wildviolet

I have all three Hunger Games books waiting on my bookshelf. I'm teaching middle school this year, too. Sixth grade.

Me, too! I think it's completely normal (and probably even healthy) to daydream about where you're going to live and how you're going to feel walking around campus as a doctoral student. I'm so excited about grad school--can't wait to get there, so I know what you mean about self-torture. Also, I wouldn't worry too much. If you know which specific professors you want to work with, you may want to try emailing them--don't ask about your application status, just say hi. That's what I've done so far, and I've gotten friendly responses back. I know UT Austin will have results by mid-February and WashU probably won't get theirs done until March. So, don't worry too much if you haven't been contacted yet.

Thanks for the support, everyone! So, phone conversation went okay, but it's really hard to tell because I did almost all the talking, answering *most* of his questions (his emphasis). I'm trying not to read too much into it. Anyway, I was informed that, per Stanford policy, official notice would arrive via snail mail by late February. Yikes! Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

This. Read the top journals in your field and see what's "hot" and interesting to you. Because you'll be working closely with a professor, it's important that you consider research fit as well as the quality of the school and program. That's how I narrowed down my list to four schools. OP, I had a similar undergrad GPA (3.2, science degree, Top 20 university with no grade inflation) and a 4.0 grad GPA in my MS program at a local state university. I think your experience is very good. In my particular specialty within Education, the schools I looked at wanted: a science undergrad degree, a Master's degree, real K-12 classroom teaching experience (not substituting, not tutoring), and fairly competitive (but not perfect) GRE scores. The professors in your Master's program will be able to write you great LORs. Feel free to PM me if you want more information... I've posted some in the GRE forum.

A diamond pendant shaped like an infinity symbol. A new leather COACH bag. An iPad3 when it comes out. And maybe a MacBook Air so it won't be so heavy to carry around campus (in my new COACH bag, of course). Since no one buys me presents anymore, all of these are my birthday/graduation/Christmas/acceptance presents to myself. A girl's got to take care of herself first before she can take care of others! (I learned this lesson the hard way--after taking care of all the other people in my life, at the age of 30, I finally started taking care of myself first, and it has been a pleasure!)

Hi there, Just got an email from a professor at Stanford today. Wants to call me tomorrow to ask a few questions about my application. Like litjust, I was accepted to MSU and heard via email about two weeks ago.

Hello fellow straddlers! Well, I heard on the radio recently that we're all pretty much "working" class. That is, if you have to be employed to put food on the table, have a roof over your head, save for retirement, etc., then you're working class. Anyway, I'm the oldest of ten and the first in my family to go to college and earn a graduate degree (Master's). My family is encouraging about pursuing a Ph.D. (after all, it's the highest you can get, right?) and proudly display any educational achievements. I'm finding encouragement and support from various sources... colleagues, friends, and older people who have more experience and knowledge than I do. I'm listening to anyone who's willing to talk. And I try to pass this wisdom on to my younger brothers and sisters. I think it's going to an interesting experience. As we get to know people better, I think we'll find that people in academia come from many different places and backgrounds, not all of them privileged. I think the best thing is to keep an open mind and heart.

I was at the airport, sipping on the most delicious glass of blackberry sangria, when I decided to check my email and found out that I had received my first acceptance. It was hard to tell what was making me giddier--the wine or the email!

Check your pm.

Congrats! Me, too. I mean, I just received an offer also and will be visiting soon. As far as I can tell, everything is pretty close if you live close to campus. I also have the same questions about access to organic food stores. I've never lived in the Midwest and am accustomed to fresh, available produce any time of year.

That's me! I was in a similar situation. I just finished a Master's program with other working professionals. Yes, everyone already has friends, family, etc. But I consciously organized activities outside of school with people I liked, and we all still keep in touch. I agree that you need someone to be the catalyst, to get people together. If there isn't someone like that in your cohort or classes, maybe you can be that person?

