fuzzylogician

Unless IR is somehow very different from the norm: No. This is the equivalent of a question we get more often - "should I get a letter from a famous professor who doesn't really know me or from a less famous professor who knows me well?" The answer is always to get the letter that endorses you the best. That will come from the person who knows you better - the one who can confidently speak to your abilities and give concrete examples - not the person who could only write vague generalities. Compare the contents of a letter you would expect to get from the famous professor with the contents of the second letter. I assume the second letter is the hands-down winner. Do you really think a name on the top of the letter can make up for the difference? It would have to be some extraordinary name. As an aside, it's sometimes possible to have a 4th supporting letter. If that's allowed, you could have the best of both worlds. As an even further afield aside, I think if I sat on an admissions committee and read a LOR that was really unimpressive but was from a famous person I would think the applicant was trying to cover up some deficiencies--otherwise, why not submit a strong letter instead of name-dropping? But, that's really just my opinion. In the case of famous professors I can see how it's a dilemma, because adcoms are likelier to trust the opinion of someone they know and value more than the opinion of someone they've never heard of. I'm not sure, though, that this logic extends to the opinion of a politician, famous or not. Does this politician have knowledge of your abilities that's relevant to your application? Can he give an informed opinion about how you'll do in an IR program or what your chances of succeeding afterward are like?

I would say the following: It sounds like you've made up your mind, and from the way you put it - it sounds like you're making the right decision for yourself. Given that, I think what you need to do is to let U of MHC know as soon as possible, so they have time to make arrangements to find a replacement for your spot. You will, most probably, burn your bridges at U of MHC. That's unavoidable, but will be helped by a quick and courteous email explaining the situation. A possible confounding factor to your story is that if you've made a commitment to U of MHC, you might need them to release you from your obligation before you can start a PhD at U of AFC. Since you don't specify countries I can't tell, but that's something to look into and take into consideration when formulating the email. If you don't need a release, a short email explaining that circumstances have changed - you're living in AFC and want to stay there, and you don't want to do a PhD at U of MHC anymore; you regret the inconvenience you may have caused - seems like enough. I wouldn't recommend lying about wanting a PhD in [field] in general because if you go to conferences and publish someone from U of MHC could see your name and remember you. A lie you could consider (though I think it's unnecessary) is saying that you met someone at AFC and that's why you want to stay there. That could be an unoffensive way to explain why you want to do your PhD at another university. In case you need a release, you might need to give more details about wanting to study at another university/country; in that case, you might want to reconsider saying anything about a relationship in AFC (even if it's true) - that might not come across too well. I personally think that the truth is always the best policy, and would choose how much of it is relevant based on the situation. I don't think I'd lie either way. It's too much to keep in mind and worry about. In any case, I can hardly see anyone forcing you to attend a program you don't want to attend. I know that there are complications and universities hate it when people back out of their offers, but it just wouldn't make sense for a program to waste resources on someone who flat out says they don't want to be there. Though you may have signed some agreement to attend, I've never heard of a university trying to legally enforce it.. I doubt that's even possible. Anyway, that's my $.02.

^ This. Straight and to the point seems the better strategy here. Honestly, I doubt professors expect every student they ever had to keep in touch with them, or that they could possibly have the time to keep up even if there was some expectation. Two years aren't a long time, so the professor should still remember you. Just go ahead and ask. And as dacey suggests, maybe there are also other ways in which this professor can help your application (connections, reading your SOP or writing sample, advice on schools to attend/avoid).

