eaboo316

When I got my first official acceptance (which is most likely the program I will attend), I was at an informal dinner as part of an interview weekend for another university.  The acceptance was also to the highest ranked school I applied to, so that definitely brought by confidence up for the interview.  The only bummer was that I couldn't really shout the news to anyone in proximity...would've been a bit of an awkward situation haha.

When I got my first official acceptance (which is most likely the program I will attend), I was at an informal dinner as part of an interview weekend for another university.  The acceptance was also to the highest ranked school I applied to, so that definitely brought by confidence up for the interview.  The only bummer was that I couldn't really shout the news to anyone in proximity...would've been a bit of an awkward situation haha.

When I got my first official acceptance (which is most likely the program I will attend), I was at an informal dinner as part of an interview weekend for another university.  The acceptance was also to the highest ranked school I applied to, so that definitely brought by confidence up for the interview.  The only bummer was that I couldn't really shout the news to anyone in proximity...would've been a bit of an awkward situation haha.

A haiku to summarize the thread:

Don't don't don't don't don't,

Don't don't don't don't don't don't don't,

You might get sued, don't

Do they have a Burlington Coat Factory in your town?I highly recommend some of the Kani Gold brands for men's clothes they usually have on sale there. There was a time I used to spend $40 dollars per item at the mall and later realized that my adjunct income was not cutting it anymore.

I recommend Burlington Coat factory!

Offered Award! I thought I'd offer a couple of tips, especially for anyone who may be perusing this board hoping to apply in the future:
 
If you are in a field where it is extremely rare to have publications early in your grad career (for example, almost everything is single authored in anthropology, and based on extensive fieldwork we do later in our grad career), be sure to present research at conferences, submit papers for awards, try to get things published on blogs, etc. If you're prepping to apply for the GRFP, dust off any research papers you've written  in the past and get them presented/read/submitted somewhere! There are lots of undergraduate paper competitions through AAA, ASA, etc. that no one really knows about. Smaller regional conferences are a supportive, non-intimidating way to get your work out there. And that stuff counts for the GRFP!
 
A hypothesis is totally necessary, even for fields like Anthro where that's not usually done. A contingency plan if your hypothesis is totally wrong = better. I expect to go to the field and find _______. If that is not the case, I plan to ___________. Either way, my project will answer this question:___________. From what I understand, they like this because they know even if your plan is an utter failure, the NSF will still not be wasting its money because you're going to re-route the project and it's still going to be great.
 
Broader impacts is so, so important. Multiple reviewers mentioned my past experience/future work with marginalized populations. In the future, I argued that my research will benefit these marginalized groups, and also that I will be working directly with those populations during the research process. Involve non-scientists IN your research if possible! Make a connection to education.
 
My advisor is an NSF reviewer. In the project proposal, she recommends one section for Broader Impacts and one section for Intellectual Merit. Don't think that either of these things will be implied by the rest of your proposal! You need to dedicate specific paragraphs to these things. In the Personal STatement, don't mention things you've done in your past without tying each one to BI and/or IM. Example: I volunteered at _______ place, which had the broader impact of reaching ____ group with scientific awesomeness.
 
Argue that your planned/current graduate program is the correct place for you to be-- this can be done by your recommenders, and/or in your personal statement. You don't have to re-hash your entire application or grad school or mention specific profs, just argue there are programs/resources/centers/labs that you need. One reviewer said he was confident about the success of my research based upon the program's fit for me.
 
Tell your letter writers they should be addressing BI and IM in their letters, and provide them with resources to know what exactly that means.
 
NUMBERS. Bullet points. Sub-titles and sections (Introduction/Context, Hypothesis, Methods, etc). Formatting is crucial to make your statement easy to read and remember. Again, this is something Anthro does not do a whole lot of, but the NSF loooooves it. Example: Personal statement: (this could be in your intro paragraph) I am prepared to do amazing research for three reasons: 1) I have a strong academic background, 2) I have a commitment to working with X population, as demonstrated through past research and volunteer experience, 3) my current grad program provides me with the resources to be successful. Research statement: This project has several broader impacts that will affect X population or Y body of knowledge: (a) __. Specifically, I will_____. (____ ©____.
 
