kdilks

Most people I knew from past years that either won the award or got HM didn't end up at their top choice that they put down on the application. I put down my second choice on NSF to see if that would help, but nope, still got rejected from first choice.

You can't really tell how close you were just by looking at your scores. Your scores are only compared to those of other people who had the same reviewer. Getting a "Good" from a tough reviewer might be better than a "Very Good" from a more lenient reviewer. Not to mention all of the other aspects of the application package. All you can do is look at their comments, make changes to your essays where you see fit, and hope for the best the next time around.

Have you asked people with admissions experience in your field how much they look at the statement of purpose? At least for my field (math), the impression I got from multiple sources was that if they even read your statement of purpose at all, they're just checking to see if you can communicate in English and aren't obviously misguided/crazy. If your field is similar, then it might not be worth all the effort you're putting in.

What makes you so sure those kind of relationships are impossible at bigger/bigger name schools?

I was under the impression that "dilapidated strip mall hell" would be a perfect definition for Jersey. When I got accepted to Rutgers, the first reaction of every single person who heard (parents, friends, fellow students, professors) was "yeah, but you'd have to live in New Jersey". When I went to visit, the description of the area I got from everybody I talked to at Rutgers and Princeton said "well yeah, it's in New Jersey, but at least NYC is just a one hour train ride away". I didn't think it was thaaat bad when I visited, but I'm sort of glad I didn't have to find out what people were talking about the hard way over 5 years. (sorry RiverRunner, I'm sure the area has many redeeming qualities that wouldn't be known to people not as familiar with the area).

I stopped by Coffman for a little bit before my department orientation started and saw the same thing. I guess international students are probably the ones that need the most help adjusting, or at least aren't confident enough to feel they can just skip orientation. Our DGS told us we needed to go so we could learn about the culture of the students we're going to be teaching (well, most likely that other people will be teaching). I'm really just going for two music acts, and chocolate covered bacon on a stick. It's kind of weird that I finally get to see the country singer from Austin and the gospel-ish singer from Nashville at the Minnesota State Fair.

If I could, I'd be going mainly to learn about the health plan, ask some questions about rec sports, and maybe meet some new people. I don't see what that has to do with a specific program or plagiarism. You can just skip the worthless parts.

You have to wait until you've registered for classes to get a U-Pass (if you're getting the student-discounted one for the semester), if you haven't already been told that. You're pretty much a second-class citizen until you've registered for classes (can't get a U-Pass, or a student ID, or use the secure wireless networks,...) I still haven't been to Uptown, and I'm not sure if I ever will. They don't have Meijer out here, and I think that's been the single biggest obstacle for me so far. I've quite literally felt overwhelmed the first few times I've gone shopping. I mean, once you've had churned style low-fat chocolate moose tracks ice cream that's delicious and regularly priced at $2.50 for a half gallon, how can you ever go back to anything else? I know that Minneapolis is safe, but most people from Minnesota (especially those not in the immediate metro area) think it's terrible just because it's the only big city around. Then again, everywhere seems safe compared to some of the major cities I grew up near (Detroit/Flint/Saginaw).

You going to the general graduate student orientation this week? I would be, if it weren't for the fact the times are the exact same as my department orientation.

Murderapolis, baby. Though at this point, I'm more worried about tornadoes than I am about crime. I'm still waiting until I can get a U-Pass to go explore downtown.

Classes don't start until after Labor Day, but there's one week of orientation and one week of prelims before that.

That might have something to do with the extreme lack of Mexicans.

Went to look something up about the program, and the site was down....just like the good old days.

I was referring more to the facts that you can't get good booze at a grocery store, or buy on Sundays, or buy past 10pm (8pm M-Th in St Paul).

That might even be dumber than the liquor laws.

What exactly constitutes "proof of other residency"? /Also not getting new plates or license for Minnesota

Zingerman's.

I received a form I would've needed to fill out and return if I wanted state income tax withheld throughout the year. I didn't sign up, because at least for the first year I'll still be a Michigan resident, and through a reciprocity agreement I only have to pay Michigan income taxes. For future years, any idea whether it would be more beneficial to stay a Michigan resident, or declare residency in Minnesota?

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be much of a correlation between how many E's/VG's/etc you have and your chances at getting the award. It's probably hard to have a consistent scale across multiple reviewers within one field, let alone reviewers from multiple fields.

E/VG VG/F VG/VG

No complaints here. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Might have to wait a day or so for ratings sheets.

Hell. Yes.

We definitely played "pass the bottle (of wine)" during one of my grad school visits. Good times.

Wine is made to be chugged straight from the bottle.