Aceflyer

I think it is important to see whether you like the current students and faculty in a program or not. Personally I wouldn't want to go to a program where I'd end up a miserable, isolated misfit. (Bit of an exaggeration of course but it illustrates my point. )

Some decent common sense should work wonders in keeping you safe. Research out which areas are shady/unsafe and avoid them. Don't go out alone late at night (most schools these days offer escort programs that you can use if needed). Carry a cell phone. Don't take shortcuts through alleys or other less-traveled areas (parks, dimly lit streets, etc.) Always be attentive to your immediate surroundings; don't walk around listening to an iPod with your head in the clouds. Listen to your instincts. Look confident and look like you know exactly where you're going. Don't leave attractive valuables hanging out in plain sight either on your person or in your car (a large purse, conspicuous jewelry, an iPod, an expensive cell phone, a GPS, etc.) Remember to lock (not just close) all doors and windows and don't leave the key under the doormat or something ridiculous like that. And so on... And don't worry so much. Cities are a lot safer than you might think. Qualifying exams are nothing like the GRE or any other standardized test. Quals are often tailored to each student and are often research-based. Programs generally want students they admit to succeed; most programs don't use quals as a means of trimming down their class (there are a few notorious exceptions but if your program is one of these notorious few you'll doubtlessly have heard about it already).

Personally I haven't seen the point of withdrawing an application. Withdrawing an application seems to be extra work for no possible benefit - and you might even potentially run the risk of having the program think that you're weird or that your original interest in the program (as evidenced by your application) was insincere. Now, withdrawing from a waitlist or declining an interview are completely different, of course - both of these would be in response to an action from the program.

I agree with the above. Go see him in person and ask.

I presume the point of withdrawing an application is to save the admissions committee time they would have spent reviewing your file. If you already know you won't be going to a program, why not just put the kibosh on the process early?

Most of the actual material tested by the general GRE isn't really all that directly relevant to most graduate fields of study. However, it remains that the GRE is part of grad school applications, and some schools do give it some weight in evaluating applicants.

'Stellar' GRE Quant score depends on the field. In engineering disciplines you will want to have at least a 780 or above; at top engineering programs 790's and 800's are typical (even a 790 is still only 92%). In non-engineering disciplines I think there is a bit more leeway - but I could be wrong.

Hmm... well, since anyone looking at your transcript would be able to clearly see that that grade is obviously an anomaly, IMO the explanation should be enough. Of course, if you want to cover all your bases, it can't hurt to go the proverbial extra mile. Personally, I'd take a more advanced math course, but I love math (I minored in math in college) so I'm biased. You should do whatever you feel most comfortable doing. If you're going to be facing a heavy courseload or workload, I'd say just re-take algebra. Also, rising_star is right in that a GRE Quant score in the high 600's/low 700's isn't that amazing. If you want to impress people with your GRE Quant score I'd recommend shooting for at least a 760. Congrats on Verbal though - I worked quite a bit on Verbal but was unable to break the 650 'barrier'.

Definitely explain what happened that semester to cause your grades to tank. It also wouldn't hurt if you either re-took the course or took a more advanced math course. Whether you should go this extra mile or not depends on how much of an emphasis your prospective grad programs place on math. (Although if you're already going to be taking a more advanced math course anyhow then the point is moot.) A stellar GRE Quant score can also help mitigate the impact - roughly what Quant score do you anticipate getting?

I believe at this point it is at the professor's discretion as to what to do with you. Given that your prof has summoned you to see him, you're probably likely to receive a stern warning, some kind of punishment, extra work, or any combination of these. Worse things could happen, of course, but I'd imagine that you'd be hearing directly from the Graduate School and not from your prof if your prof had decided to escalate this.

Is there any chance that you will be treated differently? There's always a chance - however small - that this will happen. In my opinion, though, the chance that this will happen is so small that you really shouldn't worry about it. The fact that you have been offered admission - fully funded at that - means that the program has confidence in you, thinks you are qualified to attend, and, perhaps most importantly, wants you to attend. (If they didn't want you to attend, they wouldn't have offered you admission. Remember, the program - not you - made the decision to offer you admission. Programs only offer admission to students they want.)

