hippyscientist

Extra Esprosso - you're in a similar field but just more on the molecular/cellular level than what I want to do! I'm with you on that, I think the remaining 3 programs will come in January/Feb time. One program which had a 1st November deadline has offered me an interview (YAY) but I had to ask for a skype one instead, and the admin lady hasn't got back to me about that yet (but the PI said that would be fine, and she wants to skype with me a day or two beforehand to "prep" me, which seems to be a good sign). One program doesn't close apps until 1st Feb (!) so I'll be waiting ages for that one. My top choice doesn't seem to be giving any indication at all, but from other programs there it looks like mid jan. My last program has got all my application stuff, but they ask you to apply, then contact an advisor to agree to be your advisor before they'll look at your materials. I contacted the person I'd like to work with and she hasn't got back to me at all. I'll be really annoyed if I've dropped $75 on thin air and rude emails from admin staff. Starting to regret only applying to 4 schools now, and of those 4 there's really only 2 I'd be happy at. Ahhhhhh nail-biting time.

I did my undergraduate degree in Bath - if you want history and grandeur you can't beat it. Beautiful city. On the other hand I'm trying to go out to the US for my PhDs so it seems we have different outlooks. I'm in a completely different field from you, and don't have the slightest clue about your programme, but there are some other excellent (actually better) universities for different disciplines than Oxford. It might be worth checking them out too. The oxbridge name carries a lot of weight, but for many fields, you can't beat other Russell Group universities.

I'm so envious of all you people who have threads where you can discuss which schools are sending out invites, nerves etc. My area is relatively small anyway, pretty new (the discipline was officially concocted in the late 60s early 70s) and I think I've seen maybe 2 people in the same field in the survey ever. I just want to know when I'll be finding out! From other programmes in the collages/departments I've applied to it looks like it could be anytime between now and March! Anyone else in a similar situation?

Sorry I have to reply (and I know this probably isn't very constructive) but I grew up in Oxford and the city is a 5h1t-hole!! Sure the college buildings are pretty, as are some of the river walks but town itself? Blackbird Leys? Having the main hospitals in the middle of residential areas? Traffic? Cost of living? I know I know, different strokes for different folks. Personally I'd say your GPA is a little low for a typical international student, but the rest of your app looks solid. Good luck!!

This is not technically true. I tried to visit the schools I applied to back in September, as I knew that when I started my masters I wouldn't be able to make it to the US. I've been invited to interview and it's on the same day as one of my exams so I don't see myself flying 15 hours for an interview then when Skype exists. Also, the school was offering to reimburse $1000 for flights - which is great, but considering the cheapest flight I can find for then is $3500 I don't have that kind of money to spare. So sure, if your schools are cheap to get to and interviews are relatively straight-forward to attend you should. Equally, don't feel bad for not attending them. One of the schools I cannot attend an interview at is setting up a skype tour of the department, and is getting a current grad student to walk around with a go pro to show me around. There are ways for getting around things! On a happier note, congratulations to everyone getting interviews, and for those who havent heard anything yet - keep breathing and try not to get too obsessive over the email checking

Hi, I'm studying my masters in the UK at the minute and have applied to US PhD programmes. My SOP touched upon the research I want to do, by relating it to that of the department I was applying. For example "I am enjoying my computer simulation module, and plan to do my MSc project in this, looking at modelling a rat doing backflips. Dr XYZ's work in modelling the forces animal gymnastics area influenced my train of thought, and this is something I would love to build upon more in my PhD". (N.B. no I don't research animal gymnastics). Acknowledging that I have the experience, know the field, know the POI has some cool work in the field and head-tilting that I'd like to work with them in that area more. Hope that helps a bit.

Why do schools send you an email titled "News regarding your application XYZ123"??? My heart leapt into my mouth on the train, only to find out they were asking for my IELETS score (which I didn't take because I'm native English and all my education has been in English and all my POIs said not to). Gahhhh. Just tell me already!

