Cervello

I got mine at the end of my first year, and deferred one year, and wish I'd deferred two. 
Using it later gives you more funding when you need it- use available funding your first year if you have it. 
First year is the best time to TA if you need to as well, at least in terms of research productivity. 

I understand that and am happy for those people but your original post was patronizing. Let's just support the needs of each individual, whether they feel like they need to prepare for their courses or take time off. Neither is a "waste of itme."

Yeahhhhhhhhhhh no. I've been in school for 17 year straight. Taking a few months off before committing to a job for the rest of your life with few breaks is not a waste of time. In fact, having studied student affairs quite a bit, students who take time off are less likely to be burnt out several years into their program than those who did not. You'll probably be fine without it, but equally as valid is taking a break and enjoying life.

You've travelled a lot, you've gone backpacking, you've had plenty of time. Others likely haven't, so why sweepingly say that travelling is a waste and you strongly advise against it? You're approaching it from one of many angles but others are in different positions coming at grad school from different angles. 

So excited to see a post about the Science March--I was just about to post about it as well! I definitely consider myself to be an "activist," and I'm involved with a lot of organizations and support many different causes related to social/political/environmental justice movements. I also study cultural anthropology, so every time I attend a protest or demonstration, the most exciting part is sometimes just observing how different people come together and how they act when they're all representing the same cause or idea. I certainly am no expert on collective action, but there are cultural anthropologists out there who study social movements from an ethnographic perspective, focusing on collective action among specific populations, so there's definitely a lot written on what you're describing.
I attended the March for Science in DC, and a few things stuck out to me: First, the demographic of the protesters was fairly unique. There were more elderly people and families than I usually see represented at large demonstrations. Most often when I attend a larger organized protest, people come individually, with small groups of friends, or with a specific organization. Also, depending on the cause, the crowd is usually young adults to middle aged adults. I would absolutely say the crowd was a little more subdued as well. In part that was probably because it was so rainy and cold, but even during the actual march following the rally, there were almost no chants, there was certainly no rowdiness, and everyone just seemed content to walk with their family and friends and talk about science! 
I think the uniqueness of this demonstration also had a lot to do with the cause. Unlike other recent protests, like the Women's March which broadly focused on gender equality but also brought up a lot of other issues like abortion, LGBTQ rights, indigenous women's rights, etc., this event was pretty much just focused on making the point that science is real, and essential to the advancement of our society. I think everyone just wanted to show up and say, "Hey Prez stop cutting our funding and undermining all the important things we scientists do for this world." 
In terms of the psychology behind today's protest, I would say that the speakers, the funny posters, and the excitement of everyone there representing the field they are passionate about really spread a good feeling and kept the mood positive/high during the day. At other protests, like some of the anti-Trump protests I attended back in January or some of the things I saw take place on inauguration day, the feeling of the crowd can sometimes be angry or tense, and things can get out of hand. This particular protest was much more tame and positive, and I think people went away feeling inspired and like they had done something good on Earth Day. Personally, every time I take part in a large event like this, I always walk away feeling hopeful, but also a little worried that people won't continue to take action after the big event. A lot of times when people become a part of a cause that's bigger than themselves, they get caught up in the moment and are excited and passionate when they are in a big group of like-minded people, but then forget about their experience and don't take steps later on to fight for that cause. So, I'm hoping the momentum of the March for Science (and the People's Climate March next week) will motivate participants to take further action. 
And just a general statement and what I originally wanted to post on here: It was really exciting to see so many different fields of science represented today, and the size of the crowd despite the crappy weather really gave me some hope that there are tons of intelligent, dedicated people in this country who will continue to work hard to make this planet healthy and keep its people informed and equipped with the knowledge they need to affect positive change in our society Just wanted to share that feeling here on grad cafe with all of you scientists/scholars/artists/communicators/experts/students who work hard every day to make a difference. 

Ok, so I chose Johns Hopkins. 
I got into CMM. 

