jeenyus

Thanks for your input guys. I e-mailed the POI and asked for clarification after and they said that the impression they got from that e-mail was that an acceptance was "very very likely." Sorry for freaking out here this entire process is driving me mad. And again, thanks for reading and giving me your thoughts.

Hey DustSNK, There's this thread. There are also threads for OGS and SSHRC under "The Bank."

No I didn't negotiate anything. I haven't heard anything from School A. That's why I found it odd. My e-mail said: "I'm writing to inquire when I can expect a response from [school A]. I received an offer from [school B] this week and the offer requires that I respond within two weeks. I think I might be able to negotiated for more time, but I wanted to check with you to see when I might be hearing back from [school A]." I mean, why bring up the stipend unless I was going to be accepted, right? On the other hand, it's confusing because they say the offer is "pending" which could mean that they haven't made up their mind, or that administrative delays are to blame.

Hi fellow gradcafers, Can you help me decipher this email from the grad chair? I don't understand if I was accepted or if it simply says I *might* be accepted. I e-mailed School A after getting a strong offer from School B. At that point I didn't hear anything from School A. School B asked me to reply within two weeks, so I asked School A about when they would be sending out offers/rejections. Here is the reply: "In terms of [school A]'s offer, it is pending. You were ranked favorably in our first round. I am not at liberty to tell you the precise funding package, since this still needs to be approved by Graduate Studies....More important is the actual amount of the offer. We are authorized to match and surpass what another institution might give you. So, if you are interested in coming to [school A], you would have to provide me with a copy of [school B]'s offer letter (or email) and I'd take it from there." Thanks for your help in this matter. I am sorta overwhelmed/emotional right now and my judgement sucks. Would appreciated some objective feedback.

For one of the conferences I attended, I was offered a place to stay in their residence. For another (and some people might find this odd), there was the option of staying with current grad students who offered to host visiting attendees. Both solutions are were easy on the wallet but I chose to book a hotel for the second one though (I am a very private person and would be uncomfortable staying in a stranger's home). Could you contact the organizers or local grad students to see if they have any suggestions? Usually organizers are more than happy to help you figure out accommodation.

http://9gag.com/gag/2557258 rule the universe!

Don't sh*#% where you eat. Sorry but it's true. Ask yourself why you're attracted to him? Be honest with yourself. This man is in a position of power over you, and despite how you want to look at it, this situation is extremely one-sided. If you are doubting yourself already, listen to that little voice inside your head. It's speaking for a reason. Hope things work out whatever you decide.

brain storm

Awesome! Getting some sweet ideas over here. Something I will add: slow-cookers rock! Seriously, as some others mentioned you can get really cheap cuts of meat and in-season veggies on sale. You can then turn them into delicious and tender roasts, stews, soups, sauces and chili. You can make giant batches and freeze portions for lunches and dinners on the fly. God I love my slow-cooker. Saves me money and time.

So I feel a bit ridiculous having made that post this morning. I just got a call from the grad director telling me that they were forwarding my file for admission! *Takes foot out of mouth* Still need to hear back from the rest of the schools. Best of luck to everyone waiting on Canadian/spring admits.

Thought it would be interesting to see what kind of foods fellow grad students are preparing/eating. Maybe a place to swap budget-friendly recipes for those who want to keep up healthy eating habits. What do you typically eat in during a work day? The ramen noodle diet is totally a stereotype, right? Do you indulge occasionally?

Yup I think in Canada we usually hear back in March/April. I've heard of schools notifying in early-mid Feb. I'm not really thinking about it too much by having low expectations and by focusing on my "Plan B." So it will be a nice surprise if I get in somewhere and I will be able to start imagining life in a new location / school. By not forming an attachment to a particular outcome, I feel like whatever happens will be for the best. This has also kept me mostly relaxed during application season although there were a few freak-outs during the process. That's probably not helpful as by your post I can tell you are eager to hear back/decide on a school. Just a few more weeks left!

Same thing happened to me after turning in my first applciation. I e-mailed the grad secretary to provide the update for my application. She was very helpful and said she would "add it to my file". Some schools wil require you go directly through grad studies while others through your respective department.

Hi everyone, Wondering if you could provide any input on my situation. I am applying to doctoral programs for next year after finsihing up my MA. One of my references is (obviously) my supervisor. I am worried that their letter might send off red flags to adcoms and here's why: During my first year I had a medical leave (which was documented and accounted for) requiring me to retake two courses and withdraw from one. Anyways, I aced the courses when I retook them and the final grade for that course doesn't count towards my GPA. I asked my supervisor how and if I should explain my transcripts because the withdrawals and low grade for the course I retook seem odd unless the medical leave is explained. We talked about this, then the issue of the rec. letter came up and how they would address my medical leave (FYI I didn't ask about the letter supervisor brought it up). Supervisor said that in order to address my medical leave and their experience supervising me, they had to talk about my medical issues/leave in my letter. They also said that they would inform the committee in my letter that I would require a particular kind of supervision, as in a supervisor who would be willing to be more invovled with me because my health issues are ongoing and might pose a problem in the future. Keyword being *might* because right now everything is under control. But I understand that I can't be certain how things will be in the next few years. I am sort of upset over this. Does this belong in a rec. letter? Or am I overreacting? Please be honest. And most importantly, Is this going to send out a red flag to the adcoms?

Thanks again! I guess I will look out for a letter within the next few weeks.

Thanks for the info. Do you remember when you heard back? I'm assuming I should be hearing back around the same time as those who went through their Unis. Sorry to hear that! I was not forwarded by my University last year but what did make me feel a *little* better about it was that I already had some nice ideas jotted down for the proposal. Makes writing up other proposals a lot easier.

Oh really? Do we at least find out if we were in the "A" or "B" pile? And yeah I agree it would be nicer to go through the schools. Are there advantages to going directly to SSHRC?

Anyone else here apply directly to SSHRC?

Hello from a long time lurker of this forum. I also have a question regarding updating prospective departments, although it is not related to grades. I just received news that one of my papers was accepted for a major conference. Is this small piece of news worth sending an update to the schools? For the schools that asked for a CV I can always send in another, but for schools that asked specifically for conference presentations, how would I go about doing this? An e-mail to the grad secretary? Thanks so much. This website has been a safe haven over the past few months. Jeeny