Euler
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Posts posted by Euler
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40 minutes ago, faradayfangirl said:
Anyone here going to their own alma meter for grad school? Thoughts?
I'm not, but there were a couple undergrads at VT that will be.
My impression from others' stories is that you should avoid it if possible- it looks better to have a variety of schools on your CV. But if it's your only option due to location or some other external factors, it's not necessarily a bad idea.
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3 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:
@Euler I'm trying an app similar to that! It's got me running and walking in increments of 2-3 minutes. I'm finding that I need the right music to push through. My dog is doing it with me, but he taps out about halfway through
That's good- the hardest thing when you start is not pushing too hard too fast and injuring yourself. Even as you do more, the easiest way to a running injury is just doing too much. So having an app that regulates that is a great way to do it!
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13 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:
@hippyscientist It took 2-3 weeks for my transcript to finally say "yes" instead of "pending review"
I was going to start setting a time to wake up bc right now if I'm up by noon then it's cause for celebration, but I was lazy and didn't do it.
I'm also trying to increase my cardiovascular endurance which is painful and slow going. But I really want to be healthier for grad school!
If you enjoy running even a tiny bit, you should check out couch to 5k. It's a super good program!
I'm biased, though, since I've been running since high school...but I will say it's a great thing for physical and mental health long-term for sure.
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I can't relate to any of this hair-related nonsense- I buzz my hair as soon as it gets long enough that it's "sticking up", which is usually after about three weeks or so!
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I just officially accepted the offer to Virginia Tech!
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3 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:
Are you sure you aren't just thinking that because it's your one yes? What about all the other places? What was your top choice when you were applying?
My top choices were Dartmouth (got a rejection) and Florida State- I don't have any research focus yet, so in terms of the actual programs offered, I only really care that the school's not narrowly focused on one thing.
Florida State is the one reason I'll probably continue waiting, especially since I may have a chance at a fellowship.
And it's definitely far more than it being my one real yes- VT has a really heavy focus on getting grad students to learn proper teaching methods, and has them teach calc for engineers and math majors, and since I definitely plan to teach long-term that's a big upside. But outside of that, the advisors, department chair, professors, current students- everybody was really open and friendly. And one other big thing, the main student who was giving us a tour of the campus said she came in with a weak background, and went into detail on the way it works with the department to get caught up. I'm coming in with several fewer classes than most incoming students, so that was really valuable.
But yes- at this point, I'm probably around 90% certain that even if I were to get funded offers from my other options, I would still accept the offer. I know I should hold out for that 10%, but waiting is so tiring!
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So even though I have several schools to hear back from still, and a couple solid "maybes" and only one school with a "yes" that I've heard back from...I'm really strongly considering accepting Virginia Tech's offer without regard to the other schools. I don't want to be hasty, and I have until April 30th apparently to get back to them. But man, I can't stop thinking about how much I'd love to be there.
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1 minute ago, charlemagne88 said:
Any suggestions how I start that email? I have no idea what to even say other than: So uh, am I in or what!?
I basically asked in mine whether there was anything they were missing from me, and whether I should expect a decision soon. I put the burden as heavily on myself as I could, to not sound pushy.
It's definitely an awkward email to send!
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1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:
People make it sound like getting into graduate school is guaranteed - like I had just as much of a chance of getting into Cornell as I did getting into my local community college right after high school. My parents didn't go to college so I know they're proud but I don't think they realize just how much work it was... my professors here on the other hand were literally jumping up and down with me when I got into Cornell! I bet that if you're telling people who have gone through the process, you will be gazed at in awe!
This is so unbelievably true! One of my siblings said "What? You mean there are people smarter than you?" And I'm just like...well, objectively, based on my subject GRE scores, I'm statistically below average now. And it seems like most of the programs I applied to accept(/ed) anywhere from 5-15% of the application pool! The odds aren't in my favor.
Also, it's hard to explain that how good a school is for undergrad degrees doesn't necessarily correlate with their grad programs- Wake Forest was definitely my safety school, and everyone knows it for being a selective undergrad place, but some of the state schools (Penn State/Chapel Hill especially) were the highest ranked on my list. I had to talk to a neighbor and try to explain why I don't actually want to go to a "great school" and why I really didn't want to actually go there. But now that I have a funded offer to somewhere I'd love to be, I couldn't be more thrilled
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On 3/30/2016 at 2:47 PM, charlemagne88 said:
So as of today I'm still waiting on two schools with not so much as a peep from either. It's safe to assume I'm not accepted right? The program that I got accepted into asked that I reply by April first so that they can notify someone on the waitlist if I decide not to accept. Should I write the other schools and ask them why they're taking their sweet A$$ time getting back to people? (after all, I did pay like $200 in fee's and transcripts so I feel like their delay is incredibly rude).
by the way, no one has posted on the results tab either, which leads me to believe that they haven't sent out anything at all yet..... ugh
It's definitely acceptable at this point to email them if you haven't heard anything back. No peep at all could be a waist list as well- NC state told me I had about a 50/50 shot of whether I'll get a funded offer, but only after I sent an email asking about my application status.
