Henry Hudson

depends on your program, funding, and overall situation. In History it seems (relatively) common enough, but that doesn't mean it applies to all disciplines. You might be better off asking people in your field, and if possible, people already in the program at the school in question.

it seems like the people offended were mostly the anti-immigrant, 'English only', 'tea party' sorts who apparently genuinely believe the propaganda they are fed, propaganda that distracts them from larger econo-political issues by scapegoating anyone not like them or their idealized 'good old days'.

Howdy back atcha, anorak! Leier is fantastic! I cannot sing his praises enough. I mostly know him from TAing for him, and from feedback from people he is or has recently supervised. I have heard good about Ferguson, but don't really know her, as she has a split appointment with another dept, and she was on leave or sabbatical or something the one time I wanted to seek her out. For environmental, there is also Jay (Joseph) Taylor does enviro as well, and while I did not bond with him, a friend who did found him to be great. feel free to PM me if you have particular questions about the program, admin, campus, metro area, or anything.

I was doing well, but starting off the results season with a rejection has gotten me a bit antsy, especially since i have no safety schools this cycle.

Masters or PhD? I was in the PhD program for two years at SFU. Who are you looking to work with?

Other than the mismatched GRE score, I really do not see anything out of the ordinary in the OP's complaint. App fees, as others note, are standard procedures, alas, and the system would frankly be even more clogged if they weren't. Instead of 200-600 applicants per school, it could easily reach the tens of thousands of applicants, as not only could all of us apply to every school that tangentially met our interests but also dabblers who are not serious applicants would add to the ad-comm' workloads. The process of acceptances, waitlists, second-round choices, and ven third or fourth rounds would be even more overwhelming, and instead of potentially knowing by March where one will be, it might be well into the summer. The app fee system is an unfortunate gatekeeping system, but (except for all except the wealthiest people) it ensures that applicants are serious about where they apply to. I say this as a generally poorer person who has a hard time swinging even a handful of apps in any given season.

wow! glad i didn't get to my McGill app, then.

oh, sure. depends on the school, their funding, and how much their funders are tightening down on them. Even the Ontario schools do not seem to want to be penalizing us, but the pressures they are under from the province require the buck to be passed somewhere. When I did my MA in Ontario a few years ago, it was not nearly as bad as it is now.

York, but a lot of Ontario Unis are in similar positions: Trent and McMaster off the top of my head. U of Toronto and maybe Queens are the only Ontario schools I might have applied to this season, in terms of programs, people in my field, and to possibly get adequate funding. But as I could only manage three apps, I trimmed them off my list. York, I am told, only has one non-Canadian slot these days (not just History. other programs too), with preference given to those studying non-North American topics. Which is too bad, because my potential supervisor there would have been fab to work with.

third, actually. in a way, fourth. My first was for my MA (accepted at 3 out of 4 schools). Second was for a PhD (2 out of 3), but it did not go well, and I left the program I had chosen, a decision I reached in late 2012. Last winter, I managed a single app (to a Canadian U that already had most of my materials, that previously had accepted me for my MA), but that didn't pan out because they have cut most of their funding to non-Canadians. So this time, whether it counts as 3rd or 4th, we shall see. If my "all but one" luck holds, great. If not... I don't know if I will go anther cycle. This time, I opted not to settle, and chose only the best possible choices school-wise and supervisor-wise. Previously I had made certain concessions because I really wanted to stay in Canada and gain permanent residency, but almost all of the best people for my area are at schools I have issues with, and choosing people close to but not right in my area has had mixed results.

I prefer answering existing roommate ads than creating my own. I have had good luck when i stick to my standards: a fellow oder person (I once had a mid-20s roommie; almost as bad as a 19-year-old), a health-positive environment in which two people can each have adequate space, and being in an area where I can walk to necessities. If I have to settle for something less, I'll be sure that it does not entail a lease, so i can look out for a better place when it becomes necessary.

i got rejected from my 3rd-choice school (out of 3). It hit me harder than I expected, mostly I think because (1) I had hoped it would be easiest to get into, and (2) based upon past years' results reported I knew it would likely be the first I'd receive word from. I'd hoped that having one acceptance in the bag would make the rest of the season go better (especially since I have previously been rejected from my top choice).

my first choice... but no news yet.

I got my first rejection mid-week last week (MSU). Not a good way to kick off the season, but hopefully there will be good news in the coming weeks. I normally get accepted at all places but one, but this year all my schools are of a higher caliber (MSU was the lowest), so who knows?