Yeah I'd like to second that the UK doesn't base admissions off standardised tests, so GRE scores will not help or hurt your application, they just mean very little. As others have said, your IELETS, TOEFL grade will be required if you have not done your bachelors at an English-speaking university, or you are a native speaker. Otherwise, this is important. What is of import is your personal statement outlining your research interests/research proposal depending on whether you are applying for a masters or PhD respectively. The content and approach to applications will differ accordingly.

Omarou498, I am an international student and have been offered an interview for one of my programmes so I assume they come out at the same time as other offers for domestic students. Of course this is circumstantial based on my own experiences, but a quick browse of the results board shows similarly. I would therefore hazard a guess that all applicants who are invited to interview are notified in a similar timeframe irrespective of nationality.

Thank you for your replies. I didn't want to insult them by saying that I couldn't attend but wanted to make sure that a skype interview is okay to ask for! Thanks again.

I've just received an interview to my second choice school (YAY!), but they are asking me to fly out for interview day. The amount they are willing to reimburse is a lot, but will not cover the majority of my expenses (flights, accommodation etc). Also, the interview day happens to be the same day as one of my exams! What's the best way to handle this? I'm obviously very excited that they want to interview me, but I can't fly for 11 hours to make an interview on the day of my exams! If it helps, I have already visited the school, and met with the dean of the department and key faculty members back in September.

What your adviser is expecting of you seems utterly reasonable and not at all unexpected for a first year. I am finishing my first semester of a year-long MSc program, and while I don't have TA duties, I do have sufficiently more work than you seem to be describing. It is perfectly reasonable to expect you to have an idea about research projects - after all you've been in the department for at least a semester by now, surrounded by others doing research and taking classes that must have sparked some thought process that made you want to know more. If you're being told that your performance is sub-par, this is most likely NOT a personal attack, but rather a wake-up call to let you know that you need to be doing something more in order to succeed; it is your adviser doing their job - advising you! I think you need to wake up and listen to the obviously knowledgeable responses from Eigen and Telkanuru who responded informatively to your post, and reassess your expectations of your PhD journey.

I don't know how it works at your school, but at mine (bear in mind I'm in the UK), evaluations are meant to be an honest reflection. It may be some students don't feel comfortable critiquing a professor's teaching style (even if the responses are anonymous) for fear it will come back and hurt them. I work as a student representative, so am in constant communication with both my peers and the faculty and this has allowed us to address issues as they arise, or raise concerns if problems are not getting fixed, without the faff (for want of a better word) of evaluations. A common issue we've found with evaluations is students are notorious for not reading instructions! It may be some students assumed 5 was a low score (you don't mention the scale above, so I'm assuming a 1-5 Likert) or it may be that the comments were to "fit in" with those students who were more vocal in their displeasure of this certain lecturers slide. I'd say that being honest is important, but if the issue is gnawing at you, maybe speak to someone higher up, a personal tutor, a mentor...it depends on how your program is structured, and see if others have similar complaints. In my experience, honesty is the best policy (with a bit of tact and dodging politics thrown in for good measure of course).

We got grades back from a presentation we did on Friday and I have absolutely no idea how they can justify the grades they handed out. One guy who had a temper-tantrum and threw all his notecards on the floor got a 66, another guy who just read from the paper he was presenting, with no presentation skills whatsoever - his slides contained paragraphs of text from the paper - got 75, and then people who I know worked really hard and presented what I thought were very good, engaging presentations got anywhere from 62-70. It just makes no sense!!

That sounds amazing! I have 3 exams - two are 3hrs long and one is 7hrs. The 7 hour one is a stats exam, the two 3 hour ones involve math and essays and short-answer questions. I miss the days of multiple-choice exams. Not sure I could cope with online classes though, I like the teacher interaction. Good luck for your more traditional exam though!

I am envious of this! My exams are scheduled for the second week in January so although I don't have classes, I still have studying and courseworks to do over the holidays (making that a bit of a misnomer).

This happened to me when I was applying for masters. I didn't get into my first choice because my letter writer submitted 10hrs after the deadline (there was a time difference at play too). As it turns out, it was for the best, but at the time I was crushed. @coffee_maniac sorry to add more stress to an already stressful situation! If you're really concerned, maybe contact the admin staff for the programmes and ask them what the deal is?