Of course, five other schools also didn't even reply to my emails...I guess there's only so much you can do. And yeah, the lack of any response this late sucks with how much applications cost!
- braaains and charlemagne88
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1 hour ago, marbeach said:
Hi all,
I've heard alot about other fields having these 'cash cow' masters programs that are more of a moneymaking venture than other degree programs. Do these exist in Stats? Any speculation on which programs it would be? Just want to make sure I don't end up misinformed and join a program that doesn't hold much clout.
If you're looking at fully established universities for a graduate degree in statistics, you should be totally fine.
The cash cows people tend to look down upon are things like Phoenix, definitely the best-known one, where the degree is not highly respected in a lot of fields. Granted, my brother got a master's in public health online through there and it's served him very well, so even things like that are situationally valuable.
I've also received a ton of emails from programs that don't seem well established, since I'm in math. Things like business analytics, data management, and some statistics-related fields. But the vast majority were from small schools I've never heard of, who tried to sell themselves to me with promises of things like a "free" laptop or no charge on applications. Those would probably fit in the cash cow category in my opinion.
If you're looking to go to grad school for statistics, I'd check this site for rankings: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/statistics-rankings/page+4 Anything on there will certainly be acceptable, but the farther you go, the more important the prestige of the university and advisor you work with becomes. That list most likely isn't exhaustive, but I'm in math that isn't statistics so I don't know where to point you for a complete list. What you should be looking out for is receiving a fully funded offer- that means tuition should be covered, and you should also receive a stipend to live on (very meagerly) while in school. In STEM fields, statistics definitely included, anything less than a funded offer is questionable- receiving funding should be a top priority.
Finally, if you're hoping to study this fall and you haven't put in applications already, you are likely too late, and almost certainly too late if you want funding. Most applications go out in December or early January for programs beginning the following fall. Some programs out there have really late deadlines, but those generally also have rolling admissions and by this point are probably going to be full. If this is the case, definitely email the department to see if there's still opportunity to put in an application, and whether it's worth doing so.
Sorry for such a long post for your relatively simple question- there's tons of information around this site if you do some digging, and if you have any more questions I can try to answer them.
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53 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:
Also... real talk though. One of my friends is really trying to get into grad school... he applied to 16 places and got rejected from all but one, where he was put on a waitlist. It looks like he isn't going to get in there. He's so much more passionate than I am and I know that grad school is his one dream... anyone have any clues for what I can say to make the road a little less rough for him? He's older (mid 30's) and so I know his timeline is constantly on his mind. I just don't know what to say... it's gone from "hang in there" to "maybe look for backup plans". Help?
Did he apply higher rank-wise than his credentials justify? I have one friend who applied to 8 schools and was rejected to all of them because they were all top-25, and his application just wasn't competitive. If that happens to be the case, I'd encourage him to go through again, improve whatever he can, and focus more on lower options.
If that's not the case, I'd be at a loss...clearly from other people here's stories, it can be done through taking the time until the next application cycle to make yourself a better applicant if that's what you still want to do. Looking for research positions, taking a couple grad-level classes and the like. But that's a hard choice, and often expensive, so it comes down heavily towards life plans and whether grad school is the only thing he could see himself doing. I know if I were in that situation right now, outside of earning enough to live on, all my extra energy would be going towards making things better for next time. But for a lot of people, grad school isn't the be-all end-all that it is for some of us.
Application/school stuff aside, just being there for him to have someone to talk to would likely go a long way!
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4 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:
Yeah I train a lot! Everyone does at my school - we're the top ranked for sport in my country and it's kinda the norm here. When I head to Penn State I'll cut it down to an hour a day. But I think it's really important to schedule in you time. If I block it out in my calendars I can honestly say to people "oh sorry I can't work then, I have other scheduled commitments". Obviously if it's important I'll stay late, but otherwise my mental health is a priority and for me that means gym, netflix and lots of tea!
Yes, having time blocked out as "you time" is super important. And with the difficulty of grad studies, mental health has gotta be up there as one of the most important things to stay on top of...I'd probably argue the most important, honestly!
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11 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:
I wouldn't consider myself a workaholic although my mom does. A typical day includes waking up at 7, catching up on the news, facebook, grad cafe etc while I have my breakfast, head to the gym 8-9, head to the lab and work from ~ 9.15 - 5pm (I eat over lunch atm), then normally it's a gym session, or yoga, or swimming or something until 7pm. Then home and eat - I shower while I cook - and curl up in bed to read any leftover papers I haven't until 9pm. Then it's vegging time - Netflix and my book. Depending on how busy I am the evening gym session sometimes gets cut to an hour so I can hit up the grocery store/hang out with friends/clean my room etc.
So no, I don't think I work too much! I schedule everything though.
Dang, that's a lot of time in the gym! I basically just run, which is self-limiting in how much my body can take in a day, so 2+ hours daily seems like a lot.
I really like that schedule, though. Everything's nice and separate and organized!
I *ahem* don't actually have a real schedule right now. It's something I'm working on though, since I'm pretty sure if I was thrown into grad school tomorrow, I'd be working 12+ hours a day, which is obviously not a good long-term option!