I understand the worry about how a letter from a non-native speaker might look, but unless you have concrete reasons for worrying that the letter could reflect badly on you (and I doubt that, from what you've written it seems that this person is more than qualified to write you a letter) - it's not something you should be worrying about. The contents are going to be what matters, even if there is some grammatical error. However, if this writer has lived and worked in the US for over 20 years, she should be well aware of how formal letters are written so there shouldn't be any glaring grammatical error to begin with. Really, I wouldn't worry about this. Students get letters from non-native speakers and still get accepted all the time. None of my letters were from native speakers, if that helps. What's more, my letters were from European professors who have a different writing style (less compliments, everything is much more subtle), which I would think is a bigger worry. Again, I had no problem whatsoever. Aside from this issue, I'd suggest that you look into the possibility of having a 4th letter. Look at what departments say - do they ask for "exactly 3 letters" or "at least 3 letters"? Do they say anything about not accepting unsolicited materials? If you're not sure, ask. A fourth letter could only do you good, since it sounds like both of your options above are viable ones.

Enjoy your last days of freedom and try not to worry too much! [yes, I know that's hard!] Seriously, though, graduate programs expect their incoming classes to have different levels of preparation and they are very good at dealing with that. Obviously, the program that accepted you thinks your previous training is good enough for you to excel in the program, or it wouldn't have accepted you. You will be doing so much reading/writing/problem solving once the semester begins that this effort to read one more text, solve one more problem, over the summer will end up not making any real difference. Also, I've personally found that comparing myself to others can only depress me: there is always going to be someone who does things better than me, faster than me. I much rather ignore that and concentrate on myself - how I am progressing, how much success I believe I am having. In the end, that's really all that matters. What you're not going to have once the year starts is free time. You have some now. Use it wisely.

It depends a lot on whether or not it's three sections of the same class or if it's three different classes. It also makes a huge difference whether or not there are existing materials for those classes. I've found that teaching more than one section of the same class doesn't require much more preparation than just teaching it once, but obviously teaching differnt sections will take significantly longer. Same goes for prep time. OP: if at all possible, ask to teach sections of the same class and if you can choose timing - for me one right after the other saved the need to re-prepare. There are still more papers to grade, but you can give the same office hours, you only sit in on the class once and there's generally less hassle involved. But yes - I agree that if it's more than just leading discussions (e.g. actually preparing materials or doing more of the teaching) then it will make it very hard for you to do your research.

I have classmates comment on my papers both for style and for content, and I do the same for them. There is nothing wrong with that - getting comments from peers and reviewers is part of the academic writing process, regardless of whether or not you're writing in your native language or in a second language. No one should work in a vacuum. Bouncing ideas off other people and getting feedback is what all good researchers do. Passing someone else's work as one's own, however, is clearly cheating, and is unacceptable. I wonder how anyone can obtain a graduate degree and publish without having an original thought of their own. If the person who asked for your help is a friend, offering to proofread her work is a nice gesture and is entirely acceptable. I wouldn't ask for compensation.

I think that you are seriously over-thinking this. The F1 interview is very short, usually the only thing that you will be asked about is how you are planning to fund your stay. You should be able to either show that you will be funded by the university, or that you have sufficient funds of your own to afford your studies without working. You should also be able to explain what school you will be attending and what you'll be studying. As for your questions: I will be very surprised if any of them came up in the interview. Generally the best policy is to tell the truth. If you're not staying if your uncle, don't say you are. I'm not sure why you think that will help your case anyway. If anything, i would think that having ties to family in America will make you likelier to stay there after you graduate than if you had no ties to America. But in any event I don't think that it's anything to worry about. A startup company that you are leaving behind is probably not going to count as a strong tie to your country. Friends and family might. But keep in mind that your interviewers are aware of the fact that you are going away for a prolonged period of time to study, so you're bound to have less ties to your home. That's pretty much expected, and you're not required to show the same kind of ties that someone applying for a tourist visa is. Maybe some of the advice you've been reading online pertains to that situation and not to the one you're in? I don't see why wanting to take advantage of your CPT option should make anyone suspicious. What's more, I imagine that if you say you don't want to stay an extra year for OPT that can only make you seem like less of an immigration risk. However, it's very unlikely that it will come up in conversation, and you shouldn't bring it up yourself. You sound very stressed, but there's nothing to worry about. Stay calm, answer what you've been asked and don't volunteer any information. Don't say you want to stay in America after you graduate, either to work or stay with family. If anyone asks for your plans, say that you will go home and get a job. Really, more than anything, your nerves could trip you, so don't overthink or worry too much. Good luck!

