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danica1

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Everything posted by danica1

  1. Hi harrah! I'm guessing you are looking into MA programs? If so, teaching experience typically isn't required, although it can definitely be a benefit. Many MA students in the field also seem to have a foreign language background, such as German, French, or Spanish, for example, so that's not a problem. I would do some research on the different programs you want to apply to, and make sure you know what they're looking for. To strengthen your application you could look into tutoring or teaching ESL or German students, even if it's just on the side. If you have the opportunity to take a linguistics class or two - great. This will not only look good on paper, but it will help you articulate the reasons why you want to enter a program in Applied Linguistics or SLA in your SOP and what type of research you might want do for your MA thesis (if required). Hope this helps!
  2. While I did have an MA, I decided to apply to both MA and PhD programs. This was mainly because my MA is from a foreign university, and is not in linguistics. I wasn't sure how I would compare to other applicants so I thought I'd play it safe. I ended up being accepted to a PhD program, so I went with that. But this may be something to consider if you're unsure.
  3. I recently got a SwissGear laptop backpack. So far I like it a lot. It's the perfect size and well padded. Got it on sale for less than $60 so that was a plus too.
  4. Glad I could help! I was instructed to put "Employment with a significant likelihood of contact with children."
  5. Hey Jen! I'm also going to Penn State, and just finished up with all of this. I did my fingerprint cards in the U.S., though, but the procedure shouldn't be much different for you, except for where you get your fingerprints taken, and what to put down for your social. I went to the local sheriff's office to get my fingerprints done, and all they had me do before taking my prints was to sign and fill in my name. The rest I completed at home following the sample page the university sent me. I also found this helpful: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/guidelines-for-preparation-of-fingerprint-cards-and-association-criminal-history-information. I don't think I put anything down for any of the slots asking for a number, except for my social security no. You shouldn't need to worry about that either since you I'm assuming you don't have one I sent my cards and cogent receipt in a big envelope, and paid extra to have it certified. It's been nearly two weeks now so I should hear back in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed I did it right! Also, my friends had to do this some years ago in Europe, and it was basically the same. They went to the local police to get their fingerprints taken and sent the cards. Hope this helps!
  6. I graduated from a European university, with a meager resume due to a similar situation to yours. There was no grading curve, and I also did fairly poorly in my first year because I was the sole provider for my family at the time and had to work a lot. Many institutions don't care about your first year anyway, but you can note it in your SOP just in case. I also asked one of my professors to address the grading system of my university in her letter of recommendation, although my diploma supplement also explicitly mentioned this. However, I noticed that some of the universities I applied to clearly didn't pay much attention to the diploma supplement, as they e-mailed me to ask me questions that were already answered in my paperwork. You can boost your resume by working outside of the university. I did substitute teaching, and that definitely helped a lot. I also mentioned all relevant course research projects I had done over the years. I am starting a PhD program in the fall, and they automatically gave me until late August to send in my M.A. diploma and transcripts, as I had indicated in my application that I wouldn't graduate until June (officially graduated yesterday, btw. Woo!). You should definitely e-mail the universities you're interested applying to to get more information. I was surprised to find that their application processes and requirements are very different. I was in a weird situation as I got my green card in the middle of application season, and so my early applications I submitted as an international students and the later ones as a domestic student. Some of the universities told me that if I got my GC before the application deadline, I wouldn't have to submit my TOEFL scores, others wanted them anyway because I didn't get my degree from an English-speaking university.
  7. It really depends on the country. In Europe, basically the farther up north you go the more expensive it generally gets.
  8. That's just funny And to top it off, my spouse is originally from Indiana. Feel free to message me anytime! I'm here permanently now, but I've also been in the country as an international student. If nothing else I can offer emotional support
  9. Hey we're practically neighbors then! Jag är från Finland. I got a secured credit card - you put money down and that's your credit limit. After a year you get your deposit back but you still get to keep the same credit limit, or they may increase it. This still helps build your credit.
