wildviolet

Are you going to the invite weekend? Kind of short notice... lucky I'm on the west coast.

Got the email this afternoon. Accepted!

I know! They have such a late application deadline compared to other schools. Well, I'll still consider UW only if they include funding information along with the acceptance. If not, I have a school that really wants me already.

Sorry, I don't know that I can offer much advice, but I can certainly sympathize with your situation. After I had completed my thesis, I had to submit a change of program form because I had taken a class that was not originally on the form. This form required three signatures! My adviser, the department chair, and the dean of the college. I needed the form to be turned in ASAP so that my degree could be conferred on my transcript so that I could get my (substantial) pay raise. It had to be done by a certain date. After waiting a few weeks, I contacted my adviser, who said she would look into it. Then, after a few more weeks, I contacted her again, and her response was basically something like "Look, I've already done all I can, and I don't think I can do any more for you." I was stunned. I thought she was on my side and understood my situation. So, I turned to the department secretary and department chair, who were able to get things moving so that the form could be submitted by the deadline. I know my situation was not as dire as yours, but it may help for you to now turn to others in your department. I guess the other thing is, do you need to leave with a Master's? Will your new institution accept you without it?

I complete agree!

It sounds like you are really set on Harvard. There are several threads about second rounds of applications on GC. From what I've read, it seems like some people do much better and get accepted and others are still denied admission and give up hope of attending grad school. My honest two cents is that not everyone can go to Harvard. Doesn't mean that you can't try (I always encourage people to try).

Me, too! I guess many of us are having similar issues. I'm thinking of choosing the school that has the best research fit and will best prepare me to be competitive on the job market. It's not just about the prestige of the program and your adviser but also how well they will train you to network, write successful grants and papers, and navigate the unspoken, political world of academia. There are tons of books out there about "what I wish I would have learned in grad school about the world of academia" or "how to be successful in academia." I don't want to get it from a book (although I have bought several); I want to get it from the faculty that are supposed to be training me how to become one of them (in my own unique way, of course). So, although it's tough to move 3,000 miles away, being close to family is something I'm willing to sacrifice.

Right now, I'm leaning towards Michigan State. My in-laws live in Seattle, so that's my added pressure.

I know! This is the last one I'm waiting for... if I don't get in, then I have an easy decision ahead of me. If I do get in, then I'll have a tough decision ahead of me. Sigh. I'm going to distract myself this weekend by starting on my spring cleaning. Who knows? I've gotten emails on the weekend before...

This. When I was the director of a summer space science enrichment program for talented middle school students, I had to read through students' application essays to select the top students who would do well in our program. For 90% of the students, it was fairly apparent if their interests would be a good fit for the program. I denied admission to one student based on the lack of enthusiasm in his essay--later, his mother called me and asked for his application to be reconsidered because his best friend had gotten into the program and she was hoping the boys would be able to go to science camp together. No problem, I thought--his parents could afford to pay for the spot, which allowed me to offer more need-based scholarships to other applicants. Well... it turns out my initial evaluation was correct. He turned out to be one of our major behavioral issues, and I was sorry that I had relented to pressure from the parent. So, my long-winded point is... perhaps it's all for the best. You may not have been happy there if ed policy is not your true interest. Edited for grammar!

Nope. Haven't heard a thing.

My funding information came with my offer of admission. A few weeks later, I received word that I had received a departmental scholarship and was being nominated for a university fellowship. The time frame for the first round of fellowship offers is slated for the beginning of March (i.e., NOW). This is all well before the April 15th deadline. However, I have heard nothing from one school--received the offer, but no personal email or funding information. So, to answer your question, I don't think education is singular about the way it distributes its funding and admissions.

That's awesome! Welcome to SoCal hitomimay!

If you want to get Master's degree in Education to become a K-12 classroom teacher, then local universities are your best bet. They have connections to local school districts. I would not pay for a name brand Master's degree just to teach K-12. School districts don't care where you got your degree from.

Congrats!

Awesome! What a nice way to start the week.

Me, too! Glad to know I'm not the only one with "reading ADD." Currently in the middle of A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams by Michael Pollan. Got Hunger Games and Moby Dick waiting on the shelf.

I second StrangeLight's advice because I know how you feel. I once felt that way towards my SO's accomplishments (especially the part about helping him get into grad school and then get a job with my contacts), and guess what? He's not my SO anymore. That's not the primary reason we broke up, but I can tell you that those little seeds of jealousy can grow into uncontrollable feelings of resentment and anger. This happened when I was younger, so it was a maturing experience for me. But, yeah, comparing yourself to others in terms of anything is just going to be self-destructive.

I'm originally from Southeast Asia, too. Growing up in America, I had to navigate my home culture and the mainstream American culture I encountered in school and at work. What I have found is that most people are generally friendly if you are friendly first. However, you just won't click with some people. For example, I recently attended a conference where I had to share a room with someone I knew I just didn't get along with. We were cordial, but there was zero chemistry, and I was glad when it was all over... which is fine, because I don't have to be friends with every person I meet. That said, I can usually tell if I'm going to be good friends with someone. So, it may be better not to waste your time on people who don't immediately warm up to you. The caveat, though, is that I'm a female--I'm sure males bond differently. But, ever since high school, I learned that I seem to be the "glue" that holds certain groups of people together. If I'm not initiating it, it doesn't happen. So, I don't mind being the person who has to call/email/text invites to lunch, drinks, dinner, or events. And, I don't take it personally if some people don't come--everyone is so busy nowadays. On the other hand, it doesn't discourage me from trying! Edited for grammar!

Sorry to hear that. Sending you some virtual chocolate and wine...

LOL, thanks!

You're right, there is no ranking for Science Ed, so it's a bit more difficult than other fields in Education. I''m having the same problems you are... I think I'm going to approach it holistically. In order of importance, I'm going to consider: 1. Reputation of adviser 2. Research fit 3. Relationship with adviser 4. Funding 5. Post-grad positions of recent graduates 6. Location 7. Overall ranking of School of Education I would suggest contacting recent grads of the programs--they can offer a lot of insight into the program and the amount and type of professional support you will be able to get from the faculty. IMO, UMich didn't look so good to me since Joe Kracjick left it for MSU. NYU now has Okhee Lee, who is doing great stuff with science and English language learners. I cited a lot of her work in my MS thesis. (By the way, her adviser was Andy Anderson at MSU). So, do your research! The Internet is an amazing research tool.

How do you organize the people in your professional network? I have business cards and email addresses. I'm connected on Facebook and LinkedIn. Not on Twitter... yet. But, I'm thinking a centralized system would work best as I meet people and exchange contact information. What system do you use to keep track of your contacts?

Hi 2012gradstudent! Congrats. Yes, I'll definitely let you know if UT Austin works out for me. At this point, I'm trying to get as much information as I can, but it's pretty hard to do it all online. Have you visited the campus? What subfield are you in? I'm in Science Ed.

Finally heard from UT Austin... accepted! But, no word from the department, no welcome from potential advisers that I listed in my SOP. I'm not feeling the love, UT! (Is that such a bad thing to want? Sigh. )