PsychedSloth

Most apartments with all utilities and nice amenities included are closer to $900-1000/mo if you want to live in a safe neighborhood and relatively close to campus. I'd suggest looking into subleased apartments. Otherwise, a general suggestion would be that Urbana seems to be cheaper because most of the nightlife is in Champaign. Obviously, the closer you live to campus, the more expensive rent will be. Good luck!

Hope this doesn't offend you but you sound rather entitled. You specifically said "I'd just like to help with what is needed", apparently that's data entry. If you don't want to do that then maybe go back to trying the directed study with this lab, don't give up on it if no one helps you. (To be fair I don't know the context so maybe you've stuck with it for a while before finally giving in). If data entry is what you're stuck with then make it into a learning experience for yourself - qualtrics has an API which can allow you to figure out a way to programmatically perform the data entry. This would be great since then it'd drastically reduce the probability of error during entry, then having come up with your fancy new way to enter data you can show it to others and teach others in the lab, which I'm sure would def up the interest in your membership in the lab. In additional you'd have taught yourself how to program (if you don't already know), and further still - now you have a valuable skill to take into your graduate studies if that's the plan.

According to PNPI, 11% of low-income, first-generation college students will obtain a Bachelor's degree within six years of enrolling in school, compared to 55% of their more advantaged peers. We should be very proud of ourselves!

That's good advice, thanks!

I reached out to the person that signed my rejection letter for SDSU's Psychology program and got feedback. The general guideline is to do it respectfully so that they don't think you're trying to argue with their decision and they will usually get back to you within a few days. 

I ended up with an informal offer at one school and was waiting on a decision from one other PREP interview, however decided to go ahead and accept the Mayo Clinic PREP offer as they seemed really great and had faculty in my area of interest! 

It's normal. Once the offers go out, the list of offers go to many different departments and mailing lists. These other groups aren't always informed when you make a decision on your offer though. It may take some time for you to be automatically removed from mailing lists, or you may never get removed.
The worst offender for me was 3 years after I turned down a school for a 2-year Masters program, that school called me, greeted me as an alumni and asked for a donation! 

I just got in off the waitlist at my top choice!!! I'm in such shock right now honestly. 
Today has been such a rollercoaster - it started with waking up to an email reply from the program director of my top choice saying she didn’t know whether or not I’d hear back from them before April 15 and that I should ask my other school for an extension. Then I drafted an email to my second choice asking for an extension but before I sent it I got a phone call from their program director offering a fellowship with more money (and then I asked him about an extension and he said they probably wouldn't grant one). Then tonight I got an email from my top choice and I honestly can't believe it. I still have to hear back from professors at my top choice (I want to make sure they actually want me in their labs still) before i can say for sure that I'm going but today was a lot. I'm defending my undergraduate thesis in the morning and have yet to look at my presentation because this has all been so much wow. 

OMG ALSO MADE IT OFF THE WAITLIST WTF IS HAPPENING

I got in. I dont know what just happened today

YOU GUYS. I GOT IN!!! 
I was sitting on 5 rejections and 1 waitlist (for my top choice school) with very little communication about what was happening with the adcomm. I got a phone call from my POI today and they said I was their first choice (they did not extend an offer to anyone else) and that the reason for the delay/waitlist was that they had a lot to figure out internally. I'm still waiting on the official letter with the funding offer, but I'm so excited, and relieved, and a little bit in shock. This late in the game, I had more than prepared myself for applying again next year. Holy wow.
This thread was a life-saver for me throughout the wait process; I appreciate it so much.

Called my top program since I hadn’t heard back within the time frame they’d given. Turns out I was accepted a week ago and was never notified! Over the moon and so relieved. 

I got accepted into the program that originally waitlisted me. This is the end of this waiting cycle and I'm so happy that it ends with an actual offer. Cannot believe it.
Good luck to those still waiting !

Like another user mentioned, impostor syndrome hits me hard. I am a first-generation student and while my parents have always told me that getting an education is the most important thing I can do for myself, they have had mixed reactions when I tell them about my ambitions to go to graduate school. I'm preparing to finish my third college degree (I earned an AA and AS at the same time) but because impostor syndrome is hitting me hard right now, I feel conflicted about my educational pursuits; however, I know my determination and passion will push me to keep going after my goals.

