Mal83

We're all still here...aren't we? Yes I do believe so.

Thanks! have you tried contacting contacting the program director yet? you should tell them you need to know now.

I'm even more anxious than I was when I first posted in this thread because yesterday I got accepted off of the waitlist to my dream school and total dream come true program. I mean walking to school and passing the Capitol Building is there anything better than that? I guess really what I'm anxious for is to be done with my job so that I can enjoy the time I have left. I'm about a day away from learning if I've been approved for an apartment and really making my plans to get out there.

Gee thanks! Good luck at Yale!

I just got in off the waitlist at my dream school this morning. After the shock wore off enough for me to do what I had to in order to extract myself from the other school, I quickly and with almost no hesitation sent 2 "due to unforeseen circumstances...." emails, one to the program coordinator and the other to the financial aid office. About 2 hours later both of them responded with basically "We're sorry you can't attend, best of luck." So it was quick and painless...thank god I hadn't yet sent a deposit. Just like that I was done with the other school and in at my dream one. I haven't been this happy in a long time, it was a great way to start the day.

Holy...moly....it happened, I got in off the waitlist to my dream school. I just started to not care anymore and I was satisfied with where I was going, I figured that by now, the day of the deadline of when they said they'd get decisions out, that I would just find the expected reject email. NO! That's not what I got. I check my email first thing in the morning on my ipod because I use it as an alarm clock and the internet pops up in seconds, I mean I'm looking at email even before I make it into the bathroom. I saw the school name in the sender column and was in a flash seeing a "Congratulations!" I was so shocked I could barely say anything other than..."I got in to GW" with my hands clasped to my face. My mother thought I was sleepwalking and also having a nightmare at the same time. Then I had to extract myself from the other school I committed too long ago...for all those who are in the same dilemma and are worried about doing the same thing, it was really quick and painless. I sent the program coordinator and financial office the "due to unforeseen circumstances my plans have changed dramatically and for very personal reasons have to rethink my situation, I just need to withdraw from the school and have already dropped my classes" email. I got responses back in about 2 hours that were basically "Ok, We're sorry you can't attend, best of luck to you." And the rest is history and I'm now going to the school I've dreaming about for who knows how long now. Thank god I didn't have to send a deposit to the other school yet. I just can't get over it, I'm still shocked and I got the news 16 hours ago.

Whoa! Just got into GW off the waitlist! Wasted no time accepting and sending in that enrollment form...this is such a dream, I'm still shocked and I got the email at 7:30 this morning...16 hours ago....YAY!

@bgreenster....couldn't agree more with your assessment, I don't know anyone that served in any other region but Eastern Europe is tough emotionally, especially TEFL because it's not something that's tangible, you're not building hospitals or bridges, you're hoping that some kids learn some English. I did other things besides teaching and I'd have to say that writing a grant was the best learning experience I had in terms of professional development, I don't ever want to teach again. I spent about a year in a village and the rest of my service in a large city with European shopping malls, movie theaters, and about 8 McDonald's places, both of them were emotionally draining for very different reasons. In a village the reality of the poverty and apathy are tough to overcome and in a city like the one I served in "What the hell am I doing here?" is something that I asked myself all of the time. Eastern Europe is a mixed bag, you might end up in a place where the hardship of living is half the battle or in a modern city where you have a lot of resources at your finger tips to do your job. I did find out that Ukraine is dubbed "Posh corps" which is infuriating because unless you were a pcv there you have no idea how hard it is emotionally, what I mean is that there is just a lot of apathy that TEFL volunteers encounter, the typical teacher isn't interested in anything beyond you being the "American accent in the room"...that's not everyone and I've met some good teachers and people who cared about why I was there, I loved my counterpart and her familybut generally speaking there was a sense of dissatisfaction throughout the group. And on a cultural level there's a sense that it's modern and a bit familiar but almost at every turn there was something that happened reminded you it was very foreign, but on the other hand it's supposed to be foreign and it's supposed to be hard. I did things that I never would have thought I'd do and I joined in order to experience life in a different way, which I most certainly did. I think I got as much as I could have out of it and I will always be grateful to the Peace Corps for that opportunity as well as to represent the USA in a service capacity, I took that oath very seriously and was so proud of it. I don't know about budget cuts, but for Ukraine they've been upping the amount of volunteers, they've been wanting to double the number in country...to 600. There were around 300 volunteers in the country at any given time while I was there...which is a lot.

