Zouzax

woohoo!!!!!

this is really interesting. When I took the SATs in high school, my verbal and quantitive scores were only ten points apart. Ive always considered my math and reading skills to be on par with each other. So I was really surprised when my GRE scores came in and my verbal score was 120 points below my math score. During the test, I had a really hard time reading the passages and answering all the questions in the allotted time -- that was definitely the part that slowed me down. This article explains things really well.

i go home twice a year -- christmas and summer. once I went home during spring break, too. I found the professors to be more than understanding and cooperative, even letting me take an extra day off here & there if the dates didn't match up. If flights weren't so expensive, I think I couldve gone home more & no one would have said anything. I really don't see it being a problem for you all.

*tears own thesis to shreds, shakes fist*

Im definitely sticking around! I think this site is great. And Im applying again next year, so....

When I first started grad school I used to wear comfy clothes -- not sweatpants and yoga pants, but big, comfortable sweaters and T shirts with sneakers and jeans. Problem is, I was TOO comfortable. I wanted to fall asleep every class. No amount of caffeine could wake me up either. Which is difficult when your class has MAX 5 students. This year, I tried a different technique and started dressing a little smarter (this actually happened more organically, some days I was teaching directly after class so I had to dress more professionally). You know what? I found that it actually made me a better student. I felt more efficient, more professional, and for some reason more mature. The only thing I can think is that maybe dressing professionally made me approach school with a job-related mindset, so I was more on the ball. Anyway, Ive been doing that ever since. Can't say my grades have gotten any better though.

wow I just looked up what you were talking about and that IS incredibly annoying. He cheapens the whole process. He makes it look like you can just wake up one day and say, "I think Ill get my Ph.D this year. Yes, thats what Ill do!" Also, isn't it strange that he's entering in Fall 2012? Don't people not even apply for that until NEXT fall? It's infuriating that he's taking a spot when only 20 out of 400 are accepted. One less person that ACTUALLY deserved it & worked their butt off for it will be left out because James Franco had a whim.

good luck! let us know how it goes.

Yep, this is exactly what Ill be doing this year -- fighting for my dream school . Which means Ill be working in a lab, writing a paper or two for (hopefully) publication, trying to participate in as many conferences as possible, getting more overall experience, and making sure to apply for outside grants before the deadline. Good luck to you all!!

I agree with everyone that said revise, revise, revise. Then wait a few weeks and revise some more. I did total revisions on my SOP and CV at least 7 times. Finally a week or two ago I let myself look them over again and there was SO MUCH MORE I could have changed/ fixed. Research every aspect of the programs you're interested in. Learn everything you can about what's available in your field. If you want to go to a school just for the name and you know deep down inside that you're not compatible with the program/ research, don't waste your time and money. Name isn't everything. Through some links posted here I was able to find 3 more schools that I think I would be really interested in. I didn't do enough research on what's out there. Start thinking about your writing sample as early as possible. Any paper can be a potential writing sample. Stay on top of what you write, and if you think it could potentially be a sample, edit it according to your prof's suggestions right away. Dont wait until a week before you send in applications and quickly try to revise a random paper (like I did). On that note, something I wish I had done and something I will DEFINITELY do next time --- take your time applying. don't rush. make sure every detail is included, every piece of information you wanted to say, that every "i" is dotted. If you're unsure about whether or not you want to add/ delete something, sleep on it. I just wanted to get my apps over with so I sent everything in almost 2 months before the deadline and it was silly. Unfortunately that application packet is the only thing that represents you to the adcoms, the only thing that stands between getting an interview or getting thrown into the reject pile. Make sure your 100% happy with it before pressing 'SEND'.

speeding ticket

I only got into one program too. Thankfully it's a program that I really like. Before I knew I would only be accepted to one program, I was stressing about what I would do if two or more schools offered acceptance -- which would I choose? How would I make the decision? How would I know that my decision was the right one? I think it's natural that you're feeling some 'buyer's remorse'. I have a hard time making decisions, too so I think I would be experiencing the same thing in your position --- the big ol' WHAT IF. runonsentence is right when they say there isn't a 'wrong' decision per se, just a different one. its a great way to look at it. give yourself a little more time & think about the reasons why you DID choose the school & all the great things thatll come out of going there. Im sure things'll be fine in a few days.

thats great!! congratulations!

late show

I agree with newms. My situation was a bit unique in that my professors are not too familiar with the American Ph.D process. I was also the only one in my department applying to such programs, so I had to explain things a bit more but also had a little more freedom in what I could request from them. I told them December 1st for all the apps but since one was actually due on the 1st I think they realized my goal was to send them all in at the same time. Also, I had requested the LORs before the semester even started (we start later here), so I did everything via email. Also, I just felt bad doing it & felt email was the best way for me. I have problems requesting things from people & really dread hearing the word "no", so I felt an email was the best way for them to turn me down if needed. Anyway hope this helps, sorry for some of the confusion.

i agree with everyone else -- I was not planning on meeting my profs one-on-one before they wrote the letter, so I wrote a very detailed email. If you plan on having a meeting with them face-to-face, I would go with ZeeMores.

I'm just like you, I haattedddd asking for LORs. Email is definitely the best way. I notified them 5 months before the due date, but I told them the due date was a little earlier just incase someone ran behind (and thankfully I did it, because one professor did). For example, I told them all the apps were due December 1, even though some were due the 1st, some the 15th, and some January 1st. The emails was basically as follows (please note these are example sentences & not exact replicas) Dear XXXXXX: Hope all is well! (filler sentence about a class we have together/ project we're working on/ thesis update) As you know, I'm applying to a few Ph.D programs this fall. I am wondering if you would be able to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf (this isn't exact wording but it's very close). I am applying to programs in XXXX with a concentration in XXXX. (then I talked about my study plans, the schools I'm applying to, the research I plan on conducting, etc.) (here I wrote why I would love for them to be my recommender -- why I think they know me well, maybe a great class we had together, etc. Here I told one professor that I had mentioned her course in my SOP, which is why I would love a letter from her ). The applications are due December 1. I completely understand if you are unable to write the letter for any reason. If you are able to do it, let me know if I can provide you with any information that would be of assistance, blah blah blah Talk to you soon! Regards, XXXX

I look back. My vision's blurry.

I dont know much about your field, but I tend to agree with the previous poster about the importance of name recognition when it comes to making money in the real world. When I was considering med school programs, all the advisors told me not to worry about price, because once you become a full doctor you can pay off your loans in 5 years or so. If going to Harvard will significantly increase the amount of money you can demand in the long run, I would say go for it. Also if it would increase your chances of finding a job in this crazy job market. I think doing some more research would be beneficial.