fuzzylogician

My all time favorite typo on the GradCafe is "makeshit" for "makeshift" -- can you beat that? Really, typos are nothing to worry about. But as others have suggested, you can contact the department, say you noticed some typos and ask if you could submit a new version of your SOP.

Is this average for history programs, overall admissions or something else? At least for MIT I can tell you that my program doesn't require the GRE at all, and I didn't know we had a history program..

You'll get more helpful information from looking at the "results" section of the GradCafe. You can define a search for your field and even for the specific schools that you applied to and see if and when invitations for interviews were sent out in previous years. FWIW I was invited to one (pre-admission) in-person interview and I had three phone-interviews. I was initially contacted in January; phone interviews were usually set up for a few days after the initial email. The in-person interview was part of an open-house for finalists and took place in the last two days of February. I didn't go so I don't know what it included, but if it was anything like the phone interviews and the post-admission in-person meetings with faculty that I had - the interview will include questions about your background and your research interests and will give you the opportunity to ask the interviewers questions about the program. Search the "interviews" subforum, there is a lot of information there about what to expect. ETA: for the in-person interview, the school offered to cover part of the flight (about half, for a trans-Atlantic flight), plus a grad student host and food+drinks. I imagine that there was some "misc entertainment," these events always include a party and/or an outing with the grad students.

The two most annoying applications that I still remember two years after my application cycle: - UMass, for having such a retarded application that it was impossible to save anything in it. I had to fill it out in one long session (one time my internet connection died and I had to start over. argh). Then hard copies of everything, including LORs, had to be mailed in to them. - Rutgers, for not sending LOR prompts until after I submitted my part of the application. And, though, this is not an app software issue, my hands-down annoying-school winner is UC Santa Cruz, for moving up their deadline from Jan 15 to Dec 15 without notifying people who had already started their applications based on the links+info that they had on their website in October; apparently it contained some outdated information which they corrected some time in November. Good grief! For once it's a thing that I'm obsessive enough to double-check every so often.

Glad to help It's completely understandable that you worry about all these things.. so many things are out of our control that we want to do our best controlling what we can. I don't know how relevant my linguistics education is to a foreign languages concentration, but I was a translator in a past life and so I know just how hard it is to convey nuances of meanings from one language to another, even a closely related one. Often you can't use the same syntactic structures, the same words don't quite work, ambiguities are created or disappear because of word-choice or structure decisions. It's easier when you're translating your own text because you have the freedom to stray from the original text and favor content over structure, but still. Original thoughts in a language are necessarily different from translated ones.

I think submitting an original text is much better than submitting a translation into another language, especially if a professor has already told you that it's noticeable that it's a translation and not original thoughts in that language. I'd go with the professor's suggestion of submitting your original text in English in addition to some other text which was composed in the other language. I assume that you record reflects your translation minor and that your recommenders will be able to address your fluency and skills in the other language as well. I don't think you have to demonstrate your language skills through the writing sample specifically -- it's more important to submit the best instance of your work. An additional sample (plus LORs, language classes I assume you have taken, an the translation minor) will take care of the fluency issue.

I guess I could add my own list, then. I'm a Win7 user though I do some of my research on a mac. Most of what I use is on waddle's list but I'll repeat it anyway. 7-ZipCCleanerCutePDFWriterDefragglerDropboxFirefoxGoogle CalendarLaTeX: I use MikTex + TeXWorksLyX (for when I don't have time to do all my own LaTeX formatting..)Matlab (free through my university): for coding experimentsMicrosoft Office (free through my university)NotePad++R PDF-XChange ViewerPHP-SyntaxTree: this is a bit linguistics-specific but it's an easy and fast way to create syntactic treesI also tried both Zotero and Mendeley and wasn't impressed with either. Especially Mendeley, which crashed not long after I installed it and I lost all the information I had on it.

Most of my time in my first year filled with weekly homework assignments and readings for my classes. My program is very course-heavy so it's designed to be that way. We have an "independent study" class (=weekly meetings with 1 or more professors) in our second semester--which is designed to actively make us take the time to start developing our own research projects, because otherwise it's very easy to get bogged down with homework. So I first started thinking about a research project in my second semester; it took about half the semester just to zero in on a good research question and I was confused about the data and analysis I should have well into my 3rd semester. I started doing some other projects of my own in the summer between my first and second year which I am continuing and expanding now. Even though I have more classes this year than last, I spend most of my time on my projects and less of it on my coursework. I have to say, it took me more-or-less all of the first year to get into the groove, but by now I have some very encouraging results that are turning into abstracts for 6 upcoming conferences -- so I don't think you have anything to worry about just yet. What is weird to me is that you have so much free time. I never had free time since starting my program, I always had assignments and/or my own work to do. If you have the time, is there a way for you to join an existing project? Maybe even just as an observer, to learn how to gather data or discuss it, design and run experiments, write up results for lab presentations or for submissions, or whatever else is useful in your field. You can learn a lot from just watching others.

