Gneiss1

It depends. First I would make sure grad school is really something you want and need to do. I'm not sure what your field is, but before investing so much time and energy into a grad degree you want to make sure it will truly prove to be significantly beneficial in the end. I would say it will probably be fairly difficult to get into a masters program with funding from where you are starting. It isn't impossible, but you have a few things going against you. For starters, there is a lot less funding given for masters as opposed to PhD. There also is a lot more people applying with the economy as it is and less funding in schools, so it can be a bit of a tough market out there. If you do decide you want to go and are confident you can excel, then as lily mentioned you can always go and show them what you are worth then applying for funding. Good luck!

I was going to suggest Amazon but you mentioned they dont have them. If they have kindle versions that would be another way to save some money. Also if you have a good local bookstore (especially a mom and pop type one, not barnes and nobles) sometimes they can get books at discount prices and shop around for you.

Certainly having some experience from your subbing will help, especially if you can get a solid LOR to attest to your skills. There isn't much you can do about your GPA at this point, but could you possibly study more and retake your GRE? I would get in touch with some of the programs you wish to attend as well. Good luck!

I agree with hope, call or shoot them an email. It's certainly reasonable to inquire at this point and at least they will know you are still interested. It seemed like a lot of the geoscience programs were running a bit behind this year. My acceptance came about a week after the 15th with apologies for the delay that there had been delays in the budget or something like that. Maybe it is the same for other schools. I still have one I haven't heard back from, not that it will matter at this point but all the same. Best of luck to you, I hope you get good news:)

It's a whole package thing. Your GPA isn't bad, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about that. Your LOR, SOP, GPA, GRE, etc (yay acronyms) will all come together to form the image the prospective schools will perceive of you. Communication with the person you want to work with is also important and arguably one of the most important factors. If you can stand out and get them to like you then when it comes decision time you will be remembered:)

Not at all! I hand delivered mine to all but one cause he was out of the office at the time. I'm sure it depends on the relationship, but certainly if you are somewhat close with them I think it would be certainly appropriate and they would not see it as a bribe at all. As someone else said its hard to bribe after the fact unless you are still in a class with them, but even then a thank-you is still appropriate.

As others have said, no one can say for sure exactly what happend. It is possible that they rejected you simply because your application wasn't complete and it took 9 weeks because they didn't look at it for 9 weeks. I know when I applied I had all my applications in by mid December (all had deadlines between Dec 15-Jan1). By March a few of the universities I had applied to told me they hadn't started the review process yet. I will say that if all your rejection said was that you didn't send the right documents so you are rejected that probably either didn't read the rest of your application or if they did it wasnt something that made them jump out of their seat. With the amount of applications that a lot of these universities get I would say the former is more likely. Had they read your application and thought you were an outstanding candidate and it was only a matter of you sending hte correct test scores they would probably have said something about that in their letter, contacted you, etc. As for your chances of getting in now, I don't know the time scale for Canadian universities. If they are still taking applications and making decisions then I'd say your chances are as good as you initially thought they were when you applied. If they have already accepted a lot of the students that they wanted for fall then your chances are probably a lot lower and you may have to applied for spring/next fall. Best of luck to you though, I know the wait sucks.

I think you are probably right. Either that or they are very behind/running on a different time schedule than most universities. Most likely they have a few spots to fill and want to pick the best candidate from their pool hence offering an interview. Either that or the interview is just a way to see who is still available to choose from while also getting to know a little more about the person (two birds one stone). Good luck it is looking promising:)

That was very helpful, thank you! You also aren't far from my field so I imagine that is a pretty comparable idea of how things will go for me. I appreciate it:)

Congrats! Yay! Haha see? They were just slow:) That's awesome though!!

1 fully funded acceptance, 2 waitlists, 2 rejections. The acceptance ironically was my top choice so I am pretty happy with that haha:)

I emailed mine before I even told my family haha. I am fairly close with my recommenders though and they knew I was waiting to hear back and had been checking in with me to find out if I had heard anything throughout the semester. I also have written them each a nice handwritten thank-you and got them each a $25 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. I figured it was the least I could do for all they have done to help and prepare me. I'm sure their letters were at least a part of why I got into my top choice.

