ucdude

How many faculty members are qualified to serve on my dissertation committee? How many fellow PhD students are there (in my cohort/program)? How many meetings do I have weekly (lab meetings, reading groups, "coaching" sessions)? What technical equipment does the program provide me with access to? How many interesting or relevant courses are on offer? Does an incoming cohort take a common core of classes? Does the city require me to buy a car for transportation? How much of the stipend does rent take up before groceries, etc.? Do graduate students have their own desks? Can you find a recent graduate who has a job you would like some day? Is the school (geographically) close to other research groups? Does the faculty have a backup adviser in case yours leaves/retires? Does the possibility exist for interdisciplinary advising? Do your prospective fellow students have publications? How many PhD students are in the department?

I have some questions that can help start up this thread. Just list questions you are asking yourselves to decide between schools. 
 
-          # of profs I would like to do research under
o   Can I start with them in the summer?
-          # of profs I would be willing to do research under
-          Cost of living
-          Stipend
-          Tuition covered?
-          Medical insurance?
-          Requirements to reach PhD candidacy
-          Requirements to receive PhD (Defend thesis?)
 
I'm trying to make the best possible list for me to choose between two schools, and am thinking we can all help each other.

Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I'd say just wait out the next three weeks or so. If you have other options, keep them open too. If you have no other option then I assume it wouldn't be the worst thing to accept admission, but I would personally wait until visitation weekend. Why? You might have a different feel of the school. A professor might not seem like the right choice. Another's research is different than what you've seen, as that is his past work, perhaps. A lot of things can come up that might change your mind or leave you wondering if its the right place.
 
I'd say hold on for a few weeks!

Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I'd say just wait out the next three weeks or so. If you have other options, keep them open too. If you have no other option then I assume it wouldn't be the worst thing to accept admission, but I would personally wait until visitation weekend. Why? You might have a different feel of the school. A professor might not seem like the right choice. Another's research is different than what you've seen, as that is his past work, perhaps. A lot of things can come up that might change your mind or leave you wondering if its the right place.
 
I'd say hold on for a few weeks!

Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I'd say just wait out the next three weeks or so. If you have other options, keep them open too. If you have no other option then I assume it wouldn't be the worst thing to accept admission, but I would personally wait until visitation weekend. Why? You might have a different feel of the school. A professor might not seem like the right choice. Another's research is different than what you've seen, as that is his past work, perhaps. A lot of things can come up that might change your mind or leave you wondering if its the right place.
 
I'd say hold on for a few weeks!

If you need helping picking a specialization, look up some journal articles from various areas. What excites you? What bores you to tears? For me personally I can tell pretty quickly. I would look into REU/SURF programs to help you get more research experience as well. These can also get you exposed to more areas of research and help you realize where your passion is.

I dont know if this is the right place to put this at all, but the more I start to think about grad school, the happier and more anxious I am. And not the good anxious, the bad one. I have gotten good grades but for some reason I feel like none of that reflects my intelligence or wisdom. I feel so happy that I've been accepted into two top programs in my field, but at the same time - anxious, because that means I will have to perform up to par, or better. And I dont think I am.
 
A lot of these feelings of academic inadequacy are probably shared by at least a few of you here - so....how do you guys deal with them? How do you guys deal with the imposter syndrome? Google chrome for some reason doesnt think imposter is a word, so maybe I shouldn't either 

Right? He was extremely nice but at the same time I just wanted a straight answer!
 
Feeling very
 

Not sure, if your app was in a few weeks ahead you might be okay. I submitted mine on Thanksgiving, but my last LOR wasn't submitted until Dec 7th. For some reason my CV didn't get attached so the admin emailed me to attach it on Dec 11.  I heard back Dec 16th but I was in contact with a POI before submitting it so I think that might have helped. Best of Luck!!

You got into Berkeley....calm down.