Langoustine

I agree. For no money? And its not among your favorites....Psshhhh.

I always thought you were 34 because of the 76 in your username!

I will have just turned 25. Took 2 years off after UG to work, wasn't sure if I wanted grad school and many people told me I would not be motivated to go to school since I had a job....they were very wrong! I realized seeing all the research out there I wanted in on that!

Your GRE scores sound fine thom1820! Btw Blacksburg is a really nice place

Open fridge again. Maybe contents changed...

I second neuropsych76, I am coming from Biology and while I had to contact faculty prior to applying (to see if they were taking graduate students-very common in sciences), basically once your application is in you do not contact faculty anymore. If they do interview visits and you are invited well then there is your chance to interact with them! But until then just relax!

Doing a PhD in the EU model won't give you much time... From what I know: Yes, their PhDs (~3 years) are very short, although you will get some TAing experience. Also you need a Masters to get into most PhD programs there. My European friends have said PhD students are more like employees... But I guess it totally depends on your field, if the department is strong where you are looking. The thing that worries me most is the reduced amount of graduate courses compared to the US :/ I think since most require a Ms they assume you are totally ready to hit the ground running! I am coming from the sciences so I don't know about other fields!

This thread is awesome!!!!

Thanks guys, the reason I ask is bc I have an interview in Europe and I have family there I haven't seen in a long time and this would be a great chance to see them. They don't live in the country of the school though so if they reimburse me it would look weird if I requested to fly into a different city! Haha it would make the ticket cheaper though! Yes, I think I'll just wait and see what the grad office says and maybe I could work something out....:/

Hey Grad Cafe collective! Just wondering when you get invited for an interview how do they work out the finances? Do they buy the plane tickets and you go? Do they look up an estimate for travel costs and give you money and you arrange everything yourself?

This is an interesting discussion but I think matilda is just pointing out that is has nothing to do with the title of this particular forum topic. I think this is meant to be a lighthearted venting space for international applicants. I for one am an American and have applied to a school in Europe so my time difference is the opposite of most people here! Perhaps you can start a whole new thread about this issue? It seems lots of people have things to say about it

Awww this is so nice!!! I can't believe the guys from South Park did this? That is their names at the end no? Anyways, after a pretty tough week for me it was def reassuring to watch this. Everything is going to be OK... At least I know it is going to BE and I will deal with it one way or the other

Is he in a field that is easily transferrable?? Idk like computers or something? I had a friend who was applying for grad schools and her husbands' job and company were pretty big and common, he was confident in his chances at transferring to a satellite office or another job.

For what it's worth I was dating someone, the relationship was not long (a few months) but we were getting semi serious. We are both in very transient places in our lives and knew it would never work long distance, both of us have done the long distance thing and agree it is not for us. Plus I know for myself I wouldn't be able to devote as much energy on my studies :/ Plus there was absolutely no way we would end up in the same school (let alone the same country!) and we did not want to feel like we compromised our respective careers...I know I would feel some resentment if I followed him (and vice versa) and it would take its toll us Then again I know a couple who spent years in different countries doing their grad degrees! If you are capable of that then you are solid!

So you say you only applied to schools within 2 hours from your partner, and that these did not have 'all stars' but it was OK since your partner was staying at his job for the next few years... Then you say next year you could apply to more/better schools further away...so you want to live one year with your SO and then apply for more schools with better programs but further away, potentially going to live far away? Is this right? Maybe you could defer for a year...get married, live with him, and get more experience. But if you apply again for better schools further away you have to face the possibility you will not live with him unless he moves with you...Can you spend 4-6 years in grad schools doing the long distance thing?

Top Gun

Time for me is moving painfully slow as well...I have some interviews coming up and will hear if I made those or not....other than that things are as slow as a river of molasses in winter. I too am taking time off though will have a job that starts end of March...but I think I am going to start volunteering at the animal shelter or something just to get out of the house and away from my computer!!!! Oh but this site is certainly entertaining me well

5 schools here it is: Application fees: $245 GRE: $232 Transcripts: $50 Total: $527 Uurrrrg

Well as kid whose first language was not English (and granted I learn English when I was very young :/) I recommend watching some popular TV shows. It definitely shows you the pronunciation and the way people speak. Plus reading books, not Crime and Punishment as a first but easier fluff. The order of things is something I see a lot of people messing up on and I really think that early reading and TV watching was what really did it for me. This was all a long time ago though for me but you know people always say immersion is the best way to learn a language and since you are not here in the States right now maybe renting a season of Friends or something will help

Whoa that is rough!!! And completely not your fault and out of your hands!!! Wow, that gall that they could not even admit fault and say sorry for the mix up!!! Simply awful I'm sorry this happened to you Must be a really disorganized grad office...