Strangefox

Hi! Thanks for the advice. I have already found the closest DMV and the list of things I need to get a state ID. I will need a SSN or a SSN rejection so when I arrive I will start by getting one or another. I did not know that I can travel by plane without my passport, only with a state ID. That is cool! I will keep that in mind

I guess there might be some truth in it: networking and stuff... On the other hand, academia is a small world and sub-fields are sometimes tiny so obviously professors cite works of their (ex)colleagues. But I believe that the bulk of references in any article is always books/articles whose authors the prof who has written this article has never worked with. Because how could he have possibly worked with all these people?? May be later I will see that I am wrong but now the existense of these "circles" just does not seem logical to me...

Hm, I have never noticed or heard about such circles. May be it happens in some fields and in some countries, but I am not sure that it is true about Communication in the US. As for the lists of schools, you will have to go through them no matter how different some of these programs are from what you need. Because there is no other way. You just need to look through all possible programs to find the best fit. May be there is some other way, but I don't know it, sorry...

What do you mean by circles? Sub-fields? Also, I did not mean to imply that there is ranking for your particular field (though there might be...). I meant that you should look for the most general rankings and then read about all programs in the list. At least, that's how I did.

I am afraid there is no easy answer to this questions. First, there are different rankings that will give you "good" programs. I used inverted commas because these rankings differ and many people don't recommend to rely to much on them. It does not matter how great a program is if you have a terrible advisor and spiteful peers. But rankings are good to start with because they give you a list of programs to look through. You just need to go to their websites and read carefully about what these prpgrams have to offer. Look for fit with your acamemic interests. Read about professors, see if there is somebody you would like to work with. Contact these professors, tell them about your academic interests, find out if they would be interested and could take you as a student. That's a way to start. Good luck!

It totally depends. On a field and on a situation. It is great when an adviser wants you to be accepted but that does not mean that you will be. Still I believe that it's better to apply mostly (only?) to places where there is an advisor willing to take you. It does not guarantee acceptance but it definetely upps your chances.

I think it's up to you. But I put "statement of purpose" on mine and also the name of a school. And my name too! As far as I know, double space 12 point font Times New Roman is a standard and most schools expent around two pages of such text. But read their websites carefully because requirements differ.

I agree with the previous poster. You can definetely work and study for GRE at the same time. Don't forget that it takes GRE scores some time to reach schools so if your deadlines are in December, taking GRE in November would be late (you might make it, but there might be unexpected delays and lots of stress). If you have long commutes, can you use this time to study for GRE? How do you get to work? By car or by bus or by subway? If it's by car that may be more difficult since you need to have your eyes on the road, so no reading obviously. But on a train or on a bus you can learn words just fine! May be there are some CDs you can listen to that prepare you for GRE (never heard of them, but may be...) then you could use them in a car. But it's just an idea, actually there is no need to study while commuting. There is still enough time to prepare for GRE - if you start right now and spend at least a couple of hours a day studying. I can't say anything about courses... I guess it all depends on how organized you are. I have got good results on GRE without any courses and a lot of people don't take them and get great scores. So it's all up to you. Just remember that courses cost money while if you study on your own you can find all materials online for free. And you can choose your own time to study, which is a big plus. Good luck!

It seems I am the only person here who does not hate quotes in the end of a message but may be I just have not seen enough of them yet

Oh, that's good. Then I won't carry my passport around while I am making a state ID. I will just always have my student ID with me. I don't think I will go to bars that often

You GRE and GPA are great, congrats! So you are already on the road to success To keep yourself there you must choose the schools wisely. The tricky thing here is that no one but you can decide if a school is a good choice because it depends on your research interests. Tell me, how did you choose these five schools? Did you choose them because they offer the closest fit with your academic interests and because you contacted profs there and found out that there are profs who could become your advisors? If there is no fit or no profs to work with you - then you should look into different schools. Also, you should write a great statement of purpose (SOP) and choose a good writing sample (WS). And find profs to write letters of reference for you.

One more thing. So I will need an ID (with a date or birth) to go to places where alcohol is sold? Does it include cafes and restaurants? Or only bars and pubs?

But on a day when I am not planning to go to a bar or buy wine/medication - I don't need to take my passport with me, right? At some point I will go to a bar of couse, even though I don't drink, so having a state ID that is always with me would be more convenient than thinking every time before leaving home if I have a chance of going to a bar that day or not Oh, and what about my school ID??? Can I use it for bars??

So I just staple I-94 to some empty page in the middle?

And while I am trying to get a state ID - will I have to carry my passport around? I hope I won't... I definetely won't need it for buying booze because I don't like alcohol Any other reason I might need to always have the passport with me?

About I-94. Can I actually staple something to my passport??? And how will I be able to unstaple it later without leaving ugly holes in it? About ID: Yep, I was planning to get a local ID. That is why I posted that question about SSN earlier, because as far as I understand I will need it or a SSN rejection to get a state ID.

My school does have such a tax person, at least I have seen their phone number on my school's website. And it's not just any tax person - it's a Nonresident Alien Tax Specialist! And they do have the online system that is for international students as well. I checked! But what do you mean when you say that I have a whole year? You mean, till April, when they are supposed to give me my money back? But I guess I will need to figure out all stuff with taxes before that because federal tax is paid quarterly (or monthly??), right?

Actually, my school has some sort of online system for paying taxes and apparently it does all the hard work for you (or at least that's how I see it with my optimistic mind's eye). Otherwise, I will find a tax specialist! Schools usually have those hidden somewhere, right?? I won't let them take too much of my money!

Thanks!

I've been reading about the US Port of Entry and things we will/might be asked to present there: * Your passport, valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay; and * SEVIS Form I-20. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you also hand carry the following documentation: * Evidence of financial resources; * Evidence of student status, such as recent tuition receipts and transcripts; * Paper receipt for the SEVIS fee, Form I-797, and * Name and contact information for your "Designated School Official", including a 24-hour emergency contact number at the school. So what about this "Designated School Official"? Should it be my advisor or the graduate coordinator or somebody else? Ideas? Any advise about what to expect at the Port of Entry?

You mean prepaid plans? That is what I was going to choose, actually. I would definetely prefer that over some sort of contract.

You are so right!!!

Let's hope that it won't take them too long!

No problem Thanks a lot for your help!

I will be in a big city, so I will have no problem finding stores. Thanks for the great idea! I will try as many stores as necessary and find the right one!