GradSchoolTruther

A good deal of anxiety exhibited by the OP and other thread-starters in this forum can be avoided by not thinking every request from a professor means the professor is out to get them.

Be wary of a new doctoral program, especially in a state that will have budget issues with the oil boom turning into a bust. Also, the requirements for a teaching assistant seem a little steep, since you need letters attesting to your teaching skills and write a statement of your teaching philosophy. The program is putting the cart before the horse there.

Is the grad program you are entering using R? Probably a good idea to find out what's being used in the methods sequence.

Thanks. I think your first post should have covered it.

Threads like this are not helpful and serve to induce unseeded anxiety.

The point is there are many applications and many candidates may also be "good fits" or are able to conduct independent research. What makes your file stand out from the others who have what you have and did better on the GRE? That's a question admissions committees would ask.

Why wouldn't you consider whether you are funded before accepting an admission's offer? The chances of receiving funding aren't great it's not outlined to you before you accept.

Just because you think the GRE is dumb doesn't make it so. It's not a perfect test, and is not a predictor of future performance. However, there are only so many graduate school spots open and it serves a purpose to sort people out of the pile.

No, it's not fine to ask. There should always be someone else who could be your advisor.

It's not normal for most programs and I'd be wary.

April 15 is the earliest schools can make you commit, and that involves funding offers. That resolution does not prevent schools from having later deadlines, especially if you aren't getting funded.

Online discussions leave much to be desired. Most often, students will do the minimum to pass. An online MA program from a smaller state university is not attracting the best and the brightest in the field. Most often, the students are educators looking for a master's to get a bump in pay or those enrolling with a false hope they will be competitive for jobs in the field.

For personal enrichment, I'd find graduate-level reading lists and skip paying tuition for a MA that likely would not help down the road.

Thee OP meets his advisor as advised and then follow up instead of trying to rush through the process by solicit into advice here. And take the advice to clearly define your terms and provide a rationale for why your research design will answer your question(s).

If anyone at a prospective school tells you the department plans to grow, I would be extremely leery.

LaCour scandal would have 0.0001% effect on a prospie, FWIW.

I know it's difficult when you strike out. The big questions are how is you cover letter, CV, and LORs? Do you know anyone outside your committee and university who has served on search committees that could take a look at your cover letter and CV? Are you overconfident in your own interviewing skills? I ask that because I know people who've said they've nailed interviews, but heard through the grapevine that there interview didn't go as well. Kind of like going on a date and we think we hit it off with the other person, and they won't go out with us again.

The whole premise of the thread is asinine. It depends on who is interpreting scores. There is not one poster on here who has a definitive answer for the field.

If you can't assert yourself now, the job talk is going to be brutal.

Most programs limit how many credits you can transfer over, so you're essentially starting from scratch.

Nothing wrong with staying home and "baking cookies," as some would say. People need to learn to become comfortable with who they are. You're never going to be happy if you keep comparing yourself with others, since there are always people out there who are better than you in some respect.

Since my first post wasn't well-received, here's a better piece of advice than hiring a consultant. Ask members who have been on search committees in your department for copies of cover letters for those who have been hired. They also may be able to reach out into their networks. As the job candidate, though, it is up to you to hunt down this information as advisors usually have other things on their plates to worry about.

It's ridiculous to get into that much debt for grad school. There are programs that offer better funding.

Cannot recommend this program to anyone. The several I know who went there took on a lot of debt and took a job where the degree didn't matter. A couple of those are now in another master's program.

I recommend the OP get Paxil or other anti-anxiety medications. It's going to be a long life if you think you need to be No. 1 all the time.