Well this thread is quite intimidating. So many Ivy level schools. I'll be heading to Baylor in the fall. Good Luck to everyone!

Committed to Cornell BBS! 
Been living on the West Coast my whole life so gotta get used to the colder weather for sure! 

Finally got accepted to my top choice school today! Either I was not on a waitlist or someone declined an offer.

Accepted to Cornell BBS! 
Definitely a huge relief, as this ended up being the only school I got an interview for. 
Was definitely thinking that things were really bleak a while ago but now that's all changed!

It ultimately came down to which school had the whole package of research, mentorship/support and location for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very hard decision. I definitely lost some sleep over it.  
Long story short, the research fit was very good at both schools, and it would be very hard for me to choose solely based on that. 
As for mentorship/support, I got along better with the faculty I interacted with at Penn. This obviously depends on who I happened to interview with/run into, but the gut feeling was there. I decided to listen to it because I got matched with POIs I was really interested in at both places, and simply could see myself working with those at Penn over Harvard. I’ve learned the hard way that personality is something that matters to me. 
I also approached it from the angle of: “If (or maybe when) something goes wrong, who (other than my PI) can I go to for guidance?” At Penn I could name two such people after the visiting weekend, at Harvard it was a bit harder. I think this one is largely because CAMB is broken up into a few sub-groups, and each has a chair and administrator. It’s very different when you’re one of six or seven people, versus one of 65. Both of them at Penn sought the few of us in the sub-group out during the interviews to touch base and get to know us. Does not being sought out during the interview mean there is less support at Harvard? Probably not. But the structures of the programs are undeniably different, and I decided that Penn fit my needs better. 
Also, there is a higher junior faculty turnover at Harvard than at Penn.  To me, this had a higher probability of translating into a high pressure environment that I didn’t feel would fit the type of environment I learn best in. Of course that will differ on specifics labs and it’s probably avoidable; but again, it’s there, and might limit who I get to work with. I tend to gravitate toward smaller labs (which tend to be led by assistant professors) so I did not want to be limited by this fear. 
Finally, I preferred Philly over Boston. I can afford a one bedroom apartment about a 15 minute walk from campus by myself in Philly, in Boston that is nearly impossible. I wanted to have the option to live by myself comfortably. Ruled out NYC because of this one too. 
All in all, I had to go with where I felt I would have the highest probability of being happiest and most successful. So it’s not really one deciding factor, but kind of the context of the whole program, including the location, that just made Penn the better fit for me. It was one hell of a personal decision.

I seem to be one of the only one on this thread crazy enough to say no to Harvard. I'll be attending Penn CAMB in the fall  

About your dog: I think that depends entirely on you and your program. I am in a social science program where the majority of my analysis and writing can be done from home, and I prefer to work from home or from a library (as opposed to my cube in the windowless cube farm). When I was taking classes I was generally there from 9-6 or so, but now that my coursework is finished I am rarely at the school itself. I go for meetings, seminars, interesting kinds of things and I do most of my work remotely. My time is verrry flexible, and if my building didn't prohibit it I would get a dog in a heartbeat. Another thing to keep in mind: a dog can be a great comfort when you're all stressed out over graduate school.

Advice?

Age:
-Don't feel like you have nothing to offer just because you are younger. I was 22 when I started graduate school. You got accepted to the program for a reason, and chances are you are just as equipped as any older students are to successfully complete the program, just in a different way.

-Your older classmates may be just as terrified as you. Talk to them. You have a lot in common. You are, after all, in the same place.

-You will feel like an imposter, like you don't belong, or like you are constantly behind. Or all three. It's normal. It will pass. (Well, sort of.) People of all ages go through this.

Adviser related:
-If you are lucky enough to get both research interest fit and personality fit perfect, congratulations! But sometimes, personality fit is more important than research interest fit as long as the research isn't too different. A great adviser is interested in your career development, likes you as a person, advocates for you, and wants to hear your ideas. Even if his or her research is quite different from yours, they may give you the autonomy to work on your own projects and just supervise you. A bad personality fit will drive you nuts, even if you love his or her research. Consider that when evaluating your adviser fit. (This will vary by field: research fit may be less important in the humanities, more important in the natural and physical sciences. Social sciences are somewhere in-between.)