honestly I think the hardest thing for me was the having to wait after having made the decision where to attend and before actually moving and starting the program (April -- September). It was extremely anticlimactic. All the decisions had been made, the deliberations done. Then there was absolutely nothing left for me to do and no way to make concrete plans for anything before I could get to the States. There was no point in studying before the semester started, I couldn't find an apartment from afar, couldn't buy furniture, couldn't get to know my professors and cohort. I just sat there and aimlessly waited. But if I have to rank the options given here, then in order from the hardest to the least hard: 1. Waiting for the results. I became (even more) neurotic and checked my email on a minute-by-minute basis. Every answer completely revised my very elaborate "what-if" scenario, but worst of all was that my dream school (the one I'm attending) notified me of its decision last--only one day before my flight over to the States to visit other schools. That changed some of my plans because I had to somehow add it to my already-busy schedule. But, it was totally worth it. 2. Preparing the applications. Just because of the sheer amount of research and work that went into it. I spent about 6 months actively working on my application, starting with the GRE and TOEFL and initial SOP draft in June, and then revising my SOP and WS over and over again in the months of Sept-Dec. Chasing LOR writers was very stressful, particularly since my MA advisor suddenly flaked out two weeks before the deadline and said she would probably not have time to write the letters. I had to find another writer at the very last minute .. he was overseas so I had to express-mail him forms to fill out, etc. I actually ended up with 4 letters, because my advisor did come through at the very last minute. But the stress she caused me, my god. 3. Deciding where to go. I had a dream school and a very close 2nd place. My professors all thought I should go to the 2nd-place school, but I ended up going with my gut. I believe that was the right decision for me. 4. moving. I had moved 6 times in the last 14 months before I moved to the States so I was pretty versed on the one hand, and didn't have that much stuff on the other hand. I was also lucky finding an apartment and had help buying and assembling furniture once I got to my new city. 5. Sending in the applications. That part went without a hitch, thank god. I payed for tracking services but in any case none of my materials got lost by the post office or by any school.

Is there a professor in your department who you could consult with? Someone who reads these applications and is familiar with the selection process of RAs within your department would be able to help you craft a strong CV and cover letter. They would know how decisions are made and what they are based on, and if you understood that logic you could target those things directly and increase your chances of getting the job. In general I support rising_star's advice, you should explain how your skills would be applicable to the job and highlight potential overlap or similarities between the projects and your own work and interests. Just because you have narrow interests within a certain field doesn't mean that you can't (and shouldn't) diversify your research; you could use that approach in some of the cover letters and talk about expanding your research or learning about issues that could be related to your own work in various ways.

Mission accomplished!

Oh no! Locally I'd suggest that you submit your applications without the scores, if possible, or enter some filler in case you have to enter something. Attach a note or send an email explaining the situation. There is nothing you can do now -- including asking for a waiver -- it's the last minute. All you can do is do the best with what you have. In many cases schools will accept test scores after the deadline; they are not critical to the evaluation of applications, they're just a formality that the school has to have before they can admit you. Once that is done, schedule the test again as soon as possible so you don't miss any other deadlines (they're making you take the whole thing again ?!). This all sucks, though. I'm sorry this happened to you!

On the assumption that even if a school allows you to submit a 70 page sample they are extremely unlikely to read it all, I would say the following: if there is a ~15-20 page chunk of the thesis that you could point to as the body of the work, which presents at least one main argument and supports it more-or-less independently of the rest of the paper (that is, a stand-alone part), submit the thesis and point out which part the adcom should concentrate on. Otherwise, submit another paper which is of a more reasonable length.

Learn to prioritize. There are going to be many demands on your time and you'll have to figure out how to divide it in a sensible way. Decide which of the tasks you have to do are important (your research, your LIFE), which you can just do a mediocre job on and get away with it (classwork, etc), and which ones you just have to say NO to. BTW, saying 'no' is another important skill to learn..

That's kind of cynical and certainly not true of all advisors. How about: they want you to acknowledge that you're only at the start of your academic training, you don't know everything and you should keep your mind open to the (very probable) possibility that you will change or refine your current interests during the course of your studies? I can see why advisors will not want to work with someone who thinks they already know everything. What's more, I think anybody who does not gain any new insight that causes them to rethink some of their current ideas about their research should ask for their money back. They are definitely not getting what they came for out of graduate school.