I'm basically in the same boat you are, but I'm going to George Mason which is relatively close in norther VA. I currently live in arizona and do not anticipate going out there to look at apartments, just can't see spending the money to do that. I need every penny for the huge expense it will be to get out there and get started in my expensive apartment. I will be living by myself, I want to avoid the roommate situation at all costs, I just need my own space. I also don't want to touch websites like Craig's List or For rent by owners, I need the security of a legit lease and apartment complex. But these things are costly in this area. I have been finding quite a few options that are right at my price limit and I've had to get comfortable with spending a little more than I anticipated. I'll be getting a grad plus loan so I'll be OK paying around 1000-1100 a month for a little while until I find any kind of paying job. Anything cheaper and it's a bad neighborhood, too far out in the suburbs as I will not have a car, or it's someone's basement apartment. I've found quite a few options in Alexandria VA, which is metro accessible and minutes from DC on Forrent.com and apartmenthomeliving.com. I know it's out of context, I've been having trouble with that too. But I've been intensively getting into it and have found the more phone calls I make and the more research I do the better I feel about it. Find some places in your price range and call them, ask them the important questions, if you're going to live outside of DC and won't have a car you need to know how walkable the area is. It's best to just call and ask. I've seen websites say one thing and then it's a little different when I call. Also Google Earth is a great resource, you type in any address and you'll be able to literally see all of these moving maps that are literally right down on the ground, you can see the street you'll have to walk down in order to get to the metro or bus...it's still not quite the same as going there and getting a feel for it, but I think we have the resources to make the best decisions possible. I've already got out 2 lease applications so it's starting to come together...

Ok so I don't have any sound advice to offer, however I was grappling with the issue for a while too, but only hypothetically because I accepted an offer from my backup long ago but I'm still waiting to see if I'll get an offer from my dream school off the waitlist. There's no funding involved here and I'm going for more of a professional degree, but it's still the same issue. "What if I get in and how will school b react?" At this point for me though, I don't think it's going to happen because the school's deadline for letting us know is May 21st...2 days away and I believe someone posted here a few weeks ago about getting an offer so they've probably finished up making offers. Now that I'm in the throws of apartment hunting, I'm relocating across country, I haven't been really thinking about the dream school, it's lost a little of it's luster for me now that I have major logistical plans to make and don't have the energy to obsess over it anymore. Although both schools are in the same area. The scariest thing for me was the financial aid, I'm dependent upon those loans, I've had them already secured for a while, what if I back out of the backup and then something gets screwed up and they don't come through at the other school? However, should I get a surprise offer, like you, my head would tell me that the most practical and safe choice would be to stick it out at school B, but my heart would be tugging me in the direction of a top school in my field and my fear is that I'll regret not making the switch. But really, what would that phone call be like? Where you have to explain that you're not going anymore. I mean I'm sure that people end up having to make some tough decisions that might alter their plans drastically and just can't attend grad school even after accepting an offer. Life happens like that. Since you're getting funding and not dependent on loans I feel like you should make that unpleasant and awkward phone call that will last a few minutes rather than regretting and sticking it out for 4 or 5 years. I'm not sure what kind of consequences there could be, other than awkwardness at future conferences. Would you tell them specifically why you can't attend? Or something more vague like "I've had a drastic change of plans and can no longer attend." Maybe if you kept it to "personal reasons" they wouldn't pry too much...not sure. Or maybe it would be better if you just laid it out there and tell them that you have to do what's best for you and your wife and that's that.

well, just in case anyone else ever comes across this or a similar issue....it turns out that after diving into apartment hunting I have found that cosigning is absolutely an option, even from out of state. The real estate agent was either entirely misinformed...which I find hard to believe, or lying because he didn't want to be bothered, which is much more reasonable knowing that my father was a real estate agent at one time and has first hand knowledge of how he and others do not typically want to be bothered with rentals because there's no money in it. The apartment I'm applying for right now even accepted just a letter from my father saying that he'll help with the rent if the need should arise. He doesn't even have to really cosign. So when relocating to an unfamiliar area don't bother with real estate agents if you're just renting, it's really overwhelming at first but once you get into it you realize it's totally doable. I had contacted a few other agents too and the ones that actually responded were let's just say less than enthusiastic.