-Don't be afraid to be straight up blunt with your adviser when it comes to asking about your progress. Ask if you are where you should be both academic program wise and getting-a-job-after-this-mess-wise.

-Be proactive. Advisers love when you draw up an agenda for your one-on-one meetings, come with talking points and progress to share, have concrete questions to ask, and have overall shown that you have been thoughtful and taken control of your own program. Of course, this won't immediately come easily to you, but in time you will work up to it. Every semester I type up my semester goals, and at the beginning of the year I type up annual goals. I show them to my adviser and we talk about whether they are too ambitious, or whether I need to revise them, and how I can meet them.

-Don't expect your adviser to actually know what courses you have to take to graduate. They will know about comprehensive exams and the dissertation, but a lot of professors don't really keep up with the course requirements, especially if their program is in flux. Get you a student handbook, and find out what you need to take. Map it out in a grid, and check off things when you finish them. Show this to your adviser every semester. You may have to explain how such and such class fills a requirement.

-Nobody loves you as much as you, except your mother. Keep this in mind as you take in advice from all sources, including your adviser. Your adviser is there to guide you, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything he says.

Studying:
-You will have to read more than you ever did before, in less time than you ever have before, and you will be expected to retain more than you ever have before. The way that you studied in undergrad may need some tweaking. Be prepared for this.

-Corollary: you may find that your methods change with age or interests or time. I preferred to study alone in college, but in grad school, I prefer to study in groups. It keeps me on task and the socialization keeps me motivated. You may find that you shift from being a more auditory learner to a visual learner or whatever.

-You will feel behind at first. This is normal.

-At some point you will realize that your professors don't actually expect you to read everything they assign you. This, of course, will vary by program, but there will be at least one class where the reading is actually impossible to do in one week. The point is to read enough that you know the major themes and can talk intelligently about them, and then pick some of the readings to really dig into and think more deeply about.

-For most programs, don't worry so much about grades. If you stay on top of your work and do what you're supposed to, you will probably get an A. How much grades matter varies from program to program. In some programs, a B is a signal that you are not up to par, and more than a few Bs will warrant a discussion with your adviser or the DGS. My program isn't like that - A, B, it's all meaningless. My adviser doesn't even know what my grades are. But at almost all programs, a C means you need to retake the course, and two Cs means you have to convince the DGS not to kick you out.

Extracurricular activity: What's that? No, seriously:
-A lot of your time will be unstructured. You will have coursework, but most grad classes meet once a week for two hours and you may have three classes. You may have meetings with your adviser every so often and some seminars or things to catch (like we have grand rounds and colloquia that are required), but a lot of time will be unstructured. However, since you have so much more work than you had in undergrad, you actually will have less free time than you had in undergrad. This may initially cause you great anxiety. It did for me. Some people love unstructured time, though. (I don't.)

-Because of this, you'll have to be planful about your non-grad school related stuff.

-TAKE TIME OFF. DO it. It's important for your mental health. However you do it doesn't matter. Some people work it like a 9-5 job. Some people take a day off per week (me) and maybe a few hours spread across the week. Some people work half days 7 days a week. However you do it, there needs to be a time when you say "f this, I'm going to the movies."

-Find your happy place, something that keeps you the you you were when you came in. I love working out. It gives me energy and I feel good. I stay healthy. I also love reading fiction, so sometimes I just curl up with a good book, work be damned. You have to give yourself permission to not think about work, at least for a couple of hours a week. You may also discover new hobbies! (I never worked out before I came to graduate school.)

-Your work will creep into all aspects of your life, if you let it. This is why I hate unstructured time. You will feel guilty for not doing something, because in graduate school, there is ALWAYS something you can do. ALWAYS. But since there will always be more work, there's no harm in putting it aside for tomorrow, as long as you don't have a deadline.

