TakeruK

I don't think interviews are a violation of free speech rights. An applicant's free speech rights are not violated if they are denied a position based on what they say. Freedom of speech is not the same as freedom of all repercussions of said speech. I do agree with you that universities shouldn't reject/admit someone because of things related to freedom of speech like agreeing with certain political views, religious beliefs, or other opinions. However, this is not what reasonable people mean when they say graduate admissions are looking for a "good fit". When we say "good fit", we usually mean "fit" in terms of things that are relevant to the work. For example, will the school's resources and the applicant's goals match up? It doesn't make sense to admit a student who wants to use telescope data to a school that has no telescope data. It may be the case that some schools are using the guise of "good fit" to discriminate against applicants for their opinions/beliefs/etc. not relevant to their work. This would be very bad. There are laws against hiring discrimination (doesn't matter whether the money is federally sourced or not) that are meant to protect employees and these laws restrict the types of questions that could be asked in an interview. I know that grad student applicants aren't necessary in the same category as employees and may not always be fully protected by these laws, but there are mechanisms that are there to try to prevent schools from doing this. ((In this discussion, I am assuming you are worried about interviews being used to unfairly reject candidates for non-relevant reasons such as political or religious beliefs. If this is not what you mean, would you mind clarifying?))

Great Always nice to hear how things went!

I don't know if you need to be physically present, but you do have to apply through your home country's office. I think each country may have different formats for selecting awards. When I applied to the Canadian Fulbright office, there was no requirement to be physically present in Canada at the time of application, however, I had to have been in Canada for the last 5 out of 6 years (i.e. cannot have done an undergrad outside of Canada). Also, Canadians already in the US are not eligible. But the Fulbright Canada program in question was designed as an exchange program, that is, funding for Canadians who have lived in Canada to experience school in the US (and vice-versa). Each country has different Fulbright programs with different goals and different requirements. Note: The two year requirement is a condition of the J-1 visa status granted by the Fulbright award, but not a requirement of Fulbright itself (generally). When you search this term to find out more, be sure to also read about ways you may or may not be able to get this 2 year requirement waived. And it might help to search for "Academic Training" (AT) which allows you to spend some time after graduation working in the US on extended J-1 status (usually good for a short postdoc or a research position).

And, in terms of ergonomics, usually if you have a laptop + external monitor, you're likely putting it on the desk. Depending on desk size etc, it could be uncomfortable to have to reach to your laptop to type while looking at the screen (usually this means the laptop is between you and the monitor, potentially blocking the monitor! And this means the keyboard is at desk height instead of a potentially more comfortable height. So, if you get a keyboard, you can position it whereever you want and you can also put your laptop off to the side once it's connected to the monitor!

If you have a Mac, TimeMachine is a pretty good backup system (not the wireless type, but the one that is physically plugged into the computer). I back up my work iMac in this way---I just leave the external hard drive in all the time and set it up to back up every so often (Time Machine defaults). So, there are hourly backups for the last day, daily backups for the last week, etc. (or whatever the backup is). For my personal laptop, I also use TimeMachine with an external hard drive I keep at home. I only do this weekly though (only personal stuff on the laptop at home, nothing work critical). I just leave it plugged in overnight on a weekend night. I also store a lot of things in the Cloud via DropBox and/or Google Drive. All of my coursework and papers are saved on my Dropbox-linked folder. So for the super important stuff, in theory, it's on the machine I created it, the external hard drive that backs up the machine and in the "cloud" (i.e. Dropbox's servers). I don't store data in these folders (too big), so I just keep it on my own machine (which is backed up) and also on my department servers (which is backed up independently). Finally, the telescope themselves also store my data and back it up (although this is just the raw data products, but I can always re-run my analyses if something terrible were to happen to all of the above machines). My main use of Dropbox is for ease of access between machines rather than a backup but it works as an extra backup. I like TimeMachine better for backing up personal things because then I don't have to keep everything in a Dropbox folder and I don't have to make sure I have enough space left etc. And, I think TimeMachine also saves things like App settings so I can just restore everything if I screw up my personal computer in some way.

