fossilsrcool

Hi again everyone! Exciting news, I have made my decision. I'm going to UT Austin! I'm really excited; I had great vibes when I was there visiting. The factors that I most considered included that I knew I would get lots of support from my advisor, the department is highly ranked and moving in a good direction, the students there seem really happy and I received an enhanced support fellowship with a great stipend. @potentiallylovely It's too bad you weren't able to visit ASU in person. Maybe you'll like the advisor more once you meet them for real. If not, I know lots of people have had success by finding unofficial mentors who provide some of the support that other might get from a mentor. A good fellowship is also a big plus.

I will definitely keep you posted! lol I thought it was you but didn't want to creep you out. I have Dimetrodon taking it all

@potentiallylovely what a bummer! That really sucks that they didn't let you know sooner. You still have some great options, though! I heard back from Oregon State today. Apparently, they had an issue with multiple students needing 6th years next year so there wasn't as much space for the incoming cohort and my potential PI didn't get a slot for a grad student. I'm sad about it, but I suppose that kind of thing happens. I got my official offer from Georgia Tech. Their stipend is pretty low for Atlanta and they also don't waive around $3,500 in fees, so I think that I'm almost certainly not going there. Right now, the choice for me is between UT Austin and New Mexico unless UC Merced is super awesome next weekend.

I've gotten offers from Georgia Tech and New Mexico. I'm visiting New Mexico this weekend and Merced next weekend. I am really freaking out about having to make this decision soon. @potentiallylovely ASU and UNC are both great! Fingers crossed for UW and UMN for you

Hi all, bit late in the process, but I still want to share my profile and results so far. Undergrad Institution: Public, top 10 research universityMajor(s): Ecology, Evolution & Biodiversity; Earth and Environmental SciencesMinor(s): noneGPA in Major: 3.8Overall GPA: 3.7Position in Class: top 25%Type of Student: domestic femaleGRE Scores:Q: 159 (73%)V: 170 (99%)W: 5.5 (98%)Research Experience: 4 years in paleontology lab as an undergraduate NSF REU at Rutgers in marine biology Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list every semester but one, awards from both departments I majored in, High Honors and distinction Pertinent Activities or Jobs: multiple science outreach jobs and volounteering tutoring officer/founder of college EEB club Currently serving with Americorps in environmental educationAny Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Teaching experience applied for NSF GRFP presented at 4 national conferences Special Bonus Points: the PI I worked for is well known and wrote a good rec letter. 2 other strong rec letters as well. Areas of interest: Biogeography, paleoecology, mammals, climate change impacts on ecology Applying for PhD programs in (updating with results when I remember): UT Austin (interviewed and accepted) UC Merced (accepted, paid-for visit soon) University of New Mexico (interview in a couple weeks) Georgia Tech (interview next weekend) Oregon State (no response yet, heard that they were behind in the process) University of Maine (phone interviewed)