years of community college before transferring to a four-year. The biggest downside, at least for the field I am trying to break into (psychology), is that you only have two years to be a research assistant and gain experience that way, something vital for certain grad programs. It took me some time to find three great labs that had openings, so I was really only an RA for 1.5 years about. If I could do it all over, and I knew that I really wanted to get into grad school in psychology in advance (though, like others have said, it is pretty unlikely you will have that foresight just fresh out of high school, although some do) I would skip community college, if it was reasonable financially. So, I don't think grad schools will directly punish you for going to a CC, but, you may have less opportunities for research, which may or may not be important depending on your field. If research is important in your field, joining labs as a 1st or 2nd year will net you more experience and a higher chance at co-authored presentations and papers than entering as a 3rd year might.

Notquiteagrad, check out this thread also, it may help you in your journey to find RA work.