Everything socialpsych said. Also: Degree requirements questions: - How many classes are students required to take? How much choice, how many required classes? - Are required classes offered on a regular basis or do students sometimes find themselves taking a required class in their 5th year b/c it wasn't given earlier? - Are there language requirements? How long does it usually take students to meet them? - How long does it take students to pass qualifying papers / exams? Do students feel that the load is reasonable and that they have enough time to prepare? - How long does it take students to become ABD? How long do students usually take to write their dissertation? Cohort / student body questions: - Do you collaborate with your cohort on assignments? - Have you published with anyone from your cohort / other students? - Do you go out with other students after class? are there regular activities organized by the students for the students? - How do you choose offices? can you change offices after some time? Do you get enough sleep? Do you have free time to engage in hobbies? What would you change in the program? What is the program's best feature? Are you happy?

Generally, just because in the US a 4-year degree is basically synonymous with a normal Bachelor's degree doesn't mean it's like that everywhere else. No one ever mentioned my 3-year BA as a problem of any sort. It's the usual length for a BA where I'm from and everybody understands that (in fact, we get three years of specialized classes in our major and US students only get two, so I really find it amusing when someone says the degrees aren't comparable). But yes, it's worth checking just in case there is a formal requirement so you don't waste money applying to a program whose reqs you don't meet.

Ack.. back on the list! Given that my placing stands in direct relation to the amount of free time I have (summer --> no classes --> more free time) and in an inverse relation to other posters' craziness (past the waiting/decisions part of the year, before the new cycle really begins), I guess I'm not doing too bad

Well, the best advice is (as you've said yourself) to treat this as an interview, whatever it may turn out to be. At this point in the process, I'd assume that it really is more of an informational meeting than anything else, considering that they don't really know anything about you. Nonetheless, they will might still ask you about your interests and why you think school X is a good match, so have an answer to that question. If the meeting is with an admissions counselor and not with a prospective advisor then you probably won't be asked too many technical questions either. The counselor will likely allow you to ask questions of your own, so you might want to prepare yourself for that. You can browse this forum for good suggestions of what to ask. You want to make a good impression, both to pass the "I am not a psycho" test and simply to make a good impression. When your name comes up in the adcom discussions, you want someone to remember you and interject on your behalf. I lived overseas so obviously no one thought they should take me out to lunch .. but I do think it's not uncommon for the DGS or for other professors to meet with prospective students if they happen to be in town in order to tell them about the school and answer their questions about the application process.This invitation means that this school is friendly, which is a good indication. Good luck!

It probably depends on school and field. In my field I know that it doesn't matter when you apply, as long as it's before the deadline. Admissions committees don't meet until after the deadline.

Hm. In that case, what I found useful [with a different classical language, but nonetheless] was to use textbooks which contained famous parables and folk tales with either a translation to [my language] or a discussion of difficult bits. As you say, classical texts are hard even for native speakers, so it stands to reason that there exist textbooks which teach them how to read ancient texts in their language. At an advanced level, I think that guided reading is a good preliminary step before actually translating similar texts on your own.

Not knowing anything specific about CS I would simply contribute this: have you look at some of the programs' websites that you are interested in? What do they say about unconventional applicants? Do they accept applicants without any formal background in CS -- if so, I'm sure they give some indication of what special skills would make them accept such an applicant. If none of them mention such an option then try contacting programs and asking. I'm sure that there are anecdotal stories here and there, but the DGS at one of the programs can give you more accurate information both about unorthodox applicants' acceptance chances over time and possibly about committee deliberations and considerations in assessing such applicants. At the same time, what do you expect to get out of a MS in CS? E.g., do you have any (unofficial) background in the field? Do you know what you want to study during the degree? I would think an adcom's rather legitimate worry would be - do you know what you're getting yourself into, and will you be able to keep up with the other students and utilize the tools that you will be taught in your courses? Assuming that you can build a strong case and argue that you will benefit from the degree just as much as any CS major, you have a fighting chance. In your case, being an unorthodox applicant, grades from your other degree won't matter that much, except to show in general that you are a good student who can deal with (and apply) quantities of new information. I'd imagine that showing the ability to independently study areas of CS (e.g. through getting a good score in the subject GRE, writing a large programming project, or successfully taking CS classes as a non-matriculated student at a local university) will be more pertinent.

