iowaguy

Yes, percentiles do change, but the percentile that you received when you took the test doesn't change. i.e. when your official scores are submitted by GRE it will say Q156, 74%. Whereas when an applicant that just took the test (according to the latest percentile chart) will say Q156, 68%. So, in theory, you did make the percentile cutoff, given when you took the test. But, if the school looks at the hard score for its percentile rankings, then you didn't make the cutoff. IOTW, does the school look at a hard GRE number when they review applications (i.e. only Q scores 157 and above will be accepted into the program) or do they look at percentile rankings (in which case you're fine). This might depend on the school? You could always call and ask if you were really concerned about it... Otherwise your stats look great!

+1 on the idea of living abroad. I spent a year in Mexico and 2 months in Venezuela (plus travel to several other countries in between). That international experience helped clarify my values/goals in life more than any other experience I have ever had... IMHO grad school is a terrible place to "find yourself" (I have a M.S., but knew what I wanted to do before applying to the program). Ideally you "find yourself", then apply to a grad program that will help you reach your goals in life... Best of luck!!!

So, I was reviewing Cornell's latest annual report: http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/field_file/2010_2011_Annual_Report_Final.pdf In my mind, I regard Cornell as a very selective, Ivy League institution. I was amazed to see that they accept over 57% of graduate applicants (MS+PhD) to their Civil & Env Engineering field!?! (page 13) As opposed, say, to English Language (4%) or EEB (12%). Of the 511 applicants to CEE, 292 are accepted and 104 matriculate. Can they possibly be funding all of those matriculants? Why would a selective university accept such a high percentage of applicants to a certain field? Is that parcitular field some sort of cash cow for them??? I'm trying to understand the logic behind university admissions, and if selectivity can be considered an indicator of the quality of a program...

This thread has been very helpful, thanks for all the great tips!!!

If the applications ask for 3 recommenders, I would not just provide 2, that might sink your application! Everyone else applying is in the same boat as you are, the adcom likely won't look favorably on you not having a 3rd recommender, regardless of the reasoning/excuses behind it...

Do you think there's any value long-term (say, over the 5 years of your PhD program and even beyond) of your advisor thinking that he/she is your top choice for a program? i.e. is he/she more excited to work with you if he's your first choice ("Wow, I'm so excited for this offer, I accept!") vs if he thinks you're attending his program because you couldn't get in somewhere better? (Wow, thanks for the offer, you're one of my top choices but I'm still waiting to hear back from other programs...)

I would not bring it up, it could only hurt IMHO. You can find out from other sources whether the program/campus/city is family-friendly... If someone at an informal event asks you about it I wouldn't lie (this might come back to bite you), but I wouldn't be forthright with that kind of information if the topic doesn't come up otherwise (which it probably won't with most of your schools)... YMMV.

You're definitely in last-minute mode here, but if it were me, I would go ahead and reach out to other professors at the university you're applying to. It sounds like you need to list potential professors as part of your application, and if your main POI doesn't end up responding or isn't taking on graduate students for fall 2013 (which is a realistic scenario), then you're screwed if you don't have some "backup" professors that you've also contacted (assuming you have a strong research fit with them as well). Best of luck!

I initially reached out to a couple dozen POI's at numerous universities, which is recommended for PhD applications in my field. Some got back right away (day or two). Others I had to send another email in a few weeks ("not sure if you received my earlier email but I am very interested in working with you", etc). Some never responded to the first or second email so I crossed them off the list. Out of around 24 initial POI inquiries, through email, phone conversations, and in-person visits I whittled it down to 4 very strong ones (at 4 different universities) with whom I have an excellent fit. YMMV. Best of luck!

You don't have any similar-sized friends that would loan you a suit to wear for the time being? Or a sportsjacket at a minimum? Regardless of what you decide to wear, definitely don't make any apologies! I personally try to dress up as much as possible for an interview, within the "socially acceptable" limits. For my field, that means I show up in slacks & a sportsjacket (even though some candidates will be in jeans), which is usually dressier than the profs (but not always). You want to portray an image that shows you're confident and mature, which is why you never want to apologize for your attire... If you're going into business, a suit would probably be a good investment as you'll have lots of elbow rubbing & future interviews that will require a suit (conferences, summer internships, etc).

If a POI is affiliated with several graduate programs at a University (for example, Ecology, Environmental Science, and Environmental Engineering), how much does the actual program matter that you apply to? I applied to Program X. My POI emailed me to suggest that I move my application to Program Y (he is affiliated with both) as he thinks he has a better chance of securing funding for me (and therefore sponsoring my admission) if I'm in Program Y. I would be doing the same research either way, and basically the same coursework (I think there are a couple of required classes in each program but otherwise can take whatever courses are best suited for your dissertation research). Thoughts?