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I'm curious, do most or all of you guys consider yourselves workaholics? I just noticed my go-to stress relief is getting work done, since it feels good to accomplish something (and also I can work basically as much as I want and get paid per audio minute I transcribe- that sure helps)...I think I'm going to need to learn how to actually wind down when I get back into school.
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I feel for whoever this is...
Brandeis Univeristy (Pure) Mathematics, PhD (F16) Rejected via E-mail on 23 Mar 2016 I 24 Mar 2016 - Was offered to be considered for the masters program. I already have a masters in Math
- londonrain9, belles and Laurenn
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44 minutes ago, rhombusbombus said:
I've been chronicling my stress on twitter since the beginning of application season. And I def made a facebook post.
Although, I wish my dad hadn't shared it.I don't really like any of his family enough to want them to know I'll be that close to them He's already told my grandmother that I'll visit her, but I doubt I would.
My mom did the same...after I got one acceptance, from my back up school where I didn't particularly want to go. And tagged my name, so both her friends and my friends saw it.
Now everyone thinks I'm going to Wake Forest
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12 minutes ago, Need Coffee in an IV said:
@Euler Any favorites so far? I still have IUPUI but I've written them off so I'm done for this season. Another geology student asked me if I was planning on getting my PhD.......let me finish my masters first!
I'm like 90% sure at this point I'll be going to VT. Even if right now all six I'm waiting on gave me funded offers, there are only two of those I'd even consider, and they'd have a lot of ground to cover to beat out VT.
School visits are a genius way to get people to attend your school!
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It sounds like the objective stuff you have in order.
Make sure you have as many people as possible read your statement of purpose. Letter recommenders, friends, other professors- input goes a long way there.
And the other big thing is do everything in your power to make sure your recommendation letters are stellar. Try to keep building relationships with people you plan to ask- the more memorable you are, the easier it'll be for them to write great letters
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2 minutes ago, caleugenides said:
I got in to the MA TESOL/Applied Linguistics program at NAU, but I'm still waiting on funding. They told me that they make offers "throughout the spring" which makes me believe an offer could take until May/June. I have to make a decision for my full ride to Central Florida by April 15th. I prefer NAU by far, but I obviously am not going to choose NAU if I have to pay for it. I'm just afraid that I will accept my funding at Central Florida and a month later NAU will give me an offer. What should I do in this situation? Should I ask for an extension from Central Florida around April 10th if I still don't have a response from NAU? How would I go about asking for an extension? Also is it too forward of me to ask my contact at NAU exactly when I should expect a response by? I'm aware they do it in waves, but I want to know when the very latest TAship offer would be...
It sounds dramatic, but all this waiting is seriously affecting me mentally. I literally cannot focus on anything, worse now that I'm on break and have time to think.
First, I would avoid doing anything that could jeopardize the funded offer. Unless you don't plan on taking that for whatever reason, but it doesn't sound like that's the case. Not that asking for an extension would hurt, but if they say April 15th is the hard deadline, just try to get a more definitive answer from UCF.
If it were me, I would probably wait until maybe 7-10 days-ish before the April 15th deadline, and if you haven't heard anything from UCF, email them and let them know you would only accept an offer if it were funded. That gives enough time for them to respond, and you should get an honest answer at that point on what you should expect from them in terms of funding.
- Neist and caleugenides
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Just now, marycaryne said:
Would it be selfish of me to cross my fingers for you about FSU? Because then we could be awesome there together!
I do hope you hear back from everyone. I haven't heard anything from two schools and have considered emailing them, but FSU was my top choice anyway so I might as well update my sig.
Not at all! I was wondering if/hoping I'd end up somewhere with at least another person from this forum, it would be fun to meet up!
And actually, if I'm accepted to FSU (which I think is my best chance of any pending school) they're a top competitor for me. I'll keep you posted...
I think at this point an email is worthwhile for peace of mind, especially if you already have an offer you're happy with.
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6 minutes ago, Euler said:
I'm doing it today, guys. I'm biting the bullet and sending emails to all seven programs that haven't given me any info at all (I already emailed FSU, I'm still in the running supposedly).
My bets are currently rejections to NC State, Chapel Hill, waitlist on Boston, Penn State, MSU and UF, and "decisions aren't out" at U of R. Place your bets if you'd like
Lol, just kidding, just got a rejection from MSU right before I sent out any emails!
"Dear Applicant,
The graduate studies committee in Mathematics at Michigan State University has met and reviewed your application. The committee was impressed with your accomplishments but this year we have received many excellent applications. We must therefore decline your application for admittance to the PhD program."
I appreciate the gentle let down, but "dear applicant" doesn't exactly sell it.
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I'm doing it today, guys. I'm biting the bullet and sending emails to all seven programs that haven't given me any info at all (I already emailed FSU, I'm still in the running supposedly).
My bets are currently rejections to NC State, Chapel Hill, waitlist on Boston, Penn State, MSU and UF, and "decisions aren't out" at U of R. Place your bets if you'd like
We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016
in Officially Grads
Posted
Wow, I'm not sure I've ever seen a page anywhere that everything looked worth making/eating to me, but that dinner page is definitely one! I'm 100% bookmarking that, thanks