IRdreams

My loans are all subsidized and currently in deferment due to my status as a grad student. However, I really dislike being in debt and am bad at long term savings. I've also had a bit of a windfall and have the cash on hand to payoff a portion of the principle. What will happen to my deferment status if I do payoff a bit of the loans? I will still be in grad school for at least another 3 years and would like to have deferment remain in effect, but I'd like to get some of the debt down especially while its is not accruing interest. I know the most logical plan would be to save money and accrue interest on that and pay them off in one lump, but with my savings patterns that seems unlikely.

As to trying it out, I chose a brand that I could easily try their cognate mattresses in stores. Thats part of the reason I went for the serta. Mattresses come in firm, plush (aka soft), and pillowtop. From my trials, I decided that I'd be most comfortable on a serta pillowtop. The price in the two mattress stores I went into was about 300 dollars more than the overstock price. I waited for a sale though and still got the price down. There is some risk to this process obviously. There can be fluctuation between one brand's beds within their softness class, but my experience was good. I got a product that matched the comfort and quality of the ones I had tried in the store and for substantially less.

I second the start early advice. I held it off a little bit later than I would have liked. 3 professors did read it before it went out and all worked out well, but I still feel like I could have improved it had a I left time for one more round of editing. I also didn't find out about it until the end of my first year so if it hadn't worked out well I wouldn't have had 2 additional shots which I think is a good thing. I learned alot from the comments and so even if you don't get it, the comments should be helpful for your research and for future grantmanship.

So I purchased a serta mattress at overstock for a good price. Delivery was 2-3 dollars and they set up in my first floor walkup. I also purchased a bedframe from Ethan Allen online with good results. I will note that most online sites are very deceptive about the materials of their "wood furniture." For example, "Solid Wood" often means hard wood solids...aka particle board. So if you are buying the frame from a less respected source it would likely be best to go for the metal options. Again, overstock has quite a few as do their competitors. If you just want the mattress, the best thing do to would to buy that online and wait to peruse craigslist for a frame since these are always on there in substantial numbers and for a fraction of the cost of new furniture. Furniture is a lot like a car; it depreciates quickly. Good luck.

It would also be absurd in light of the fact that there a number of programs that are designed to have a high attrition rate. Such a practice would be especially predatory under that model of admissions. Fellowship money is the only no strings attached funds and I would double check to see if you signed anything related to any fellowships you have taken, but more likely than not the money is not owed back. The argument that drop out rates would be lower is particularly persuasive as a result.

water gate

Fun thread. I thought I'd add an amusing response angle for fellowship winners to the mix. Me: Mom, I just won a butt load of money and won't have to TA for 3 years, if ever again. Mom: TAing is good for the soul. Me: Thanks for that hearty congrats. Committee Member Me: Hey sorry, I didn't mean to interupt something...just had a quick piece of news about the NSF...I got it. CM: What? Really? No way?...Awkward hug time. On reflection I think I felt a little worried about the CM being "too shocked," but whatever. Undergrad Adviser Me:So thanks again for that letter. I got funded! UA: That's great. Your chances for getting a job just went up, but there is a darkside. Your chances for tenure just went down. A friend of mine won one and self isolated and thus didn't create an enriched intellectual environment and couldn't come up with a second project. Me: That sucks...(in my head: don't you need more than one point to plot a trend though? Didn't you teach me about the logic of regression analysis and degrees of freedom?)

So I'm doing formal substantive work at top 20. Your course work is substantially stronger than mine was/is on admission, but your grades will throw that into question. It would likely be better to not sell your self as a modeler. Focus on substantive work you'd like to do in your admissions essays. When you get admitted, it is easy to transition and then you won't be trying to battle what is otherwise a very strong signal that there could be a problem with your file. That said, more quantitative places like Stanford (and Harvard even has a special section of their app dedicated to your math) are going to be suspicious of you regardless with numbers like that. If you are insistent on signaling quantitative ability, I can think of two suggestions: take another math sequence and demonstrated MARKED improvement. Also, though it is kind of expensive, it might be worthwhile doing a session or both at ICPSR in Ann Arbor this summer and taking the game theory sequence. Morrow will be teaching the advanced section and if you were to impress him I imagine that a letter from him speaking to your ability to do actual modeling would go a LONG way to helping your case. The GRE isn't going to help much considering the way it is used, though you should still try to your best. At many schools, the GRE is simply used to determine which files to open and read further versus put in the circular file. The GRE is also considered a weaker signal of being able to do quantative work than actual course work since the topics tested are so basic that it likely will not outweigh bad marks.

antique dealer

discount rate

I'm not sure that the NRO is the "new international research opportunity" as it is not particularly new.

been there

chain link

My step sister was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she started grad school. She seems to be on time so I think it is doable, but she has an indomitable amount of energy too.

chronic smoker

getting off

sex change

sex ratio

I'd second the no uggs in Boston. I did my undergrad there and they salt so the snow melts so at the curbs there are usually puddles hidden under a bank of snow that you have to step through to cross the street. If you are wearing uggs, your feet will get wet. Ugg "winter boots" are also not waterproof so avoid at all cost.

early edition

tangent line

girl talk

crocodile hunter (RIP)

physical therapy

paranormal activity