neuropsych76

So by following this advice, where have you gotten in this year?

It seems like you're telling people who have successfully navigated the admissions process (and now have our bosses talking to us about how they pick graduate students) that we're wrong in the best way to go about a productive career in science.

I know every professor I know would consider your advice really, really bad for someone who wanted to pursue an academic career. They want people who have their own ideas- solid ones- from the start of the application. Ideas that build on things that are currently being done.

Scientific research is about being novel. New ideas, new ways to do things... Those are what the NSF and NIH fund.

You're getting down-rated because your conclusions are quite honestly bad- we want to make sure people don't come here, read them, and think they are widely accepted methods for successfully getting into graduate school- especially since you are generalizing them as a conclusion from our poll votes. When people see a post they dislike/disagree with, they vote it down. That doesn't make them "haters". It is the purpose of the little red minus button at the bottom of each post.

I don't, however, believe I'm going to convince you- and beyond that, it's the right if each person to choose how they want to apply, what strategy they think is best. Best of luck with your applications following through with your methodology.

i would chose school A from what you described as well. feeling like a "superstar" might feel nice but i'd rather go to a better school and not be the best there then go to a more average school and be the standout grad student. you don't want to standout from your cohort too much, that means you're probably at the wrong place. plus, the feelings of "superstarness" will quickly vanish once you're competing against other super stars for professor jobs.

i would chose school A from what you described as well. feeling like a "superstar" might feel nice but i'd rather go to a better school and not be the best there then go to a more average school and be the standout grad student. you don't want to standout from your cohort too much, that means you're probably at the wrong place. plus, the feelings of "superstarness" will quickly vanish once you're competing against other super stars for professor jobs.

When I visit the institutions I was accepted to, I plan on wearing their school colors. I think doing this will show a great amount of respect, reverence, and admiration for (1) the faculty, and (2) the institution. I have purchased lapel pins from the schools I was accepted to (I bought these online), and I plan on incorporating them into the ensembles I've selected to wear...I am an early 20s male. I plan on wearing (1) blazer, (2) slacks, (3) button down shirt, (4) tie. I like this topic.... :-)

For "less formal events," I plan on wearing a (1) polo shirt (in one of the institutional colors), (2) slacks.

No one said GRE's don’t matter, because that is false and they do matter to some extent. We are saying that the GRE's will not be the death of your application if you didn't score amazingly. Furthermore, we are reiterating the fact that you are a package and not just a 4 digit number representing your GRE's which is the end all be all.

Is it a competitive process? Absolutely. Do better GRE scores help? Probably. Will a blemish in your overall package kill your chances? I think not.

I personally think that applicants including myself view(ed) the GRE as an application killer if you don’t do great. But this is not true.

I am glad a number of us sub 1200 folks are chiming in. I remember browsing through some forums and people would complain about 1300+ scores or near perfect 1600 and it honestly made me feel incompetent.

Sub 1200 is not a death sentance.

i would chose school A from what you described as well. feeling like a "superstar" might feel nice but i'd rather go to a better school and not be the best there then go to a more average school and be the standout grad student. you don't want to standout from your cohort too much, that means you're probably at the wrong place. plus, the feelings of "superstarness" will quickly vanish once you're competing against other super stars for professor jobs.

Hi, Welcome to the forum!

I don't much about law or history degrees so I'm sure others will post with more knowledge than me on this matter. BUT, I think you should definitely pursue whatever makes you the happiest. You don't want to finish law school and be miserable your whole life. If you looked into history phds and you think you would enjoy it, than go for it! One thing to keep in mind, however, is that it can be hard to obtain funding for grad school in general and especially in the humanities. Since you have law school debt already, I would try to only apply to funded programs so you dont accrue more debt

good luck!

I'm not going to lie, I think it's kind of funny.

"I didn't make the list?! DAMN! -1!!"
"I'm on this list?! Lies! -1!!"

How many blogs like this are there? We all know it is hard, we all know the pitfalls, we all know the difficulty. Some people need to vent and tell everyone else how big of a mistake their decision is going to be despite being at a different program in a different field and a different person. Some are bitter at their choices.

I wish all these people would just man up and quit if they hate it so much. You read and write for a living in an air-conditioned building. You aren't working in a factory or on a construction site or in a nuclear reactor core. You could have it worse.

