MidwesternAloha
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Posts posted by MidwesternAloha
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Working out. Get a 30 day pass for a gym. Seriously, you'll be so exhausted you won't have time to think, and afterward, you'll feel less stressed, too.
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Depends if they're using their own funding. My boss has a $12.4 million private grant and still have to request special permission from the University to purchase a first class flight
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Most travel awards will only cover an economy/coach ticket.
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Yes, it would be completely legal and within your rights. It would be unfortunate for the school, but, you have to do what's best for you.
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It's not legally binding until after April 15. You can always agree but retract (politely) if you get a better offer before April.
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Oh wow.. GOOD LUCK
Last night I had a crazy dream that involved me registering for all the wrong classes for my first quarter at grad school.
I'm just curious because I don't know much about grad school and curricula outside my field - what types of classes do you have to take? Is it not a standard regimen? In my discipline, you just take a specialized Cancer Bio 1-4 with everywhere else matriculating in the program, and maybe some electives later on. I'm genuinely interested in learning how other schools and fields do it.
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That does make it tougher. One of your cohort-mates might be weirded out if someone they never met before contacted them out of the blue. Also, I'm not sure getting in touch would really provide that much useful information since you didn't get to know them that well so knowing if they are attending or not wouldn't make a huge difference? In your case, I would probably say to base your evaluation of community based on the current students since those are the ones you've met.
I would guess that at smaller programs, the sense of community will be strong so that it will stay mostly intact from year to year. Prospective students will see that the current students are a certain way and choose to attend or not based on how well they would fit in, so that from one year to the next, the overall dynamic should change only slowly. In bigger programs, there could be more changes from year to year, but at the same time, more people means it is more likely you will find at least one person you can bond with.
To answer your question directly, I think it would be weird to ask the program director for things like contact information and decision status of the others in your cohort at this point. However, asking for general things like the total # of people with an offer, the ratio of women to men (more important in some fields than others), the split between research interests/subfields, etc. should be okay. This was all information provided to us at the visits though, for visits on the main visiting dates as well as visits on alternate dates. At one school, they used to take headshots of us as soon as we arrived and post them online / flyers around the department so that current members know that we are visiting. After my year though, they stopped putting them online (I think headshots for internal distribution was fine and although I didn't say anything, I was a little uncomfortable that they were online too, but all's well that ends well, I guess).
In many science fields, some cohorts can be predominantly male (I know one recent incoming class in another department had only 2 women out of 20 students that chose to attend). So I think if you are seriously considering a school and it's closer to the deadline, it is perfectly fine to ask the program director (or other equivalent person) for some updated numbers like how many students have already accepted and how many of them are X where X can be gender, research speciality etc. If you really want to get in touch with the people that have accepted, one possible way is to ask the program director to forward your email address onto the students that have already accepted the school's offer and let them reach out to you if they are comfortable.
That is fabulous advice. I cannot thank you enough!
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We are stationed at Leavenworth now as my husband is an FA49 at TRAC. He is getting first look for MAJ so we will see what happens with ILE if he is picked up. He is going to try to PCS back here since he won't even get to finish his initial ORSA assignment. Believe it or not we love it here!
Really? That's good to hear! Our favorite place (believe it or not) was Ft Leonard Wood! Bought a house there. My husband is probably 2 year groups behind yours, but these decisions are still on the horizon and I feel like I totally "get" your stress at the moment. Not looking forward to the distance thing when he has to go to ILE while I'm in grad school. Good luck to you guys!!! Monterey is AMAZING, if you somehow wind up going with him there!
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The only school to which I've been accepted is pressuring me for a decision by Monday. I totally understand schools' reasons for wanting to get answers ASAP and making it fair to other students, etc. I'm waitlisted at a school that is a better fit for me, but who knows how that will go. I want to get the ball rolling at the first institution, so if I accept, and later receive an offer from school #2, how bad would it be to retract my acceptance if it's prior to April 15?
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5 is the typical number for us too. 5 students/year * 5 years to degree = roughly 25 grad students in the department. I like this number because when we throw a party we can invite the whole department (not everyone will come but we won't have room anyways) instead of having to only invite certain people and worry about who to invite/not invite. Bigger student populations means more clustering and smaller populations (my previous school had about 12 students total) means that you might invite everyone but only have 3 or 4 show up. Personally, I feel 20-30 is just right.
Definitely agree with this. My advice is to put more weight on the other prospectives visiting with you rather than the older students. Sure, the older students "set the tone" but some of them might be gone with you get there and others will be gone a few years later. Also, you will see/bond with your incoming class the most because you will take courses together, write papers together, do problem sets together, study for quals/exams together etc. When I visited, I kept in touch with others who visited with me and updated each other on our choices.
Do you have any advice for finding out who else might be in your cohort/matriculating? Would it be weird to contact the program director and ask? I interviewed on an alternate occasion due to a conflict with another interview, so that's partially why I am struggling to see the big picture.
