BruBru
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Posts posted by BruBru
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I can promise you that your GRE score is not the reason you did not get accepted. 1460 combined is a great score and would put you over the minimum that all programs are looking for. Applicants tend to think that great GPA + GRE means admission... this is false. Your statement of purpose and letters of rec are very, very important. I am guessing your statement was poor, or your letters were not good. Don't waste your time on the GRE... keep your current score and work like hell to get a great statement written.
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I was in the McNair Scholars program and then worked for it. I have a few close (and probably lifelong) friends as a result. It was an atmosphere of constant motivation, not to mention, I think it made grad school seem tremendously easier (I'm just finishing my first year). There is still the unavoidable stress of a hefty reading list and lots of papers to write, but nothing is unexpected and for that I am grateful. I highly recommend it to any prospective grad students perusing this board.
I was also a McNair Scholar. It is a wonderful, life-changing program. Like stated above, if any prospectives are browsing these boards that have the desire to attend grad school, there is no better avenue to take for underrepresented students. Find a school that offers the program, take part, and you will not be sorry.
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I am going to UIUC.
Subfield IR
Sent you a PM as well.
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UIUC
in 2009 Archive
I will be attending UIUC for political science. Coming from Boise State in Idaho.
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Congrats! Welcome to UIUC. If you have any questions about anything, housing etc., don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks for the offer, I sent you a PM.
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I turned down Pitt... going to UIUC.
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Today I declined offers from Iowa, SUNY Buffalo, Cincinnati, Georgetown, and Maryland.
Subfield is IR.
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You should contact the department, I actually received an email letting me know that I was waitlisted. It is important to note, however, that they are not funding people well this year and thus my wait list position is for an unfunded spot. If you have other offers (funded), best not to worry too much about UW this year.
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I have declined four offers so far. Writing the email is horrible! I have declined pittsburgh, penn state, uiuc, and msu.
If you don't mind sharing, what is your subfield?
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I do believe that your GRE scores reflect your natural strengths and abilities. If my scores aren't high enough for a particular school or program, I am willing to accept that I most likely don't belong there.
I have issue with this, given that there have been numerous studies over the years that have shown that socioeconomic status is a significant factor when predicting an individuals GRE score. If you happen to be a middle class, white, English speaking student whose parents are college educated you will score higher than someone from more modest circumstances. To say that the GRE "reflects your natural strengths and abilities" is inherently ignorant of these facts and makes one out to be a social Darwinist. I hope you don't believe that the rich are rich, and the educated are educated because they are the most talented and gifted in society...
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I wouldn't stress too much about your GRE scores. I believe (correctly I think) that the other pieces of your application will be much more important than 40-50 points on the quantitative portion of the GRE. I have been accepted into 3 PhD programs will full-funding and waitlisted at another. Two of these programs are in the top 25 in my field. My GRE score was 1140 combined (520 verbal, 620 quant, 5.5 awa). By all accounts, my score is not very competitive, yet I was able to earn a spot in top-tier programs with funding. If you do happen to get rejected by every school you applied to, I would be willing to bet that your GRE scores will not be your downfall, it will be another piece of your application.
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Given that we are in the midst of the admissions process, how about some relaxing instrumental rock? You should check out...
1. Explosions in the Sky: "The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place."
2. The American Dollar: "The Technicolour Sleep."
3. The Six Parts Seven: "Everywhere and Right Here."
Also, if instrumental music is not your thing, you should have a listen to Andrew Bird, Pedro the Lion, and Sufjan Stevens.
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Totally wrong. Our senior accountant at my school has said the direct opposite of this.
Indeed. An award spent on school related expenses (tuition, books, etc) is not taxable.
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First generation student here.