Has anyone lived in the Spartan Villages? Please share your experiences living in campus graduate/family housing. I have two small kids. Thanks!

One school offered me at least $800 (possibly more) to visit their campus this winter.

Completely agree with kellybean603. When I received my acceptance via email yesterday, I posted on FB. All my friends and family are rooting for me. Plus, many of them do not live near me, so I couldn't tell them in person. Besides, that's what FB is for, just one post to let my collective supporters know what's going on in my life.

witch hunt

Going to a conference in Florida in January!

I am 32 and will be 33 by next fall. I don't think age matters as much as experience in my field (education). For the majority of the PhD programs I applied to, teaching experience in real classrooms (not tutoring, not substitute teaching) and a Master's degree was required. Given that I started teaching straight out of college, I now have 10 years of classroom teaching experience and a Master's degree going into the program. Along with pretty good GRE scores, great letters of rec, and a research-focused SOP, I think I have a good shot at gaining acceptance to top programs. It's hard to research teaching and learning if you've never been a teacher. Just being a student for most of your life does not qualify you to understand the flip side of being a classroom teacher, particularly in urban settings or diverse populations of students.

Well, not stressing out yet, but I still have to write my SoP and then tailor it to each school. I have a basic idea but nothing solid yet. I'll work on it during Thanksgiving week--besides, I work best under pressure. Not worried about the LoR writers--I think they'll pull through for me. I gave them all a checklist with application deadlines. Only one of my schools has a deadline of Dec 1. GRE scores sent? Check. Transcripts ordered and sent? Check. Writing sample? Check--using my MS thesis. Feeling anxious? Not yet, but I will if I don't get my SoP written by the time Thanksgiving Day rolls around...

Re-read the posts... Isn't the 90th percentile good? Why do people seem discontent?

Late August test date: Official Scores (and Projected) V 164, 95% (670-770) Q 159, 82% (750-800) AW 5, 87% Pretty happy with the results.

Thanks for the input. I've already narrowed down my list to just four, maybe three schools. I contacted a graduate student at my top school, and it sounds like a perfect fit in terms of faculty research, school environment, and funding. From what he told me, it sounds like research interest and fit are most important--if the professor wants you, you're in.

You didn't get research experience getting your MS degree? That's how I got mine. I completed my MS program (with thesis) at a local state school. I think this will really help me with admission to PhD programs because I can use my thesis as my writing sample, and I can talk about my research interests in my SoP. I think assisting with research might be okay, but it's definitely not a substitute for conducting your own research.

Hello out there, My professional goal is to become a professor, and my research interests are in science education (both formal and informal) and teacher education. I recently completed my thesis on language and science education, and I earned a 4.0 GPA and Outstanding Departmental Graduate Student Award at my institution (local state school). My BA is in a science field from a top private university. I have ten years of secondary science teaching experience in public schools in two states. My preliminary revised GRE scores look good (750-800 Q and 650-750 V). First, what GSEs should I apply to? Am I missing any excellent GSEs with strong programs or faculty in science education that are not on this list? I am restricting geographic location to the west coast (with the exception of UT Austin). And, second, what do you think my chances are of being admitted? I realize that a good match between my research interests and those of the current faculty will be an important deciding factor. Thanks for your input! My List (in order of preference, based on my online research and US News ranking) 1. Stanford 2. University of Washington 3. University of Texas, Austin 4. UC Berkeley 5. UCLA 6. USC

Yes, you can bring ear plugs, and they have headphones. However, I had no problems concentrating, so I didn't use either of those. As far as study materials, I personally liked Princeton Review. I bought the others, too, but I didn't get around to using them. Also, I felt like they weren't as easy to read as PR. As far as simulating test conditions, I would advise not doing it until the last few weeks. At first, I think you should take your time understanding the directions, question types, and explanations for correct responses. Once you have those down, then you can start timing yourself. Just my two cents.

I agree with Pencilnerd. I don't think studying anything beyond the 500-word list will be beneficial. Reading high-level material is better and probably more interesting.