I'm a married graduate student, however, my spouse isn't a graduate student, so it's not like we were both trying to get accepted into the same program. I don't fully agree with everything on that webpage. In particular, the webpage strongly advises students to not disclose their martial status, and maybe that was the best option for the author of that webpage, but I don't think this is always true for everyone. Personally, I did not hide this at all and even wrote about my spouse in my SOP (I won't bore you with the details here, but it was relevant to my application). As I said though, we weren't both trying to get into the same school, so perhaps our situation was different than the author of this webpage. In the applications, the questions that ask for martial status and financial information are usually either (1) optional or (2) not used in the admissions decision. In theory, the admissions committee does not see everything you put into the online application. Many of the questions asked are common to all departments because it's information that the graduate school wants to know, not because it's used in admission (it may be used to determine financial need for funding, but for international students at the graduate level, there is very little funding that is based on financial need). The graduate school will collect these applications and forward the relevant parts to each department. But of course, I don't know how good they are at only forwarding the relevant parts. Maybe some places will be sloppy and just forward everything and hope the department doesn't use the irrelevant information. As for the visa requirement questions, they usually come after the decision. But you are right that sometimes, especially at really big schools, they appear on the application and the school just stores them and uses them only when you are admitted and decide to come.

Don't forget to compare the plan coverage amounts and options! That is, is your school plan an HMO or PPO type plan? What's the out of pocket costs/copays for the typical things you use your insurance for? There's calculators online that figure out what you could expect to pay out of pocket based on average # of doctor visits, number of prescriptions (and whether they are brand name or generic etc.). What is the out of pocket maximum? How much is the deductible? Are you going to be regularly using services where the deductible applies? I'm not asking you to answer these questions here of course, but I'm just saying this should be factored into the cost comparison, instead of just comparing the premiums.

So, I saw a lot of interesting threads this morning. After reading all of the thread titles and thinking carefully, I chose to reply to your thread instead of all the other threads! I hope you will value my reply more! Doesn't that sound silly? I agree with everyone else, there is no need to let them know and in fact, there is no way you can bring this up without sounding arrogant and narcissistic. Also, I don't think a school will value you more because of this. If you were one of their top candidates and they were excited to recruit you, then whether or not you turned down another school for them is not important. They are still going to be excited and welcoming to you because they are interested in you. And if you were in the middle of the pack of their accepted students, then knowing this information will not change anything. Plus, in general, schools are going to be excited about all of their applicants.

My school says something similar. The full cost of insurance is about $2600 per year and students pay $450. The graduate school subsidizes (i.e. pays for) the rest of the cost. So, you're right, something less than $500/year is very very low in the US but that's only because our schools are paying most of the cost for us. Note that insurance do not cover 100% of everything so you will still have to pay some money when you go to the doctor etc. The details of this depends on your plan.

Yes. At my school, even grad students under 26 often choose the school's insurance plan because it is often better than their parents' plan or it is cheaper than being added as a dependent on their parents (or partner's) plan. At my school, part of our financial package is subsidized insurance, so we pay about $450 per year for health insurance (the plan costs $2600/year). Compared to the ACA plans in California, the school plan is a "Platinum-level" like plan (but with even better benefits) but $2600/year (assuming the full price, but again, funded students only pay $450) is about the same price as (or even cheaper than) the "Silver" level plans on the CoveredCalifronia marketplace (last I checked it was around $250/month = $3000/year). The student plan is often customized to student needs that are hard to get elsewhere (for example, our school plan has extra coverage for conditions typical for grad students and especially young adults aged 20-30). Also note: If your school is offering a subsidized student health insurance plan, it may make you ineligible for the marketplace plans. This might mean that the only option you have once you turn 26 is to enroll in the student plan (or if you have a partner, through their plan).

