emmm
-
Posts
865 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Everything posted by emmm
-
Honestly, I don't even think it's worth drawing attention to in your SOP or any other communication with an admissions committee. Your score is acceptable, and there seems to be widespread agreement that the AW section is of minimal importance.
-
University of Nottingham and/or University of Warwick Biomath
emmm replied to Hanyuye's topic in Mathematics and Statistics
Yes, I think you should take the GRE again. Have you taken the Subject GRE? That seems like too low a score to apply to math-based programs with. -
I think emails are fine -- they're pretty standard nowadays. I also continue to stay in touch with all my recommenders -- something that would not be the case for one prof if I had not sent her regular updates during the application process and gotten very friendly emails back (up to that point, I'd found her a bit intimidating).
-
Requesting a copy of Letters of Recommendation
emmm replied to Matt Haviland's topic in Letters of Recommendation
Your son should not just email professors and ask them to write letters. If possible, he should meet with them personally to discuss his plan to apply to graduate school. His professors likely have insights (and, potentially, contacts!) that could be helpful. He should ask for advice and discuss his interests and hopes for the future. He should ask if they will be able to write him strong letters. If at any point something seems "off" to him, he should consider looking for a different recommender. As you noted, these letters are extremely important (which is why no one should ever NOT waive rights to see them). One of my writers sent me a copy of the letter. The others didn't, but were so supportive throughout the process that I feel certain they wrote very good letters for me as well. The letters should specifically address your son's readiness for graduate study, and would most likely not be useful for anything in the future. -
Agreed -- there's really no way for us to tell you anything more reliable than the info you'd get from the results survey. Acceptance depends on so many factors. All you can do is try to put together the best package you can. I was very aware of where my application was weak and had plans in place to improve those areas if I did not get accepted anywhere. I don't know what else you can do, really. If you don't try, you have no chance of getting in, but it can be nerve-wracking. Good luck!
-
Have you checked the results survey? That can be helpful to see how you compare (very roughly, since you just see stats, if you're lucky and people posted them). For example, my stats were good, but I got more rejections than anything else. And having seen the stats people had posted in the past, I was not surprised by this at all.
-
It's not quite as simple as being able to pay for it. That may work, though, for a non-competitive school that will admit students with no guarantee of funding, but I don't think it will work for the schools the OP listed.
-
Hmm . . . I don't feel old in grad school until I look in the mirror and see my grey hair. Learning so much new material makes me feel younger than sitting around at home or driving kids around ever did. Sure, I notice that my classmates are mostly in their 20s, with an occasional 30-something thrown into the mix, but I really don't feel all that different. We're all working towards the same immediate goals. I am really fortunate in that none of the faculty I have directly interacted with have made me feel out-of-place. Though I am tempted, because I'm nuts, to take a class with the person who was really discouraging when I interviewed for one program.
-
If you view the other school as "settling," you probably should reapply. And if you really want the "full grad school experience," yes, wait and reapply.
-
Congratulations! I applied to only one school a number of years ago (too large a number). For financial reasons, it was the only viable options at the time. That worked out fine, but if it hadn't, I would have figured out something else to do (as I'm sure you would have also). There's not much point in following what everyone else is doing if it doesn't make sense for you and your situation. Good luck in grad school!
-
CS PhD - Possible Funding vs. Guaranteed Funding
emmm replied to flv's topic in Decisions, Decisions
I recommend going with the funding. It's really nice being paid to go to school. -
As far as I can tell, yes. If you have to submit a writing sample, that is MUCH more important. The GRE essays are not generally considered very useful for much of anything. I was a writing tutor/grader for a year before I took the GRE, so I had to read quite a number of GRE-style essays, but for real writing, you should take the time to properly plan what you want to say and do multiple drafts. Maybe writing a short essay in 1/2 hour says something about your writing ability, but I'm not sure how useful it ultimately is.
-
I'm a first-year grad student with college-aged kids. I feel very comfortable with my cohort and with students farther along in my program. There is one woman I think might be my age in another class, but I might have a year or two even on her. If I go with the PI I am considering, I will be older than my PI. Bottom line -- it doesn't matter. My age is only a "problem" in that my foundational coursework was done quite a long time ago, so I probably have to work harder to keep up. You might be the only parent in your program, but you'll still have a lot in common with your fellow students since you'll have the same classes and your research to talk about. It will be fine.