Firstly, not all programs make use of waitlists. Secondly, for those who do, there is obviously pressure on those extended an offer to decide whether to go or not. Still, I would echo what others in this thread have already stated. Don't let the pressure to decide rush you into making a bad decision.

I agree. Don't choose a place simply because of its name. Based on your post: Location: Advantage UW (you love the city) Program Culture & Environment: Advantage UW (you enjoyed the conversations with students and profs, you don't worry about being too competitive or being under too much pressure) Terminal Degree: Advantage UW (it's a Ph.D. program) Funding: Advantage UW (it's funded, I assume) School Name: Advantage Stanford (because it's Stanford) I'd say go to UW based on the above.

Congratulations on getting in! Go and celebrate. Don't worry about 2010 yet! You've (more than) earned a break.

Well, best of luck. We probably didn't meet as I was, due to exhaustion, among the group of BMCB prospectives that did not attend the bowling event Saturday night (I presume that is what you're referring to).

If you know the prof that well, just give him a phone call - things like this are often less awkward over the phone than via email where things are 'in writing'.

Congratulations sparkle on your acceptance!

You should be aware that the Bowdoin subway stop is only open weekdays from 5:15 AM to 6:30 PM; it's closed on weeknights, weekends and holidays. The Bowdoin stop is also only served by the Blue Line and is not that convenient for getting to Cambridge (you'd have to change at Government Center for the Green Line and again at Park Street for the Red Line).

If you sincerely want to thank multiple people for the same thing you can send similar emails. I was just saying to customize whenever possible - if it isn't possible then don't sweat it.

Happened to me too at one place I visited. One prof went so far as to say to me something along the lines of "I really hope we will have you." There still hasn't been any word from that program - and it's been almost two months since I visited. I am presuming I was rejected. On the other hand, I did meet with another prof at that place who was pretty hostile and did not seem to like me much. However, all of the other prospectives who met with that prof said that he was quite hostile to them as well, so I dunno - it could be just his personality. Overall in my analysis of that visit, I did see a few places where I could have given better answers, and I was able to use this to better prepare for my later visits. But I think the reason I was rejected at that program was because there just wasn't a 'spark' there between me and the program; the program looked like it'd be a perfect fit for me on paper, but after visiting and meeting with the profs and current students I found that the fit was not nearly as good as I thought it would be. I presume the adcom at the program noticed the same thing. All in all I think these things just shouldn't be overanalyzed. If you think back honestly and are sure that there's nothing you could improve on, then don't sweat it. The grad school application process is an intricate dance between prospective students and grad programs to find the best 'fit' between student and program. If the 'spark' isn't there, there isn't much that can be done by either party. It's a bit like the process of dating and finding that 'special someone' actually.

Good suggestion. Not everyone has finished hearing back from schools yet.

Qualifying exams are a very common thing in grad school - I'm not personally even aware of a grad program in my area that doesn't have a qualifying exam. The style, format, and timing of qualifying exams varies dramatically from program to program - the passing rate also varies widely. Some programs are notorious for using qualifying exams as a means for 'weeding out' students. Asking about qualifying exams is very important before you make a decision as to where to go. Ideally you would want to go to a program that administers quals early on (so you don't waste 2-3 years there only to not pass and get kicked out) and that wants everyone to pass if at all possible. I don't know about you but it doesn't sound like fun to be in a program where 30-40% don't pass quals! Two days of 5-hour exams don't sound too bad. Many of my friends have taken quals that consisted of a 5-hour exam the first day and an 8-hour exam (9 if you don't take an hour off for lunch!) the next day. There are harder quals that involve a whole week of day-long exams...

Sorry, I guess my post was unclear. The SOs flew in with their partners and stayed with them at the hotel but did not attend any of the visit events arranged by the program. ("Visit events" = such things like presentations, poster sessions, meetings with the faculty, meals with current students/faculty, tours led by current students) I presume they used the time to just walk around campus or take a look at the city. Basically the SOs stayed out of sight and out of mind of the other prospective students. If you and your b/f think it's important for him to come along and look at the campus/city, then bring him along. Otherwise it might be more practical and economical for you to go alone.

Wisdom teeth extraction is not fun. I wish you the best.