The cookie-cutterness may be a turn-off for the social and interperative sciences, but you must must speak NSF's language to have any chance at an award.

Wow, you got yourself a tough situation here but that's because you're choosing between some wonderful offers!  Congratulations!!
 
If I were in your position, I think I would take the job without accepting either of the graduate school offers.  Graduate school itself (from what I hear) is like a full time job, and if you want to get the best out of the program, I don't think having a full-time job is advisable.  On a side note, that would be so much commuting!  Your gas expenses would skyrocket, plus that much time spent in the car could be well-spent somewhere else. 
 
Also, since you and your wife have a baby on the way, consider how much time you would be able to spend with your family.  Full-time job + graduate school does not equal enough quality time with mommy and baby, in my opinion.  The job sounds like it would provide the best support for you and your family as well. 
 
I read above that the reason you would like to pursue a PhD is to do research.  How about the research you would be doing at the full-time job?
 
I think you should consider all these factors when making your decision, especially your family.  You are young, and you can always pursue a PhD later if the urge is still there, but that is such an incredible job offer and I think you should accept it!  You may find out that you enjoy the job so much that the desire to apply to a PhD program will be gone. 
 
Hope that helped a little!

Wow, you got yourself a tough situation here but that's because you're choosing between some wonderful offers!  Congratulations!!
 
If I were in your position, I think I would take the job without accepting either of the graduate school offers.  Graduate school itself (from what I hear) is like a full time job, and if you want to get the best out of the program, I don't think having a full-time job is advisable.  On a side note, that would be so much commuting!  Your gas expenses would skyrocket, plus that much time spent in the car could be well-spent somewhere else. 
 
Also, since you and your wife have a baby on the way, consider how much time you would be able to spend with your family.  Full-time job + graduate school does not equal enough quality time with mommy and baby, in my opinion.  The job sounds like it would provide the best support for you and your family as well. 
 
I read above that the reason you would like to pursue a PhD is to do research.  How about the research you would be doing at the full-time job?
 
I think you should consider all these factors when making your decision, especially your family.  You are young, and you can always pursue a PhD later if the urge is still there, but that is such an incredible job offer and I think you should accept it!  You may find out that you enjoy the job so much that the desire to apply to a PhD program will be gone. 
 
Hope that helped a little!

Wow, you got yourself a tough situation here but that's because you're choosing between some wonderful offers!  Congratulations!!
 
If I were in your position, I think I would take the job without accepting either of the graduate school offers.  Graduate school itself (from what I hear) is like a full time job, and if you want to get the best out of the program, I don't think having a full-time job is advisable.  On a side note, that would be so much commuting!  Your gas expenses would skyrocket, plus that much time spent in the car could be well-spent somewhere else. 
 
Also, since you and your wife have a baby on the way, consider how much time you would be able to spend with your family.  Full-time job + graduate school does not equal enough quality time with mommy and baby, in my opinion.  The job sounds like it would provide the best support for you and your family as well. 
 
I read above that the reason you would like to pursue a PhD is to do research.  How about the research you would be doing at the full-time job?
 
I think you should consider all these factors when making your decision, especially your family.  You are young, and you can always pursue a PhD later if the urge is still there, but that is such an incredible job offer and I think you should accept it!  You may find out that you enjoy the job so much that the desire to apply to a PhD program will be gone. 
 
Hope that helped a little!

