[Get fit plan]

We're moving to a much warmer climate and that was a big kick in the rear end to get in better shape. I've been working out daily, alternating a light work out focusing on toning my problem areas with an intensive aerobic workout every other day. I'm down a full dress size from when I started (~ 6 weeks in) and feeling stronger and healthier.

[What does a university gain from recruiting more grad. students?]

It costs my department between 27K and 42K per grad student annually. As other posters have mentioned, a lot of this does come out of research grants & other sources of external funding, and they do get a lot out of the funds they put in, both in terms of not having to pay a post-doc to do the same work and in terms of investing in the future of the discipline.

[order of submitting app materials]

It really depends on the school. You can get specific information from the departments you plan to apply to.

[So, here is where I find all the smarties?]

A summer community college class?

[Having a side job when you are not supposed to...]

I got permission through my department for an exemption to hold outside employment. These policies two purposes: one so that the university retains intellectual property rights to any work produced during this period (assuming the side job would also be in academia) and two because there is a long history showing that in general grad students with side jobs tend to perform less well as students and university employees. I was able to demonstrate that there would be no conflict of interest as far as intellectual property rights go, and that it would involve a very small number of hours that I could manage in addition to my workload as a grad student.

I would not hold a side job without permission if it is specifically forbidden by your contract. You would be jeopardizing your position as well as your credibility as an employee by violating your contract.

[Surviving those last few weeks of work]

I pretty much gave everyone a heads up about 6 months ago that I'd applied to graduate programs for this fall and would be leaving in the summer. I gave my official notice in March that I was leaving mid-June. They talked me into staying through the end of June. We'll be spending July on a cross country road trip and arriving in our new home around August 1 to give us a couple of weeks to get settled in before school starts.

I was feeling really burnt out on my job when I applied for grad school last fall. Having the end in sight has given me fresh energy. I am very busy wrapping up my projects and training my replacement. Time is flying by.

[grad school at 42?]

I'm about to turn 35 and headed to grad school this fall. I don't think you're ever to old to continue your education.

[CMU PhD Stipend for 9/12 months?]

You'll have to contact the department directly.

[How much does where you attended undergrad matter?]

I went to a small state college no one outside my state (and not a heck of a lot of people in it) have ever heard of. I still got a very good offer from a well-ranked program. I think that your GRE scores may be a slightly more important part of your package than if you got the same grades at a better known institution since they will help the ad com see how you fit into the larger undergrad population.

[Does it make sense to put age on a CV?]

I agree with ktel, it does not matter and would not be appropriate to put in your CV. It may make sense to reference all you have accomplished at such a young age in your statement of purpose.

[Significant Others and Grad School]

My husband and I are taking turns going to school. He's finishing up his undergrad as we speak. At this point he's happy to be done with school for a while and will plan on being the main breadwinner while I'm in grad school.

[The Moving Problem]

I'm moving about 4000 miles away with a spouse and children. We're only taking clothes and one box of personal items each. It's going to be cheaper to sell all of our worldly goods and replace them on the other end than to haul them with us. We are living in university family housing for the first year which saves us the hassle of trying to find a house from so far away, with the added bonus that I can get my housing directly out of my financial aid.

[what was your success rate?]

50%, one rejection and one well-funded acceptance. I only applied to 2 PhD programs. I had no idea how competitive it would be or I would have hedged my bets better and applied to more programs. I am grateful it worked out for me.

[Finishing up your job]

I'm actually feeling a lot more positive about my current job knowing that there is an end in sight. I was feeling very burnt out and tired of what I am doing, and knowing that I won't be doing it for much longer makes it easier. I have a lot to do to finish up all of my projects before I leave, and they just offered me a bonus to revise my notice and stay on for an extra couple of weeks.

[School refusing to reimburse visit costs--help??]

Yikes. I think that you should have followed up on this before declining the offer. I don't think they have a legal obligation to reimburse your expenses and now that you have declined they probably won't.

[Applied to only 1 US school, got accepted with funding]

I only applied to two programs, which seemed pretty reasonable at that time, but after I got rejected at one of them it produced some pretty hellish anxiety. I was accepted at my top choice with generous funding.

[Do I need to withdraw??]

Agreed with the previous posts that you should withdraw from the school where you were interviewed. With the other school, I don't think it is necessary to withdraw. If they send you an offer you can decline at that point.

[Terrified of Not Getting in Anywhere!]

Between my interview at my top choice and my acceptance about 2 months later, I was rejected by the only other program I applied to. It really shook my confidence. I spent the next 3 weeks second-guessing everything I said or did during my interview and trying not to get totally depressed about the prospect of reapplying next year. I was already lining up another list of schools for attempt B. I contacted the school I was rejected from to see what the weaknesses were in my application that led to rejection so I could put together a stronger package for next year. I am very grateful to have gotten in at my top choice and extremely glad I do not actually have to go through this again next year. I had no idea how much stress and anxiety I was in for in the application process.

[introduce myself - how to do it in a good manner?]

Brief personal history, academic background, research interests, interesting hobbies or pastimes.

[Mail to the professors before taking test]

I did email POI's before taking my GRE. The GRE is required to apply to programs, but not required for professors to determine if they may be interested in working with you.

[Will somebody please explain...]

Because it's easy to be objective when you are removed from the situation.

[poi going on sabbatical your first year in grad school?]

Consider the above, and talk to your POI about it. Ask how advising will occur during his/her sabbatical... if there will be a 'substitute' advisor or if he/she will be advising you long-distance. This would not be an automatic deal breaker for me.

[Does anybody else feel really nervous about their decision?]

It's totally normal, and closely related to getting cold feet before your wedding or experiencing buyer's remorse after you've signed a contract on a house. I've had a few moments of "OMG I hope this is the right move!" but overall I am very excited about the opportunities and feel like I have made the right decision.

[Doing a survey: How much time did you take to prepare for the GRE?]

I've taken the GRE twice. I took it in my final semester of undergrad. No real prep. All my math was fresh. I took a couple practice tests and did well. I also did well on the exam.

6 years later and I was ready to go back to school, and my scores were expired. I took a couple practice tests and identified some areas I needed to brush up on in math. I studied until I felt ready. It took about 2 months. It was not my top priority within those two months and I was studying sporadically. I would guess it was about 10-14 hours of studying, and about 8 hours of taking practice tests to gauge if my math had improved enough to take the real one.

[Family Issues]

I've gotten some pretty mixed responses from my family too. I don't let it get to me. Does it really matter what your aunts think? Unless you interact with them frequently, just be gracious and civil and don't let it get to you.

If you are close and interact frequently, it may be worth a heart to heart to let them know that you are committed to this path and have faith that it will be beneficial in the long run and you could really use their support, or at least a cease-fire on the negative comments if they don't feel they can be fully supportive.