Bison_PhD

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I would say that what you have is a polite yet direct way of asking for what you need. They may or not respond with good news, but I think that this email wouldn't hurt your chances of funding. Good Luck.

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I currently work at Vanderbilt. What are your questions?

It seems as if 'A' would be better long term, but 'B' is better with the intangibles. I am married as well and I would make sure to talk to your SO about it, I'm sure you already have. B/c if his difficulties in work will impact your marriage then it may be worth it to go to 'B', but if he is the very understanding and extremely supportive type, then I think that 'A' would be better. This is how I would decide. Good Luck.

I would vote for School A. 4-5 years is a long time, and you need to like where you are and what you are doing. I think that you might do better at School A b/c of this and that would outweigh the ranking difference between the two. Also, since they are relatively close in ranking they may switch by the time you are out. Good Luck.

I used to go to UGA and still own a 2 BR 2 1/2 BA Condo down there. It is on the bus line (City and UGA) and is off Milledge Ave. near family/grad housing. It is pretty affordable and I would love to rent it to a grad student(s) rather than some undergrads. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Rankings may not tell you much about the quality of the program, but they will hint at how competitive the application process may be. Some will just apply to the top schools b/c they are at the top of the list, therefore they will receive many more applications than other programs. I have just finished my second season of Cog. Neuro. PhD application process. It is very competitive. My stats were: 1st round - 3.5 GPA from state school, Major: Psychology, Minors: Biology and Chemistry, 1.5yrs of undergrad research, 1340 GRE, and 3 good letters. 2nd round - (in addition to above) 1 full year exp. as a full-time research assistant at Vanderbilt, a much improved SOP, and a great letter from my PI. The first round I applied to several of the same schools that you are looking at and I was rejected from all but one. However, during my visit I realized that the one that I was accepted to was not a good match for my research interests. And although I was rejected at Vandy, I used my new connections to get this RA position. I am happy with that choice. The second round of applications I did much more research on which schools would be a good match for my research interests, so that where ever I got accepted I would be happy to go (Very Important). I applied to 6 schools and my additional year as an RA was a huge boost to my application. But, I received 1 interview, was wait-listed and eventually accepted to my safety school. B/c I did my research and only applied to schools that were a great match and I would be happy going to, I am thrilled with where I am at. I say all of this to tell you that I know that the road ahead will be tough but not impossible for you. You will need to get candid advice about your chances at certain programs. Don't be afraid to reach for top tier schools, but also be willing to look at lesser known programs and MA programs. Do not apply to any school that is not a good match or where you would not end up going. It is a waist of time and money. Do your research about the programs to which you are applying and know them well. Make connections with POIs and make sure they know who you are before the Adcoms look at your application. Good luck, it's a tough road, but we're rooting for you.

Just wondering what everyone thinks.

Thanks for all the info everyone. It's been great so far. If there are any other apps that you have found useful for grad school please keep listing them. It would help me out greatly and hopefully help out others who are wondering the same things.

What apps would you recommend for academic use? What do you use each one of them for?

I will be attending a PhD program in the fall and I am thinking about getting an iPad as a second computer-like device. I hope to use it for note taking and reading PDF articles. My handwriting is horrible and I can type faster than I can write, but I need to be able to draw diagrams as well, which I cannot do on a laptop. Does anyone else use a tablet for this purpose? Does it work well? This will not me my only computer as I have a MacBook, but my wife would not be too happy if I stole it for class and readings every day. The iPad would also allow her to surf the interwebs while I write and do research. Funds are limited, so I do not want to get the iPad if it will just be a toy. Thoughts?

I used to go to UGA and still own a 2 BR 2 1/2 BA Condo down there. It is on the bus line (City and UGA) and is off Milledge Ave. near family/grad housing. It is pretty affordable and I would love to rent it to a grad student(s) rather than some undergrads. Let me know if anyone is interested.

I've been looking on GradCafe for 2 years and I just found this thread. It is easily the best one that I have read. While I am not a first generation UG student (my dad has a BA), I did grow up on welfare and child support. I was lucky enough to live in a good public school district that gave me many opportunities that many other low-income students don't get. Unfortunately, this meant that I was surrounded by those who had life handed to them. I went to a state school that I could afford and worked 25hrs/week to keep my debt as low as possible, but I still accumulated +20k in debt. I got married at 19 and haven't looked back. While her family has a much more comfortable lifestyle, we chose to work for and earn everything that we own. She and I both now have our bachelors (3.8 and 3.5, respectively) and I have just been accepted to a fully-funded PhD program. I do envy those who have had it much easier than I, and I have the utmost respect for those of you in this thread. You have worked your asses off, many more than I have, to get where you are and no one deserves it more than you. I hope that those who find this thread find is half as inspiring as I have found it. Thank you for sharing your stories, they are awesome.

I will be matriculating in the fall as well, but in a very different area, neuroscience.

It does not guarantee admission, BUT unless you don't meet the minimum requirements for the program (GPA, GRE, etc.) you should be in. They are recommending you to the graduate school, and this is usually a formality. Good luck.

Try to do as much research about them and the school as possible. It may look bad to ask questions that may be easily answered by the website. It may be better to ask more pointed questions that show that you've done your research. (Ex. "I see that you do research in ________, what are the biggest challenges with doing A or B")

I would contact your mentor and tell him about your travel concerns. He may offer a solution or help you find one.

At this point, that would be a good dream. You can call me whatever you want, as long as you accept me.

GO, b/c unless you have already been accepted by other schools that you KNOW you like better, it is best to treat each school as if they are your #1 choice. This is my second time around and it is easy to get over-confident when applying with good stats. You MAY end up at this school and it may be your best option. It's worth the hassle, the last thing you want is to be in a position regretting that you didn't go.

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