Because you have no deadline on #2, I think you should ask #1 to allow you to delay your decision until you get something in writing that you will have funding of X amount via Y method (whether it's TA, RA, fellowship etc.) They don't need to tell you which classes you will be TAing, how many hours, etc. but you really should have a firm dollar amount in writing before you have to decide. The grad school approval thing is not as much of a big deal. It really is a formality in most places. I would be more worried that the actual funding does not come up to be what you expected if you don't have it in writing prior to your decision.

Sorry to hear about these difficulties One of the things we try to make faculty more aware of at my school is that travel for conferences can be very tricky for some international students (45% of graduate students here are international!). I second fuzzylogician's suggestion to talk to your school's international student office (and also your new school's office). Also, I'm not an expert but here are some ideas to consider (and maybe run by the international offices): 1. The rule that you cannot enter more than 30 days before your program starts is not 100% strictly enforced. That is, I believe it's up to the discretion of the border agent to decide whether or not you can enter earlier than 30 days before the I-20 listed start date. 2. Your new school decides which start date to put on the I-20. For example, my school's start date is late-September, like your new school. However, graduate students are allowed to start as early as June (and just do research over the summer) if there is a professor willing to pay them. My school just adjusts the I-20 start date to be the actual date the student begins school so that they can enter earlier in the summer. Maybe there is a way for you to begin graduate studies a little bit earlier? Would you consider going right to the new grad school after your conference? (might save on flights back and forth between continents too, depending on where you live). If so, maybe you can plan to start your new school in mid-August then your I-20 can list a mid-August start date, allowing you to enter the US on F-1 with the new school for your conference. 3. If this is not possible, or if you want to go home after the conference then back to school in September, then are you from a country where you are able to enter the US on a tourist visa? If so, then apply for a tourist visa for the conference, return home, and then enter the US on F-1 status when you are ready to begin your graduate program! Hope this is helpful!

PhD programs usually have students enroll in "research credit" as well in order to meet credit limits for scholarships, full time status etc. For example, at my program, the minimum is 36 units (9 units = 3 credits at most places). During the first year, the normal load is 27 units (9 credits) of classes and we generally enroll in 9 units (3 credits) of research. I think speaking to your advisor is the right thing to do.

I agree with you that if an instructor misplaces a copy of their student's work, it should be on the professor, not the student. I am constantly fearful that I will misplace one of my students' work so I always keep it all in a folder, count before I take them home to grade, count them before I bring them back to work, etc. I don't actually know what to do if I lost an assignment (I guess I will have to check the university policies). I think without any policy, my only choice would be to either: 1) request another copy of the work, or 2) do not count the assignment towards the final grade (only viable if it's a small-value assignment). Option 2 is easy but it could hurt the student if this was going to be their best work all semester. But, in this particular example, there is a university-level policy: All students must keep copies of their work. This is a reasonable University level requirement and something the student should have known. I think this is a great policy because then in the case that an instructor does lose an assignment, they can ask for another copy. Or, alternatively, if there needs to be an investigation on the work, students must be able to provide a copy of their work to those who need to know. Sending in another copy is barely extra work, especially since the student should have already have a copy of their work as per university policy. It would be unfair if the professor gave the student a deadline like "give me another copy of your work TONIGHT!" But if the professor makes a mistake, loses their work, and asks for another copy, and provides a reasonable timeframe + allowances for submission of the copy, then it's all fine.

I forgot to include my own example! I did an undergrad co-op degree program that was 4 years of classes + 1 year of full time work (research). In total there were 16 months of full time research (2 summers plus one academic year). I also did an honours/senior thesis in my last year (very part-time, maybe 10 hours per week for 8 months). The first 8 full time months were extragalactic astronomy. The next 8 full time months was in a medical imaging group. The part-time thesis work was on the solar system. My Masters thesis was planet formation. My PhD work is on planets in other solar systems. So, like GuywithPants, it's only my thesis work that was related to my graduate work (and at time of application, I had just started the work!).

