Rachel B

Kind of an old thread, but I graduated from LSU's ENVS program last year. They take an interdisciplinary approach. I got to take field-based science classes and also law classes in the law school. It was a good experience.

I've done this and I think it's an essential part of applying to graduate school. It gets your name out and may give you a huge leg up when it comes to the adcomm. Prior to calling I would go on the school website and see what information they have posted about the professors. Look at what classes they teach, what their research is on, etc. and write down a list of questions you want to ask them. It's also a good idea to drop them an email first to briefly introduce yourself and ask when a good time to speak on the phone is.

Is your university a reputable or well-known school? If they are looking at your GPA, which translates to a 3.2, they probably won't care too much since your application is being compared to people across the globe and not people whom you went to school with. Just because you have a high GPA among others at your school doesn't mean you have a high GPA period. If it is due to a lack of grade inflation, I would have a recommendation writer point this out since it's more credible to hear it from a faculty member.

There has to be proof, which may be nearly impossible to get, and many universities stand behind the administrators and faculty making those decisions.

What kind of aid are you receiving? My institution told me that my federal unsubsidized stafford loan will be disbursed 10 days before classes start.

I don't want to discourage you either. But there's also a saying that goes "don't put all your eggs in one basket." Being so limited and focused can sometimes be a liability. You want to make sure you can support yourself on your journey and you have a back-up plan.

My federal loan isn't going to be applied until August and it will have to cover all my fee costs first. You might want to call VaTech and ask if you can get it disbursed early, but I'm not entirely sure if this is possible. I also noticed your school has temporary short term loans available for student-related expenses (including rent). Although it only goes up to $600, it might be worth looking into: http://www.finaid.vt.edu/types_of_aid/loans/short-term/index.html

A friend of mine applied to Columbia's M.S. program and was accepted. She double majored at her undergrad institution in environmental studies and creative writing with a GPA of 3.8. She also had numerous honors and did an internship with the New York Times. However, she ended up declining Columbia's offer and instead is attending Medill at Northwestern. I would say you have a fairly good chance of getting in, but you might also want to look at other programs, including NYU's M.A. program with the option for an Advanced Certificate in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting. NYU is also a very prestigious journalism school. Also, this is directly from the National Geographic website: Vacancies on our editorial staff are usually filled by men and women who have had quite a few years of experience in the newspaper or magazine publishing fields. In preparation for such work, many of our writers have made a thorough study of the sciences, journalism, and English, and in some cases know several languages. A solid academic background and a proven record of success in one's chosen field are most important. However, because we cannot know a person's particular talents nor assure employment after a completed course, we do not encourage gearing a career or educational program specifically toward employment by the National Geographic Society.

What kind of information are you looking for? Just because a school accepts a large percentage of students doesn't mean that its a low quality education. However, IIT doesn't seem to be a top ranked school and what you should think about are the job prospects of a food science degree. Since you've been offered no financial aid, how are you planning on paying for your expenses? If you only take out loans, you're looking at about $36,000 in debt for each year of the program. I'm from Chicago and while I love the city, it is expensive to live there. If you're worried about the quality of the degree and the finances, why not wait a few years to strengthen your resume? This could help you get into better programs and possibly get better financial aid.

What is your tax situation with your parents? Unfortunately, that will be a big factor. If you're able to claim your parents as your own dependents, you may open the door to more financial aid. If you're not able to, it's very unlikely that you'll find financial aid for your situation. Here's a helpful article on claiming your parents as dependents http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/can-i-claim-my-mother-as-a-dependent/ I would suggest making some phone calls to financial aid departments to further your search too.

80%- four acceptances, one rejection

Make sure that you know the conditions of withdrawing your commitment at Berkeley before you accept Stanford's offer. The only reason I say this is because the conditions differ from school to school and some schools may require you to still pay for a full year's worth of tuition and fees.

Even though so many people have tattoos today, I don't think the professional world and tattoos are in harmony by any means. If you're looking to work in an office or a professional field, you should expect to cover up any type of tattoo. I have three tattoos: one on each shoulder blade and one below my collarbone. I attended an interview for an internship last summer and just because the edge of my tattoo was showing, the office coordinator told me I would need to change tops or wear a scarf. So like you said, location is the biggest factor. Of course, avoid the face, neck, and hands. But if you're considering your lower arms for any reason, ask yourself if you always want to have to wear long sleeves while at work. Because of my one tattoo, I have to make sure I buy tops that have a higher neckline or make sure I pin my shirts so that my tattoo is covered. It's just something else to consider.

I'm majoring in environmental studies at my current institution and will be attending an M.S. Environmental Science program in the fall. I've looked at a ton of Environmental Studies graduate programs so I can share with you what I was able to find out. While you don't have to have a science degree for ALL environmental studies program, many programs have prerequisite requirements like biology and chemistry. Because it's so interdisciplinary, environmental studies programs welcome students from other degree backgrounds like political science and the humanities, but because the emphasis is still on "environment," those science classes are important. ALSO, there are M.A. and M.S. Environmental Studies programs and the M.A. requirements may be very different from the M.S. I suggest looking at specific programs, their concentration options, and what kind of academic background they desire. I'm just including some links to programs I looked at and if you have additional questions or need help, feel free to PM me. CU-Boulder http://envs.colorado...am/C22/Masters/ UPenn http://www.sas.upenn...ps/graduate/mes Kentucky State http://mes.kysu.edu/ U Oregon http://envs.uoregon....s/mastersabout/