DrPepper-olic

corn nuts (tho in my head... "effing nuts")

What do you think you'll do about new LORs? I don't know if they'll care about an evaluation from my boss: "She is shy." Keep in mind, if states are allowed to file for bankruptcy, state employees may not even get to keep their pensions! (Argh!)

I'm still waiting...

Congrats on being 3rd on the waitlist! I was waitlisted as well, though I have no idea where I stand. My hopes are high, and here's why: (1) My husband works in the uppity-up of a state university, and knows about the funding crunch that EVERY American university is going through. You can feel fairly confident that only 8 offers were sent out this year because the school's can't afford to make a financial offer that isn't backed up. (2) Very few people apply to only one graduate program. Given that information, I would bet that some of the "first choice" students at that school are also first choice students at another school or so. It is very likely that, at least, a few offers, even from the "best" schools will be declined. I wouldn't expect this to happen until April, though, as those applicants do have a right to agonize over which decision to make. Given that information, I'd say that being #3 on the waitlist is an excellent sign. I bet it also means that your application was well received at other institutions. Now all you have to do is stay sane until mid-April. Best of luck!

wig out

poor student

My husband and I are in a similar boat. We will wait, at the very least, until the end of the first semester, to buy. How else will we know where we want to live, and if we're getting a good price? I think I'd rather wait a year too, though, to make sure I can focus on the written comps that usually come during the first summer in my field.

Driving range

Same here. I feel it would be all too ironic to take out student loans so that I could study about how student loans affect the economy.

I totally know where you're coming from! I applied to about 15 schools, most of them top 25, but a couple top 100 programs, too. The only notice I've received so far was from the "safest" of the programs I applied to, and it was a cryptic message telling me I'm on the wait list. I had been feeling rather laissez-faire about where I ended up...until I received that email. To be honest, I'm starting to feel really insecure about how my application will stand up to the others. I am determined not to let this paranoia overtake my daily life, though checking GradCafe 15x a day doesn't make it easy. In an effort to focus on my daily business, I printed out all the computer code I'm working on so I won't be tempted to check if there has been a new result posted in the last 5 minutes. I was hoping that succeeding at my job would give me some sort of self-satisfaction. I'm on here now, though, so what does that say? I really do hope that you get the opportunity to interview at your remaining schools. I don't think that my degree program does the interview thing, but I wish they did.

state trooper

My pulse shot up, and hands got clammy, when I saw the first result for Harvard Econ posted this morning. Anyone else apply there?

I think it depends on the scholarship. When I read over their site a few months ago, I got the feeling that, even if LSE really wanted me, I would be teaching classes to support myself there. That is, I don't recall reading about many opportunities to receive a big stipend in the first year or so. I think that after students pass the comps, funding is more readily available. It makes sense, too. They don't want to pay lots of students to get an MRes in Econ, only to have all those students leave academia to work in the private sector. (After all, LSE has one of the highest job placement rates in the world for masters students.) Instead, they want to reward the promising students by facilitating their studies beyond the MRes, specifically, the PhD. If you think about it in terms of opportunity cost, they subsidize the later years of PhD study to entice the best students to remain in school, when their value to the labor market becomes much higher.

My work memoir: Staring at computer screen, eyesight gone. Two for apps: They all think I've gone crazy. Excused odd behavior until December, not April. Actually, my grandmother used to use this sort of stuff as a motivator when we were kids. I'm sure she'd propose: She did her best. Not enough. (Mine about her: She was not unlike Lucille Bluth.)

Good one! Other things you might be telling the world if you wear sweat pants: (1) I feel sick, today. (2) I am pregnant. (Or feel pregnant. Whatever.) (3) I am an exercise science/leisure management major. (4) I moonlight as a P.E. teacher at the local elementary school. (5) It's been so long since I've done laundry that even Febreeze won't help my jeans. (6) My pants don't fit anymore. (Too true.) (7) [if there is a big logo across the back] - Look at my ass! (8) I just came from the gym. (And probably smell bad.) Jesting aside, I received a wonderful tip from a visiting professor, who had recently completed his Ph.D.: "Grad school isn't about fashion statements; it's about learning. Pick a uniform, learn how to launder/de-wrinkle it, and don't think about clothes again until you are tenured." IMO, his advice is a little extreme, but I think the advice was well-meant. You can find comfortable clothes that aren't sweatpants and wear them in rotation. To some extent, the clothes you wear reflect the respect you have for the people around you. I am sure your professors will appreciate that, *at a bare minimum*, you put forth the effort of wearing pants that fasten.

A much appreciated read! I needed that.

I like to imagine that Tilda Swinton is singing to the adcoms for me... (stupid Polyvore won't allow embedding)

I also got it. I suspect it's a way to expand the number of applicants they can offer full funding to, when they send out admissions offers. UoChicago had a similar sort of fellowship opportunity due in January. I take this as (1) not a rejection (excellent!), (2) not an acceptance (bummer ), but (3) a sign that there are ways to cover tuition fees at LSE for international applicants. Side note: I think that enough applicants were sent the email that the site for the LSE application tracker shut down for a while this morning. About two hours ago, that link wouldn't work at all for me.

