cardamoma

It is impossible to predict how he will take the information that you plan to leave and restart elsewhere. However, you are a professional, and you should approach it like one. The fact is that you don't need his permission and that this is a decision you need to make with your spouse, not with your advisor. It is entirely possible that he will feel put out by the information and refuse to recommend you, but receiving a poor reaction seems like the wrong reason to stay at this program. Even with his favorable recommendation, you cannot hang your hat on getting into an institution in the Bay Area. You will be in a much stronger position all around if you can finish your current program with an MA before applying to the new program, both in terms of the chances you will receive an offer and of your employability in the event things don't pan out. If it were me, I would prioritize this option even if it means living apart from your spouse for a period of time.

IOW you're thinking of 'quitting' your PhD at this school and applying to another program next cycle, starting fresh with a new advisor? I definitely think it is possible, but your challenge will be explaining the reason you left to the next school while also giving them confidence that your ability to fulfill your commitment to the program does not hinge on the whims of your spouse's career. Programs do understand that family always comes first, but they also know that because of this students with families have a lower likelihood of finishing and it can count against you, particularly in circumstances such as these. With this in mind, proceed with caution because there is never any guarantee you will be accepted at the next place and having just left another program may not improve your chances. Just a thought- can you stay in your current location until you reach candidacy (spouse moves w/o you first) and then carry on remotely (or largely so) for the remaining years? Similarly, could you do something like that and master out, just being remote for the last bit of time? I know that won't work for all fields, but if there is any chance it could work for you I would definitely discuss your situation with your advisor.

Plenty of programs admit without interview, even in fields where interviews are common. Some typical scenarios include only first round applicants being invited for interviews but second round offers being given, and direct acceptances going to top students before interviews even occur. At some (many?) schools, interview weekends are more of a means to wine and dine recruits than they are to filter through top applicants. Typically what makes admission competitive is the fact of limited resources and the most important resource that is limited is funding. After that, it is advisor time (eg. a really full lab might mean an advisor isn't taking on new students). If you bring your own funding, you eliminate the first problem and also 'prove your worth' in one swoop. Of course they will want you.

Same. I'm just preparing myself to TA for the next zillion years because it tempers the disappointment of not being awarded. Also the odds are against me because I'm not at a top ten school, and apparently most awards go to those who are. That being said, from talking to a wide range of people it really seems like getting the GRF is a matter of luck that doesn't really have a rhyme or rhythm. With so many proposals, and so many different reviewers, it seems to really depend on who else's work is in the stack with yours and the mood your reviewers were in on the day they read it. Especially with the heavy focus on the personal statement.

I think that in some circumstances, it is possible to overcome a low GPA. It is possible that for the top programs, those circumstances need to be exceptional and so does your track record of performance in other areas (eg. publications and research). However, the right narrative around the low GPA may make the case for you even stronger, given that you have succeeded in turning things around so significantly and what that says about your character. If you are now wanting to apply to PhD programs, what you will need to show more than anything is your ability to do research. They will look more closely at your record in your masters than they will at the undergrad, and your GPA isn't the best indicator of success for research anyway. Your undergrad GPA is what it is, and it isn't changing, but you have demonstrated growth, which is something that admissions committees love to see. So the real question you should be asking is: how can I present this in a way that assures an admissions committee that I have what it takes to succeed? Take what you wrote above as a baseline to inspire a personal statement that talks about how you overcame your struggles and thrived in your masters program. Don't belabor the mental illness part though. Unfortunately, struggling with mental illness remains something that is discriminated against on admissions and hiring committees. With that in mind, understand that this is your private medical history and you are under no requirement to disclose it. You should allude to it as the reason for your poor GPA, but skip the details, make the story about how you overcame it and what you did next. Given your experiences, do you really want to be at a school that will penalize you for every misstep in your past? Write the statement and apply to the top schools, the right program will see how you have grown and adapted in the face of life's challenges and feel lucky to have you.

Are you seeking to increase your stipend, or are you wanting a greater number of years for which you are offered funding for? My experience in STEM at a couple different institutions has been that all students on assistantships or research grants are paid the same stipend, the only exceptions being those who are on fellowships. In that scenario, it seems unlikely that they are going to negotiate since it is a point of equity. If you are instead hoping to get more years of funding, that might work. If you don't have a competing offer to ask them to match, you have to consider what leverage you do have. Are you significantly more qualified than their average applicant? Are you bringing in some of your own funding? What, specifically, do you bring to the program that justifies you to ask for more than other students may be getting? Also consider the program and how much money they have to burn. Some programs don't have much room to offer more funding, whereas others are desperate to attract the brightest and best students and have hefty endowments to draw upon to make that happen. One way to go about it without sounding grabby is to consider the cost of living. If all the institutions are offering a similar stipend amount, but your top choice is in a more expensive location than the others, you could communicate that the high cost of living compared to the stipend is making you apprehensive to accept.

Thinking that it is "loserish" for a 24 year old to hang with individuals only 4 years younger than them is what is immature. That age gap means nothing in your 30s and beyond, and from the perspective of anyone who is older, you are all basically the same age. Unless you have a partner and kids at home while you are out partying with college kids, you are in no way behaving inappropriately. Don't overthink this.

This is a good question for a tax professional. Your definition of what is required for your program is a bit broad, and although all students are impacted by research costs they will not be the same for each student. Consider the fact that under that interpretation you could also expense mileage to/from school etc. One guideline some accountants use for expenses (for small businesses) is to generally expense what other professionals in your field are expensing. This is because if your expenses dramatically outstrip the expense amount of other people in your same position, it might flag closer scrutiny and an audit. If you feel you can justify the research expenses you could add them in, but be ready to defend them to an auditor, just in case.

@IamPokemon nothing serious, it's just a very small group. Two of us will be new so there isn't as much opportunity for guidance from more senior lab members (there's one, who is nearly finished), and I don't get the sense it is a group that has strong connections with one another. It doesn't feel toxic or anything, just a bit awkward and subdued. I'm worried it could feel isolating. Especially compared to the second group, in which everyone seems really friendly and close.

I'm in a STEM field and I'm struggling with my decision between two schools. At one, the PI I would be working with is really great but the rest is just ok. Not very excited about the facilities or the lab culture. At the other, there have been multiple red flags regarding the PI. They are a great person, but as an advisor they seem disorganized and unreliable, which would drive me nuts. Their students indicated there have been many broken promises and significant mistakes on the part on the PI, and communication is pretty bad. The PI also told me they have had several students quit in the past, taking very little responsibility for the fact. These are just a couple concerning elements but there were more. *However*, that program has an awesome department, great facilities, and a geographic location that fits my lifestyle really well. Plus, the other grad students in the lab I would be in are awesome. How can I weigh these two options? Funding is pretty similar between the two, maybe slightly better at the first school because there are more internal grants and fellowships I could apply for in future years. This is for a PhD, so I feel pressure to make a good choice as it is a long haul.

I'm hoping for next week tbh. This whole cycle has been so exhausting, I just want to know what my situation is re: funding and where I'm going to go to school, and move on. Even if it means reading morale crushing reviews about my proposal and personal statement.

Yes. I'm waiting to hear from my last school as well and at this point I'm jealous of those who have had rejections. I just want to know the answer from the final place so I can move on knowing I made the best decision available to me. I reached out to ask about status and haven't heard back, at this point I'm thinking of just taking one of my other offers and withdrawing my application from the place that hasn't made a decision because I'm so tired of waiting on them.