In the internet you can say anything

I suggest you ask if you can defer your admission for one year based on financial reasons...let them know you are still very interested in the course but would rather earn some more money before commencing so that you can focus on your work when you do start rather than stressing out about money issues.

Well, I think as a PhD you make some money for the school by generating research projects and teaching courses. In Psy.D's or other professional programs the school gives the training and doesn't get anything. Plus, there is many more openings for Psy.D's so there is just less funding to go around.

There is good in every situation.

No matter what happens over the next month or even the next week(s), remember that this hair-pulling, teeth-grinding, death-glaring-at-the-results-page experience isn't in vain - no matter what the outcome. So many people live their lives without taking chances, and as grad school applicants every single one of us has proven that we are courageous, driven, and willing to take (big) risks for (big) rewards. This whole process has been an exciting/nerve-wracking/humbling experience but interacting with all of you grad cafe users has shown me that the journey really is as important as the destination. Cheesy? Yes. True? You betcha.

Basically: Be proud of yourself for what you are doing. You're kind of awesome.

Oh yeah! SOOOOOO many people do that! Post things like, "I just don't think I can handle it anymore." What? That's it? Should I call you to make sure you aren't going to hurt yourself? Do you just want attention? WTF is wrong?

It's to the point that if I have friends posting like that continuously, I just select the option of never having them pop into my news feed.

End of rant.

I don't think it is bragging as long as you don't post about every single acceptance or go into extreme detail (like how hard it is to pick from Uber Leet schools 1 and 2). I also wouldn't post about how ginormous the funding package is that they offered you.

However, a nice simple update about what program you got into and perhaps a thank you for all of the support and well wishes of friends and family (if applicable) can be both tasteful and quell your desire to shout about your grad school application season victory at the same time.

I agree with this posting. I received two rejections before getting my first acceptance...AND I GOT ACCEPTED BY THE TOP SCHOOL IN MY FIELD (according to US News and World Report), so go figure...LOL....I'm still waiting to hear back from 3 other schools, and I wouldn't feel bad if they say "NO," because the TOP SCHOOL said a BIG. FAT. YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! LOL :-)

You're going to be okay either way! I honestly believe that there's no "wrong" answer - if you don't go, you have a great offer that you're excited about and free time (from both preparing and from going to the interview), and if you go, you have a great offer that you're excited about and can see another place; perhaps the situation will be different on the ground than it sounds. (BTW, did you hear about funding from School A?)

My advice would be to flip a coin. If you're disappointed in the outcome of the coin toss, then you know that you should do the opposite. (This sounds slightly absurd, but I've found that it's a good "gut check" exercise.)

This project is dedicated to the GradCafe. Hopefully it will make you smile. We are all in this together! GO TEAM!!!

http://vimeo.com/20333132

(I tried to embed it, but it wouldn't work!)

haha at thinking you would be hanging out with cool people in grad school...it's full of nerds, social outcasts, and the socially awkward. Try to find a cooler department (psych, crim j, comm) to hang with - still dorks but at least they go out. i am in poli sci and it's a bunch of friggin' losers. 4 years of these clowns and i've had it. i have an undergrad GF too - good deal if you are good looking and cool enough to swing it - most grad students aren't. do your best to meet new people - join an intramural sports team or volunteer or something. and don't tell me you are too busy. if you have time to sit around and whine on here, you've got time to get out there and meet some new people.

This whole thing renews my interest in an anti-douchebag internet filter, though. Could someone in one of the CS threads maybe get to work on that?

Realist, what program are you at.

I think giving GRE again would be the best option, the Verbal scores presents your knowledge of comprehension, reasoning, words, and lots of other areas.

If you can get a Verbal score of over 550 then you can boost your chances of admit and aid, if you are working and cannot devotee time then go for some free online virtual classes on GRE which you can attend on Sundays and Saturdays. Many of such sites exists like: Wiziq, examville, blueteach, classroom20, etc but there is one which is targeting GRE mid 2011 http://onlineclasses.nanotechbiz.org/.

Improving your score will give you en edge for the admission as well as getting RA, nonetheless you will get idea about english which will also help you in your future exam prep.




Best wishes,

Am I the only one who had nefarious flashbacks of the verbal section of the GRE when I read this post?

"A decision has been made. Your program of application will inform you of the decision."

-Michigan
Well, That's not very promising. Letter on the way and no email? I'm not sure why, because everyone I've talked to who's gotten in was less qualified than me.