I don't know MPP and I'm not on a Fulbright, but in my field 23% Q would not cut it for acceptance into top schools... One thought would be to call the admissions office of those schools and ask if there is a GRE cutoff for admissions.

Is 23% percentile in Q enough to get into the MPP programs that you're applying to???

I’m trying to figure out the “proper” etiquette for responding to an acceptance phone call or email. For instance, let’s say I get a phone call: “Hi IowaGuy, this is Professor XYZ, I enjoyed meeting with you last month and am excited to offer you an invitation to join our graduate program in ABC." If I’m still waiting to hear back from other schools, how do I respectfully reply to such a call without making Professor XYZ think he’s not my first choice for a graduate program? Thanks for any advice!

Life is not a race... Being older gives you a unique perspective, try to highlight those strengths in your grad applications (maturity, discipline, dedication, experience, etc). I am actually older than one PI that I met with this fall. That said, my fit feels better with "older" PI's... One older PI I met with said he liked my maturity/work experience and proceeded to tell me a story about a younger grad hopeful who brought his mom along for the interview...

That is not a standard email. I am applying to a different UMN program, but did not receive anything similar to you (I am a Caucasian male). I applied 2 weeks ago... I would think it's a positive sign for you!

Do you have a favorite statistics software package that you have on your own personal computer? Or do you use the same software as the department offers in their computer lab? I'm hoping to use these upcoming months before I start grad school to brush up on my statistics. Ideally I could learn a software package or two... Pros/cons of the common/popular statistics software packages? Thanks!

How much of a factor is distance to campus? i.e. how much more is the typical rent in the Triangle if you can walk to campus from your residence (let's say, less than 2 miles) than if you're further away? Thanks!

I agree with emmm, I don't think a NS or a 0 for AW will be looked upon very favorably. I debated doing that myself (so as not to be so mentally tired for the Q and V sections), but after reading some advice on here decided to give the AW my best shot... Why do you think a 0.5 would count as "completed" from your university's standpoint? They would obviously know that you skipped over that section (therefore didn't "complete" it).

I'm a white, middle-class male. Will it look bad to the adcom (like I'm not very interesting, etc) if I don't submit an optional statement of diversity? This is for a top-10 domestic university... Thanks!

Have you seen "Bowling for Columbine"? I'm glad you brought up Canadian gun ownership. If access to guns is the "cause" of these sorts of crimes, why is the per-capita murder rate with firearms (United Nations data, have to divide by population to get per-capita) in the U.S. 7 times higher than in Canada, when the per-capita gun ownership (2007 Small Arms Survey) is only 3 times higher? IMHO restricting gun ownership (who can own guns and what types of guns they can own) is certainly a piece of the puzzle. But the problem is much larger than simply taking away guns. For example, when I lived in Mexico and Venezuela, gun ownership by the "average Joe" was prohibited. Therefore, in those countries only the criminals and law enforcement have guns... Have you ever taken a stroll through Caracas or Mexico City? And, as the United Kingdom has proven, if you take away guns people will start killing each other with knives instead...

Here's some food for thought but from a different perspective. I studied abroad in Mexico for a year, as did a college friend of mine. I am fair skin, blue eyes; he has dark skin, dark hair & dark eyes (he looks hispanic). We are both native English speakers, and my Spanish is much better than his. In Mexico, strangers would speak VERY slowly to me (until they got to know me better, then they talked normal to me), even though my Spanish is at a near-native level. My friend, OTOH, rarely received this treatment. The Mexicans at first would talk to him as if he were a native speaker, using slang and speaking fast. He struggled to understand them most of the time. Once they got to know his situation they would slow down so that he could understand better. Was I being discriminated against? Should I have hated that situation? (it was one of the best times of my life!) Was my friend being discriminated against?

If I were in your shoes I would put down your 2nd test date & scores, as it has the highest cumulative score (V+Q). Don't mix the scores from your tests when you self report, this will look very fishy when they get the GRE official results if your scores don't match up with the test date you put down... You can submit both official tests, if you want, and then the schools can decide how to handle it, but don't put the highest scores down yourself for the same test date, if indeed the scores were from different tests...

In the first article, Ms. Mellott mentions that grad school enrollment has declined for the last 2 years. Has anyone seen the hard data that backs up this statement? I thought that I had read that grad school applications are up for the last couple of years (perhaps this was based on record numbers of GRE test-takers). Is it true that applications are up while at the same time enrollment (acceptance/matriculation) is down?

Length is the most important criteria, IMHO. I wrote absolutely as much as I could - intro, 4 supporting paragraphs, conclusion. Get as many thoughts as you can onto that computer screen...