so47

lol I love this! This makes me feel much better about TAing. But, at the same time, I know there will be some snot-mouth freshmen to point out every single time I make a math error in class...because I was that snot-mouth freshman years ago. And I'm just afraid it's gonna be worse because it'll be Ivy Leage snot-mouth freshmen who can probably even beat my former know-it-all self! Karma's gonna get me!

If they gave you a letter, I would send it. I had emailed a rejection to one school, and I continued to get emails from them asking for my response until I filled out their official forms.

Yeah, I am super excited! I think I also found a sublet in that complex for July too, since our lease isn't starting until August 1. I am so happy because the difference between this place and the type of crappy apartments I have lived in throughout undergrad, it's unbelievable. A nice townhouse like this makes me feel like more of an "adult," that even though I am still a student, I feel like I am moving up in the world! I know it's just in my head, but it makes me so happy! And I really like that there is the cute little plaza right there. Sounds very convenient, just to run over there to grab something when you need it. I really hope it works out! My current Ithaca resident roommate is hopefully signing the lease tomorrow! *crosses fingers*

Yup, I got mine last week. But I also accepted my offer over a month ago, so if you accepted more recently I wouldn't worry about it too much yet. Did you get the email saying they would be mailing it to you shortly? The email said that it could take 2 weeks for domestic and 4 weeks for international students to receive it after you get that email.

I'll be 23 when I start, fresh out of undergrad. My undergrad was a 5 year program that incorporated 3 "co-ops" (6 month paid internships in your field) so I am graduating with 1.5 years of industry experience. Working in industry is what made me realize that I had to go to grad school

Yeah, just last night actually! It came together miraculously fast I'm getting a townhouse near East Hill Plaza off campus with 2 other first year grad students in my program. It looks REALLY nice, each bedroom has its own attached bath (which is AWESOME for a house full of girls) and the buildings are pretty new. It is a little further from downtown than I was shooting for, but the quality of the place for the price really sold me. Just need to sign the lease this week! As far as commuting, you could use a bike in the fall, spring and summer, but it will be pretty hard in the winter. But Hasbrouck has good bus service, I think it comes every fifteen minutes? And I know at least in my department, you get a free bus pass your first year, though I am not sure if that is a University-wide policy. I would recommend getting a bus pass if you don't have a car up there, so you can get to grocery stores, shopping, etc. I think it's around $400 for the year if your department isn't covering it.

Anyone have any feedback about living in the East Hill Plaza area? I'm thinking about getting a townhouse with some other Cornell grads in Plaza East. It's a little further from the downtown area than I originally wanted, but the units look really nice and are a great price. It looks like it gets decent bus service to campus, but how is it getting back and forth to the Downtown/Collegetown areas? Are there buses between there for nights and weekends? It looks like parking is cheap in the downtown area (I will have a car), I am mostly worrying about getting back if I go to the bars on occasion.

I looked at both Hasbrouck and Maplewood when I was up a few weeks ago. I'm just going to link to my response since I am too lazy to type if out again lol: I definitely preferred Hasbrouck between those two options. The location is isolated, but the quality of the housing is much better. Maplewood just felt way too cramped for me, though location is better.

I don't really understand the OP's need to have a super successful partner. My long-time boyfriend is a nurse. He is in a completely different world. He makes good money, but once I get a PhD I will probably make more, and I will have the "Dr." title and the prestige associated with it, along with a hopefully also successful career. And I have never resented him for it. He loves his job because he loves the feeling he gets, going to work and helping people every day. He started out in Physics in college, and while he was good at it, he had no passion, no drive. He comes home from work excited to tell me stories about his day, or so happy when a patient gives him a gift because he helped them. THAT is success. I hope that someday I can be that happy with my job every day. And truth be told, I think it is a good thing to have only one career-oriented spouse. When we have kids, he has a much more flexible schedule and has mentioned that he wouldn't mind being a stay-at-home dad, or only working part time. I would hate to raise kids in a house where both parents work all the time! And so far at least, he has shown no resentment to following me. He followed me to the city I did my undergrad, and he will be following be to grad school as soon as he gets a job up there. We are lucky that he is a nurse, and has reasonable mobility in his career as well. To the OP: Re-evaluate what you want in a relationship. It's not a competition. Who wants to fight with their spouse to be the best their whole lives? It's about being with someone that you love and see past "faults" (thought I truly don't think this is a fault, it's not like he is an unemployed loser living in his mom's basement) and finding someone who you want to build a life with. If you don't see this with your boyfriend, do the boy a favor and break up with him. Let him find someone who will enjoy his caring and selfless nature, and who won't resent him for not being a star.