To echo American in Beijing, I think the most helpful thing you can do when you're trying to deal with a foreign language is immerse yourself in it. The best option would be to take a language course in the country where that language is spoken. Not only the classes and homework but also doing everyday chores like shopping and traveling in that language are an enormous help. If you can't afford to do that, then the next best thing is an immersion camp. You can find many of those over the summer and even spending one month doing everything in that foreign language will advance you far beyond what even the most intensive university language course can hope to achieve. If you're studying a modern language, it's sometimes helpful to learn about its Proto-language; even random facts about the grammar and phonology both of the modern language and its historic predecessor can be useful to a translator and language researcher. Having been a professional translator for several years, I also agree that memorizing everything you read is not a good way to go about learning a language. You need to be able to focus on the important words and structures in a text, not treat everything as equally important. Once you're familiar with more and more common words and structures, it should get increasingly easier to guess the meanings of words you don't know. I also find that, at least the way I learn new languages (and coincidentally, also how I study math), things take time to sink in. There is a period of time between learning something and being able to use it in which my mind is like a blank. I've learned not to force myself but rather to give myself time and sometimes even walk away from my work. Everything eventually surfaces even better than I had thought I knew; it just takes time. Again, a good dictionary will be a big help, and I like American in Beijing's suggestion of underlining the words you had to look up and have someone help you figure out which ones of those are important to know. I think it's important to keep in mind two things - first, that you can understand the meaning of a text and its relative importance to your research without understanding every word in it, and that once you decide a text is important, investing the time in deciphering every word and structure will get easier the more you do it. Practice makes perfect.

If read, that email may be very impressive (though I don't imagine most people have quite that kind of background to write about). The worry is that some professors won't read introduction emails from prospective students that are that long. I'm sure they receive several of those over the application period and have to divide their time accordingly. I think details should be sent upon request once initial contact has been established and the professor expresses interest.

Thank you for the reply. So I guess EndNote is always a valid option. Unfortunately: Does anyone here have any experience using RefWorks and can recommend it? Do you find it problematic to only have an online resource?

Though I didn't do this myself when I applied, it seems to me that a sensible thing to say would be "Hi, my name is XXX YYY and I'm very interested in your work in ZZZ. I'm applying to TTT the coming fall and was wondering if you will be accepting students for your lab" or some such.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong because I tried uploading ~20 pdfs using Mendeley and in pretty much all of the cases the program extracted incorrect data (or none at all) and I had to input the information manually. I've tried importing files both from my computer and from google scholar. Mendeley also doesn't include the citation style most common in linguistics and I couldn't find how to define it as a new citation style. I really fail to see the upside to using this program. Also, I'm reluctant to use Endnote because I would have to buy the program first and only then will I be able to tell if the citation style I need is available and if it extracts the info from my pdfs automatically.

It was the same before my first year as well -- except for some visa forms and housing information I got in May, I had absolutely no contact with the department or my cohort until I arrived in the States in the last week of August. No facebook, no registering for classes, no choosing an advisor, no ID photo. But then it all worked out fine - the week before classes began we had orientation, were assigned a temporary first-year advisor, met with the advisor to go over registration, took the registration forms to the card office to issue an ID, and met everybody in the cohort. I admit I was worried for a while that silence must mean I was imagining things, but it turned out I wasn't, in the end

I wish they would update their website photos! How am I supposed to extrapolate from a college graduation picture from 30 years ago to a 50yr old man I need to talk to at a conference?

