msphdhopeful

Headed to ASU!

I think you should focus more on the research match with the faculty rather than which program is the "best". In fact, the best social programs would be the ones who have faculty with a great research match with you. Good Luck!

I've pretty much decided to move the 3rd week of August. I will probably start getting ready though for school and everything sooon.....I want to hit the ground running!

So does anybody know what the average price is for a descent studio or one-bedroom in a safe neighborhood? Which areas should I be looking at?

Schools generally require 3 letters and at least 2 from professors. I would suggest start trying to see if you could work in a lab and get to know professors that way. I'm in a totally different field so your case may be a little different but I would not recommend getting all your letters from co-workers. Academia is a small field and professors, especially in a particular field of research tend to be familiar with each others work so a great letter from a professor could make a difference.

I'm planning on getting familiar with the city and the campus...and I guess being really settled in before the craziness of the program starts.

I also have an awesome job with an awesome boss and co-workers so I would like to stay as long as I can. My lease is up at the end up of May , I'm renting a room in a house with others and everybody is moving so I can't take over a month-to-month lease...sooo I will probably be spending a couple of months crashing my friends' and family's couches living out of a suitcase until its time to make the big move....it's daunting to think about but I'm also extremely EXCITED!

I agree with socialpsych, I would normally urge you to visit to inform your decision of which school to attend, but since you've already committed and met everyone, I don't think its necessary, unless you don't have a place to move into yet so your trip could revolve around that.

I think that they are probably just doing waves of notifications due to the large number of applicants. Not to be a pessimist, but they usually do these for online notifications which tend to be rejections (I've had this happen to me). I think it would also be rash of them to expect the wave 1 admits to only take a week to decide and decline offers of admission, in order for them to send out wave 2 notifications. I guess you'll find out in about a week, hope its good news!

Oh ya, that thing, must get mine done too!

Hi guys, I wanted to know when everyone is planning on moving, most grad students I've met say that it is better to move during the summer to get into good housing and apartments before the wave of undergrads come, but I can't move until mid-August or so, is this too late? When are all of you planning on moving?

Grad apps gave to me A brand new best friend, you see Please meet, two-buck Chuck

This visit will be a chance for the department to find out if you're right for them, as well as your chance to evaluate the fit of the program for you. Talking to professors are pretty laid back but of course you have to sell yourself and be able to articulate why you would fit in the program. Best wishes and it's a great sign that you have been invited!

I'm going to two more recruitment weekends and have already been to one, and all the prospectives went by themselves. At least for the visits I've been invited to, they put you up with a current grad student so I would definately not want to impose an extra person on them, unless you have funds to get a hotel room during your stay, then your SO can check out the city while you're going to the planned events. Honestly, for the visit I have already been to though, it was so jam-packed with events that I had little free time so your SO may end up just being bored.

Congratulations!!! Go and celebrate! Yup, I felt the same way...the first acceptance has a certain magic!

Thanks everyone for all the good advice....I guess I should wait to until visiting weekend at the other school (w/ senior prof) and then make a list of pros and cons...Thanks again!

So far I've only visited one school, the one with the younger prof. I do have intersecting interests with several other faculty, 2 of which are also new and 1 who will pretty much retire there. I feel like this is too blunt of a question to ask the prof whether or not she will be staying the next 4 or 5 years...I'm not sure how to go about asking her.

Hey guys....There are two schools that I'm choosing from mainly because of the great research match. One school has a really established professor in the field, the other a younger, newer, but very promising, and already regarded brilliant by fellow faculty and grad students. I'm not sure which professor could give me better training or if this even matters. I have received advice both ways. Some say the established professor has more experience with mentoring students, more publications etc, and therefore has more clout. It probably sounds crass but I will probably have an easier chance getting publications with him. Some say the other because this professor is young and will be more productive because she needs to get tenure, etc. They also say that she can relate to me better and is still fresh and excited. Anyone else dealing with the same tough choice? Any advice?

I must agree that $20 per score report is insane.

What? That's wild! So they are basically asking for more applicants?

llcooln6: I just received my acceptance letter from CGU today, past 6pm no less, and this is after others have gotten letters of admission a few days earlier, so don't fret and sit tight, perhaps your POI has not gotten around to writing his batch of admits yet. Good luck!

You deserve all the glory, bask in it. You have worked hard to get where you want to be and now that you are in, don't rain on your own parade. Like the others said, unless you completely lied on your app, YOU'RE IN BABY!

MacDuff: Thanks for the well wishes. Interview invites are exciting until you find out how many have been invited and how many slots there actually are...then it's back to feeling anxious!

I applied to CGU as well and still have not heard anything back. I got an in-person interview invitation for the experimental program at UNLV, but I had already committed to another school's visit weekend so I'm doing a round of phone interviews for them. UNLV's interview weekend is Feb 27-28.

LOL, we should...usually when you are dating someone you run the risk of getting rejected by one person...here we run the risk of getting rejected by multiple schools...all within about a 3 month period....now that's getting your heart broken.