-You may need to reach outside of your cohort for a social life. None of my close friends are in my doctoral cohort. I've met master's students in my program, master's students in other programs, and I know a few non-graduate students I hang out with, too. Go to graduate student mixers. (If your university doesn't have any, organize some, if you like planning parties.) Join a student group that doesn't take up too much time. I had a doctoral acquaintance who kinda laughed at me because I joined some student groups other than the doctoral student one, and I was usually the only doctoral student in those groups, but I met some close friends (and future job contacts) and had a good time.

-DO NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR WANTING A LIFE OUTSIDE OF GRADUATE SCHOOL. This is paramount. This is important. You are a well-rounded, complex, multifaceted human being. NEVER feel bad for this. Everybody wants some kind of life outside of work. Yes, you may loooove your field, but that doesn't mean you want to do it all day long. Some other doctoral students, and perhaps professors, may make you feel bad about this. Don't let them. Just smile and nod. Then disappear when you need to.

Career:
-This is job preparation. Remember that from Day One. Always be looking for ways to enhance your skills. Read job ads and find out what's hot in your field, what's necessary, what's in demand. For example, in my field statistics and methods are a hot commodity, and they're not a passing fad. I happen to really like statistics and methods, so I have pursued that as a concentration of mine.

-Don't be afraid to take on volunteer work and part-time gigs that will give you skills that will be useful both inside academia and out, as long as it's not against your contract. Your adviser may be against it, but he doesn't have to know as long as it doesn't interfere with your work.

-If you want to work outside of academia - if you are even *considering* the possibility - please please definitely do the above. Even if you aren't considering it, consider the possibility that you won't get a tenure-track job out the box and that you may need to support yourself doing something else for a while. You will have to prove to employers that you have developed usable, useful skills and this is one of the easiest ways to do it. But don't overdo it - get the degree done.

-For more academic related ones - always look for opportunities to present and publish. Presentations look good on your CV. Publications look better. When you write seminar papers, wonder if you can publish them with some revision. Write your seminar papers on what you maybe think you may want to do your dissertation on. Even if you look at them three years later and think "these suck," you can at least glean some useful references and pieces from them. Discuss publication with your adviser early and often, and if you have the time and desire, seek out publication options with other professors and researchers. But if you commit to a project, COMMIT. You don't want to leave a bad impression.

-If you can afford it, occasionally go to conferences even if you aren't presenting. You can network, and you can hear some interesting talks, and you may think about new directions for your own research. You can also meet people who may tell you about jobs, money, opportunities, etc.

-Always try to get someone else to pay for conference travel before you come out of pocket. Including your adviser. Do not be shy about asking if he or she can pay. If he can't, he'll just say no. Usually the department has a travel fund for students, but often it's only if you are presenting.

-If you are interested in academia, you should get some teaching experience. There are two traditional ways to do this: TAing a course, and teaching as a sole instructor. If you can help it, I wouldn't recommend doing a sole instructor position until you are finished with coursework. Teaching takes a LOT of time to do right. You should definitely TA at least one course, and probably a few different ones. But don't overdo it, if you can help it, because again, it takes a LOT of time. More than you expect at the outset. If you are in the humanities, I think sole instructor positions are very important for nabbing jobs so when you are in the exam/ABD phase, you may want to try at least one. If your own university has none, look at adjuncting for nearby colleges, including community colleges. (I would wager that the majority of natural science/physical science students, and most social science students, have never sole taught a class before they get an assistant professor job. At least, it's not that common n my field, which straddles the social and natural sciences.)

-Always look for money. Money is awesome. If you can fund yourself you can do what you want, within reason. Your university will be thrilled, your adviser will be happy, and you can put it on your CV. It's win-win-win! Don't put yourself out of the running before anyone else has a chance to. Apply even if you think you won't get it or the odds are against you (they always are), as long as you are eligible. Apply often. Apply even if it's only $500. (That's conference travel!) Money begets money. The more awards you get, the more awards you will get. They will get bigger over time. If you are in the sciences and social sciences, you should get practice writing at least one grant. You don't have to write the whole thing, but at least get in on the process so that you can see how it's done. Grant-writing is very valuable both in and outside of graduate school.

