GraduateSchoolNut

What happens if you receive a scholarship as a fully-funded PhD student? Do you get it or does the school get it? I kind of want to try to go out and win more money because I like winning money. Any thoughts?

I'm reviving this old string again. I don't have a job but want to do something nice for the people who wrote recommendations for me. Is it tacky to give them each a gift certificate to an online store for $20-30? Am I being super cheap? I really don't have a job!!! That way, I don't have to worry about catching them when they are in their office. I know some of them are on vacation, so....

Does anyone know what the hell this means?: XYZ's academic background is a little less competitive. I have a 3.9 GPA and 40% of my grades were A+'s, which did not factor into my GPA. Very confused about this one. That person offered less constructive criticism as well and wrote less.

Thanks all, much appreciated.

My professor kept saying to me that I should expect to work very late on campus for research. What does this mean? How late would I be expected to work? I know what that means for office jobs - 10 p.m. to midnight sometimes, but what does this mean for RA-ships? In particular, if I plan on going to school at 10, taking two classes.... what time would be considered a very late night? Is he just psyching me out or are very late nights normal?

To the person that said do whatever the hell you want - well... what can I really say? Who here would want to associate with someone with that attitude? My advice is to do what is best for you, but to treat the people on the other end the way you would want to be treated. As in, tell them NOW, and do not WAIT until the VERY last minute so they cannot get other good candidates. The longer you wait the more rude you are being and the angrier they will be.

Got it. Good answer and I am on board with it. =) Good luck!

I'm not sure you should be getting a PhD if you are asking this question the way you have. Everyone knows it depends on specialty.

Sorry, but that's just weird - my opinion only.

I think they really gave a highly subjective, and, therefore, inappropriate and unprofessional, reason.

If you like NY, don't go to UCLA. You'll hate it.

Maybe there are tax reasons? They get to write it off?

I think asking where you applied is quite normal. Many schools I applied to requested this information. Asking in writing who you were talking to was what I thought they were asking. I guess I'm in the minority in thinking it's weird.

I guess what I found unprofessional is that they put it in a letter to you. I find that to be strange. I've been ASKED, and it actually helped me to tell, but I guess the letter just seemed weird to me. Well, each person is entitled to his own opinion. Good luck!

That sounds very unprofessional that they would send you a letter like that. I wouldn't tell them. You never know. Tell them after you've made a decision.