I'm not in literature but I've participated in a few reading groups in the past. At my department we have three regular reading groups for our three main subfields: two are student-run, one is faculty-run. All of them are scheduled such that as many students and faculty as possible can attend (there's a poll in the beginning of the year and everybody puts down their availability). Both are attended by both faculty and students throughout the year--usually there are about 7-10 regulars and others who join when they can or they are interested in the topic. We meet once a week and use the meeting to discuss interesting papers we read or talks we heard, and for students to discuss their current work or give practice talks for conferences. The topic for each reading group is announced in an email to the mailing list and in our weekly departmental-events email so everyone can know what's going on. I don't see why anyone would think that there is anything pretentious about a second-year student organizing a reading group .In my department, 2nd years participate in running pretty much everything from conferences to colloqs to reading groups. Over the summer we now have two summer reading groups, both organized by students and focusing on a specific topic they found interesting. Again, no problem here either. If someone has another topic in mind, they are welcome to take the initiative and organize an activity. It's very easy and low cost to do so. As for tips to make the group effective, here are some thoughts: - useful groups are in my opinion smallish and informal, so it's not overbearing to speak up. Choose a topic that speaks to ~15 people in the department. Don't feel like your one reading group should (or can, for that matter) appeal to everyone. - create a doodle poll and ask interested parties for their availability at the beginning of the year. Suggest time slots that don't conflict with major classes and that end no later than 4:30pm-5pm so that faculty with young children can attend. I know that faculty at my school are sometimes annoyed when we suggest times that they simply can't make. - just because you organize the group doesn't mean you have to lead the discussion every week. Open the floor for others to take the initiative, though keep in mind that you'll likely have to lead the first 1-2 meetings before other people get into stride. Having experience creating and running academic-style activities is very useful. Go for it and don't worry about appearances!

Everyone has some sort of blemish on their record. You're lucky that yours is in the past and you have concrete proof that you have overcome it. Sure, it might raise an eyebrow, and you'll never know if it didn't get you rejected from this place or that, but overall it shouldn't keep you out of grad school.The undergraduate GPA becomes less and less important as applicants gain more life experience. You have an MA and experience working and doing research at a state college. Those will teach the adcom so much more about your abilities than any GPA, let alone that of your undergrad. Usually I believe in not doing any sort of blemish-explaining in the SOP. Your case, however, calls for an exception. Keep it short and sweet - no more than 1-2 lines which should focus on "I had a problem, I (eventually) got it fixed, and I have been doing great ever since." People will surely wonder about your undergrad career so I think it's best to give them an explanation--especially since it's a good one! If any of your professors know about your situation and can address it in their letter, that would also be helpful.Your strong letters should ease the adcom's mind that you are now a serious and dedicated student and that the undergrad ordeal is not likely to repeat itself in grad school. As an adcom member, I imagine that would be the main concern when reviewing an applicant who attended 7 undergrad institutions.

1. Obviously the best case scenario is glowing recommendations from professors in your field of interest. But if you have to choose between glowing recommendations and recommendations from professors in your field, the former is preferable. You didn't say what you want to do with your MA, but assuming that most programs like the ones you're applying to are research-oriented, it will be generally preferable to have recommendations from professors who know you well and can speak to your research abilities, enthusiasm, potential, etc. You want to ask the ones who you wrote good papers for and impressed the most in class, not the ones who happen to be in your field regardless of your performance in their class. 2. Yes, of course you should take relevant classes in your next quarters (with the same instructor, if at all possible) and ask for a letter if you do well. It's not leeching, it's part of the professor's job. Depending on how strong you expect this letter to be (after all, you'll only know the professor for 1-2 quarters) and depending on what your other options are, you might consider using this letter as a fourth, supporting letter for schools that allow that. Also: you say you took classes with grad students -- were any of them supervised by a professor? Could you ask the student to write the letter together with the professor and have them both sign it?