-Revise your CV every so often. Then look and decide what you want to add to it. Then go get that thing, so you can add it.

-The career office at big universities is often not just for undergrads. I was surprised to learn that my career center offers help on CV organization and the academic job search, as well as alternative/non-academic career searches for doctoral students. In fact, there are two people whose sole purpose it is to help PhD students find nonacademic careers, and they both have PhDs. This will vary by university - some universities will have very little for grad students. Find out before you write the office off.

-It's never too early to go to seminars/workshops like "the academic job search inside and out", "creating the perfect CV," "getting the job," etc. NEVER. Often the leader will share tips that are more aimed towards early graduate students, or tidbits that are kind of too late for more advanced students to take care of. This will also help you keep a pulse on what's hot in your field. It'll help you know what lines you need to add to your CV. And they're interesting.

Other:

-Decide ahead of time what you are NOT willing to sacrifice on the altar of academia. Then stick to it.
I'm serious. If you decide that you do NOT want to sacrifice your relationship, don't. If it's your geographical mobility, don't. I mean, be realistic, and realize that there will always be trade-offs. But you have to think about what's important to you for your quality of life, and realize that there is always more to you than graduate school.

-If you don't want to be a professor, do not feel guilty about this. At all. Zero. However, you will have to do things differently than most doctoral students. Your adviser will probably never have worked outside of the academy (although this may vary depending on the field) so he may or may not be able to help you. But you have a special mission to seek out the kinds of experiences that will help you find a non-academic job. Test the waters with your adviser before you tell him this. My adviser was quite amenable to it, but that's because I told him that my goal was to still do research and policy work in my field just not at a university, AND because it's quite common in my field for doctoral students to do non-academic work. If you're in a field where it's not common (or where your professors refuse to believe it's common, or it's not supposed to be common)…well, you may be a little more on your own.

-Every so often, you will need to reflect on the reasons you came to graduate school. Sometimes, just sit and think quietly. Why are you doing this to yourself? Do you love your field? Do you need this degree to do what you want to do? Usually the answer is yes and yes, and usually you'll keep on trucking. But sometimes when the chips are down you will need to reevaluate why you put yourself through this in the first place.

-To my great dismay, depression is quite common in doctoral students. Graduate work can be isolating and stressful. Luckily your health insurance usually includes counseling sessions. TAKE THEM if you need them. Do not be ashamed. You may be surprised with who else is getting them. (I found out that everyone in my cohort, including me, was getting mental health counseling at a certain point.) Exercise can help, as can taking that mental health day once a week and just chilling. Don't be surprised if you get the blues…

-…but be self-aware and able to recognize when the depression is clouding your ability to function. Doctoral programs have a 50% attrition rate, and this is rarely because that 50% is less intelligent than, less motivated than, less driven than, or less ambitious than the other 50% that stays. Often they realize that they are ridiculously unhappy in the field, or that they don't need the degree anymore, or that they'd rather focus on other things in life, or their interests have changed. All of this is okay!

-You will, at some point, be like "eff this, I'm leaving." I think almost every doctoral student has thought about dropping out and just kicking this all to the curb. You need to listen to yourself, and find out whether it is idle thought (nothing to worry about, very normal) or whether you are truly unhappy to the point that you need to leave. Counseling can help you figure this out.

-Don't be afraid to take a semester or a year off if you need to. That's what leaves of absence are for.

Lastly, and positively…

…graduate school is great! Seriously, when else will you ever have the time to study what you want for hours on end, talk to just as interested others about it, and live in an intellectual community of scholars and intellectuals? And occasionally wake up at 11 am and go to the bank at 2 pm? Sometimes you will want to pull out all of your hair but most of the time, you will feel fulfilled and wonderfully encouraged and edified. So enjoy this time!

