RWBG

Congrats on the waitlist, and best of luck getting off it!

This is all technically fine, but I worry about students using these as excuses instead of actual reasons (e.g. "well they're more or less similarly ranked" or "I definitely couldn't do good work living in New Jersey"). In general, I feel like most people don't have an issue valuing location enough, and should instead be cautioned to seriously consider the long-term implications of any decision (i.e. don't excessively discount the future!). Just remember to consider that you're optimizing over the course of your entire life, and living somewhere nice for the next five years is going to be cold comfort if you spend the following fifty in southern Utah.

Congrats!!! I know the feeling; felt the same way after Wisconsin. Also, is it just me, or is the gradcafe server not built to handle mid-February?

UCLA: 24k first two years (no teaching commitments), TA ship for remaining three years starting at 17k and progressing to 20k. Rochester: 22k/year, 4 semesters total of teaching commitments. Opportunities for more funding via RAships. I think Rochester is compensating for being in Rochester. Michigan: 17k fellowship first year, TA commitment from years 2-5. Guaranteed summer funding of $3000 for first two summers. Wisconsin: $14k TAship I think, based off of this website: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/polproced/utg/SalRng.html#stuasst. Doesn't look like there's any fellowship support.

I'd look into some Canadian programs if you want strong programs that won't bankrupt you. The connections you get probably aren't as strong as, say, Chicago's CIR program (which from what I know is a great program that places people really well), but I'd say they're more academically-oriented than most US programs. If you're planning on applying now though, I think only a few programs will still be accepting applications (including Columbia, I think).

I've wondered that myself, actually. In any event, I think most placement rankings are not going to be able to evaluate NYU well, given that the faculty was so radically reshaped, and they've only had a couple years of students that have gone through with the new faculty. You'd be better off just looking at the raw data: https://sites.google.com/site/honestgraduatenumbers/

UGA's been getting really strong in methods, what with Keith Poole and Scott Ainsworth there. If you're doing formal/stats-heavy American, it's a really strong place to be right now, in a way that I don't think is yet reflected in the rankings.

If you want to PM me a bit more about your stats/background, or create a separate advice thread, I'd be happy to give more targeted advice. Is your offer from Boston College funded?

No, I suspect for two reasons. (1) The conversion actually caps at 760, so that all verbal scores between 760-800 result in a converted 170. I suspect the ETS doesn't think the percentile differentiation within the top 0.5% of test-takers on the verbal is as important as the percentile differentiation between the top 6% of test-takers on the quant. (2) The ETS rescaled the test so that there would be more differentiation at the top for quant test takers and less for verbal precisely because they thought the verbal produced large score differences that weren't meaningfully informative, whereas meaningful differences between quant test takers were not represented. This became especially problematic in quant-oriented disciplines like economics, where basically everyone gets an 800. Thus, they favor a system in which the differentiation between 740-800 on the verbal is not emphasized. Edit: OK, just to clarify how those are different points. Point #1 is it doesn't affect as many people, point #2 is that the ETS doesn't think the differences are important.

OK, I'm just glad there wasn't something I was missing, especially given that I taught the GRE for a year. Incidentally, because of the quant score conversion issue, the ETS cautions score users to take "special care" when evaluating test takers at the upper end of the quant range, particularly those who got an 800, given that those test takers could not score above a 166 on the converted scale.

I deem this acceptable.

I could not find that info on the table. Do you have a link?

Wait, what? What scores are impossible? I mean, obviously there are some that are impossible if you didn't write the new test, but is that what you meant?

Haha, not really. Basically means I'll be covering the cost of hotel and transport... in fact, in terms of the accounting, the grant will be going towards hotel and transport. However, I was going to go to MPSA anyways, but now that the grant money has come through, I've booked Alinea, so that's what the grant money is being spent on in practice. Edit: We should do drinks with TheGradCafe users. You all seem like good people when protected by the anonymity of the internet, so it stands to reason you'd be even better in person. Edit2: Assuming you're all of age, of course. It being the States, I'm sure many of you could probably only legally drink as of like, three weeks ago.

I'm done with the prediction game this cycle. Clearly the issue is that my predictions did not include enough game theory.

If you take on a suplementary loan, at the very least any negative consequences will be postponed until after your degree, if you don't end up with an income! Up until then, I suspect your stipend should be more than sufficient to pay interest payments, which should keep you from becoming cashflow insolvent.

My package is a bit different than yours, but it makes specific mention of medical insurance, and I suspect yours will include it as well. Which as a Canadian, still strikes me a bizarre thing to have to include.

This is very closely related to my point on consumption smoothing. Even if you take out a higher loan than my earlier suggestion (let's say 5k per year now) to supplement your stipend, it seems unlikely that avoiding a 25k increase in debt over five years is going to justify the long-term career implications of choosing a less-preferred program. I know the academic job market is a risky one, but if your total added debt burden is <30k, you could probably manage to pay it off alright even without securing an academic job. Moreover, with a degree from Madison, I feel like you'll get some kind of academic position.

Congrats nonetheless!

Does you guys really think Next is better than Alinea? I mean, Next has a neat concept, but my impression is that Alinea remains the best food in North America, and is still Achatz's flagship. I guess I'll have to make due with only 20 courses at Alinea though

Speaking of food, anyone going to MPSA and planning on making it to any dinners while in Chicago? I'm bringing my girlfriend, and I'm planning on using my travel grant to fund Alinea. Anyone been there and have any thoughts?

Not true.

This is getting ridiculous (re: Stanford). Sure they must be done now?

Sure, but fit you can usually discern my talking with people at the programs, reading more of the research being produced, looking at the kind of graduate students entering the job market, etc. In any event, I'm not suggesting the cycle's over for you; it's very possible the last two schools may be the ones that work out for you!

Forward it by external Ph.D students then! Heck, I'd be happy to take a look if you felt comfortable sending me stuff.