pinkdragonslayer76

Yeah, staying an extra year for economics makes sense. Have you considered a Master's in economics or MPA? One thing that helped me was once I decided on a field I was interested in, I contacted advisors and professors from various grad schools and introduced myself and my situation, interests, and goals....and while some professors are busy, surprisingly, some can be pretty friendly and helpful, and they can give specific advice. So maybe you can find people who work and/or teach economics or international economic development who can guide your further.

What a relief my post did not offend you and you are open-minded. Yeah, I could see how others disliked my earlier message. Anyhow, what a relief you have experience of a LDR. At least it shows you are strong and your relationships has stayed strong throughout the past 5+ years. You are absolutely right to feel tired of being apart and no longer want to be separated. It's sweet you want to stay together. I'm curious again...if you were to attend one of the closer programs, does that mean you would have to find a job in the area where you currently are at? You mentioned your husband cannot transfer. Is that short-term or long-term? If it's long-term, will you encounter a similar dilemma in the future? Cancer biology seems pretty specific, compared to something like teaching, nursing, etc...where one could find a job in most cities. So once you get your PhD, will you be able to find a job you're happy with that allows you to live with your husband? Lastly, congratulations your husband is very supportive of you and he respects & understands your passion to pursue your dreams and calling. Whichever program you pursue, it seems your relationship is strong and able to withstand any geographic distance, but you both will always remain close to one another figuratively. All the best to you in your pursuits and goals/dreams.

Yes, rejection sucks. Some of you are entitled and justified to feel hurt, disappointed, and confused. By all means, appeal the admission decision if any of you want to. It's plausible to want to come up with explanations and theories...but unless you know all the other applicants, it seems kind of unfair to judge other applicants as if they weren't qualified or worthy to be accepted. My conjecture is many people who apply to MSW programs are qualified. Who can claim any applicant who was accepted isn't "well-rounded" or insinuate it's unreasonable or unfair that BSW majors receiving preference or "more consideration." It seems SDSU is a pretty solid and desirable program. They have high expectations and requirements. It's no surprise they will attract many qualified and experienced students. Keep in mind hundreds of people apply and space is limited. Unfortunately, schools can only accept a percentage of applicants. Schools probably deal with many students who come up with excuses like "Oh I could have done better on the GRE if this or that" or "Oh I could have gotten better grades...." Maybe for some people, talk is cheap and excuses are a turn-off. Who knows, maybe your personal statement or statement of purpose wasn't as strong as you thought. Or maybe your reference wrote a negative LOR without you knowing. Or maybe, there truly were other applicants who were a little more qualified and desirable. Anyhow, for any who do appeal, hopefully everything works out. Good luck.

What a relief he turned out to be kind and nice in person. I remember one time, a classmate raised her hand to ask a question, and when called up, she said "Ms. "Last Name" and the professor immediately corrected her with "It's Dr." in a snarky tone. So like others, I agree it's a turn off when people get a little snobby or haughty when it comes to titles. With that said, with the little info you initially posted, it's unfortunate if other posters replied with discouraging you from working with him and even suggesting you should wait a year and apply elsewhere. I don't know how things are throughout the country, but in general, the area of the country I live in, people don't typically use a person's first name in a professional manner. With many of my professors, they are usually addressed as "Professor 'Last Name'" or "Dr. "Last Name." It's rare to see other students address a professor by his/her first name. If you were a colleague or fellow professor or a really close friend, then yeah, maybe he would feel comfortable...but if you're a student, even though a PhD candidate, it can still seen as disrespectful and contrary to social norms. My conjecture is he is older and the previous generation may be more accustomed to etiquette compared to today's YOLO millennials generation. Anyhow, my point is it may have been surprising to see you just use his first and last name without "Dr." Another thing...who knows...maybe he was being sarcastic and intended his comment to be a funny remark. In any case, it's cool things worked out during your meeting with him. It was a minor blunder. As you said yourself, "it's almost your last chance to get admission this year" and so while others have a valid point of not working with/under someone who may be arrogant, self-centered, egocentric, etc...., please don't let strangers off the internet discourage or deter you from something pretty important to you.

What's unreasonable is that you seriously think anyone can research for you regarding seven distinct disciplines. You "appreciate the help" ? It sounds more like you expect free labor. Do you think other people have so much free time to serve you? Are you lazy or incompetent? Why can't you research on your own for schools that have a deadline that fit your slothfulness? There are hundreds of schools throughout the country/world, and thousands of different programs. Nobody knows where you live. So even if one chump wasted his/her time to suggest some schools for you to apply to -- are you going to automatically apply to whichever school someone finds for you? Well, whichever school/program that accepts you for Fall 2015 or Spring 2016 will be very lucky to have you.