I agree that post-interview questions can be the most helpful in terms of the information you glean.  I think there are a few reasons for that: 1) Everyone's job during the visit is to woo you so all answers are usually pleasant, that seems to change slightly afterwards and 2) You don't really know what you care to know until you are comparing different schools.  Because of that, I also asked different questions of Faculty and Students, but I contacted others too.  For instance, I contacted a post-doc, past students and professors and friends I knew with ties to the school.  I was concerned about certain things based on the comparison the programs I was choosing between.  Those questions were along these lines:
 
-How productive are you able to be?  Does your adviser push you toward publication?  Are you able to be first author?  How does your adviser help you move from conceptualization to publication?  Is he/she very involved or do you so most of it on your own with approval from him/her?  (For faculty: how important is it for your students to publish?  About how many articles would you expect from a graduating student? What are the opportunities for collaboration and when can I expect that to begin?)
-What is the culture of the department like?  Are people close or do they just see each other at work?  What aspects of the department help you be successful in your program?  How much do they help prepare you for the job market?  How much networking do they help you do?  How much opportunity is there to practice public speaking and presenting research (i.e. brown bags, teaching, break-out sessions, lab, conferences...) (For faculty: what is your idea of the ideal student?  What is your mentorship style?  Would you call it hands on or off?  I am interested specifically in X, are you interested in combining our interests to pursue research about Y?)
-Are there teaching resources on campus?  What is the participant pool like?  How easy is it to get data? How many classes do you typically take? How is your work/life balance?  Is your adviser understanding of outside commitments like family?  (For faculty: is the small pool a barrier for productivity?  Are there other resources to help you gather data?  How much time would I spend on research as opposed to class?  How often would we meet?  Would there be a lab meeting with other students and undergrads?  How did he/she see my relationship with other grad students going? What is the competition for lab resources?)
 
These are all fairly specific to questions I wanted to ask.  My advice is to focus on the pros and cons of the schools and then formulate a question list to address those cons AND pros.  You don't want to convince yourself that school B is better because of an opportunity that you may not even really have or you may not have for a few years.  Also, no one acted like I was being rude or pushy, even when I asked questions about academic reputation so people are very much willing to help.  But, obviously, be tactful.

Since we are nearing to the end of the application cycle with some of us fortunate enough to hold multiple offers, I thought it would be helpful to start a thread on some questions to ask faculty and graduate students to help you make that final decision.  Right now, I am deciding between two programs and it's a really, really tough decision.  But, I find myself asking more, in-depth questions than I did for the interview.  Here are some questions I came up with, and please feel free to reply to this thread and add your input.  I'm sure it will help a lot of people out since there are many who are still waiting for responses!  The questions I put here are in the frame of a doctoral program, so masters people, please add your input as well!
 
Questions to ask faculty
What do you suggest is most important for a student to focus on during their first year?  (I think this is important to ask because many programs require a lot of coursework during the first year, so it will be a way to find out if your adviser will be understanding of the coursework you have if you are having trouble balancing coursework and research assistantships) What responsibilities will I have as a research assistant for the first year?  (You can also ask for second year and beyond).  What projects will I be working on? (If this is important to you) What mentorship opportunities are available for graduate students?   Will I be supervising undergraduates for research projects or assigned as an undergraduate adviser? What positions have your recently graduated students received?  On average, how long does it take one to complete the program? What opportunities are available for summer work? (also can ask graduate students of what their summers have been like).   When do your students usually start working on articles to publish?  
Questions to ask graduate students
How supportive is your adviser and faculty in your success?  Are advisers flexible based on the student's needs (like a hand-on or a hands-off approach). Did you find yourself pursuing the same research interests you came in with, or did you end up finding new interests to pursue? (Great question to ask for schools where you may not have the perfect research fit) How many articles have you published in your time in the program? (For advanced students) Do you feel that the training you received has prepared you to obtain a career in [insert whatever career they are pursuing]? Does your department encourage collaboration?  If so, how did you go about collaborating with faculty outside your department? (If this is important to you), are there opportunities for students to design their own study and collect and analyze their own data?  Are there resources on campus that support fellowship and grant proposals?  Is there a writing center to give feedback on writing? Are you able to live comfortably with your stipend without taking out any loans? How is the culture of [city your university is located?]  What do people usually do for fun (if one has time for that, that is haha).   What do you wish you knew before you started the program?  
I feel like I can add more and more, but I will stop.  Also ask more specific questions if you are interested in a certain part of the program like methodology training or getting involved with different centers.  Feel free to add more!
 