Hi, I'm going to George Mason this Fall and was wondering if it's true that most places in that area won't accept Out-of-state cosigners. At this point I'm not sure that I'll need a cosigner at all but the only money I'll have coming in is from a grad plus loan and the savings that I have...so all in all it's about 20,000 that I'll have for the up coming year. I'm a first time apartment hunter and I'm overwhelmed a bit so my father and I contacted a Weichert realtor in Fairfax to help me out. All we told him was that I'm coming from Arizona to start grad school and I'd like to find something at around $900 a month..give or take. He responded with, "most places won't even accept cosigners let alone out-of-state ones." We never said I'd need a cosigner and I've been finding a few options on the GMU off campus housing site, why would landlords advertise on school sites if they don't want tenants who are students first and foremost? He said I'd have better luck going with For Sale By Owner properties, maybe that's another option, but can anyone weigh in on cosigning in Virginia? What he said shook me up a bit, not necessarily because of the rent prices but because I'm worried that my applications would be thrown out because they'll see that I'm nothing but a student at this point. So if my parents could cosign as a backup I'd feel much better.

I used the Kaplan general review book plus the quantitative workbook for extra practice, the general review book wasn't enough for me as I graduated from high school back in 2001 and therefore felt like I had to relearn 4 years of math all over again. I just went to Borders and looked through all the books, Kaplan just seemed more appealing.

we don't know the whole story obviously and probably never will since the original poster has abandoned the thread...and for good reason, I mean seriously.

The first thing you really need to do is to figure out what you want a Master's degree in...or PhD if you eventually want to teach in college...I assume. I don't know if you're going to find any program that is as specific as what you've mentioned here, but I would start with a simple google search. Type in something like "Ancient History graduate programs" or "classical studies graduate programs"....something like that, see what hits you get, investigate the schools that come up, you'll have to look at each program and decide if it offers you what you mostly want. Maybe if you're not 100% sure of what you want then perhaps something in your research will strike you. If you have geographic preference that will narrow down your search. Don't worry about school rankings, just look for programs that interest you, when you start narrowing down your options you can decide how much you're willing to spend on an education...presitge vs low debt...that sort of thing. Then I guess you'll have to decide how much of a factor your language skills will play into it, maybe it's not something you have to worry about too much or maybe you'll want to refocus on one of them. I took Latin in high school for 2 years...I don't remember anything except for the word for farmer. You should also look at your transcript and know exactly what your GPA is, if it's around 3.6 that's pretty solid and will not hinder your chances at Master's degree. Then you start looking at the admissions requirements for each school. It will seem like a lot at first, it will be a little confusing and every school, while the basics are the same, will want something a little different. When you're looking at requirements you'll get a decent sense of where you stack up. Generally speaking, a 3.0 GPA is the cut off, so no worries there, doesn't mean automatic admission by any means but your GPA is not something to be too concerned about. You'll probably have to take the GRE, every program and every school has a different GRE requirement, just look into each school's website. Keep a list of all the schools that strike you and their available programs of interest so you can compare and mull them over, see how they feel. Time is on your side here so don't fret too much. Don't hesitate to ask anything else...you might also want to post in other sections, like "The Lobby" or "Applications" you'll get more general info on the process itself. A lot of people here have a lot to say about the process as many of us just literally went through it.

Have you contacted the PhD Program Coordinator yet? If not then that's what I would do now. You've got nothing to loose by asking for a time frame or if they've reviewed your file. Maybe impress upon them that you're an international student and have a lot of decisions to make...I don't know something like that. Plus include in the email to the PC that you are still very committed to the program...I don't know if that helps, but it certainly won't hurt. I did the same thing in an email to admissions regarding my waitlist status and they said thanks for confirming your interest...not that that means anything but a lot can happen with applicants between the time of getting on the waitlist and then admissions getting around to accepting them, so they want to know that they're offering to applicants who still really want to attend. Someone posted a few days ago that they got accepted off the waitlist at my dream school and they declined immediately...I'm glad they declined, but from an admissions stand point, that was a real waste of an acceptance, I would think that an applicant who is in touch with them and confirming their interest is more likely to take advantage of an offer.

What does this mean? I'm going to Mason in the Fall, don't care what the campus looks like, it's not like I'll be an undergrad spending my life there. Not sure if I want to live in Fairfax as I hope to be able to work in DC, so ideally I'd like to live in between Fairfax and Arlington, not going to live in DC and pay those prices.