I'd like to contribute that academics are a funny bunch. My current department are all eccentric to varying degrees, and it's taken me the semester to get used to them, and build rapport. One is very much stuck in his ways, and sounds very similar to the "awkward" you've described. I've found by contributing to discussions, but giving him enough time to do things his way, has meant we now have a good relationship - although to my friends outside my department they think it's weird. It's just the way this particular professor behaves, and now I've got used to it, I can appreciate his brilliance. It definitely took time to get there, and I think if I hadn't had the interactions I had (he's head of our teaching and learning committee and I'm the student representative for it, so we've had to interact outside of purely academic conversations) it would have taken longer for me to "get" him. The other faculty members in my department are just nuts, and they each have their own eccentricities, but I wouldn't change any of them. The advice given here is great, it's a case of discarding the ideal you created and acknowledging the reality. Get to know your advisor and the way they work, you might find given time that they can be incredibly illuminating. If this doesn't come to pass, is there another academic you can build rapport with so you don't feel ostracised by faculty? I'm not sure I'm verbalizing that correctly but someone on the faculty you can go to "for a chat" - not necessarily about academics, not to bitch about your advisor, but maybe someone who has wisdom that you would benefit from.

Oh I feel your pain! My dad got thrown out of university at undergrad so doesn't have a degree and neither does my mom. My dad is not happy unless I'm excelling - I scored the top grade in one exam, and the second top in the other but because I lost 5% and 10% respectively it wasn't good enough. My mom on the other hand says she's relaly supportive of me getting my masters - and she is to a certain extent. She checks my work for grammar and spelling (nothing else as she can't understand it), and will occasionally transfer me some food money if I'm really stressed so I can have a takeout. But when it comes to actually studying? Oh no, "honey, you're only home for a month. I never get to see you. We're going to do this and this and this and this..." without stopping to consider I might actually have work to do over the break (my semester of classes finishes on Tuesday but my exams aren't until January) and may want to catch up with old friends too. I don't want to spend every minute of that month with my mom!!!! Agh! Parents! Love them but they really should provide a "Grad School: The Parent's Handbook for dealing with the fact your child is now cleverer than you" when you enrol...

Dear Programme Director, Please don't send me emails at midnight and expect me to respond immediately. I'm flattered that you feel I'm worthy to include in important decision-making about our programme, but please, Sunday night I want to be asleep by then, especially when I have training at 6am. Yours sleepily Piglet33

As far as a good stats book for SPSS - Andy Field's Discovering Statistics using SPSS is fantastic and has helped me out no end. I think reading that and talking to your adviser are your best options here. Stats are vital in most STEM areas of research that I've encountered and if you're not comfortable with them you need to tell your adviser so they don't assume that you know it.

AHHHHH GROUP WORK (that's all)

Thanks for your insight, I understand this and sit on many boards at my current university liaising with staff and students alike but it's difficult to keep everything in perspective at times. As a related question, how frequent are applicant communications with POIs? On these boards it seems like a constant conversation over a period of months, and at other times it seems like an email here and there over the application process is more standard. I definitely fall in the second camp!

I find the whole subject of graduate grades being inflated fascinating. It just doesn't happen here. I recently scored an 87% which was the highest grade in the class (well over the top grade boundary of 70%). But on a recent test our grading spread from 7% - 92%. We just don't have the same grading as the US and I feel like it's going to be held against me when I apply. My percentage scores are significantly lower than American grad students, and even some students in the UK, because I went to such a comprehensive, competitive programme. A 60% at my undergrad was of publishable standard in a good journal. At my MSc university, the average grades are roughly 60-70%, but I'm constantly scoring higher because my undergrad was so rigorous. I have no idea how the admissions committees make sense of the mess that is international grading!

It was fall, so I will heed your advice. I'm one of those people who's very very organised, and I expect others to be too. It's taking me a while to get into an academic's mindset!! Thank you for your reply.