Since we are nearing to the end of the application cycle with some of us fortunate enough to hold multiple offers, I thought it would be helpful to start a thread on some questions to ask faculty and graduate students to help you make that final decision.  Right now, I am deciding between two programs and it's a really, really tough decision.  But, I find myself asking more, in-depth questions than I did for the interview.  Here are some questions I came up with, and please feel free to reply to this thread and add your input.  I'm sure it will help a lot of people out since there are many who are still waiting for responses!  The questions I put here are in the frame of a doctoral program, so masters people, please add your input as well!
 
Questions to ask faculty
What do you suggest is most important for a student to focus on during their first year?  (I think this is important to ask because many programs require a lot of coursework during the first year, so it will be a way to find out if your adviser will be understanding of the coursework you have if you are having trouble balancing coursework and research assistantships) What responsibilities will I have as a research assistant for the first year?  (You can also ask for second year and beyond).  What projects will I be working on? (If this is important to you) What mentorship opportunities are available for graduate students?   Will I be supervising undergraduates for research projects or assigned as an undergraduate adviser? What positions have your recently graduated students received?  On average, how long does it take one to complete the program? What opportunities are available for summer work? (also can ask graduate students of what their summers have been like).   When do your students usually start working on articles to publish?  
Questions to ask graduate students
How supportive is your adviser and faculty in your success?  Are advisers flexible based on the student's needs (like a hand-on or a hands-off approach). Did you find yourself pursuing the same research interests you came in with, or did you end up finding new interests to pursue? (Great question to ask for schools where you may not have the perfect research fit) How many articles have you published in your time in the program? (For advanced students) Do you feel that the training you received has prepared you to obtain a career in [insert whatever career they are pursuing]? Does your department encourage collaboration?  If so, how did you go about collaborating with faculty outside your department? (If this is important to you), are there opportunities for students to design their own study and collect and analyze their own data?  Are there resources on campus that support fellowship and grant proposals?  Is there a writing center to give feedback on writing? Are you able to live comfortably with your stipend without taking out any loans? How is the culture of [city your university is located?]  What do people usually do for fun (if one has time for that, that is haha).   What do you wish you knew before you started the program?  
I feel like I can add more and more, but I will stop.  Also ask more specific questions if you are interested in a certain part of the program like methodology training or getting involved with different centers.  Feel free to add more!
 

I suggest you look up the phenomenon known as "The Approach / Avoidance Conflict".  Just knowing this little tidbit about human behavior has allowed me to say "Yes" and "Why the Heck Not" to MANY more opportunities. 
 
Essentially, it refers to the fact that every major life event has both negative and positive attributes; for example, going to a PhD program will provide for numerous opportunities, it will enrich your life, let you meet new people....but it will also take you away from your home country, your family, not allow you to make very much money for a while, etc.  When a certain event (like starting grad school) is farther away, the positive aspects seems more relevant -- you tend to only think of the benefits. But as you actually get closer to having that goal become realized, the negative suddenly jump to the forefront of your mind. You begin to worry about how much you will miss out on, and you panic. 
 
For me, just realizing that these feelings are COMPLETELY normal and rational (even adaptive!), has helped me to see that these negative thoughts don't necessarily mean I should not move forward. They are just my anxieties coming to the surface, ready to be vanquished :-)
 
Hope it helps!  

I totally did the same thing when I visited a school this past weekend!  I was accepted to the school (have not officially taken the offer yet), and I bought a bunch of things for family and friends from the bookstore and spent so much! haha.  I will most likely go to this school but have another school visit that may change my mind.  For more merchandise, I am going to wait until I am officially a student...maybe students get some sort of discount.   

OISE's secretary just called to tell me I've been accepted into the PhD (CSTD) with full-funding!
 
Official letter should arrive in late March/early April.
 
Good luck everyone!
 
