Aceflyer

You should go to the program that fits your interests and passions better. Don't go to a program just on the basis of its reputation or 'prestige'. However, at the same time, I think you shouldn't be afraid to consider switching to a new project/new adviser. If you do get into Minnesota's BME program, I would recommend looking at the faculty pages and going for a visit to see whether there is anything there that turns you on. Take a good look at both Minnesota and Iowa and then go where you feel you would be happier. Don't stay at Iowa just because you could continue working on your current project; don't go to Minnesota just on the basis of reputation. Rather, consider all the factors and the pros and cons at each place and then go from there. Best of luck!

The UNC program (I'm assuming you're talking about UNC BBSP) is perhaps somewhat better known, but as you may have read already, the most important factor when it comes to choosing a school is 'fit'. Do both schools have multiple faculty members whose research not only interests, but genuinely excites, you? Are the two programs comparable in terms of coursework requirements? Some people like having to take more courses (more structure), some people prefer to be able to just get right in and be able to focus on research.

I'm at Yale also and can second cogneuro's post. I just wanted to add that if you are deciding between an "ivy and non-ivy top 10'er," you should attend the program that you feel offers the better fit - and this is something that you can get a good sense of at interview/recruitment visits. What are the current students in the program like? What are the faculty like? What do the students love about the program, and what do they dislike about it? Would you feel comfortable spending ~5 years of your life around these people?

I left Facebook recently due to much the same reasons Jakrabite did. I initially joined to help keep connected with my friends, but over time I found that I didn't need Facebook to keep in touch with my 'core' (or 'actual') friends anyhow, and friending acquaintances on Facebook didn't really help me get to know them better. Plus I had to constantly keep a close eye on things to make sure nothing embarrassing or confidential was leaked, and had to keep fiddling with what information to make available to whom. It also didn't help that 'netiquette' dictated that rejecting someone else's friend request was considered to be rude, so I ended up with a few Facebook 'friends' who I would have preferred to stay further away from. So in the end I decided Facebook was a time and energy drain that was not worth any small benefits it may have given me, so I deactivated my account. (On an interesting note, I did remember to change my Facebook account to use my permanent email address (instead of my school email address) just before deactivating the account, so that I can retain the option of reactivating my account in the future.)

I nominate New Haven, CT for best city to go to for grad school. The food there is unparalleled this side of New York (and New Haven isn't nearly as expensive to live in as NYC!), and the city itself is just large enough to be interesting. Plus, it is an easy commute to NYC via Metro-North for those times when one desires the 'big-city' bustle.

Eh? Lesse... Stanford University: Named after Leland Stanford Jr. Harvard University: Named after John Harvard Yale University: Named after Elihu Yale Cornell University: Named after Ezra Cornell Johns Hopkins University: Named after (surprise, surprise) Johns Hopkins I could go on...

I agree. My philosophy is not to post unless I actually have something useful to contribute to the discussion.

I agree. I recommend using all of the ETS materials - especially the PowerPrep software. For Verbal, really the only thing to do is to buckle down and study those word lists like mad. For Quant, figure out what areas you are having trouble with, and then dig out those old math books and drill. For Writing, there's no substitute to just sitting down and writing answers (under timed conditions) to the writing prompts provided on the ETS website. If you have a hard time with independent studying, you may want to look into taking a test-prep classroom course. (If you can be self-organized and self-motivated though, there's really no need to take a classroom course.) Best of luck!

I second cogneuroforfun's post. I would further add that a rank of 8 vs. a rank of 16 doesn't seem to be that huge a difference to me... but this is just from the biological sciences perspective, though. It may be different in the Public Health world. I know that for law schools, for example, US News ranking matters a hell of a lot when it comes to getting the top jobs and internships. It does seem though that internships are important... so if Yale's program is better at getting you that experience and better at getting you a good job after graduation, I'd go with that, personally. Especially given that you also say that Yale's program has a better research fit for you.

