beanbagchairs

When you decided to apply to that particular school, I am pretty sure you have reasons to do so. Are those reasons still valid? If they are, I'd get an MS from that school an reapply for PhD later on. Hopefully this wont burn any bridges.

Go with the funded one . You'll thank yourself when you are done without exhausting your savings. You can always apply for PhD to umass amhers later on.

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If I am not mistaken, you are very close in getting a PhD in your home country, correct? If you are so close, why do you want to start all over again? Am I missing something? As for your dream graduate programs, cant you apply to them as a post-doc? You'll get a higher salary and do not have to go through the PhD process all over again. If I were you, I'd try to finish my PhD successfully and apply for some post-docs positions/ TT in your dream grad schools and other schools too. Make sure you cast a wider net;it's not just for you, i'd do that too. Good luck

This kind of thread makes me happy :lol:

Hi gnetophyte, Hang in there! I am not yet a PhD student. I'll be starting mine in the fall;but, I completed a research-based MS before. I somewhat know what you are going through. There were times during my research that I felt despair. Why didnt it work??? All of these failures exposed me to another related problem that I was able to solve. So, my publication did not look anything like my research proposal . Before I was able to find how to fix my research, I had a lot of self-doubt, running away from my professors* (I kid you not, that I actually know that it was him approaching by the sound of his foot-steps), not wanting to pursue PhD, etc. All of these inferiority feelings are gone when you reached your ultimate goal: seeing your publications/thesis done. The road to that is certainly is not easy. *"Running away from professors" does not mean that I dont want to meet him. In the time that I need a high concentration level and produce a higher work output, I like to be left alone. My professor was a hands-off kind of guy. So, it worked out perfectly. When I look at the whole thesis thing I have ahead of me, I don't know if I'm good enough, ----> You ARE good enough. They picked you remember! I dont think I've ever met any single graduate student that never thought that they were not good enough for grad school at some point in their graduate student life. Even those competitive gunners had some of these moments. but every time I do an experiment and it works I feel brilliant. -----> Embrace it. When I applied for Ph.D. programs, I was a starry-eyed liberal arts student and I figured I was going to try for a Nobel Prize someday. Pretty naive -----> I once had this conversation with my professor: me: I think my thesis is crap, I need to improve it. prof: but, the method you just proposed is very good. me: but, it's not grand (I had what I thought to be a kindergarten-level improvement to an existing theory) prof: It NEVER is. Having said that, I dont think there's anything wrong about aiming high. I highly recommend you reading Richard Hamming's lecture in Bell labs about characteristics of great scientists. He stated that those who succeed amongst us are the ones that have tremendous drive. He also talked about John Tukey in that lecture. Hamming and Tukey in my field are *great* scientists. They discovered many --not just one-- fundamental theories. http://www.cs.virgin...urResearch.html But I could get an even better one with a Ph.D. if I stick it out for three additional years... ----> You can use this as one of your motivation to get a PhD I hate, hate, HATE the snow in this part of the country. I've just endured a four-month-long winter and the prospect of three or four more winters is daunting. ----> You dont have to stay in that part of the country AFTER you finish your PhD. If you dont finish yours, you'll probably hate that place much more. Sometimes I get lonely. I work at maintaining an active social life with the grad club and the fantasy writer's group in the city, but I feel guilty whenever I'm not in the lab. And my PI has really high standards. ------> You need to take care of yourself: working out, keeping up with social circles, etc. Dont feel guilty about it. PhD is a marathon not a sprint. Plus, I don't know where my funding is going to come from next year ----> Here's hoping you'll get the fellowship

Great link! thanks! I am particularly interested in the "large devices" table. Features that I care the most are: batterly life, supported types, and PDF capabilities.

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Thanks so much all..!!!

I am very informal with my former professors/supervisors. but, living with any of them would probably freak me out. With that being said, I have a friend, a PhD student, who rented a room in a professor's house. They didnt work for the same department at the time, but definitely for the same university. He lived there during the **whole** duration of his PhD program . The professor is divorced, if that even matters. Weird I cant image how their dinner conversations would go: Prof: "Are you defending yet?" Student: "No, got any hints? or better can you proofread my thesis?" Prof: "Sure, I'll come over your bedroom to look over your manuscript"

Hi, I am wondering what is the minimum yearly stipend that you can live on comfortably in Boston. What I meant by "comfortable" is exercising good budgeting --being a somewhat frugal is alright, but not destitute--. The assumptions are that I wont be living in a reduced-price graduate housing, having a car, or supporting someone else.. thanks.

Incredible... stupidity at its best

The big bang theory helps me through the application process.... It's too bad that I am not considering caltech for grad school

Sometimes it helps you to figure out what you want to do for a career by actually taking up a career you have in mind. If it feels right, then you have found your career of choice. If it doesnt feel right, keep looking. After getting a BS, I thought I want to have a career in the corporate world. Did that for a year and a half. It turned out that it isnt for me. I went back to school and got an MS. I've been doing research projects/jobs ever since. I am loving it Good luck, just go with the flow. Dont feel pressured that you have to find what you want to do in life in 24 hrs!

I'll chose USC over UCLA for reasons you have mentioned above (great programs, many PoIs, great alumni network, etc). I am pretty sure they have some kind of procedure should you want to change your advisor. Just in case if your first choice turns out to be a jerk. Congrats on both admits!

That sounds like a SWEET deal. I am about 95% sure of going to Boston. I still need to wait for decisions from other schools. I'll PM you if I choose to go to Boston and in need of a room. Hopefully your room is still available by then!

My professor did not seem to care what grades I received in my classes, as long as I passed them. He cared about my research output though

I am in the process of selecting possible supervisors to ask for a lab rotation; I have to do 3 lab rotations in the beginning of my PhD program. One of the adviser (an assistant professor) currently has eleven PhD students, one master student, two postdocs, and one exchange scientist. This particular lab's research output is, uhm, impressive in terms of quality (i.e., high impact journals) and quantity. I am just surprised with the number of advisees (s)he has. It got to the point, which I wonder if (s)he has enough time --or even any-- to advise my lab rotation. Is it normal for having that many advisees? Maybe (s)he is that good, such students flocked to his/her lab? Is (s)he a good choice for a lab rotation? Any ideas? Note that (s)he is NOT yet tenured! P.S. Sorry for posting yet another topic. I just have too many questions! Yes, I am the type that needs to do excessive planning about every single detail of my future.

I'd say UNC Chapel Hill because - You said that there are many options for you. If you dont like a certain field/supervisor, you can easily choose another. I think this is important, at least for me. - Their graphics group is impressive. - I am pretty sure you can work out other funding options for next year(s) once you get there (RA, TA, fellowships, etc). Although, I am not familiar with UNC graduate funding. I am not from your field, so my opinion may be of a somewhat lesser value.

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Sorry to hear about your applications. Those crazy adcomms!!! Give yourself some time to grief; it is normal and necessary. Then, get back to work on those applications!! I wish you the very best on the next application season. Here's hoping you'll get into your dream program next year

Please let us know. I am thinking to get one; but, needs other reviews before splurging the money.