It's great that you already have something lined up for this summer. When planning for future summers (or even part time research during the school year), my advice is to not worry too much about the specific field of research. Graduate programs care more about the quality of your research experience rather than the subject matter. Also, you might find other things interesting as well---you have lots more time to decide your grad school directions. I would say that you should seek out the most enriching/promising research opportunities available and don't be afraid to seek out opportunities outside of transport related research if there is a good opportunity.

If the deadline was moved back to May 1st, then the visits will just get moved to April. When you give academics time, they will take their time. Also, I think you are being optimistic when you say things start moving around April 10th---at least in my field (I know it's different), the majority of the movement happens after April 15. So, moving the deadline back to May 1 will just make it even harder for people on waitlists because they would have to wait longer! Also, some programs start in early August and visas for international students can take several months to process.

This is a personal decision up to you only. Personally, I would rather pursue a different field than have to pay to go to school. But, if you are open to paying, then there are a bunch of questions you should ask yourself/think about. Can you afford to do this? If so, is the total cost to you worth the gains from attending this PhD program? Find out what career outcomes you can expect from this school. If you are an international student and you are hoping to get an industry job in the US, look specifically for placement rates for international students, not just the domestic ones. International students have extra immigration related hurdles and challenges when applying for jobs. If you aren't looking for jobs in the US, see how graduates from this school and similar schools do. Basically, try to find people that fit your profile and see what this degree offers them. If you're willing to pay for it, then it might be a good idea.

I think I mentioned it above, but most grad student income is not taxable by the Canadian government, so this won't count as income against GST refunds. When I was at grad school in Canada, my total stipend was about the same and I still received the maximum or close to the max of GST refunds. You may have some employment related income in the US that is taxable but I can't imagine this portion being so high that you no longer qualify for GST refunds! With the limit of 20 hours working per week as per F-1/J-1 status, you would have be paid $40/hr and work all year in order to have such a high income. And usually those with high stipends receive them by way of fellowship, which is not taxable in Canada!

Yes, please please talk to your advisor about this. Usually the majority of reasons why a student is removed from a program is an issue that could have had a chance to be solved by communication early on. I know this is easier said than done because most students fall into the trap of thinking "I don't want to bother my advisor unless there is a big crisis (i.e. actually about to be kicked out)" and then when a crisis happens, it's too late and/or the student doesn't know the advisor well enough to open up about an issue. Good luck!

Because tuition credits are applied before foreign paid tax credit is applied, if you don't return to Canada right away, you will likely use up all of your tuition credits anyways on post-PhD income abroad **assuming you would still maintain resident status after graduation, I'm not quite sure what happens. So, all of this might be moot anyways. Maybe a good thing to do would be to fill out a tax return as a non-resident, then do it again as a resident (without sending anything in). See what scenario is better and then try to advocate for that determination of your status. If it turns out to be all the same, then you would know it's not worth your time/effort to get it changed. Or, consult with tax experts (e.g. H&R block or some company) but the first way could be a free way to determine if this is even worth worrying about.

