amlobo

I asked my mom what she would do if I just decided not to have ANY kids (she is grandchild-crazed, too). She then launched into a story about her friends so-and-so who never had children and were so unhappy for the rest of their lives and their lives were so empty, blah blah blah. I asked her, "Mom, did they WANT kids but COULDN'T have them... or did they NOT WANT KIDS?" Of course if you want kids and cannot have them, you will be sad about it! I know childless couples who really enjoyed their lives without kids! Lol. Not my mother... in rural America, where women are ostracized for not wanting children and thought of as "heartless" (I think that may be the word she used). That said, I have also been encouraged to have children after the coursework portion of my PhD program is over. I probably will have one then, when my schedule is more flexible. But, not sure if I will tell my mother these plans... hahaha...

Take a look at Harvard's Organizational Behavior PhD program - it's a joint venture of sociology and the business school. http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/areas-of-study/organizational-behavior/

Thank you! A few hours after that email, I got an email inviting me for an interview at another university. On the same day... but I'm going to try to work this out... lol. Now, bring on some actual admissions decisions...!

Yeah, I have an interview that conflicts, but I'm going to try to work out to attend both. What are your research interests?

That's awesome, as I know TFA has gotten incredibly competitive lately! It's a great option to have

I got an invite to interview at Rice and saw at least one other person did as well. Thought I'd start a thread so we can discuss, since it's one of the only programs interviewing... and it's so new! Anyone want to claim some Rice invites?

Ok, just got an email from Rice inviting me to Visit Day there too... on the same day as Notre Dame. A happy predicament, but a predicament nonetheless. What are the odds that my only two schools with interviews host them on the same day?!

I'm one of the results posted. It is just an interview/visit, but like the Colonel, I am very excited!

Finally heard from my first program! They do a "visit day" before making decisions, and I got an invite, woo hoo! It's not an acceptance, but I feel like it's validating to know I'm at least in the top applicants somewhere... lol.

Got an invite to visit weekend at Notre Dame. Not an acceptance, but they invite "top applicants", so I am thrilled to have some kind of solace at this point.

Soooo happy for you Aaron!!! Congrats again!

I actually got the idea from another gradcafe-r... hehe...

I almost posted something exactly like this, but am glad to just +1 onto yours. GPAs are increasingly useless tools of comparison for applicants. I didn't know anyone with over a 3.5 at my school... I know they existed... somewhere. But, a friend who flunked out of my university transferred to a different school, which was still a top 100 school, and got a 4.0 in the same major. So, there has to be SOME kind of "great equalizer" to account for those kinds of differences. The GRE is far from perfect, or even good, probably. But, it's a hoop to jump through, and it can gauge some of the exact things you point out. I work full time, plus a part-time job, and I put every spare moment I had into preparing for the GRE because I knew I had to do well. Did I feel like my performance had anything to do with my intellectual abilities? To some extent, yes. But, mostly I think it showed I was taking the process seriously and did everything I could to make myself an attractive candidate. I know there are people who just don't do well on standardized tests, and that is why there are all of the other parts of the application to show your abilities. The GRE is just one thing, but I think it does have its place. I also think programs recognize the relevance of the GRE to their particular program and utilize it accordingly. That said, if you really don't want to take the GRE, there are programs that don't require it.

Rock bottom is going to magic 8 ball websites and asking if you will get into grad school... and when they say no, you keep trying other websites until you get a yes. Not that I did this or anything...

One of my greatest fears is that I misspelled a POI's name in my SOPs. I refuse to even look at them now so I don't freak myself out. Lol.

I don't know how "grad school" works, but in law school, any of my "scholarships" that the school applied to tuition were not taxed as normal income but instead were set off against the credit I got for tuition expenses. So, I wasn't "taxed" on my scholarships - they basically wiped out most of my education credit instead, lol. Not sure if that's a good way to explain it... I sucked in my tax classes... ha...

Stipends are taxed. Just like with any income, it will depend on the amount. You could look up an income tax rate table online...