I feel a little guilty leaving my family for graduate school. Our financial situation is not the best, and I'm not sure how things will be for my parents and younger sister when I leave. For the past 3 years of my undergraduate education, I worked about 30 hours a week in addition to being a full-time student (15-18 unit semesters + work as a research assistant), and I helped pay the bills and rent. However, with me leaving for graduate school, I'll no longer be able to give any financial support. I've been accepted to UIUC, and I have a complete tuition waver (worth 27k a year) and funding (13.5k every 9 months, and possible support during the summer) for four years, and, although not guaranteed, I'll most likely receive funding my fifth and final year as well. I'll have financial security for the next 5 years of my life, but there isn't anything I can do to help my family. We've already taken steps to help with the cost of living with me gone, but I still can't escape that feeling of guilt. Before hearing anything back from schools, I did apply to 7-8 jobs as a backup in case I wasn't accepted anywhere and would have stayed home and worked to help, but there's no chance of that anymore. I guess I'm just waiting to hear from all the schools in California to see if I can stay nearby, but it's not like I'd be able to help anyways. Gah.
This sounds like a very tough situation. Just keep your head up, and realize that you going to graduate school will do a lot of long term good for your family. You may not be contributing immediately, but your efforts and aspirations will inspire future generations of your family. I also had to contribute to my family's income during High School, and understand (although not completely because all situations vary) much of what you are feeling. There are others like us in graduate programs (although far too few). You may want to seek out others who are going through similar situations.
I truly love this thread. Keep the stories coming my fellow first-generation students.
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Congrats!
I stopped myself from applying to Buffalo as I heard that what with the state budget in NY being a mess the funding situation in SUNYs is pretty dismal.
I fear you are correct about the opportunity for funding. The language of the e-mail seemed very cautious, as to warn admits not to expect anything significant with regards to funding.
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Someone got into SUNY Buffalo! Congrats and mind sharing some detail with the rest of us?
That was me. I received an e-mail this morning from the graduate director stating that they had accepted me, and will be sending information regarding any financial offers via postal mail. Buffalo was my safety school, but it still feels good to get admitted into the program.
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As with most first generation college students, my parents rarely inquire about my applications not due to lack of interest, but rather because they do not understand the process. While trying to explain my goals and aspirations, the conversation always returns to "you have a four year degree, get a job and buy a house." I think as time passes they will begin to understand the process better and become more involved....
Or perhaps they are correct and I am making a mistake
(I know this isn't true, but it is the thought that continuously runs through the head of most first generation students) -
I have a close friend who had a 3.2 GPA and an 1140 GRE score and is currently in his first year at Cornell (fully funded). I also have a friend who graduated from the WashU and is currently in her first year at Stanford, and she scored 1350 (the 700 cutoff talk is bull) on the GRE (her GPA was 3.8 though). Reading this message board one is inclined to think that your GPA + GRE combination is the end all be all. This is simply not the case... the other pieces of your application are much more important.
You may not have a chance, or you may. Simply posting your GPA and GRE score is not enough for anyone on this board to truly judge the competitiveness of your application. However, as mentioned before, safety schools are a must.
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I was also waitlisted...
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I'm much more nervous than a few hours ago.
I'm with you on this... no phone call came my way. Hopefully they called their favorites today, and will be contacting us sometime tomorrow with some decent news. Probably not... but hey, wishful thinking never hurts.
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This is one program that I am very excited to hear from (fits my interests very well)... hopefully it'll be good news and I can begin to pick through your brain Tidefan. Thanks for the offer.
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anyone having trouble with Georgtown because they still haven't posted that they received my undergraduate transcript and i sent that out in NOV!!!
They posted that they had received my transcript in a timely fashion, you may want to contact them.
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Wow, yes. I am consistently frustrated with my mom's responses to my attempts at conversations regarding graduate school. I don't think she considers it to be a real career or something... (that is, being a professor, eventually). In any case, it's really frustrating because my four stepsisters also opted out of college. But luckily my fianc
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I am also going through these negative spells as of late. In fact, late last week I actually convinced myself I was going to throw a couple more applications at bottom-tier masters programs (just in case all of my PhD applications didn't work out). I went to my academic adviser to inquire about the possibility of getting him to submit more letters on my behalf. I simply got a puzzled look from him and he told me it was a waste of time and to wait on my current applications. It was nice to have someone tell you that the stress is driving you crazy and you simply need to calm down.
So to everyone.... you're crazy, calm the hell down already.
How much does it matter where you attended undergrad?
in Applications
Posted
I went to a little-known university and will be attending a top-25 PhD program in political science this fall. Don't reject yourself before you apply, keep your head up and give it a go. You can always apply to half PhD, half Masters programs if you want to be safe.