I wasn't overly organized or anything, but I did make an actual materials checklist for each school and hung them up in my bedroom where I would be able to look at them all of the time, each time I looked at them it sunk in more and more what exactly it is I need to do. I didn't keep binders or folders of stuff, didn't really have much in the way of physical materials from schools, but I am the kind of person who really likes to check things off of to-do lists. Each time I can put a check mark next to something the less overwhelmed I am and the more accomplished I feel. I didn't take down the lists until I heard from each school because it was only then that I felt really "finished" with them. I also came across a really great "fortune" from a fortune cookie while I was in the middle of the "waiting for results" process and really needed a lift because I had just found out I was on the waitlist for my dream school, I hung that up next to the lists, it says "never confuse a single defeat with the final one." It was so appropriate at the time that it was a little eerie. Now for some reason I can't seem to bring myself to take down the one from the school I was accepted to. It still hangs there, right in front of my face...the other 2 I took down right away and put up my acceptance letter next to the check list...sentimental maybe. When I stop to look at it I marvel at how much work it was, that I actually got it all done and it paid off. It's my favorite list at the moment.

You've certainly come to the right place... First, in regards to your GPA, it's a tad low, but it's not that bad. You should consider taking an extra class, maybe there's something you can do online that directly relates to your program. To do well, as in getting an A, would probably do a lot for you. It would show your commitment as well as focus and ability. If you choose to not boost your application with say an extra class that you take in between now and the time you have to submit your transcripts then I would look around for a few safety schools. My GPA is around the same (3.35), but I have experience that directly relates to my field, however I relied too much on the idea that Peace Corps experience will get me into a top International Relations school, I was waitlisted by my dream school..will get a decision within 2 weeks now, but was rejected by my second choice. If I didn't have the smarts to apply to a safety school I might not be going anywhere this Fall as it thus far is the only acceptance I've gotten. I'm not counting on my dream school. It's now in retrospect that I see I should have taken another class, I had the time, I kind of regret it. As far as the GRE goes, I can't provide too much there, I took it twice and ended up with what I consider to be a decent score, tests like that are a nightmare for me, especially the quantitative section. The GRE is weighted differently at every school and for every program... But most importantly, you have a lot to say in a statement of purpose, a lot of great things. I can't get too particular as I'm not in the sciences, but as someone who has done it already and feels that it was one of my strong points in my app, I'd say that the SOP is not a place to simply retell in great detail your entire story. However, you have so much in the way of ambition and initiative (all of that self-taught stuff) that potentially you could have a dynamite SOP. The point of it is to not simply list your accomplishments and experiences, but to relate it to the program and how the things you've done (or a few major things) have prepared you academically, professionally, and emotionally for graduate school. Work experience can help offset a lower GPA, as can a great GRE score, so you've a lot to work with here. This is your chance to show admissions committees your ability to tie all of your experience together and convince them that you are even more prepared than most applicants to do this because of all of the self-motivated effort you put into your projects. Writing an SOP can take a long time, the more you've done, the more work it is because it's about finding the right experiences to relate to the specific program. I would choose the most relevant projects/jobs and things that you are the most proud off to talk about. You're obviously passionate about this or you wouldn't have for all of those years taught and pushed yourself to get better at it, that's something you want to convey in your SOP, that everything you have done has led you to this and each experience has only reaffirmed your passion for furthering yourself in the field. It's a lot to think about, I don't have nearly the amount of experience and it was still very hard because I obsessed over every word. But I kind of enjoyed doing, this was my time to be more than a collection of data. I don't know what kind of emails your sending to these professors and again I'm in a different ball game with more of a professional Master's degree, but you can't get discouraged by what they're telling you, they don't have the time to say anything else if you think about it. If it's not obvious right off the bat with 3.9 GPA from MIT than what else are they going to say? They're not going to come back and ask you to describe yourself more, especially if you're not even in the application phase yet. You're better off maybe getting in touch with someone in admissions at your schools, you can tell them your numbers and also about your experiences, it's actually their job to tell you what they're looking for. Just start out with a few things you've done and ask them if they consider it to be relevant experience and if they value the initiative you've taken to do your job... But you have options and time to do the things you need to do, so I wouldn't fret too much, although that's easier said than done...hope that helps!