Well, a single day changed my entire career outlook? I went to an interview (my first) on Wednesday, but I didn't feel great about it. Got back home and emailed the PI a heartfelt thank you for talking with me and inviting me to see your lab. Didnt expect anything else. Got up the next day and found that she wrote me back, and then two hours after that I got official notice that i'd been accepted. Two more hours passed and then I got another notification that the program that ghosted me for two months accepted me as well. So I went from no acceptances when I woke up that morning to two acceptances when I went to sleep.
It was a weird day.
Neither of them are funded though so there's still the issue of "Can I actually do this?" and "How much is it going to cost me?".

I'm with PsychedSloth on this one. My friend had funding pending on their acceptance date (as in after a certain date they'll still be admitted if they wanted to be, but the TA/RA position would be forfeited). They called their other two top choices the day before the decision had to be finalized and pushed for information about their application after being pseudo-ignored over email. For one, the decision was made but not officially released yet. They were weight listed at the other school. It ultimately didn't change her decision, but it was nice to know. Bottom line is if your top choice is The Choice (which I'm assuming it is), let them know you have other offers, you still really want to be admitted to their program, and you need more information about the status of your application.

If you haven't already, I would suggest pressing your top choice for a specific date in which you should expect a decision to be rendered. Additionally, ask your third choice for an extension; the worst they can do is say no. 

I realize the application season is far from over for many of you, but I felt it's a good time to be retrospective. I wanted to share some of my anecdotes and qualitative data in hopes that it will help those in the future.
Before I begin: this is based on my subjective experience and is not meant to be interpreted as prescriptive. I applied to a combination of I/O Psych and Measurement programs, thus this may be less relevant to some of you- I don't think that will be the case.
Here are some thoughts looking back:
Grad Cafe
The beauty of Grad Cafe (though cliché) is the journey. Many applicants will not visit this place, many will avoid it like the plague, many will lurk. The exceptions provide invaluable information, they empathize, and even sympathize. This process is one that validates and demeans, it's not clean, knowing that you're not alone does so much. You learn about your "competition"- that they are just as smart and accomplished as you; they also are kind and helpful, I found solace in the fact that a deserving person was accepted when I was not. You start building your network here. These people may be in your cohort, may see you at a conference, or may score you a job in the future, so make it count.
Clean the Results Survey...
I did a project a while back trying to crowd-source some data to help those applying. I quickly realized that the results survey is a garbage-fire. All of the open-ended text boxes (i.e., program, school) are very unclean. It does have a predictive component but if someone types something incorrectly others will start getting that as a predictive option. It is also hard to find particular hybrid programs, so I think a tagging taxonomy would bode well. I've emailed the admins about this. The benefit of Grad Cafe can be improved by cleaning the user-experience. This would be a good place for sourcing how grad students deal with rejection or giving particular programs a profile in terms of when they respond to students. You'd need to control for self-selection, but I see this providing a huge benefit to society. Admins clean up the response strings and make the tag structure more defined....constructive feedback, don't delete this post. 
 
Initial Email
-The most underestimated part of the application process
Most of us are highly conscientious so bugging a person we don't know may be excruciating.  Funding is the name of the game for many programs. If you apply to the wrong lab it doesn't matter how strong of an applicant you are. Take the time to send an email to figure out who is planning on taking students. I also find that emailing the current students is both less intimidating and more insightful so do not shy away from this. Another thing this will help is your personal statement. I spent so much time specifying advisers  just to find out that some of the programs don't want you working with just one person. The program websites are always filled with obsolete information, get current information from those living it.
 
GRE/GPA
- A perfect GRE/GPA score will not guarantee your acceptance
If this was the case no program would have an interview portion nor would you have to submit CVs and Personal Statements. Obviously, programs will use the quantitative metrics (GPA and GRE) when convenient, so in the beginning when the pool is large. Programs may get 300 applicants so selecting 30 to interview would be tedious without a common scale. The first filter will be a quantitative metric and if you aren't above average...none of your other qualifications is going to fix that.  You can't change your GPA but you can improve your GRE. I've heard all sorts of metrics: (Quant + Verbal) * GPA, sometimes programs will weigh verbal more or quant more, you never know. You want to make the first cut, so don't think you need the highest score because chances are you won't have it. Shoot for that 75th-80th percentile. Some of you may think that it is impossible but it's not, this is coming from someone that increased their GRE score by 20 points in a short amount of time. If you're struggling go here. The GRE is based upon adaptive Item Response Theory (IRT) so focus on increasing your mastery of the more difficult questions.
 