My only advice would be to act professionally. (And mainly, pursue your own intellectual interests.) I want to commend you for doing so, thus far. It stinks that there appears to be a double standard about academic females and who they date. Sometimes, you only have to do well in a male professor's class for the snide remarks to come out. You know what? It's your business. If you keep it professional, then no one can reproach you for that. Let's suppose that your current relationship stays strong throughout school, and after. Then you're lucky to have found someone who shares your intellectual passions. How wonderful! Who knows, maybe you can research together later, after you've established yourself. (Ever see those ultra cute professor couples who publish together?) Since you're at a different school currently, you shouldn't worry about people wondering if you got preferential treatment. Your performance, over time, will reflect your true ability anyway. Now, suppose that things do not work out in the long run. It's a sad thought, but who knows what the future holds? You've stayed professional, so even if it feels like emotions are tied up in your work, you will have your own (1) integrity and (2) research. I have never been involved with an authority figure (prof or TA), but I have dated several study partners. When the relationship went bad, I wanted to distance myself from those guys in every way, and I usually strayed from my academic interests for a time. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't mixed work and romance, but when hormones are flying, it's hard not to. In the end, you know what feels right. If you think your relationship is worth putting up with the immaturity of your cohort for a brief period of time, then do it! Best of luck!

Based on the assumption that all the programs grant a tuition waiver, I would go for prestige over money. Prestige can be it's own reward. Getting through a prestigious program (or working under a renowned researcher) can communicate a lot about your drive and ability when you're on the job market. For my BA and MA, I went where the money was, and my resume suffers for it. It's nice not being in the red, though. I think it's unwise to go into debt for a Ph.D. in any case.

This. It makes me think of L8R. Also, this could be dumb, but is it necessary to have a person of interest? I think there were only 3 or 4 schools where I named a specific professor in my SoP. I'm confused...

Best Case Scenario: A: Aw, cute! She thinks she's done research...but that's definitely sociology, not economics. And sociologists don't care about that topic either. B: And what's this in her SOP about the fashion industry? Did she take Confessions of a Shopaholic to heart? We don't need any ditzes... A: But her GRE score...How in the hell did someone from Mississippi get a 760 on the Verbal? B: Maybe she wasn't born there? A: No, look at the transcript. All 4 degrees come from a state school. Looks like she couldn't leave home. B: Eww, look at 2005. She let Katrina interrupt her studies. That wouldn't have been a problem if she hadn't done undergrad at a party school. A: Is that a...How dare she send us a transcript with an F on it! Toss her ap in the recycling bin before we waste any time reading the LORs!

I think that getting anyone other than the Office for Students with Disabilities at your univerisity to make exceptions for ADHD is an uphill battle. (I've been there; I've learned some about discrimination law in the process.) I wish you luck, but if it doesn't work, maybe I can pump up your ego a bit. I guess depending on how your ADHD affects you will depend on how you take my advice. I am a very slow, distracted reader but have no trouble with mathematics. (I actually hated the treatment medicine so much that I switched to a field that played up my strengths so I could be all natural.) I've been treated for ADHD for a decade now, and I've always been advised against getting extended time on standardized tests because the scores come with a marker that you received special assistance during the test. This may no longer be the case, but I didn't want to risk tacking on a negative identifier to my applications if I didn't have to. While working on my MA, it was also brought to my attention that most of my professors thought that an ADHD diagnosis was more of a crutch than a disorder. They are economics professors at top 10 party school, where students often abuse the system built to help them. Hopefully you won't run into them! Accepting that I wouldn't get extra time during the test, I bought myself time by studying hardcore for 2 months before the exam, and then taking it twice in about a 2 week period. I HATE studying for that sort of stuff, but I making sure to memorize as much (vocab and math identities) as I could to make up for time on test day. I turned most of it into a game, recruiting coworkers, relatives, and my husband to try to stump me on vocab and arithmetic. In the end, I think that my AW suffered a bit (4.5) because of the time constraint, but my verbal was much much higher than I expected, or even needed. (I got a 760V/800Q!) {Side note: the first time I took it, I got 700/700/3.5. I ran out of time on everything, but it familiarized me with the test and helped me tweak my study strategy.} I used to have the attitude that standardized tests were just like IQ tests, so there was no need for me to study. (Oh the arrogance of my youth!) I'm a bit more mature now, and I've realized that everyone else is studying for them, HARD, whether they tell you they are or not. Your intelligence masked your disability until college, so feel confident that undoubtedly you are smart enough to succeed at the GRE whether you have extra time or not. After all, the is more about strategy and vocabulary than intelligence. I would highly recommend looking for a test prep program that will teach you time-saving techniques whether you pursue the extra time allocation or not. Best wishes!

28. Female. And (just) married. I deviate from the norm in my field, which also seems very "academic-y." I tried to be "productive" with my quarter-life crisis, so I learned math, Czech, and Russian. Hope the ad coms smile on those skills.