geologygal

This has all been super helpful--we are shopping in an area and price range such that we will have a good amount left over the 20% downpayment (we are trying to shop cheaper at the start/give ourselves a range to offer up as the market we are shopping in is appreciating at the moment). We've encountered 3 sets of pushback (USAA, Chase, and a local credit union) on the form of our income, but we're still hopeful we can find someone willing to work with us. We have the option to co-sign, but similar to @TakeruK that would require my mom to put off retirement...I appreciate the tip from @Crucial BBQ on local connections--we've gotten down about it the last few days, so it's good to know that humans out there still care/that this has been done.

Hi, My partner and I are about to begin geosicence PhD programs. I have the NSF GRFP, as well as 2 more guaranteed years of funding, and he has guaranteed funding for the full PhD as well. He is currently working a full time salary job (has been for 2 years) and I am working hourly while finishing school (going to field camp this summer). We have a substantial amount for a down-payment, and are looking to get approved for a range where we'd still have a good bit of savings left to cushion, but in our preliminary conversations, lenders are not willing to give us a mortgage because 1) we won't be employed this summer when we would close on the house (will be starting in the fall) and 2) they don't understand the graduate student pay system (stipends etc). Does anyone else have experience with this? We are really frustrated. We can rent for ~6 months and consider buying again then, but I wonder if it'd be the same set of problems. We were really hoping to buy this summer....Any advice or anecdotes welcome! Cheers!

I got the GRFP! And I contacted the school that had initially not funded me but that felt like a good fit for both of us. They matched my grant with 2 more years guaranteed to round out a PhD and I had a really good honest conversation with the advisor about my concerns. Less students are coming and the initial lack of money wasn't a huge reflection of how he felt about me (committee things) so I'm going to lead on my project of choice with him there. I was really sad to turn down my most favorite advisors (at the school my fiance didn't have a great opportunity at) but I know it will all be good for both of us . I am relieved because I don't know what we would have done. Before this happened we were leaning towards going to the school that I wanted (because it is very well ranked and has lots of resources and would have equipped us for the careers we want even if it wasn't the most perfect match for him....it being so good also would have maybe helped us do well in PhD apps if we had bailed after our MS degrees if he was that unhappy), but it was also a total crap shoot because I was starting to soften towards his school at the same time because of the lifestyle/location and other things that would have been nice about living there. I don't envy you and I'm sorry I'm not more help. we both lamented the lack of good ways to make this decision. I think if there's a middle ground type option it is best--like if you're both willing to give up your #1 to be happy at your collective #2. I think both people have to be aware of what the other needs in a career, but also willing to concede certain things to make sure you both thrive--I know this will be how our whole careers are if we both stay in academia and I can only predict/hope we'll get better at it.

Undergraduate, geosciences, E/VG, E/VG, E/E--selected! I have an administrative question that I'm currently hunting down: I wrote my research proposal for a project oriented towards a school that I've chosen not to attend. On the awards list my baccalaureate and current institution are my undergrad institution, but in my fastlane portal it has the school I oriented my app towards as my "organization". I'm nervous about accepting until I know for sure I can switch it to the school I'm actually going to attend---anyone have experience with this?

Did you get an idea of if it'd be before April 15? I'm holding off on a school decision (didn't get funding at a school my partner and I wanted to attend) but I've been told by a few professors in my current department that they may not tell us before then....but they also were out of the loop on the whole "it has been before April for the last 9 years" deal....I'm getting so anxious and am wondering if it's better to just go with my other school options at this point...

@Elephas yeah per @Bayesian1701's comment and the goings on in the GRFP thread, I think I'm going to wait a bit longer and see what happens. I am a bit concerned about feeling insecure about not having had initial funding, and about self-comparison with students in my potential research group that did get funding, but the topics are interesting enough I think I could get over it. Additionally the whole department is quite strong and they've got other faculty in my area of interest, as well as a new hire coming in, so if I could get money straightened out, I think it would be a good place to be. Unfortunately I couldn't afford it without accruing debt, and when all my other offers are funded/offers in my field are generally funded, that just doesn't make a ton of sense. As for finding other professors at schools 2 and 3, we've thought of that/talked about it but it seems weird to navigate switching up professors during recruitment...essentially at school 2 there is another professor that I would consider switching to after my MS/having on my committee to better achieve my goals (my primary professors would be structural focused but I want to also grow my geochem skillset which he would help with) so that's a plus, and a possible way to handle things...thanks for the thoughts!

Is anyone else here balancing applying along with a significant other? My fiance and I applied to programs together (same discipline different sub discipline) and now we're in the following boat: school 1: favorite joint/compromise school (we would both be happy doing research here, top 10 school in our field): he got full funding and I got no funding offer (seems like politics with my potential advisor trying to take on a lot of students in a tight funding year, and the fact that I want a MS along the way to PhD causing him to ding me in the funding games), so we're waiting to see if I get the GRFP to reconsider. school 2: higher up than school 1 in the top 10 rankings in our field, lots of resources, both fully funded offers. we both would be super successful and for me it is a great research choice both in project and advisor support. For him, his research advisor seems like a bit of a workaholic in a bad way, and the project isn't as well related to his interests as our other programs. Cons also include that this school is in a southern city that we have both lived in for an extended amount of time, and staying here is a) expensive and b ) might hamper some of our extracurricular goals (e.g. outdoor activities) school 3: ranked ~30 in our field, both fully funded offers. a better project for him than school 2, but my research isn't as on point with my favorite/top career goals...not to say I don't like it, just that it isn't as inspiring as school 1 or 2, and I feel my advisors wouldn't be as ideally matched as with school 2...pros include cheap cost of living and proximity to mountains (western state) Questions: 1) waiting for the GRFP is killing me, should I keep doing that? how late is too late to wait? If I were funded, should I consider attending a program that didn't initially financially support me? 2) have any of you had to balance this decision with a partner? any experiences "breaking the tie" between schools where you have different levels of interest in projects? (i.e. I like school 2 better than 3 but he feels the opposite). Any insight is much appreciated!!