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chemmefatale

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Posts posted by chemmefatale

  1. I have an acceptance with which I'm happy. It's a great option from many aspects and I'd be happy to go there. I'm also waitlisted in another school which might be slightly better, but with no actual offer I can't make that judgment so I really need to hear something from them.

    Wait, isn't it the other way around: the reputation of the school is more important for the industry, and the advisor/dept. for academia?

    Well, the advisor is fairly well known in his field, but most of his students end up going to government labs, industry, or teaching at junior colleges because when it comes to hiring at a University, the department itself is not the last word. That being said, I have connections and experience in the Solar industry and taking time off for school is just going to boost that if I ever want to go back.

  2. Look on the bright side, at least you have an acceptance this year. That's usually good news. If you want to relieve some of the stress on your mind, just start throwing things together to prepare for the event that you go to the one place that accepted you.

    I should respond and say, I am extremely lucky to have been accepted to the school that I am currently aiming to go to right now. Having more options is more of a peace of mind, and possibly a boost for my morale in going back to school. However, I would gladly attend the other school if I did get rejected.

    As for the person who posted above, it took me five years to build up the courage to submit a grad school application and I am glad I waited to be sure. Getting a job is definitely hard right now, but doable. Going to a program later is definitely a plus, especially if you think you have room in your application for improvement.

  3. My situation: I have one acceptance at a lower ranked school. The professor I want to work for is well known for physical chemistry, although the ranking of the school definitely lowers my opportunity for academia. I don't know if I will ever be a professor, but it's nice to have a good reputation for job security purposes. Funding seems adequate but the area I would be living in is costly.

    I have one school left to hear from, and when I emailed them two days ago, they responded by telling me that I am on a waiting list pending on their first choices deciding to go to another school. This school is in another state and I am destined to pay the out of state tuition differences, although the campus housing is cheaper. The program is ranked higher in physical chemistry and the professors have a higher pedigree. I would also be maintaining an LDR with my boyfriend or in the worst case scenario, parting our separate ways after living together for over a year.

    I don't need to make any decisions for a couple weeks, but it's a little nerve-wracking not knowing where I am going to end up next year.

  4. Some schools like to get you there to visit early if you are a stellar person, which seemed to be the case with the first school I got into.

    In my case, three schools seem to be stalling on their decisions but thankfully, I received an email from one of them telling me that I would know by March 16th whether they wanted me or not.

    So far I am 1 for 6 with two rejections.

  5. I have a weird predicament. I was accepted to WUSTL and I've already visited them, picked out professors, envisioned my life there, etc.

    Yesterday I found out that UCD had rejected a person from the results page, but nothing comes up for me.

    Furthermore, I am waiting for Washington and Boulder to get back to me. Are they waiting for funding for me? What are the visit dates for Washington and UC Davis?

    I want to plan a vacation before I fully immerse myself in grad student life.

  6. The current school I am looking at, especially if my other applications do not work out (which is becoming increasingly likely) has a thirty-infinity minutes length commute through a windy mountainous road that only has two lanes and occasionally closes down at the sight of accidents or rock slides. My boyfriend and I currently have an apartment on the other side of this mountain. My plan would be to obtain the cheapest/most comfortable place possible and then retreat to my apartment on weekends. Housing is pricey. If I got into one of the other schools, the game would change substantially not only because they are higher ranked, but I could actually see myself moving to a different city at this point in time (not to mention cheaper rent!). In one scenario, my boyfriend may be able to transfer his job and his family is closer.

  7. I have to say, all these schools withholding their decisions for so long irritates me. I have not heard a peep from Yale, but I got accepted to higher-ranked programs over a month ago! At this point it just feels really pretentious, like they are so good they can take their time because they don't have to make the students happy....in comparison with Cornell (a higher rank), who is constantly sending me things trying to show that they really want me there.

    Yale and these other schools drawing it out this long just leave a really bad taste in my mouth. For me, I got into my top 2 choices, I am visiting them and even if I get into Yale at this point I am not planning on visiting. Maybe I am being a harsh judge, but I am afraid that that kind of attitude within an institution would not mesh with me anyway....

    End rant. Sorry had to get it out, it has been irritating the crap out of me.

    Did you write them yet? You probably did already.. but a non-ranting letter might let them know that they need to act on your application now.

  8. I have been following this thread for a while.

    I got my first rejection from UC Irvine today and I am going for Materials Chemistry/Nanoscience/Solar.

    I received an email that UC Santa Cruz wants to consider my application, but they need some more time for review.

    I also haven't heard from:

    U Co Boulder

    U of Washington (I am sure it's a rejection now)

    UC Davis

    UCSB (who are lowering their admits this year)

    My stats kind of suck so I am hoping UCSC doesn't let me down.

    I should update and say that UCSC has said yes. I am still waiting on the others with bated breath. However, being a beach bum materials chemist does not seem like a bad idea.

  9. Well...I feel weird posting this and getting accepted somewhere in the same day. It makes me feel a lot better to know that I am going somewhere now. As far as responses go, I like LateAntique's the best. Figuring out what you did incorrectly is definitely half the battle.

  10. Does anyone already have a rejection letter?

    Is this the only information you have received on your applications so far?

    How are you coping? I have to be at work so I am obviously distracted at the moment, but very worried at the same time.

  11. I have been following this thread for a while.

    I got my first rejection from UC Irvine today and I am going for Materials Chemistry/Nanoscience/Solar.

    I received an email that UC Santa Cruz wants to consider my application, but they need some more time for review.

    I also haven't heard from:

    U Co Boulder

    U of Washington (I am sure it's a rejection now)

    UC Davis

    UCSB (who are lowering their admits this year)

    My stats kind of suck so I am hoping UCSC doesn't let me down.

  12. I am pretty sure I made a couple grammatical mistakes on my SOP.

    I forgot to contact professors before I turned in my applications, although I have gotten better about it now.

    I finished my undergraduate BS in Chemistry with a 2.7. It was literally impossible for me to get higher than a B in any of my major classes so I finished with mostly Cs and Ds

    I worked for four years which is where most of my recs come from. I have no publications but tons of fodder for my SOP.

    I got a 560 on my Subject GRE in chemistry and my GRE's are 720(Q) and 660(V).

  13. I just toured a few labs at UC Davis and I was quite impressed. The professors were knowledgeable, friendly, and excited to talk about their research with me. There were some AWESOME laser systems including several home-built NOPAs, a Terawatt system for high energy nanoresearch, some really interesting work on photochemistry/water oxidation, and what I found to be fascinating (unexpectedly), was a forensics laboratory employing surface science techniques such as laser desorption, UHV apparatuses (FT-MS, FT-RAIRS) and some other cool stuff.

    I've been accepted at much higher ranked schools, but rankings don't really mean anything in the broader scope. The research was exciting and dynamic, and the university itself is on an upward trend as older professors are being replaced with younger PIs.

    I'm inching closer and closer toward sending Davis my SIR.

    You have no idea how happy I am to hear this. Davis would be a great school. I am banking on the fact that my recommender (also known as my boss' boss) knows a lot of people there and works with them.

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