  10. So I recently went to buy a car with someone who is American but has a foreign drivers license. Insurance was going to cost roughly $200 a month with a $300 deposit, so quite a bit, but at least you can get it. My friend decided to convert the license first to get a cheaper rate. In my previous comment I was imagining a scenario where the car would be bought immediately upon entering the country, in which case it would be extremely difficult to finance or lease
  11. I have three tattoos and they have never caused me any trouble - especially since two are completely hidden, and one is on my ankle. I don't typically wear skirts/dresses/shorts so even the ankle one hasn't really been an issue. If absolutely necessary you can always use skin colored medical tape, for example, to cover it up. I've done that once or twice. One time I was desperate and just used a large band-aid. Doesn't exactly look nice, but gets the job done.
  12. Peanut butter, tater tots, everything cherry-flavored, and Robert Downey Jr.
  13. I finally got mine too! I knew all I needed to do was complain about it on here, and things would start happening I agree that the rejection letter was comparatively a little rude. They almost made it seem like if you were one of the roughly 100 people who didn't get in, your GPA and GRE scores sucked, your reference letters sucked, you're SOP was a mess, and you didn't even know what your research interests were. In conclusion: You just sucked as a person. Haha. Ok exaggerating here. I think they could have just worded it differently and that would have made all the difference. I mean, if you got rejected you're going to know your application was not as competitive as the others, or you weren't a good fit for the program. Well, while rejections are never fun, I am happy I am officially done with this chapter of my life!
  14. That's just brutal! But at the same time, it's pretty funny too I am at the other extreme with Pitt. At this point, I know it's a rejection, but they're just not wanting to let me know! I even messaged them over a month ago, but they're giving me the silent treatment. Any day now!
  15. You should definitely get your state driver's license, you'll need it to get car insurance, and it will just make things easier all around. Since you won't have a credit history, and you'll only be in the country temporarily, you will have to pay for the car in cash. Now, the good news is, you can get a used car for a pretty low price, and you should be able to get some of your money back if you sell it when you leave.
  16. Ahhh. That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that. Was it a straight out "no funding" or is it possible that they simply haven't decided on it yet?
  17. I was 26, but I officially only started my bachelors at 23. I took a year off after high school, and then got my A.A. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to count that toward my BA since it wasn't recognized in the country I was studying in, and due to moving I had to take a year off before starting it. Now I'm 28 and almost done with my master's. So I did them back to back, just started a little later. I guess I'm playing collect them all at this point.
  18. Born in Finland, lived in the UK and US (FL and VA). Traveled to Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Serbia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Canada. I've loved every place I've visited! Hope to add more wonderful countries to the list!
  19. I agree with kurayamino. It's worth the shot at least. Universities want to remain competitive, so if they have the means they may decide to offer you the same thing, or at least something closer to it. I would also think of it this way, if you choose school A or B do you think you would regret either choice? It sounds like school B isn't horrible, so as long as you do well and can get good LORs for your PhD applications it shouldn't be a big deal, in my opinion.
  20. Thanks! From what I hear it's a quaint town - although a little isolated. It made me nervous at first, but I think it'll be fine. Maybe I'll take up hiking or something
  21. It's final. I'm going to Penn State!

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. danica1

      danica1

      Thanks everyone! I'm excited and so glad this process is over for me!

    3. HistoryGypsy

      HistoryGypsy

      Congrats! I'm 95% sure I'm headed there myself! From what I hear from everyone, it's a great environment.

    4. danica1

      danica1

      Congrats to you too then! I've only heard good things so I'm looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!

  22. Figured I may as well start this one! I have officially accepted my offer to the PhD program in Applied Linguistics and am very happy about my decision. Anyone else out there going to Penn State?
  23. As has been pointed out, your GRE scores aren't going to be the most important thing. I got a pretty low score in quant (56th percentile) and I still managed to get into a good school. Depending on the university it may just be a formality, so don't let a low score discourage you from applying to the programs you're really interested in. Plus, since you're early, you have plenty of time to study. I bought the CliffsNotes GRE math prep book, and I found it useful in reviewing some of the basics. It had been years since I had even thought about fractions and square roots, so I really needed the help. Where I went wrong is I spent too little time actually practicing doing a timed test, and made the biggest mistake of spending too much time on one question.
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