Unconsolidated_Regolith

After reading through all 23 pages, I think I've managed to compile the most salient (at least for me) and still relevant pieces of advice as far as grad school supplies 
Laptop - While most people have a laptop, it was recommended by several people that folks in a new laptop (unless yours is less than two years old) and make sure you get an extended warranty (one that will hopefully last the entirety of your program).  Note: look into funding opportunities for laptops within your department. Some will finance a new laptop for incoming grad students!  Desk - L-shaped came highly recommended, given the extra space. While i love my little desk, I may invest in a larger one by year 2.  Chair (Desk) - Investing in a good chair was stressed many times. You will likely be spending many hours hunched over a desk. get one that will be comfortable for your back, but won't put you to sleep.  Chair (Reading) - a separate reading chair was recommended for those hours upon hours where you'll be reading. a comfortable chair or couch was recommended. Printer - there was some debate regarding the pros/cons of a printer. In an increasingly digital age, I don't think a printer is completely necessary. ESPECIALLY because so many universities have printers available and printing costs included within stipends. But this will depend on the person Scanner OR File Cabinet - One person had recommended getting a file cabinet and regularly organizing it so as not to fall behind (if you are someone who likes having physical copies of everything, then go for this option). HOWEVER, someone then chimed in to say screw a file cabinet. just get a scanner. and i thought that was an excellent idea! just scan everything you need and chuck the physical copies (unless its like your birth certificate or something)  Coffee - Coffee maker, coffee carafe (to keep it warm for those days of marathon working), french press. you get the idea. ALTERNATIVE: electric kettle for tea drinkers  Large Water Bottle - lets be sustainable folks!  Snacks - for those long days  Wall Calendar  Dry Erase Board  Noise Cancelling Headphones  External Hard Drive Dongles - actually didn't see folks write about this, so I'm adding it! Dongles/adapters are constantly changing based on your device. Get the one that is specific to your computer to HDMI and VGA, and you should be set for most campus systems!  Paper shredder - unless your campus has a shredding removal service like my current one has. I'd say take advantage of that Travel - Luggage, toiletry bag, international travel adapter/converter, etc. You will presumably be traveling a bunch! Get the right travel accessories if you can Desk accessories - post its, highlighters, pens Notebooks - it seems like everyone has been unanimously pro-moleskine notebooks on here. mmmm I'm not! What *EYE* recommend is going to your local art supply store, and buying sketchbooks from there. They are usually so much cheaper. And most art stores have artist and student memberships available, so you can get major discounts. I just showed a sale and got all my notebooks and pens for less than $30. Just my opinion  Software - Just some of the software that came highly recommended and that I felt like was still relevant today: Evernote. Zotero. Scrivener. CamScanner. Nuance. iStudiez  Most of this is hella obvious. But some of these I hadn't even considered! And its nice to think about these things early so you have enough time to save up or search the internet for deals. I curated an Amazon wishlist based on the information i listed above. Let me know if you'd like me to post it here and make public! 
And remember: 90% (if not all) of this is OPTIONAL. Let's not make academia seem more inaccessible than it already is. You will excel regardless of whether or not you have these things.  There's always borrowing. lending programs through your university. free services through your libraries. There are options! 
Hope this is helpful to those reading this post 8 years later! It was certainly helpful for me. Aside from curating a great list of things i want, it also helped distract me from decisions this week ://////

Got the email yesterday that I've been accepted to Rutgers!!  They said to expect a notification from the graduate school in the next few days. 
It sounded like it just took them a while to get input from everyone on the admissions committee, so if you've applied there as well and haven't heard yet don't be too worried.
Best of luck to everyone else in this thread, given how close we're getting to April hopefully you'll hear in the next couple of weeks.

For those who don't know, the Iowa Writer's Workshop is the premier creative writing program in the US. As such, applying there turns people into rabid animals.

Finally received my first offer back from any of my schools. I was admitted into the MS Geology program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with full funding. 
Applied:  Northern Arizona University, Western Washington,  Arizona State University
Rejected: 0/3  Waitlisted: 0/3  Accepted: 1/3  Attending: Northern Arizona University

I also got accepted at Central. I was the one who posted about being on a waitlist to be a TA but I finally got offered a position. I’m also available to chat if anyone wants to. 

It's actually really comforting to hear that Rutgers (Atmospheric Science) isn't the only school that hasn't sent out any decisions yet.  I've been told informally that I'll be accepted and they're trying to secure funding, but I don't think I'll really relax until I get the letter in the mail!

It seems like some schools are just running pretty late this year.  FWIW with Rutgers I've also called the university's graduate admissions office a couple of times in the last few weeks to see if my program has sent out any decisions at all yet, and they've confirmed that no one has heard.  It's been a good way to keep an eye on the status of things without bothering my POI/department.

@Camillalxy Sorry, I was editing my post as you submitted yours. Got a response a lot faster than I thought I would!
My first rejection, but already having an acceptance at this point has dulled the pain somewhat.

I'm most likely (still waiting on some other acceptances and funding) going to be attending the University of Idaho for grad school. I'm getting pretty excited.
A couple of questions:
Housing first - I will be 27 in the fall and I have (quite well-behaved, and active) dog. As such I'd rather not live in an large apartment complex with loads of undergrads. It sounds like places that allow dogs are somewhat difficult to find. Are houses/apartments particularly affordable if dog friendly in the area? Are there places in Pullman or Moscow that are more affordable but not just loads of undergrads?
Food - I've been vegetarian for the majority of my adult life. How are the vegetarian options as far as restaurants? Do the grocery stores in the area cater well?
Thanks

@magnetite I was (one of a few) rejected from Yale after their open house a couple years ago lol
I wouldn't be too nervous about other open houses, because I honestly think I was rejected for 100% the right reasons (the advisor I wanted to work with totally didn't click with me, AND I really didn't know enough to start a PhD program, luckily, I do now and am going to my dream school with my dream advisor!).
The open house was really eye opening and I met some great, interesting, and intelligent people. I hope you have the same experience (but maybe with an acceptance!)  

Hi Everyone,
The server upgrade has been completed. Once live on the new server this morning, we had an issue that took some time to resolve. We apologize for the inconvenience but expect much better performance on the Forum and Results Search going forward.

Sounds like you dodged a major bullet.  This is 4+ years of your life, anybody trying to pressure you into jumping into something at the drop of a hat is sketchy to me. 
To me this is comparable to a hustler saying he's got the 'opportunity of a lifetime' for you, but if you show a bit of hesitation he then tries to raise the price or make the 'opportunity' seem like it's more out of reach than it was 5 seconds before. 

Historically this is the now the time where the bulk of schools start releasing acceptance and/or quasi-acceptance info (e.g. visits).  
 
Just wanted to wish everybody good luck in these next weeks! 
 
Additionally, though it's cliche take care of yourselves mentally, this is a stressful time and can make people far more anxious than it should. 

Every time my mom and her boyfriend come home from work, her boyfriend asks me if I have checked my email today yet. Every time. He hasn't missed a day since mid-January. And every time I start doing this and want to hide in bed.

*sips from delicious glass of white tears*
"BS in Biochemistry at Temple U. 6 month undergraduate research in biophysics (wet lab), 6 months undergraduate research in Computational biophysics, and 2 years as a research technician in pathobiology at UPenn. 3 co-authors and currently submitting a first author paper. 4 LORs. Rejected via email. I'm a middleclass white male. I'm not saying I'm the best candidate, but if you arent a female or URM, you will most likely be rejected. On their program overview page it says over the past few years 61% were female and 31% URM. Good luck to all of you hard working white men out there!"