Exactly  

I totally disagree that travelling is a waste of the summer! If you have the time and money, do it! It's going to be very difficult to find that chunk of time during your PhD, you've likely worked your butt off to get into programs, and travelling is a wonderful way to grow and mature as a person. Sure, prep too if ya want, can't you do both?  Globally calling it a waste seems a bit closed-minded?

Pfffft. I've been working full-time for four years straight, I'm going to savor every second of my backpacking trip. Also if you equate travelling to "wasting time," you're seriously missing out. 

Here are my honest thoughts:
1. Many people, including myself, often think of our lives as a story where we are the main character and we get to do the things we want. In reality, while we do possess the ability to influence many factors of our lives, we will all at some point, learn that there are situations where there is nothing we can do about it.
2. When we don't get our #1 choice, we are reminded that we're just one of many people in the world. But this learning process is not necessarily linear. There will be times where we have a very good understanding of our place within the world, and there will be other times where we might forget and revert back to thinking about the what-ifs. That's okay.
3. "Getting over" disappointment is not a binary process, it's not like you're "over" it or not. There are different types of being "over" it and so it's also normal and fine to sometimes think back and wonder what might have been. Even if you feel like you are mostly gotten past the disappointment.
4. Over the last 5 years, I think I have experienced a lot of rejection and know how to handle it most of the time. But sometimes I do get an illogical urge to "prove myself". I admit that in the mix of postdoc applications there were one or two applications sent to schools that didn't have the best fit for me but since they had rejected me for grad school, maybe I just wanted to prove to myself I could get in. At the time of applications, I convinced myself that I was really applying because I thought there was a potential fit, not for these petty reasons, but in hindsight, I think a big chunk of it was me unconsciously trying to "prove myself". Needless to say, I didn't get an offer from any of these applications. Probably should not have wasted the time on petty reasons but I'm not perfect! 

First, I'd like to say again that I agreed with most of what you had to say and thought you were well spoken (well, actually, well written :-) ). But I still don't think the lifestyle point is all that critical to making this decision because we're considering two urban areas, both of which offer great city culture and also outdoor activities within 40 mins from town. 
I've lived in NYC for six years and have spent time in SF visiting friends and family. Obviously, SF has better weather, but people I know in SF, many of whom were my best friends in college, are just as happy there as they were here, and doing many of the same things. Outside of work, for those who aren't grad students & have more time to kill, or lab/class for those who are but are trying to get some downtime, they're either doing typical urban stuff or they're outdoors hiking, just we do here in NYC. There's amazing hiking under an hour away from midtown. Great softball league in Central Park. Terrific beaches on Long Island. One thing we have in NYC that SF doesn't have at quite the same level is theater, but they still have some good stuff happening in that realm, too. Maybe it's just that I think people who are tech, comp sci, biotech, lab ppl are more alike than they are different no matter what coast they're on. All I'm saying is that I don't think it's a big distinguishing factor to consider, except for weather. One might really prefer the weather on one coast over the other.
Finally, I never claimed that my undergrad experience was representative of the popular college experience. In fact, I was claiming the opposite. In schools like mine, nearly half the undergrad population is from the 3 states I named (CA, MA & NY), while the other half is hugely diverse. Since those 3 states are heavily represented, you tend to meet plenty of ppl from those states and begin to recognize that ppl who grow up on the coasts tend to have more in common than not.
And lastly, my comment wasn't meant to speak to the differences between grad school and undergrad. I've been a tech for 2 years at Columbia, my undergrad institution. It's a world of difference, not least because I'm no longer on the undergrad campus but rather up at the medical center, and like the grad students & post docs in my lab, I'm working full time and really long hours with only 2 weeks off a year. The only undergrads I see are those working in labs up here. I imagine it's the same where you are, since Longwood and many of the Harvard labs are in Boston and even Belmont. So yeah, given my own experience the last two years, I agree with you: undergrad and grad school are little alike, even though I worked in a lab as an undergrad every semester from freshman year and every summer. As an undergrad involved in a lot of different ECs, my lab work didn't define me the way it does now.
And for whatever it's worth, I don't mean to be contentious with you, especially because I agree with and value much of what you've posted here on Grad Cafe. I think you've given great, solid advice. I simply didn't agree with the one, minor, point. 
 