No problem, it's easier to search when you know what you're looking for Maybe it's different in your field but I'd be very worried about going to a school where I had just one potential advisor. Visit the Officially Grads forum and you'll find all kinds of horror stories about bad fit and flaky advisors, even recently one that up and left for another school, damaging her advisee's thesis proposal before she left and then not taking her along with to the new school even though there's now no one who can advise that person in her department. If a professor like that were your only possible advisor at your school, you'd be royally screwed. I understand that in some sub-fields it can be hard to find departments with multiple potential advisors but you should at least take this into consideration. Is it possible that beside the main person who works on the exact same issues as you, there are other professors who work on related issues or could advise you in terms of methodology or could otherwise support you?

Wow. It blows my mind that scores from a general entrance exam could possibly outweigh proven field-internal results such as an NSF fellowship. Authorship on papers is also a major indication of success in a program, but man! I just can't wrap my head around the answer you got. I guess you could always try and retake the exam, but maybe it's also time to expand your search of schools? Also, maybe you are not doing a good job selling yourself in your SOP even though you actually have great credentials? Maybe you could have a trusted mentor read your SOP to make sure that's not the problem.

You should say something more. For one, you should show fit with more than just one professor. Having just one potential advisor is a big risk both on your part and on the program's part. What if you two don't get along / the prof accepts a new job / there is no funding / etc ? Ideally you will have sketched your interests in previous sections, so in the fit paragraph you'll be able to show how different faculty can support your research (in terms of methodology, interests). I wouldn't address specific papers, just areas of interest. You could also mention other resources in the department, as well as any unusual opportunities or classes you are interested in. The advice is also relevant to your question.

The good thing about a phone interview is that you can not only prepare in advance, you can have your answers right in front of you on a sheet of paper / computer document. Having clear expectations about what you are likely to be asked is a good way to alleviate anxiety. In addition, I find it helps me to say in the beginning of the conversation that I am a little bit nervous, most interviewers are very understanding about that. Incidentally, most academics I know are just as socially inept as I am so interviews and meetings are sometimes all-around awkward. The good thing is, everyone is socially awkward so it's no one's fault.. I thought I'd revive some threads from last year -- here is a to three threads I think are useful. Good luck!

But that's just the point. What's true "in general" is not important here. The OP needs to know what the specific programs that (s)he is applying to say about the specific university that (s)he is from. Maybe getting a waiver is the exception, not the rule, that is granted; but if this case happens to be that exception, that could save the OP several hundred dollars. OP: contact your schools and ask.

I think it depends a lot on what you want to do with your degree. If you want to go into academia then the name factor will be much less important than the work you produce and the people you work with. You'll want to apply to the best-ranked departments within your sub-field--which may happen to be situated in schools which are not overall top-ranked. If you're interested in going into industry, I think the name-factor plays a much bigger role. People are not going to care that much about your work and will know less about the inner working of each department. A famous school name may help open doors that a degree from good-but-not-famous school may struggle with.

I would go with the better paper, even if it's not directly related to your field. The main purpose of the writing sample is to demonstrate your ability to (1) do original research, and (2) report your findings coherently and convincingly. It sounds like the second paper does a better job of achieving both of those goals; as long as your schools don't have an explicit requirement about the field of the writing sample, I think that's the way to go.

Finding good topics is somewhat of a skill that grad school should (though not always does) teach you. I can tell you the things that I did in my first year, and you can decide which are relevant to you. - Grad courses: taking classes that are designed to expose you to new topics and/or deepen your knowledge of topics you are already familiar with is one obvious way to develop a new interest. Your classes should by now not only cover the basic theories but also newer ones, where less is known or agreed on. When something catches your attention, read more on it. Meet with the professor and ask for guidance - they will usually know where to point you. - Independent study: if/when you find a general topic of interest but feel like you don't know it well enough to define a project, I find that an "independent study" environment is very useful. For me, that means meeting with a professor on a regular basis; initially you need to read more and discuss what you've understood. After a while, you'll start to notice specific places where you think you could contribute, where the theory isn't making good (or any) predictions. That's the time to start designing a project with the help of the professor. - join an existing project: start with doing a project someone else defined to pick up the necessary skills and gain some experience. After a while, you should start having your own ideas about how you could expand or improve on that work, or alternatively how you could apply your skills to an area you were exposed to elsewhere. - expand an older project: take something that you are already familiar with and see if you can improve on it now, given the knowledge you've gained since the beginning of the year. - talk to older grad students: your peers in more advanced years will probably have their own projects by now. Ask them how they got started and if they have any advice for you. Just looking at their CV can tell you a lot about how they got started. All these things take time, especially in the first year which is independently time-consuming. I didn't get going on any meaningful project until the summer after my first year. Now that I've found my footing, though, I'm working on 4 projects (and writing 5 squibs besides..). Don't get discouraged, try to learn and consult as many resources as possible, and you'll find a project soon enough.

Ah, I see. Sorry I can't suggest any other schools but as I said, I think a varied background is never a disadvantage. It's all about how you put it in the SOP and if you're a good fit with a program they'd be fools not to admit you just because you have a SLP degree! Good luck with your application