 

In retrospect, all the annoying people who kept saying "you'll get in somewhere" were right

My experience, which I've also shared in other threads, is that you have time exactly and only for those things that you find important. It's easy to get sucked into the work and occasionally indeed there are pressing deadlines and you need to work crazy hours. But on a regular basis, you structure your own time and schedule your own events. If downtime with your family and friends are important to you, you'll have time for them. If you neglect them, on the other hand, you might end up not seeing them at all. Same goes for hobbies, sleep, chores, volunteer work, trips and any other activities - you often need to be active in making those things a priority, but if you do then there is no reason why you can't have a good balance between your work and other aspects of your life.

Whenever I am reading the results search and see Caltech acceptances I secretly wonder what Sheldon Cooper will think about those people.

Two of the acceptances I received were phone calls, one from the director of the program, and one from my POI (I got official letters within a week or so from the phone call).  When they told me the good news, I let them know I was really excited and thanked them very much for taking their time to call me.  They talked most of the time during the call, and if you have any lingering questions, I think it is okay to ask them.  They pretty much answered all my questions on the phone before I could ask them (general funding overview, visit day/weekend info), so I just asked them when I would get an official letter.  Neither of the professors asked if I was going to attend, which was nice.  If they do ask that, and you are not ready to answer them, I would say that you are still waiting to hear from other schools and would let them know as soon as possible.  Hope this helps!

I love the manatee, so cute!!  I also want to share a video with you guys that made me forget just about everything unpleasant in life when I watched it!  If you like baby bunnies, this will be cuteness overload for you!
 

I got my first decision today... it was an acceptance to my top choice (and the only one i actually wanted to attend). beyond ecstatic, and i've been happy crying/on the verge of happy crying for the past 7 hours!

Hi guys! I've been lurking around here for a month or more & finally decided it was time to take the plunge & make some friends.  
 
First off, I wanted to say congrats to eaboo316 for getting into WSU! I go there now, as an undergrad - the program is great, & very new. I wish we had faculty doing the type of research I want to do in the future, because I love my current mentor & I also took a grad class this past Fall & loved that professor as well. So good luck to you if you decide to come here! 
 
I'm also applying to HDFS & have been rejected from about half my schools so far. I've been interviewed for two programs, one of which I got rejected from & one of which I got accepted to [Oregon State]. I've also been waitlisted for UW-Madison. It's all so stressful, but knowing that I at least have that one acceptance is such a relief!
 
I saw you were all talking about Penn State, which I also applied to & noticed the slew of acceptances/rejections in the results search. I have not heard from them yet either, but I also haven't checked my mail in a few days. We'll see tomorrow! 

interviewing tips, from dogs:
 

don't be too formal.
 

don't be too casual, either, and definitely get lots of rest the night before.
 

talk yourself up, but don't try to be someone you're not.
 

don't forget: strong, engaging, open body language is important!
 

a little personal touch to the old "skirt and blouse"/"blazer and tie" look never hurts, but don't get too crazy.
 

no matter what you decide to wear, a smile is the most important accessory!

saw this and thought I'd pass it along!
 

 
poor T-Rex! his short arms make everything harder.
 
 
and here's a hedgehog with a strawberry on top of it.
 

since we're up to our necks in the waiting process now, we've had a lot of negative vibes on this board lately, so i wanted to share one of my favorite things ever: the calming manatee. 
 

 
calming manatee loves you unconditionally. it wants to make sure you're nourishing your body, as well as your mind and soul. 
 

 
calming manatee agrees: it's totally jerky of adcomms to make you wait so long, after you put so much work into your applications. 
 

 
still, calming manatee is just as realistic as you are, and understands that sometimes a tasty beverage is the best solution.
 
 
in general, this is now a thread full of soothing and smile-inducing things from around the interwebs. waiting and decision-making are really stressful, so i think we all owe it to ourselves to create a little refuge of good vibes to temporarily distract us all from the swirling vortex of dismay, worry, and apprehension. 
 
enjoy, friends