Wait. I'm confused. If you applied to this specific school, didn't you know it was 9 hours away? If you weren't serious about attending, why did you apply in the first place? Did someone else apply for you? If you were the one who applied, did you know at the time that your husband wouldn't be able to join you? Many spouses (e.g. military wives) stay in the U.S. while their significant others (e.g. husbands) serve overseas in the military. It's not as if long-distance relationships aren't possible. If you have a strong relationship with your husband, you both can Skype/Facetime/webchat, talk on the phone, visit during the holidays and summer/winter break. 5 years can go by fast. Besides, "absence makes the heart grow fonder," right? How does your husband feel about you pursuing this amazing opportunity? Is he supportive? It's heart-breaking when so many times, women have to sacrifice their career and personal goals & dreams for others. It's sweet you want to stay closer to your husband. But will you later resent your husband and hold it against him. Will you have deep regrets and be unhappy, miserable, and indignant at giving up what you wanted? Food for thought...if things were reversed and you were the one who had a job in which you couldn't leave/move, and if your husband had an amazing opportunity to pursue an elite graduate program that is "fully funded + high stipend, all kinds of freebies, celebrity professors," but it meant him leaving....would you support him going or would you forbid/discourage/prevent him? As you know, marriage is a partnership, and nobody from the internet should tell you what to do. If you haven't already, talk with your husband and your family & friends...but for sure, maybe listening to your husband will alleviate or confirm your doubts, fears, and hesitation. Who knows, maybe he'll fully support you and encourage you to pursue your educational/career goals. Everyone is different. Some men may be traditional, selfish, close-minded, or lean toward old-school gender roles. And some men are like George Clooney, who respect strong, independent, self-sufficient, smart, and career-minded women. Whatever you decide, congratulations on getting into a prestigious and competitive program. Who knows, maybe the other programs you applied to which are geographically closer to your husband will turn out to be adequate and good enough to achieve your goals & dreams. Good luck!

Yeah, you should be outraged! You are right that it's "utterly ridiculous." What a relief you are so smart and cunning to detect such a fraudulent scam. How dare a program ask for a deposit to save a seat for an applicant that is accepted. Don't all schools know that everyone who is accepted into a program will automatically attend? It's not as if applicants apply to multiple schools and many get more than one offer. Yes, you should definitely complain to the graduate school. They need to be admonished and rebuked for their greediness and for this ridiculous and absurd request. They probably won't rescind your offer of admission and instead will reimburse you and offer you free tuition. Don't they know how lucky they are to have you attend their program? So yes, they should fully fund you and heck, compensate you for your initial application too! Hurry before it's too late. Complain and protest immediately!

Probably above 55%. You seem like a strong candidate and should get accepted. http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/university-of-illinois-at-chicago-jane-addams-college-of-social-work-000_10026800.aspx

Others probably didn't respond because your questions (and premise) are absurd & ridiculous. The forum on Grad Cafe is usually pretty helpful. The people in this Social Work forum tend to provide insightful info & advice. Sorry if the following sounds harsh or mean...but this is going to be some tough love since you're open to advice. Understandably, many people are nervous, anxious, and antsy about application decisions. If possible, try to stay calm and don't freak out. Yes, you don't want to screw up...but seriously, use some common sense. Why are you asking questions you can answer yourself? What should you wear? Clothes and shoes would be good. But really, do you think dress attire would be formal? What about casual? Probably not. So go safe with business casual. If you want to impress veterans, defeat ISIS or come up with solutions with the VA, PTSD, TBI, etc....What you did with some requirements for some scholarship sounds great and all, but is that supposed to wow people enough to get admitted? What should you not say? How about don't say anything stupid and don't ask stupid questions. Should you study the bios of every professor? Maybe familiarize yourself with some names, but if you have any social skills, why not get to know people in a normal manner by talking & listening? If you don't want to sound like a snob, then don't. If you want to talk about what you did for veterans, mention it in your resume or essay on your application or ask the people who wrote a letter of recommendation to mention it. Do you think after attending this info meeting and charming some professors, they will immediately rave about you to the Admissions Committee? If you're going to panic on an internet forum message board, how are you going to handle yourself at an actual event? My advice - don't go. Why? Because this "info" meeting isn't what you think it is. From the beginning, your post sounded bizarre. Schools typically have info meetings BEFORE their application deadline...not AFTER. And providing dinner? That sounds really generous of them, unless participants are expected to pay for it. It's no surprise the meeting is confusing since it's listed on the Social Work website...but if you investigate it further, the info meeting doesn't appear to be just for social work. http://socwel.ku.edu/academics/degrees/msw/regular/infosession http://edwardscampus.ku.edu/information-session http://socwel.ku.edu/event/65738 From their website, it says "Learn about the breadth of programming available – 30 degrees available." and "Go further with a KU degree. Prospective students are invited to learn about the graduate and undergraduate programs available on the KU Edwards Campus" But if I'm wrong, contact the Social Work department directly to see if they will be at this info meeting. They probably are busy with reviewing applications, so it's doubtful many faculty members or professors will be at this info meeting. If possible, take a deep breath and calm down, and just be patient as they make their decisions. Good luck.