So glad to see others feel this way! I was very fortunate and was deciding between 2 top 20 schools in my field. Cornell was my favorite going into the process because of the program structure, location, reputation etc., and when I got in I assumed it would be no contest. I went to the Visitation Weekend and was happily surprised that I also felt a great connection with the people! I really felt like I belonged with the other grad students, and I liked the overall feel of the department. I was convinced that I was going, and told myself I was only doing the visit to my second choice since they had already paid for my flight and hotel. So the next weekend I visited UNC Chapel Hill, my second choice. And I was AMAZED by the caliber of research they had going on there. There were more professors I was interested in (5 compared to 3 at Cornell) and they had brand spanking new facilities ( a big deal with chemistry ). Plus I felt like I personally connected with a couple of the faculty members, and would really enjoy working with them in addition to liking their research. But, I didn't get the same connection to the grad students and the rest of the people in the dept. I came home all confused. Do I go for the overall "fit" or where the research opportunities were amazing? A PhD is mostly about research, so I kept wondering if I would be making a big mistake if I went for the fit. And distance was a factor too. My family is in NY, so I would be about 3-3.5 hours away at Cornell, versus an 11 hour drive to UNC. Plus there are no direct flights, and the flights with stop-overs were still pricey. And Cornell was offering a significantly better funding package. So, in the end, I wound up going with Cornell, because it just felt "right." I got REALLY sad when I had to write to tell UNC I wasn't coming. I sent personal letters to the faculty I liked, and one of them sent a reply saying he was really sorry that I wasn't coming, and it just broke my heart. But overall, I think I made the right choice. I want to enjoy graduate school as much as I can, and I think the people and fit are crucial. Plus, being close enough to go home for a weekend if I need to is important to me too. I'm starting to feel better about it, I got my Cornell email address yesterday! (I accepted their offer about a month ago) This is a very emotional process though!

When it comes down to it, the difference between rank 39 and 55 isn't significant. I was told to really just worry about rankings when it's a big gap, like 10 vs. 50. Something that small means they both have good departments (plenty of depts are not even ranked), so I would just go to Buffalo if you like it better.

One thing I was struck by in Ithaca when I visited both times last month...Drivers are NICE!!! They actually stop at stop signs and let pedestrians go! This is refreshing, coming from Philly where they do the "Philly slide" = rolling through stop signs, and the cars like to go bowling for pedestrians, extra points if they have a backpack! YAY for no more (or at least less) overly aggressive Philly and NJ drivers!

Graduating in June, then moving back to my parents, the Ft Lauderdale for a week For July, my department actually has a 3 week long TA training program which I will be doing. They pay us, and it seems like a good opportunity to meet the other grads and get used to the area before the undergrads invade lol. August I will have a couple weeks free, want to try and visit my friends at Duke, and probably spend some time at home bumming at home, hanging with my mom!

I would strongly advise NOT doing 2. I have heard stories about other students doing this, and it gave them a reputation for being devious and slimy, since it is essentially going behind your advisor's back. Be upfront, tell your advisor that you feel your interests shifting, tell him what you think you are now interested in, etc. Be upfront, and though he may not be happy you want to leave him, he will appreciate the courtesy.

Common misconception! I grew up in various places in upstate NY, including Lake Placid where it was normal to have 6+feet of snow on the ground for the whole winter, and me or my parents have NEVER had a 4-wheel drive car. Yeah, it might help to get you out of a snow pile without digging out as much, but that is not the problem with driving in snow! The problem is STOPPING, and 4-wheel drive can't help you there. Sorry for the rant, but in general people tend to think they are invincible when they have 4-wheel drive and drive like idiots through the snow, and they are the ones you see on the side of the road, rammed into trees and the lot. You always have to be cautious regardless of the car you drive. I'm bringing my 2-wheel drive car to Ithaca this year, and the only thing I am concerned about to be honest is the combo of snow + hills, but that is just because my car is very light with a small engine, and it complains with much less daunting hills in Albany! 4-wheel drive might make it easier getting up those hills in the snow, but by no means is it pointless to have a car that isn't 4-wheel drive. This is coming from an upstate-NY-er though, not specifically an Ithacan (if that's what one calls a person who lives in Ithaca?).

Personally, I would still go with A. While you did go abroad for one year, you will still have 8-9 years at one institution, which still seems a bit "inbred" to me. PLus, it gives you more networking opportunities, which are increasingly important for jobs and grants after grad school. School A sounds like a more well-rounded choice, and you have the option to continue your work with papyrology or to try something new, which doesn't sound like there would be much of an option at B. I have also been advised to avoid getting TOO specialized...it makes it harder to get a job later on. Plus having the support system of your family closer and it being advantageous for your relationship are pluses too.

It was the same for my area as well (Chemistry). I had done plenty of research before, but the programs I got accepted to all had recruiting weekends. Not only did these give an opportunity to get a feel for the ever important "fit," but it also showed that a lot of the research going on with each professor is a bit different from what they have listed on the web. They tend to discuss older (i.e. published) work on the web, and the newer site is kept a bit closer to the vest to avoid people infringing on their work. I never could have known exactly what they are working on before I visited. Also, I got soooo much information from talking to current grad students, they told me things I never would have thought about in the decision making process. It is way better to visit on an official department weekend than just driving up on your own. So overall, I think that was very close-minded of PhdWannabee. Obviously you are in a different type of program, perhaps one that doesn't offer these department weekends. Most people in my field wait until they are accepted to visit, since the department then pays for it and you actually get to interact with the people you would be working with. You can't assume that your way is the only way. One could say you wasted lots of time and money visiting schools that you didn't get into, on the other side of the coin.