During the past two years of undergrad I took on a fairly heavy workload and have managed to grow accustomed to it and balance things. I took 18-23 credits most semesters, worked a part-time job, and have a family. While that wasn't preferable, I figure the sooner I can finish my education the sooner I'll have more time to dedicate to the family without worrrying about finances. Also, I balanced my workwork so that I took a mix of a few major classes and the rest easier classes so it didn't really feel like a heavy load. I would like to continue a good pace without burning out. I have a research assistantship which will be my job, but I don't know how much time that will be requiring. I begin this summer and I will meet with my advisor in a few weeks so I suppose I will find out more then. As far as courses go how would the workload of a graduate level course compare to an upper level undergrad course (for a first year grad student)? What is a "normal" load to take on to balance your time?

Like other people have mentioned it may just be worth going out there with what you can ship and carry in your car then buying new/used things to get you by once you get there.

It depends on the roommate and situation really. If I didn't have a family I would probably get a roommate if I could find someone that I knew I would get along well with just to offset costs. Of my friends in grad school most of the guys have roommates, it seems less common among my female friends unless they have a SO. You could likely find a small studio/1 bdrm apartment that wont be that much more expensive than a bigger place with a roommate. Definitely less risky! Or if you can afford a two bedroom you could get that on your own with potential to get a roommate later down the road if necessary.

You can always try, but I would go into it knowing it is probably not very likely this will work out in your favor at this point. I would assume when you declined they contacted the next person in line and so on and so forth. There is a chance they havent found anyone yet, but this also is pretty disrespectful to your current university. It's almost May and most people have made their decisions by now. This could potentially create some repercussions in the future so I would be cautious. Is it possible maybe this is just nerves about making a wrong decision? It sounds like there were perks to both places and there must have been some appeal at each place. Maybe the university you accepted will end up being a really great experience that will save some money in the process?

I did my undergraduate studies in enviro sci and ended up oing out of my field for my masters (though not as drastic of a change). To prevent any lack in background I just bought a few textbooks and read up on areas I was weak. I'm not sure how many science classes you took in undergrad for general requirement but you could probably pick up a few lower level classes at the local community college if needed. A good background in math (esp. statistics), chemistry, and physics is helpful but not as critical as for some of the other sciences. Also MIT has some nice courses for free online: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/#earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences There is nothing special about learning environmental science and it isn't particularly difficult. Do you know what you are hoping to do career wise? Enviro sci has a bit of a broad field in job application. If you are able to secure a job perhaps with an environmental consulting company and find a way to utilize your marketing skills to kind of get in the back door that would help. Also, when it comes time to apply to schools I would definitely contact potential advisers first and put out a decent amount of applications to reasonable schools. Best of luck!

A lot of the schools I had applied to were like that. April 15 came around and I hadn't heard from anyone, but was told decisions were still being made. It's essentially a waitlist from what I could tell. Early on they can offer acceptance to their top pick people and reject people that they know they don't want. Then for the rest of the good candidates its a matter of space, funding, and how many people they gave offers to say no. The school I ended up getting accepted into informed me the wait was due to them waiting on budget approval (I got accepted April 20 something). I know the wait is crazy but especially with being a new program maybe it is just taking them more time. I know it sukcs but really all you can do is wait and if it makes you feel better to be planning for something then make a back up plan and figure out what you will do different next year if it ends up being a no. Don't lose hope yet though, it isn't over till its over:)

Payscale.com love it:) Includes education, experience, and geographic factors.

I got accepted into my top choice with full funding and tuition waiver on Wednesday I believe it was. So it definitely isn't over yet, good things can still happen:)

I would just wait, since you spoke with her on the 11th she knows you are still interested or if she wasnt sure she could email you. They are probably busy with things delaying their response to you or perhaps they had offered to someone they are waiting to hear back from, etc etc. Good luck!

Thanks:) And don't give up yet! I thought it was over for me, but good news still came. Some places are just behind and others are getting to waitlists now. Best of luck to you:)

Grats Yoshite!

Where are you planning/hoping to attend graduate school? What school you came from is only a small part of what all they look at. Having relevant experience on your curriculum vitae seems to be a larger factor. A good GPA and test scores are also important, coupled with your actual application materials. Spend time writing a good statement of purpose and if you get an interview practice ahead of time. Take advantage of any opportunities to participate in research projects, giving presentations, and if you work while in school and can land a job/internship in or at least close to your field that helps.

Is there an area of town that is more family friendly? Also not sure if you would know this or not, but have you heard of any good daycares/preschools or ones to avoid? From what I understood Tech doesnt have one on campus. Also would you recommend living in the city of Blacksburg? I have seen quite a few homes online for rent in Christiansburg, but I don't know how realistically convenient that is to get to tech. Thanks in advance!!