I would contact the grad admin people at the school you want to go and ask them directly. Different schools have different policies. I would also, when contacting profs you want to work with, explain the situation as well and get their feedback. They often have a better senseof what rules have flexibility.

I agree that it does seem more like a random pairing of words than actual expressions, in many cases. Only a few seem to be common expressions, and a bunch, rather than expressions, are just words that can go together in the middle of a sentence rather than stand on their own as expressions. And many just do not go together at all. As such, it makes it hard to make a quick decision as to literal/metaphoric as the odd pairings make one have to dwell on possible contexts before answering, and that makes the already long list all the more discouraging and, frankly, a bit annoying.

I have never applied to more than 4, and I generally get accepted to all but one.

Congrats, NavyMom! definitely move on down the list! If you wind up with too many, it is easier to let some off the hook than struggle at the last minute to fill a gap. I have one former prof aware of the situation, and happy to step up when needed while not insulted when I do not.

I looked into some grad programs, so i am not sure how applicable what i have to say is for an undergrad program. It seems Sweden in recent years has shifted preferences towards EU nations and away from the rest of the world. Finland still seems to keep the door open to non-EU students, and I have not looked into Norwegian or Danish programs. I do not know enough on their entry requirements or any of those other factors, so that is all I have to share.

House sitting

I have my Acedemia.edu account set to track Googles of me (it does not tell you who, but where. Factoring in timing, you get a pretty good sense). In the last 8 application efforts, the only application-related Googling of me was made by a potential supervisor, never by an adcom.

you might have better luck in a program-specific subforum. Here, you re getting everyone, and I doubt I could assess a geography applicant any better than I assess a chemistry one.

browncow, I think a decade of real life makes you eligible. Not that I am the definitive judge on the matter, but in my MA program the 30ish students generally cleaved in half: some o the mid-20s people (although this also largely coincided with geographical factors) and the rest to us older folks. So if you feel more like us, then I say welcome! callista, there are definitely differences working with younger grad students, but I have found that working with them is still far easier than socializing with them. I am young at heart, but definitely of a different generation as mid-20s grad students.

I would do a mass email reminding them that between notes, texts, and each other, they have all the study resources they need, and that you cannot answer exam-related questions anymore (ideally you would have told them in advance that the cut-off day was the final day of classes or whatever). If the exam is only on the last 1/2 term or whatever, this is fair game for a reminder. If some of the exam format has already been described, it is fair game to repeat that: 60% essay, etc. (and that essays need clear introductions/conclusions, well-structured paragraphs, full sentences, good grammar, etc). Remind them of the time and place of the exam, what to bring, what not to bring, and other basic policies (late entry, etc). Advise off-campus students to plan to arrive an hour early to allow for unforeseen circumstances and to unwind between commute and exam. Remind them of policies regarding genuine day-of-exam emergencies, documentation required, etc. And tell them that you will only be answering emails that pertain to directly relevant questions not addressed in the mass email and not related to potential exam content.

pearspears, I was very nervous when I began TAing, and even the next few years, after a summer off, I would be nervous again in September. But it does get easier with practice. Remember, your students understand you are not a full prof or even adjunct/sessional; they won't be holding you to the same standard. They will be looking to you for guidance and consistency. The profs will be looking at you as a colleague-in-training. They know there will be screw-ups along the way; many of them did them too (even if they don't talk about them). Set a few foundational rules, spell out necessary criteria on grading and deadlines, and be firm and fair but approachable. I found a way to get my bearings by reassuring them that I had once been an undergrad, too, and not as long ago as they might guess. I positioned myself as a guide, an asset to help them build skills in school to improve their writing and analytic skills so they can better impress profs when they reach upper-year courses. And I reminded them that I, too, was a student with my own coursework, and thus my office hours and email reply times are not arbitrary but a necessary part of my strucute so I can get my own work done, too. Don't pretend to be the all-knowing almost-prof; be upfront with your own status, be clear and firm on directions, don't be afraid to say "I don't know, but [i'll find out/let's all look into it/you should ask the professor/etc]" when you really do not know, and don't let the student use the prof as 'going over your head.' The profs will stand by your decisions, so long as you are following their directions and apprising them of any necessary variation. If you are nervous in front of a group, start out with PowerPoint and let that be the focus of the room onto which you are adding commentary; it will let you and them both focus on the visuals. Look into any training/advising opportunities your school offers TAs. And if that includes counselling, so be it - better early and proactive than in a potential crisis. Again, this is worth repeating: they are not looking to shoot you down, they are looking for guidance from you. They will have enough headaches and drama in their own lives; they are not looking to make you into an enemy. The more you an make it *not* about you but about them, the better.