Not a grad student but I work at UCSF right now, and most of the graduate students I know live in the sunset near the parnassus campus and take the shuttle to mission bay. The neighborhoods closest to the Mission Bay campus are either ridiculously expensive or not super pleasant/safe to live in. Especially above 19th theres a lot of shops and restaurants and such so its pretty easy to get by. 

First, I will echo what others have said: you will get out of your PhD what you put into it. The program you choose needs to be right for you. Look for PIs doing work you want to do. Forget courses, forget everything other than the work being done and whether or not it's the type of work that will keep you up at night. 
If both programs fit your needs, think about SF vs NYC. Rent is ridiculous in SF, but it's also high in NYC. However, I believe Columbia provides subsidized housing in Washington Heights. Does SF provide affordable housing? In general, it seems like there are west coast people and east coast people. If you know which type you are, the choice should be easy. 
As far as science goes, I was under the impression that Columbia pretty much invented modern genetics. Depending on the type of genetics you like, Columbia could be a great fit. In my mind, as someone reading papers everyday, I see more biochemistry coming out of UCSF. I'll just say, there are some amazing publications coming out of UCSF. There are also outstanding PIs coming out of UCSF. 
In the end, you're in a really great position and you will be happy either way. Ask yourself, 1) If my top three choices for labs don't work out, will I be happy with my fourth choice?, 2) Do I see myself living in NYC or SF for five or so years? 
I know this post is unorganized and prattling. I've had way too much coffee today. But I hope the general ideas are conveyed. Feel free to PM me if you would like bounce around ideas. 
Congratulations, regardless! You're in a very fortunate position. 

I've heard mixed message from faculty members/PIs/ADCOM members about narrative structures in personal statements. The most common "AVOID THIS" advice I received was to not hinge your narrative on emotional statements. Like "I knew I wanted to be a scientist when I watched my *insert loved one here* suffer from *insert sad disease here*..." and then carrying that as the main thread underlying your narrative. I'm sure some people are fine with this, but I think the issue is that some people really don't like this approach, so the advice is to play it safe and avoid appealing to people through these types of emotional stories. 
I structured my personal statement as kinda a timeline, beginning in the early days when my initial scientific curiosity was sparked, then moving through the experiences I gained over the years and at the end, bringing it back to that initial curiosity still being there as well as other important characteristics that developed along the way.
 
My biggest tip is to start early, write a draft, walk away from it for a few weeks. Then pull it back out, look at it again with fresh eyes. Re work it and be super open to a complete overhaul (this is why starting early is the first step!). Then start sharing it, and remain open to total overhauls. For me, starting early and walking away from it several times gave me the big picture perspective I needed to take it from decent to amazing, at least compared to the original draft  

I have a friend who was waitlisted last year. He was told that they don't waitlist that many people. It's around 1-2, possibly 3 per an area, for instance systems neuroscience. He didn't hear back until April 16 or 17, and didn't get in.

Same here. Grateful for both recognitions.

Feel free to ask them questions, like if you'll get the travel grant stipend from it, if any amount can be allocated to your own small project, whether you can activate it in your third year, etc. But unless policy is clearly stated that you get some sort of "bonus" or anything else for getting a grant, programs tend to just absorb the money to keep the program afloat and make up for students that don't get the award (as most programs require their trainees to apply to the NSF, so they already have internal metrics that it's a crapshoot to get, and to make it fair for everyone they tend not to award extra bonuses for it).

Just found out that I was selected as an alternate (w/ honorable mention) for the Ford Fellowship.  Fortunately, I received the NSF Fellowship less than a week ago.