Maybe "mistake" was the wrong word. What I meant was that if you wanted to be considered a factual resident, then it would be better to not ask for a determination and go with the page describing what a factual resident is (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/ndvdls/tmprry-eng.html). If you want more details, note that on the page you linked to, it says "The information above is general in nature. For more information on your residential ties, see Income Tax Folio S5-F1-C1, Determining an Individual's Residence Status." And when you go to this reference, under Paragraph 1.10, it says "While the residence status of an individual can only be determined on a case by case basis after taking into consideration all of the relevant facts, generally, unless an individual severs all significant residential ties with Canada upon leaving Canada, the individual will continue to be a factual resident of Canada and subject to Canadian tax on his or her worldwide income." (emphasis added). There are a few other paragraphs in that section that expands on this too, but maybe you have read it already? So, to me, this means that if you want to be considered a resident, then by default, the CRA will treat you as such unless you take action to be a non-resident. However, it seems like I misunderstood your original post. I didn't realise you wanted to be considered non-resident for tax purposes. In that case, then I don't think it's a mistake and it is good that you went through the process you did and got a CRA opinion deciding that. Whether this is better or worse for a person depends on their circumstances. If it helps you, here is how my numbers look: Stipend is around $30,000 per year. Some of it is from Canada as an NSERC (but 2015 will be the last year this is true) and the rest is from the US. This income is not taxable in Canada because it is non-employment work that supports graduate study (i.e. a fellowship). As you may know, fellowships for graduate students are not taxable income in Canada. Tuition credits: I get about $45,000 per year. Tuition at my school is around $40,000, plus you get the $400/month credit + $80/month credit. This carries over but if you need to use it, the "rate" you get credit for is about the lowest tax bracket. It does change from year to year though---I've noticed that the number is around 15% to 16%. But you are right that it does seem to depend on how each school treats this form. You can (and must) request the school fill out this form for you and when you do so, you can see how much credit you could claim. There is also variance on how the CRA treats these forms too, apparently. So far, I have only had to verify enrollment in one single tax year and they have accepted my TL11A since the first year. --- Okay so it seems like you are concerned whether or not your tax rate has gone up by this non-resident status. Sorry that I missed that in the first post. Unfortunately, I've never filed this way before (my spouse is a non-resident but does not file because they do not have any income taxable in Canada). However, to me, it also sounds like you do not have any income taxable in Canada (other than your savings accounts). Since you are a non-resident, you do not need to pay Canadian taxes on worldwide income?? The sentence from the CRA you quote in the first paragraph does not apply to your US income, I think, since that sentence says "...income received from a Canadian source"

Sorry, I re-read what I wrote and I see I was not very clear! I did not mean "you" as in you personally, but the original author of the post (solomon). I was replying to what I thought was your suggestion that solomon pay the deposit now. I think you are definitely doing the right thing for your case! Good luck with the other waitlists!!

Maybe this depends on the field? For many PhD programs, I think there is either no deposit at all or they ask for it way later in the process, like in June or something. You rarely have to pay a deposit to just accept an offer---they generally wait for you to accept, process everything and then ask for a deposit before you can formally register etc. But many funding packages come with a tuition waiver too, so a deposit doesn't make sense (i.e. what would it go towards?) In any case, even if there was a deposit, I would not pay the deposit now because if you do get off the waitlist, you lose it! Your offer is valid until April 15, so there is nothing else you need to do to secure a spot.

Students don't generally meet the "ties" requirements** and honestly, I think it was a mistake to have asked for the residency determination. As Happington said, you should still be a factual resident because you are a student. The residency determination does not really ask for this nuance. I think you have two choices: 1) ignore the residency determination and file as a resident anyways and see what the CRA does. Note that this residency determination is not the final be-all and end-all. I believe it's just "advice" not a legal decision. 2) ask for a residency re-evaluation Actually, I think you must file as a resident anyways for the 2015 tax year because you still spent more than X days in Canada in the 2015 tax year. For the last 3 tax years, the CRA has had no problem with me filing as a resident. I always file a TL11A to claim educational credits as a way to show that I'm actually a student. It is possible to be non-residents of both Canada and the US for tax purposes though. My spouse is currently in this category (not a student, working in the US). And as Happington said, whether or not you are a resident for health insurance purposes is independent of your residency status for tax purposes. So don't worry about this until it's time to return to Canada, in my opinion. (And it's not like you lose it forever---the worse case scenario is that you have to go through the 90 day waiting period and you can just buy temporary insurance for those 90 days). ((** Clarification: What I meant was that the "residential ties" criteria aren't really set with students in mind. They are meant for more established people who may or may not be leaving Canada forever. So, without the information that you are in the US only for studies, we would all count as non-residents. It may be that they missed this information, or if it became a dispute, you might have to argue it. But my point of view is that you should just act with the best information you have (e.g. from the factual resident page of the CRA, you should reasonably conclude that you are a factual resident and proceed accordingly). ))