Personal Statement
- Don't overthink it
I spent most of my time doing these. I'm a terrible writer. There is no special sauce, no formula. Just don't tell a 2-page story about your grandma dying. I do suggest demonstrating that you know how to craft a research idea relevant to your person of interest. Also if you see research that they've done where the findings relate to an experience you've had....golden. I asked over 20 professors (from different programs) if they had to choose just one: GPA/GRE, Personal Statement & Recommendations, or CV and Research experience to select a candidate, which would they choose? No one said personal statement. Once again I'm in the area of I/O, so other areas may differ but none of us are in Creative Writing.
 
Research/CV
-You do research in a PhD program, so research experience is critical
This is the area I lack. My estimation is that it is why I got rejected from places, and is what sets apart the candidates after the GRE/GPA hurdle. I would really love to see the stats for applicants that got 75th percentile on the GRE with publications versus an applicant that is in the 99th percentile without research experience. A vast majority of the professors I spoke to said if they had to select a candidate based on 1 metric that they would choose CV and Research experience. It makes sense because students will be doing research. Don't underestimate how you layout your research experience on your CV. If you can get on MTurk and code someone's data or if you can present to a small clinic or non-profit, do it. 
 
Interviews & Recruitment Days
- It's all about the questions. Don't be vanilla.
 I didn't dress the best. I'm sure I creeped out all the current students and applicants, but they remembered me. Ask good questions, I can't emphasize this enough. 100% of the interview/recruitment days I went to accepted me afterwards. I definitely wasn't the smartest person there, but I asked good questions. Don't ask things you can learn from a follow-up email or on the website. Act like you're about to marry them, or that you're on a Tinder date 4 glasses of wine in. 
Some examples (all of which I've used):
For students: What would you improve about your program? What class was a waste of time? What are 3 things your adviser can do better? If you had to punish someone deeply, what professor would you handcuff them to?  How much time have you spend off-campus with those in your cohort? How much of your weekend is spent doing work? My favorite: If all of the faculty participated in the Amazing Race with a clone of a generic student, who would you put your money on? Who would drop out?
For faculty: What are three adjectives your students would use to describe you? What is a unique skill you offer that the other faculty do not? If you could add a course from the core-curriculum, which would you pick? In your opinion what proportion of a PhD student's time should be spent in the following areas: Assistantship, Coursework, Research, Personal Life? From your perspective what is the biggest social challenge? emotional challenge? and financial challenge? a student faces in grad school.
 
One love...

Thank you all,
 

I've been accepted to one of my programs and they are considering me for funding! Oh, and my cat wants to snuggle. 

Well, I got my wish. Only got one acceptance so I didn't have to decide! I confirmed my offer today and I am very excited for this new start.

@PsychedSloth Sorry for the double post, just received an invitation to interview from Northwestern PREP! Yale PREP emailed to say they will be sending out invitations within the next two weeks. 

@PsychedSloth I understand, in the end its just up to you and where you feel comfortable! Postbaccs are amazing in that they can be gateways into the PhD programs, so Im sure you'll thrive whoever you end up. Definitely agree as well, the NW director is very hands on and was incredibly helpful in giving feedback on my essays to edit. Fingers crossed this week!

Update on my status
Accepted to Rutgers for M.S. in BME today
Rejected from UCSD for M.S. in Bioengineering yesterday.. first rejection of the season 
Still waiting for Stanford, UCLA, UC Irvine

@PsychedSloth Hello, thank you for the information! I received the email from Northwestern about review as well, fingers crossed and good luck! 
As far as I know, the other NIH PREP programs I applied to are as follows- Yale (end of March/early April), Mayo Clinic (rolling), Harvard (early April), Brown (April?)

I hate to double post, but I have some information about processing timelines for some NIH-prep programs! @leecy77
Northwestern: application review begins 3/19, with invites for interviews being made shortly after, and final decisions being made by mid-April
IUPUI: applications are under review and decisions will start rolling out in early April 
Ohio State: applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with decisions being made in mid-April. There is a waitlist through May