Aww boo. The grads in my department said undergrads couldn't get in. Oh well, as long as the majority of the crowd is grads, I can live

I agree with all of this. I was STRONGLY advised against doing your grad degree where you did you undergrad, especially in a research centered field like biology. People want to see educational diversity, it makes you much more well rounded and thus a better scientist overall. Plus, only doing research with one professor on one project limits networking, and you can become TOO specialized and it makes it harder to get a job. Plus going into debt for a degree that could hurt you career just sounds crazy! I also agree strongly with You can design your PhD project to incorporate some of the aspects that you want. Your potential advisor knows your background and interests, and I'm sure they would be supportive of combining the 2. It makes their research portfolio more diverse as well!

It might be different for each department, but I was actually happily surprised how social the grad students in my department were when I visited. A lot of them said they make it a point to do something social at least once every weekend, and when I was there for visitation they took us out to bars both nights!I only went out one of the two nights, but the bars were pretty empty until like 10:30-11 when the undergrads showed up. I actually liked it not being as crowded the whole time, I live in a big city right now and I think it's refreshing to have breathing room at bars! The bars do apparently close at 1am which is a bit surprising, but I'm not one for staying out all night anyway lol. There is also the Big Red Bard, did you get to see that when you were there? It's the grad student only hang out on campus. It seemed pretty cool to me, Fridays is TGIF-"Tell Grads It's Friday" and they had some free food and soda, and $1 draft beer. That seemed like a good place to me to meet other grads in different departments. Also, I found a Facebook group and site for the Grad Student Association ( http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/index.php?p=106 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&gid=57874230365 ) and it looks to me like they really try to organize social activities. There's movies, a "Grad Ball", etc. So overall, I was happy with the social aspect when I visited, but I also haven't started yet, so I hope my info was helpful, but the question is probably geared more to a current grad

I would nix Bren and Oregon right away, because it sounds like the programs aren't perfect fits, and the financial outlook is bad. Between Duke and UNC-CH, which would create the more debt (assuming you get no funding for UNC) If Duke has more debt, I would also nix Duke since you are not positive about the fit being worth the debt anyway. So from my eyes, this seems like a competition between UNC-CH and UVA. And it's really up to you, if you like UNC that much and think it will help you enough in the future, then it's up to you if you can take the leap of faith for funding. But, it sounds like you do like UVA, so a fully funded offer from a school you like seems like a very good alternative. I think if I were you, I would also go with the funding. I'm not in your field, so I can't say how much of an impact the Environmental Science vs. Health would be, but is there a way to gear a project or research towards the health end of it? I would email potential advisors to find out if that is possible, because then I think this would take any doubts about UVA away for you.

It's frowned upon, but I am pretty sure that you are not legally bound if you haven't yet signed the papers. But, you may be severing connections in the future, as in one day, you may run into someone from this school at a conference, or maybe they are reviewing your grant proposal, and they recognize your name and remember that you accepted then backed out, and they might hold that against you. But, I would go over all the info and compare the programs though, don't just go by rank. And are these rankings specific for Chem Eng? Or are they for Engineering in general? The rank in your discipline is much more valuable. How many advisors you are interested in at each school? And which location do you like better? Just make sure you REALLY like the second program and will be happy there. If you go through all this and are still convinced you want the higher ranked school, then I would write an email to the first program explaining that you are really sorry, but you made a mistake, and after evaluating your options, you believe that another program is a better fit.

Do you have means to pay for School 2 if you don't get aid or the full time position? Because for me, that is too many "if's" to be comfortable. But if you have a backup financial plan that can work, then I say go with your heart and go with school 2.

It would be very difficult to do, and as mudlark mentioned, some schools will prohibit you from doing it. And before you worry about time constraints, be aware that even if you ARE permitted to do it, you will almost definitely have to pay for the MA out of pocket. Your Fulbright covers your PhD in EE, they are in no way obliged to pay for you to take classes for a separate degree in a completely different field.

Honestly, it's hard to give advice without knowing the schools, especially since you have not been able to visit them to give you a feel for the environment. If you named the schools, people could tell you what their visits there were like, might be able to tell you about specific faculty, the town it's in, etc. Aside from that, I am concerned that you are saying there is only 1 prof at either school you could see yourself working for. What happens if when you meet these 1 profs in person, that you just don't get along personality wise, or you hear from their groups that they are miserable to work for? Or if they are taking students, often times they are only allowed to take a certain amount each year due to department rules, so you may be competing with other students. You don't wanna go to a school for one prof then not get into their group! For that reason, I was advised to make sure there are at least 3 profs you could see yourself working for at whatever school you choose. So, that being said, I would either look through all the profs again and see if there are any others that may not be your #1 research choice, but have a project you find interesting and could work with. If the answer is still no, and without any other information, I would probably have to say go with school B, since at least you know that prof is taking students and there are more faculty members in your field to choose from.