RandiZ

Short answer: no. Long answer: it depends. I found that the Results Search on my particular school and program gave the most accurate idea. If there is not enough data from previous years, you're SOL, and have to suffer along with another unknown in this process full of unknowns.

First, CONGRATULATIONS! Next, I highly recommend you visit Stony Brook. I'm a native NYer. I don't know what you think is cool about NY, but if it is big city life, Stony Brook is not NYC. You should experience how easy/difficult it is to get around, whether or not you need a car (you do), cost of housing, things to do on the weekends when the undergrads go home, etc. If it is only a two year masters program, it may not matter to you. But, if your wife actually does find a job, you may want to settle in. It should be someplace you like. But I agree that program fit is much more important.

I tell my kids, now 20 & 18, at this point in your lives your successes and failures belong to you because they are your choices to make. Also we tend to learn by doing not others talking at us. I and others have lived, some still living, with the crippling aftermath of student loan debt. Those in my age bracket still living with it never left academia. They are bitter that they have been unable to build resources now that they are looking at sending their children to college and quickly approaching retirement. I promised my children that they would have no debt from their bachelor degrees but they are on their own after that. I am modelling for them that grad school needs to be funded and make sense for their chosen career, careers based on legitmate interests and talents. Paying for Harvard law makes sense if you will be a corporate attorney. Columbia does not if you are going to be a public school teacher or do not for profit advocacy work. State schools have fabulous resources. A bad fit is something you'll live with for a long and unpleasant time. There are a lot of factors to consider. You will live with the consequences for a very long time if you don't think about it, and choose wisely.

Regrets. I have a few. But then again, too few to mention.

How could Johns Hopkins be in the top 10 if 2013 is the first year they are accepting PhD candidates and their application deadline is April 1st, which means they could not have all of the stats on all the applicants? Certainly I look at the US News rankings as one piece of information albeit a small piece of the puzzle.

Dear AdCom Gods and Goddesses, Its me, the student who got in all of her apps and paperwork weeks before the deadline. You know the one who normally gets everything in late but thought that applying to grad school was too important to engage in the same old behavior. Well, its been a few months now and I just thought since you've had my apps, recommendations, scores and transcripts for so long that you might not only know whether or not I'm accepted to your university but inclined to tell me, too. Sorry to interrupt your work flow and all. I'm trying to grade a mountain of papers myself here in Never Never Land. I just wanted you to know that I'm really, really, really, really, really ready to know.......now. Yours truly.

At least with Christmas you know when you'll have the answer.

I'm the geeky kid who read encyclopedias and almanacs for fun. I love research, not just surfing on the internet, but the real finding the right keywords to illicit ERIC to bring up the right journal articles. I love to think about, talk about what I've learned and synthesize it into something new and different. I like studying big systems, figuring out how they work and telling other people about it in uncomplicated language. For personal satisfaction, I need the work to have real world applications that can impact people's lives in a positive way. I'm very successful at putting together interdisciplinary teams and creating something that none of us could have done or even thought up individually. I enjoy time with my family and have a few hobbies. But essentially, I'm always reading and writing about my areas of interest. Earning a PhD just seems like a way to get paid for doing what I already love to do.

Personally, I'd much rather have a mindless admin job so I can focus on my coursework during the first year than TA or even RA. Through my classwork and participating in departmental talks I'd hope to show what I can do and be less stressed about it. I'll also have time to get to know various professors in my department and them know me.

Some articles written on the subject: http://www.cgsnet.org/effects-sequestration-and-graduate-education http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/sequestering-science-research/273648/ http://www.technologyreview.com/news/511886/rd-faces-its-own-fiscal-cliff/ There are a bunch of other articles put out by individual universities, too.

Look up the people you want to emulate. Read their CV. Look at their career and possibly personal trajectories. How long did it take them to reach each milestone? Which colleges did they attend? conferences they spoke at? Journals they published in and how frequently? This should tell you a lot about how hard they worked. You should also see patterns in similar careers. If possible, sit down and meet with them. Most people like to talk about themselves when given an opportunity. My next door neighbor is an MD/PhD and faculty at a famous teaching hospital. She works all the time. But her faculty position is from her research, publishing, running a lab, and getting the funding to do all of that. She still does hospital rounds, treats patients in the hospital clinic once a week, and works with new doctors.

There is a HGSE thread in the Education topic. EdD notices went out last week. MA wiil go out in a week or two. Check Results section, too.

Contact the IRS directly or an accountant. If you have a bill then you are good. You just can't claim the expence in two years. It should be easy to show that the 2011 tuition was not fully paid until you received the scholarship money in 2012. But there may be other legal issues I'm not aware of.

Is anyone else flipping out about possible spending cuts to research if the folks in DC don't get their act together and this so-called sequester goes through? I heard that NIH and NSF have already sent out letters saying that the cuts go through on March 1st they'll have to suspend some grants.

It was also explained to me that there is a lot of movement that happens this time of year (March, April, May.) Professors move to other universities. Research grant awards are announced. Post docs and masters students decide if they are leaving. Etc. This all informs what funding and positions are available within the department.

I got one at 5:03PM on a Friday (automated response to check website.) Another came in at 9:36PM on a Sunday night (email from POI.)

NYC teacher and CUNY education adjunct here. Do not, I repeat DO NOT pay full freight for a teaching masters at a private school. Even if you decided to stay in teaching forever, which more teachers don't do each year, it is not worth the cost. Also, I would not let my own children apply to NYU for undergrad and did not apply myself for grad school. While their reputation is outstanding and have some wonderful professors, their programs are spotty. I have often been told by students, grad and undergrad, that many of the classes are taught by TAs or professionals with either poor teaching skills or who are just there to teach the class. I apologize to anyone having a great experience at NYU. My cousin, working towards a BA in psych is very happy. PM me if you have more specific question. Good luck.

Yeah, history shows this week. I'm thinking it'll be longer as folks wonder about the sequester. Funding may be an issue if the politicians don't get their act together before Friday. But seriously, I got an email from a professor who thinks it'll be a few weeks, as in two or three.

The advise I give to my kids and myself: follow the money. If they accept you without offering anyhing, that's not a real acceptance. They are really asking you to borrow money to fund someone else's tuition. I may not go to grad school myself if my acceptances don't include funding.

Minimally, I would hope they throw in health insurance for the day you start rather than the first day of classes. Also, if your stipend begins when you start working, does that mean that you're doing more for less? I.e., $8,000 for 11 months instead of $8,000 for 10 months. As for the RA, professors think of themselves as mentoring the PhDs. Yes, if varies by institution and even varies by professors within the same institution. But, what they are in part saying is that you are doing your coursework for the first year and under their direction, meaning doing their research, learning how to do research for the other years. I've had professors tell me that they expect me to be presenting work at conferences by the second year even thought it will likely be a piece of what they are doing in conjunction with my research. Speak with other grad students that the POI is working with before you speak with the professor.

Yep, 5:03. A tad heartbroken. Congratulations to those who received a different decision. Now I can obsess about other applications.

No phone call, no email, and no status change on the web site. I'm not sure what to make of it all?

Thank you.

Congrats to both of you who got admitted. Wishing you much luck and hope you fulfill your dreams and make an impact. Hoping I'll find out in the next day or two if I will be among you.

Definitely check with an accountant. But, I believe that money used for tuition, fees and books is not taxable. Anything over that is taxable. However, do not misinterpret non-taxable as the same thing as you don't have to report it. You have to report all income if it is over a certain amount of money. I'll end where I began - check with an accountant.