The fastest was 2 weeks after the deadline, but it was also the latest deadline, being March 15. My acceptance letter was dated March 30. Then for school 2 it was 6 weeks after the February 1st deadline and that was a waitlist, but everyone's decision was emailed at the same time for that school. The worst was school 3, a reject came the first week in April after their January 15th deadline...2 and a half months. I'll know by the 21st about my waitlist school, which also happens to be my dream school, probably won't happen, but it'll be good to just know either way. At the time of receiving this notice I took as a rejection because in early March the 3rd week of May felt like it might as well be a year away..now that it's here I just want to get the final word and get it over with. So I don't know, despite the late deadline at the one school, I'm grateful for the quick acceptance.

Wow, I sent them an email on Thursday for any update they might be able to provide on the waitlist progress, but was told there's no news to report at the moment. I didn't get anything on Friday...I wonder if that's a sign that I didn't get in, like they sent all of the admits out at once. Wonder if they keep going down the list, since you declined quickly maybe they'll offer your spot up to someone else....like me. Well, still trying to not get too worked up about it, I still have somewhere to go this Fall and at this point I'm happy about it. But I do have a sliver of hope I suppose...congrats on the acceptance and thanks for declining

I'm in a different field as well (global affairs), but here are my stats just so you can compare... undergrad GPA:3.35 in International Studies GRE scores: V570 Q550 W 4.5 Experience: Peace Corps volunteer: 2 years, study abroad: 1 semester, 1 short term over the summer Accepted to one school, waitlisted at my first choice (top tier for IR), and rejected from another... So my numbers aren't stellar...but I have great experience that pertains directly to my field and my BA couldn't be anymore suited to what I'll be pursuing in grad school. How important is the GRE in my field? It counts for something for sure, but really the Quant score isn't nearly as weighty in International Relations as it would be in the sciences or mathematics. I don't know about retaking it, I really don't know that much about applying for science grad programs, but when I look at your scores I think they're really good. Although I'd say that the writing score could use a bit of a boost, but again, not sure how much if at all that will play into your applications. But based on what I've learned in these forums and what the previous poster said, perhaps taking a subject test will be the best course of action. Or if you don't want to go that route, maybe take another class that directly relates to the subject matter of your program of choice, doing well in an extra class always gives your application a fresh boost and if you can get a letter of recommendation from that professor, all the better. But you do need to do the research first, what schools and programs are you most interested in? Look at their requirements and stats, maybe your stats will fit right in or start asking admissions about what they might recommend. Why take the GRE all over again when a subject test would serve you better? Start thinking along those lines.

I am anxious as well, I'm very ready to return to academia not only because of the collegiate atmosphere but also for the career opportunities being a grad student and living in the DC area will bring. To say that I've had enough of my preschool job is quite the understatement. Everyday I have to go there just feels like another day wasted...only 4 more weeks to go though. Telling my boss that I'm done was very liberating, but I still dread just about every minute of it. I'm beyond ready to be productive in my field, with my peers, and in the one area of the country in which I need to be...yes very anxious for that indeed.

Ha, indeed...I too was TEFL. As soon as those form are available get them out to whoever you can. That was my mistake, made out of ignorance, I waited until November...I thought that was plenty of time. I had no idea it was going to be that painful. I was horrified when it was the day of the deadline and it still wasn't done, I mean I started freaking out a few weeks before because I just wasn't hearing from him at all, he said he had a ton of them to do and I understood, but man just keep me informed..when I email you, reassure me you haven't forgotten and you know when the deadline is...that's all I need. But if you're asking around now and the forms aren't even available yet then you are still in very good shape. See here's what I do when I don't get an email response and it's important to me...send the exact same email again after I can't take waiting anymore, because you're right, you're probably not being deliberately ignored but you've probably been forgotten, that's just the nature of email, it's really easy to put it aside and truly forget about it. When I do the resend I just put at the top, "not sure if you got my first email, but just in case, I was really hoping you'd be able to....yada yada...," something like that. They'll probably have some memory of it and then they know you mean business and will be much more likely to get back to you. If a few weeks have gone by then it's time to resend. You have nothing to loose, if they don't want to do it they'll tell you as much the second time, it's not like they'll go from wanting to do it for you and then not because you sent them another email about it weeks later.

Seriously? Who says every grad student in order to be successful has to have a 4.0 GPA? I feel like you'd use the word terrible to describe grades such as Ds or worse. You'll regret it if you withdraw in order to work at Starbucks, I'm not sure coffee will be as satisfying as a Master's degree.