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I make it so that a REALLY determined person could probably find out who I am, but (1) that wouldn't matter to much, and (2) it'd probably be someone I couldn't care less about anyway.

I'm going!

Would calling the first student a muppet help?

I have a red stapler, and I wrote "Ferrari" on one side and drew the prancing horse on the other... using a sharpie.

Just wanted to wish everyone good luck

I highly recommend "A PhD Is Not Enough" http://www.amazon.com/PhD-Is-Not-Enough-Survival/dp/0465022227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345102905&sr=8-1&keywords=a+phd+is+not+enough

You certainly would be able to get into *a* clinical program, but beyond that, I don't think anyone can say without knowing where you're applying to.

I'm an ethnic minority (Chinese) and an international student (Singaporean), so I'm not sure how well I can relate. I do think that your experience probably depends a lot on your field and program, and I'm happy to hear that it's gone well for you so far. I can sort of understand what it feels like to be representing a specific group (in my case, country), but obviously race is a lot more salient in the U.S. That said, on purely rational grounds, nobody has the right to burden you with the responsibility of setting an example. It's your life - you should succeed and fail on your own terms.

I grew up in that culture too - perhaps more so than you (I'm Singaporean). I dealt with it by putting a 12 hour time difference between myself and my family. Best decision I ever made, but YMMV.

Singapore to New York for me! Leaving August 22nd, Classes start September 4th.

All the best from a fellow Singaporean! I don't have any advice because I didn't study in a local university.

I can't say without looking at it, but you can get a 2nd hand one off Amazon for less than $10, so I'd recommend that. This is what I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1419550446/ref=sr_1_2_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1343370698&sr=8-2&keywords=gre+psychology&condition=used

Hi, If you took psychology courses as an undergrad, the questions are similar to most multiple-choice quizzes you might have been given (possibly with less details). I got myself a prep book and used the review section of that, and that was sufficient for me. But YMMV.

I genuinely love doing research. I also enjoy the other activities associated with graduate school (e.g., copious amounts of writing, presentations, etc.). I'd do it for room and board, so it's a bonus that I actually get paid.

I don't know if this would be good for everyone (I'm pretty okay with being hands-on with immature tech), but I use a HP Touchpad flashed with Android, and ezpdf is amazing on it. I have the tablet synced to my Dropbox so any changes I make to the pdf are accessible from anywhere.

My personal opinion is that you shouldn't. It doesn't reflect well on you, even if you have a good reason (e.g., something another school did to throw you off), which it doesn't seem like you do. That said, there are people who will advise you to "follow your heart", or something like that, and you're welcome to listen to them!

I studied for about an hour a day for 4 months, and did well (1500 based on the old system). I'm pretty sure anyone who studies that much can do the same! I would also strongly suggest getting multiple people to read your statement of purpose. My adviser read most of my drafts, and as wonderful as she is, my statement may have ended up reflecting her personal tastes (vs. a combination of what various faculty think it should be like).

I stand corrected. I do maintain, however, that pursuing a Ph.D is an extremely inefficient way of trying to get rich (in terms of cost/benefit).

I would extend that to "If you're looking to get paid well... ever".

That does sound cool! I'm a firm believer that you grow to love whatever you work on the most (although some things may take longer than others=p), so I'm sure you'll be fine either way!!

From the school's point of view, they'd probably be best off if you didn't go where you didn't want to go. But I just don't think that jumping ship at this point would be very professional. After all, the chair did offer you a place despite your original rejection. I don't know anything about physics, so I don't know what you mean by "cool" (in your second last sentence). Would the opportunity be so life changing that you'd stake your reputation on it?

Just wanted to say hi to everyone. I'll be at NYU this fall=)

Echoing what the previous posters have said, here's how I think the admissions process works: 1) Application piles are thinned using quantitative criteria - those with low GPAs, GREs, get weeded out. 2) Applicants are further eliminated based on how much research experience they have - lack of experience means you're out. 3) A number of applicants are selected based on their personal statement and recommendations - this still leaves a sizable number of applications to deal with Thus, 4) Faculty meet in a conference room, each equipped with a bow and arrow. The program chair gives the signal, and throws all the applications in the air. The faculty fire their arrows simultaneously, and applicants whose files get hit are called up for interviews. 5) To decide who gets offers, the faculty are given a series of challenges. These range from challenges of skill (e.g., who can perform an ANOVA by hand the quickest), to games of chance (e.g., winning a dice roll while juggling bowls of gold fish - the person who rolls the highest and comes within half a standard deviation of the average number of goldfish in each bowl wins). Based on their performance, faculty then get assigned priority to choose who they would like to invite to the program. As you can see, there is a lot of randomness in the selection process, especially in the latter stages. As such, I would advise you to apply to multiple programs. p.s., the bold phrases are meant to be taken seriously.

Congrats on NYU! I'll be there this fall too=) Beyond the financial situation, I think support can come from so many places other than your family. I've had some fantastic mentors who really understood certain aspects of my life better than anyone else (e.g., I don't bring my personal life to work, but my professors have been excellent academic role models), and you take what you can get, really.

I think the best mentors are able to give criticism impersonally, succinctly, and in large quantities. I certainly don't think 99.9% of the world doesn't care about how you feel. I do think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby going into working relationships with that mentality tends to elicit that response (why would you care about someone who assumes you don't?). I've certainly worked for a couple of difficult people, but the majority of my mentors have been absolutely wonderful human beings. If you surround yourself with these people (or at least behave in a way that makes the average person a good mentor), you won't have time to pay attention to the turds.