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As if applying to grad school and waiting for a decision wasn't enough; my active duty Army husband was selected to go to the Naval Postgraduate School this summer through the Army ACS program and we are now waiting for his official acceptance, buying a house where we are locally , moving off post here and preparing for him to move to CA without us for 18 months this June. After we take a planned family trip to Disney. Oh and my dad just had a brain tumor removed, is in criminal litigation with his sister and mother over lies they told and my Aunt through marriage has bone and lung cancer. To top it off, my husband has to get ready for a promotion board and take the GRE at the end of March and study for it while we move. We are stressed to the max!
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Moffitt's a pretty good place to be from what I hear. I currently work in the Psychiatry and Neurosciences department, so I can't speak to Moffitt first-hand, but I hear good things.
The city isn't too bad, but I don't actually live in Tampa, so I can't speak too first-hand on that either. I do know that there are some areas that are fairly rough on the edges, but there are some pretty safe areas as well, so not unlike most college towns/areas. Tampa isn't a college town though, and as such there are plenty of nice places to live if you don't mind the commute, which is what most people do anyway. I live in St. Petersburg on the Gulf... which I love. It's beautiful and worth the 45 minute drive if you want to live on the water. Of course, you can live near water all over the place, what with the bay and all of the retention ponds around.
All in all, its a pretty cool place to be.
I'm glad to hear that! When I visited the area, the students all say they lived in St Pete or New Tampa. How reasonable or inflated are home prices/rentals on the water? I imagine it would be hard to live there without a roommate. How's the weather and the bugs? Serious question lol. I am fine with roaches but can't handle spiders.
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The snow...the ice...the constant closing of UNC CH as a result....
The struggle is real.
As a side note, I have a question. I logged into my UGA app for the first time since receiving an acceptance and under status it says "applicant has accepted admissions offer". First of all, I haven't in any way. Do you guys think this is just the way they put it in the system to hold the spot? Or should I ask them? I don't want to risk them thinking I'm rejecting their offer; I just haven't decided--and if GT and UNC say no, I will be taking it. Any ideas?
I hear ya on the snow and the ice. I had the pleasure of driving from Southern Pines to NC State this morning bc classes were cancelled but the University wasn't closed for employees. My poor Fiat... And my nerves are shot lol
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Yeah, he can't move with me. Has has a career that keeps him stationed in one place. I guess I shouldn't be complaining, at least we don't have the time zone difference you mentioned!
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I want to resurrect this forum, if anyone is around to shed insight on Tampa/USF! I've been accepted to their cancer biology PhD program at Moffitt.
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I've been accepted to an amazing, elite graduate program, but I feel more scared than anything. I'm married and would have to move 9 hours away from my Husband. It doesn't feel right. It's fully funded+ high stipend, all kinds of freebies, celebrity (well, in my field) professors-
Why am I not more excited? I'm sitting here mourning the loss of more local programs.
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It's been 2 years and 20 applications. Two waitlists are all that stand between me and being shut out completely. If I hear one more person tell me "Don't worry, you'll make it off the wait list." I think I'm just going to kick them in the shin... or the balls. I'm trying to get a research assistant or lab manager position, but if that doesn't work out, there's basically no reason for me to reapply for year #3.
I really loved one of the programs. After I visited, I felt it was a perfect fit. My POI even had a similar background to me, and then I got waitlisted. I'm just so depressed and frustrated.
Being waitlisted friggin' sucks. Just got an email saying the same. It's like, oh hey, we like you, but we're gonna try to find someone better, and if we don't, we'll let you know.
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Got a phone call from POI at USF-Moffitt Cancer Center... Stoked! Reality can set in now
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I've heard from a very reputable source that the college of agriculture and life sciences is needing to downsize from 15 departments to 10. Indeed, there are some major funding issues going on at NSCU that should be extremely concerning to prospective students.
Correct. This was discussed in our most recent staff meeting. (I work in CALS)
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I really, really appreciate the insight on this. The whole grad school environment is a vast new world to me and it's very helpful to have this feedback. The school I like best (academically) has the miniscule, independent cohort (only matriculating 5 students on average per year), but the other is a big umbrella program with a lot more people.
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I don't see that as being a problem. In my experience, the adcom was happier to see I had explored other career paths and KNEW I wanted to pursue this one now. It's good to have evidence that you are well rounded. They won't judge. No school wants a student who walks in and says "gosh, I've just wanted to be ____ since I was a kid!"
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Yes. There is no reason to omit information. Most schools require that you send transcripts from all institutions. It is not unique to take prereqs for a program after graduating. I sent all of mine and had a total of 4 transcripts to send to every school.
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Probably after April 15.
Venting Thread- Vent about anything.
in The Lobby
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I don't have an answer to this, but I would assume your advisor/mentor could give you direction for this process?