-
From everything I've heard/read, a 4.5 is fine. Not worth retaking AT ALL.
-
I don't recommend doing another entire bachelor's degree, but taking classes now could be critical. 7 years is a s ignificant chunk of time. I've heard of some schools that won't accept coursework done more than 5 years ago (fortunately not the case for the school that accepted me, as I was out of school for even longer). Still, I don't think I would have gotten in without having taken and done well in courses over the past few years. Besides giving them recent academic records to look at, taking classes demonstrates commitment to your goals and shows that you are willing to do the necessary prep work to get yourself ready. Definitely prepare for the GRE. I took it early -- spring of the year I applied -- in case I needed to take it over. I would have had the whole summer to work on it, if necessary. I felt that as a non-traditional applicant, it was one element of my application that could be used to compare me to all the "traditional" applicants and I did not want to seem lacking.
-
More lab experience is always helpful, although you seem to be OK in that area. If you are currently working as a tech, I'm not sure you need to try to get a job in a potential lab of interest, although expandin your skill set and making potentially useful new contacts could be helpful. Definitely agree that you need to retake the GRE. You will not be competitive with that Quantitative score.
-
I am starting to think this was really odd -- but I got all my rejections really promptly last year. Fortunately, I didn't get ALL rejections, but the ones I got, I didn't have to wait for at all. It was almost depressing HOW quickly they came . . .
-
Definitely send the letter. It's quite possible you will have opportunities to interact in the future -- the world of science can be pretty small at times. If you connected, he might very well be interested in hearing from you and hearing where you ended up.
-
Writing is not easy -- the students who can "just write a paper a night before to get an A" have spent years learning to be able to do that. They likely have written tons of papers in the past and they are often voracious readers. MANY native speakers can not write well and not produce an A paper in one night. It is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced. If the writing center is inadequate -- they often won't do line editing, which is what you probably need -- you need to find a friend to help you. Someone who will take the time to explain why what you wrote is not correct, ideally. As I said before, everyone has challenges. I am currently in a class with much more prepared students (it's their field, it's not mine). I know I have to work harder to just keep up. Boo hoo -- so what? If I had not been willing to put forth the extra effort, I would not have registered for the class.
-
I agree with greenertea -- that shouldn't be too problematic a switch. The trouble is that microbiology is supercompetitive. Many applicants to my school's program have work experience before they apply to grad school. My advisor when I was going through the application process thinks this is a bad development, and that programs essentially want you to be ready to go in a lab upon admission, rather than learning IN grad school (she started grad school with NO lab experience), but it seems to be the way things are now. I'd think your experience from school SHOULD be enough, but I've seen lots of applicants come through with full-time work experience for 1 or more years post-graduation.
-
Please help my friend with advice (he's a reluctant physics major)
emmm replied to JosephClarkGrew's topic in Physics Forum
Any "hard science" will require some basic math prerequisites. Your friend can take these at a local CC for not too much money (relatively speaking). If he can't handle these classes, any one of the hard sciences is probably not going to work out. -
I think the program has to feel right to you. Maybe you are sensing something about the higher ranked programs that is making you feel uncomfortable on some level. The smaller program sounds good from what you've said. The placement info would be really important to me, and you say that's good. Can you visit (revisit) schools once your decisions are all in? That might help you decide.Congrats on your admission!
- 1 reply
-
- 2
-
-
Sounds like a bad idea -- there just are not that many hours in a day. I would be worried about being able to handle everything. It's hard enough to do one of those part-time while doing the other full-time.
-
At least she didn't say you have no chance ... so she must like your application. The real "hotshots" will be in demand everywhere, so there is a chance they won't choose this program. That's what those of us with less-than-perfect packages have to get hope from. It can work out. If it doesn't, try to make yourself a stronger applicant for the next round, whatever that means for your field. I had a pretty clear Plan B to follow had things not worked out.
-
I'll join - 40+, 3 kids - 2 officially college age, one in a dual enrollment program. Only applied locally and got lucky, considering my long stint as a SAHM. My program seems to be supportive of women having kids during grad school (a number of women have done/are thinking of doing this), but I'm really glad my kids are self-sufficient now. I wouldn't want to be juggling both jobs right now. I wouldn't mind a little more family support, but I'm happy, and that's what matters to me most at this stage.