Sparky's right... I feel too old for the Loop, but I know undergrads still like it. Depends on your tastes. I always say I'm not "hip" enough for the Loop. There are a few restaurants that skew older that I like there And, forgot about you probably being at the med school... which is not on the main campus. So, Sparky's right again...Central West End would definitely be best option in that case. Best of luck!

Similar situation, as well! Except, my hubby is waiting until I decide where to go before he starts applying for jobs. But, the second I get an acceptance, we will have to meet with a realtor and get our house on the market... yikes. And, if he can't find a job, he will just have to stay at his current job until he does, which means we'd have to live in separate cities for a while. We have lived in separate places for a few months before, but I am really hoping it doesn't come to that

I live in the St. Louis area, and I think I can help a bit with your questions. I would say that the best places to live for a WashU student are, not surprisingly, the areas close to WashU - University City (the "good" parts... basically close to/south of Delmar = better; north = bad!) and Clayton (higher priced, but ample apartments close to WashU... no bad areas of Clayton, really). If you are more of a city person, try Central West End or downtown. WashU is a 10-15 minute drive from downtown, but Central West end is more like 5. I can't speak to prices, as I never rented in these areas. I rented farther out in the burbs, and 2br were $1000 or so. I know people without cars, but hardly anyone. St. Louis is a driving city - not a ton in the way of public transportation. I can't imagine trying to get around without a car. It's possible, but difficult. The people I know without a car use a car-sharing program... they work at WashU, so I'm not sure if it's affiliated with the university or a private company. WashU is right by Forest Park, which is where a ton of free activities are. The park itself is huge and gorgeous, and it houses the zoo, art museum, history museum, science center, outdoor theater, and most things are free! WashU is also close to "the Loop" in UCity, which has restaurants, concert venues, indie film theater, and funky shops - kind of the mecca for WashU students (walkable from WashU). Of course, there are a bunch of different neighborhoods to get to know, and which are known for different cuisine/bars/etc., which is easier if you have a car. If you have a car, there are more things you could drive to, as well... lots of wineries, breweries (go figure), more museums (the City Museum is fun), parks and biking trails. I lived in Chicago for a long time, and St. Louis doesn't have near the amount of activities, but St. Louis is also a very small city in comparison. You do have to "seek out" activities a bit more, but I think there's a little bit for everyone here. WashU's campus is beautiful, too.

LOL. Ok, I feel less evil knowing someone else has used this same bait and switch tactic, hehe. I also have considered opening with an explanation of how I was planning to stay home for a few years when I had kid(s) anyway (in 3-4 years), and explain that this way I will be getting funding and a degree when I do so. Ha! "Mom, the good news is, you will still have grandchildren one day. The bad news is, you will be over 1000 miles away." Guess I should work on that...

Yeah, my mom won't "get it" either. But, my whole plan was to avoid telling her if I didn't get in anywhere... and if I did get in anywhere, be able to tell her the ranking and funding of the school in the initial conversation, ha. Hoping that will head off part of the lecture about avoiding the "real world" (even though I've been working for almost 4 years) and abandoning my family and whatnot. I also thought of setting it up to where it sounds like I'm getting divorced, then it will sound way better when I instead say I'm moving away and going back to school! Awful, lol!

So, my most recent freak-outs have been about the "negatives" of getting into a program. Perhaps this is my way of preparing for rejection, who knows. Lol. I am kind of fixated on the idea that I will have to keep coming to work, even if I get into a program. I am the higher earning spouse, and we need my income for as long as I can get it, so I will have to work until the last possible second before starting any (hypothetical) program. I wish it was like "I'm in! Quit my job! Poof!" Ha! Other negative: telling my parents. This one I'm *really* freaking out about. Yes, I'm an adult who has been independent for many years... but I am still terrified of my mother's reaction to me moving away. I am bordering on panic attacks thinking about how I am going to tell her! I am anticipating a lecture or crying... or probably both.

I will have to check it out lol.

I actually made a Sims land based on the TV show Vampire Diaries. Now, *there*'s a guilty pleasure for ya! Oh, and watching random TV shows on Netflix... currently Australian series "Dance Academy."