day_manderly

So I am reapplying to the program that asks for both a Personal Statement, and Research Statement. Last year I got to the interview phase. What is the best way to tackle this? I see several different avenues: 1. Mention is the beginning, proceed to the gaining more experience, getting a clearer goal part in the Personal Statement; 2. Mention along the way; 3. Not mention at all?

Oh, I didn't think about that! It's definitely not quant-related! Now I'm more confident in my decision to send 2nd, thanks!

I think the rule is to disclose only what is relevant to your future professional/academic plans, and to your intended project. People coming to you for advice - definitely relevant. You being bisexual - not sure (is you being bisexual connected with you having trustworthy air?.. it helped people open up, sure, but it wasn't a defining thing, right?). I also wouldn't start with talking about this in SoP. In Personal Statement - maybe. See the difference here. Some schools (like UMich) ask for two separate essays.

I think like from 50smth to 47 :(. AWA's improvement also makes a difference though...

Got my GRE scores, time to start a thread for my top choice! I am an international applicant. Program: Higher Ed Interests: international higher edGRE Score: V166 Q152 AWA 4.5 (makes me incredibly sad) TOEFL: 113 out of 120.GPA: no idea, my schools didn't have it, but I was a stellar student, especially while doing my Master'sWork Experience: impressive, relevant, in my field, as a researcher, corresponds with my interests perfectly SoP: will reflect the above, mention professors I've contacted, my plans for my thesis, etc. LoRs: probably glowing, but only one from someone with some sort of a name in the field (common international applicant problem) Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..): one of top schools in my country, but it's not even visible in international rankings Grad Institution: one of top schools in another country (outside US, not English-speaking world) - in the international rankings, but not like top 100 What Other Schools Are You Applying To: Lynch, UMich, HGSE, UMass (probably, still have to contact somebody there), maybe Stanford, Vanderbilt, maybe Texas Austin What do you think?

I have a small question of my own. I passed GRE twice: 1st time: V165, Q154 AWA 4.0 2nd time: V166 Q152 AWA 4.5. Which one should I send? Obviously, there is no time to repass. The first one has stronger Q (by 2 points, but still), the second - stronger AWA. I'm leaning towards the 2nd. What do you guys think?

I would devote a certain amount of time to your CV to really showcase what you've done. That would be that, as everything else looks wonderful.

So here goes the problem. My professor and I came up with an interesting idea (the main point was mine), and we decided to write a paper. So I wrote my part in the summer. To specify, those are not clearly cut parts - it's more like I write a text, and then my professor adds/corrects/builds upon it. Now I want to turn the part that I wrote into a Writing Sample - but what will happen when the same material, however changed, appears in our peer-reviewed paper? Is there a proper way to tackle the situation? Is me being the first author solves it? Is there any way to publish a paper without specifying who the first author is? The part that was written by is not a co-authored piece of writing, because I wrote it by myself. Or should I just forget about turning the piece into my Writing Sample, and write another one?

Ahaha, no, I was going to start my SoP with a childhood story, and then be really, really, really vague about my research plans. Yes, now when I am looking at the phrase, it seems ok, too. Perhaps, application anxiety is already working its way into my brain.

Guys, I am trying to frame my interests correctly in my SoP: does 'research in the field of international higher education' sound good?

Yes, I've actually contacted a professor - to no avail.

I'm mostly cramming for GREs still. I am repassing, and my previous scores are ok, but I really want to have stellar ones, so... I've drafted SoP, but it needs a ton of work. What scares me is - trampampam - the Writing Sample!!! How does one make time for t h a t?

So I've been reading this, rather useful and highly recommended, blog by a science professor who reflects upon her experience with graduate admissions, and I've lit upon the following: Transcripts are interesting to read because you can see a student's evolution of interests. Did they take an intro course in Science their very first term and immediately dive into the major? Did they meander around for a year or so, sampling a wide variety of courses before focusing? And here comes the problem. Many countries simply do not offer one a choice when it comes to the study track. All the courses I took I had to take. They say nothing about me, except for the initial choice of the specialization I made when I was 17 (!). Are adcomms aware of the peculiarities of different countries' curricula? Should an international student mention some extra important characteristics somewhere?

I've got the same question. I still have to write my writing sample (as the majority of work I have written so far is not in English, and the only actual academic paper (to be published) is co-authored), and my school asks for 25-30 pages (!), so that question is highly relevant.

Is anyone applying to Stanford GSE? I've checked the results from previous years, and I've found out the following: looks like you need 160+ GRE for both V and Q, and at least 5 AWA they don't do interviews, just straight admits Also, is anyone attending SGSE now? I am interested in International Higher Education. Do you happen to know whether any of the professors is doing research in this area? According to my research, if anything international is done, it's in the domain of secondary education. Is that correct?

I actually meant 'header' in lieu of 'footer'. While what you are saying is certainly true, all of it, but the thread was created precisely because CV is often overlooked - both by students, and, perhaps, by adcomms. Yet, it IS in the application list, and a great one would do only good. Not to mention the boost in confidence one gets upon applying if there is one more document that is extremely well done.

Oh, and I already have a question. Have you inserted a section on the coursework you've done? Does it even make sense if one has worked as a researcher already and done much more there?

So, we all want our applications to be just perfect, don't we? CVs do not receive enough attention, me thinks. Does anyone have useful know-hows? Who'd like to swap a CVs with another person? Tips & tricks I've encountered: Put the most important/impressive info first. Mine has education, and then - straight on - relevant research experience. Then, a CV should be as readable as possible. A footer and proper sectioning are a must. Does anyone have any thoughts on proper CV architecture? Also, I personally would love to cross-check CVs with somebody; please, PM if you are interested.

Going crazy here too, bro. Still have like 4 schools where I haven't contacted a single soul, and I keep postponing due to heavy workload, and it scares me more every passing day. And GRE... Sometimes it's soooo good, but sometimes you just do 20 tasks and get only 10 correct, and that sucks big time. :/ I've just decided to do a bit for my application every day. The structure definitely helps.

I just go from one school to another, and check professors one by one. Takes forever, but works. Following publication authors is good, too. Combined approach is even better. How do you people contact professors? I mostly just send cold e-mails and wait. Is there a better approach?

Deal!

Oh, ok. For some reason I thought you meant 5-10 in one university. Do you think reaching out to one Pl per university is enough? That is what I am busy doing.

I think what you have to do is go to the Results page and search POLS. Info on GPAs can sometimes be found there. Also, I found this information out there in the open for UPenn, maybe other universities also post it.

Five to ten?! Isn't it a bit excessive?!

I have an awesome offline partner for general GRE preparation, and now I am looking for a partner to prepare for AWA by e-mail. I propose the following: 1. We alternate days to send essays (or essay plans) to each other. Say, you receive an essay from me on Monday, and then you send me an essay on Tuesday. This way, you get to write 3-4 essays, and read 3-4 essays per week. If that is too intense for you, I am open to suggestions. 2. An essay is sent only after one partner has provided the other with feedback. Thus, I cannot send you my essay to read until I have critiqued your essay. I am a fairly good writer, and I am seeking someone who is also good at writing in general, and is looking to hone GRE essay writing skills.