Yep, it's very slick and stylish for sure. Honestly, though, this topic really is terrible. Even excusing the fact that the very notion of ranking the "best overall universities" at the graduate level is stupid to be frank, the answer options provided by the OP are sadly lacking and seem to be heavily skewed by 'traditional' notions of private school prestige. Where are great public schools like UCB, UCSF, UIUC?

Hmm. Was the problem with your subject GRE or with your general GRE, or both? If the problem was with your subject GRE, I'd say you're probably set now given that you will have completed a research Master's program. If the problem was with your general GRE, you might want to look into retaking it and getting a better score...

I must say that I've never heard of an applicant being rejected due solely to his/her GRE score being too low. Did the programs you previously applied to actually tell you that your GRE score was the sole reason they didn't accept you? Or are you just assuming that you were rejected because of your GRE score?

I sent a hand-written thank you card to each of my recommenders.

Well, the precise laws and punishments vary by state. In Texas, for example:

I think it's fine. After all, technically you are free to back out at any time before the 15th. It is not unusual for you to still want to visit the school and check out the program even though you're already planning on joining the program.

I still think it's better to be safe than sorry, as the old saying goes. In any case, it's illegal in the States for people under 21 to drink, so why risk it? Most people in academic settings probably couldn't care less, but run into even one person who does care for whatever reason, and you could end up in a ton of trouble. Because those people who couldn't care less sure aren't going to go on the record defending underage drinking. Do what you want to do, I just think it's generally a bad idea to break the law.

Heh so very true... that sort of stuff happens to me too.

I think it's probably more important to go to a program where you feel the faculty overall would be a better 'fit' for you. After all, the PI is going to be the single by far most important factor in your grad school experience. Finding a great 'fit' with your grad student peers is important but not as important as finding a great 'fit' with the faculty. I'll also note that UChicago does have a highly ranked med school (although I admittedly do not know whether there are any affiliations between the med school and your program). And UChicago is ranked by USN in the top 20, not in the 40s. I'm not trying to say you should necessarily go to UChicago over UCSF. UCSF Tetrad is a terrific program with great faculty and a great reputation. In the end you'll just have to pick the program that you think would be a better overall 'fit' for you. I don't think you can go wrong either way you choose. Best of luck!

I agree with missashley's thoughts above. You get out what you put in - especially at the undergrad level. Most accredited schools have comparable curricula and educational standards. At the same time, regardless of personal opinion, there is still the "out-of-state relative" factor - it sometimes just feels 'better' to be able to say "I'm attending [well-known university]" instead of "I'm attending ["unknown" school]" and having people go "Wait, which school? Where's this school located?"

One of my friends (an engineering grad student) commutes to school via commuter rail on a daily basis - he also does this so he can live with his SO (now fianc

Did they offer you admission? If so, that means the program's faculty have confidence in you. They think that you will succeed in their program and that you are a great fit for their program. If I may ask, what precisely is your concern?

I think a thank-you email is fine. I don't think mailing a gift is really necessary.

I thought that I'd point out that Connecticut may also be a more tolerant/liberal state, at least judging from the fact that it allows same-sex marriage. (And in sharp contrast to what happened in California, Connecticut voters roundly defeated (with a 60% majority) a ballot measure that could have resulted in a ban on same-sex marriage.) Boston is definitely a good bet though. I also wish the OP the best!

Well, in theory if he had put the entire answer in quotes and cited the old instructor's manual as the source, he would have avoided charges of plagiarism. (Because in this case he'd be attributing proper credit instead of attempting to take credit for someone else's work.) However, he still would've gotten in trouble because you're supposed to provide your own answers on assignments (not copy another person's answers) and you're not supposed to have access to an instructor's manual in any case. He would've been in less trouble though. On the flip side, it's obvious why he didn't do this: doing this would have basically guaranteed that he'd get called on it.