Search the Community

Would it be possible for current life-sciences graduate students to give advice on interview weekends? What to expect, how to dress, acceptance chances after interviews and other relevant information. Thanks!! 😄

Hello all looking for fellow people who are applying for musicology graduate programs. Just wondering how everyone's interviews and acceptances or going. The last thread I found on this subject was a few years ago. I've applied to 6 programs and have received 2 interviews. Waiting for the rest. If you would like to talk about programs or have advise, I would love to hear it!

[PROFILE EVALUATION POST] [TL:DR: Need suggestion on graduate school selection] Hello good people, Hope you are doing well. I have found the resources available in this site really helpful and am on the verge of applying to graduate schools for PhD in CS. I may have a below than the average profile due to a lack of publications or a slightly concerning GPA. I have prepared a VERY LONG list of programs that are aligned with my interest. However, most of the programs I found are from the top 50 universities and it seems their acceptance rates are very low. I will try to apply to some of those ambitious schools. But what I am stressing about is actually finding at least 2 or 3 safe or moderate programs. The deadlines are closing in and I would really appreciate it if anyone can give me any suggestion. My profile: CGPA: 3.48/4.00, (institution is in top 10 of my country) GRE: 324 (Q165, V159, A4.0), Toefl: 104 ( R30, L: 25, S20, W:29), Research experience: Undergrad thesis on phylogenetic trees( relevant to computational biology) Publication: NONE, Job: 2 years in the software industry, Research Interest: Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Advanced Algorithms, Theory of Computation. LoR: 2 from university professors, 1 from former employer Some universities I found aligned to my interest: (with their usnews ranking) 1. Rice University [20] 2. Johns Hopkins University [25] 3. Pennsylvania State University [30] 4. New York University [30] 5. University of California--Irvine [30] 6. University of Virginia [30] 7. Virginia Tech [40] 8. University of California--Davis [37] 9. University of Colorado--Boulder [40] 10. Stony Brook University--SUNY [40] 11. Michigan State University [55] 12. Indiana University--Bloomington [55] 13. Iowa State University [61] 14. University of California--Riverside [61] 15. Case Western Reserve University [68] 16. George Mason University [68] 17. Florida State University [82] 18. University of Central Florida [82] 19. CUNY Graduate School and University Center [82] 20. University of Connecticut [83] 21. University of Texas-San Antonio [119] I have got only a few generic replies from some professors of these schools. But could not decide any. Some programs ask for a Master's degree for PhD admission and I only have BSc. Also, TOEFL speaking score is making me omit some programs from this list too. My Queries: [1] What usnews ranking ranges could be considered as ambitious, moderate and safe based on this profile? [2] Could you suggest any safe schools for this profile?

Hi guys, I am a senior in college pursuing a Bachelor's degree, and I need some advice on picking my career options. I am double majoring in computer science and psychology, and I am looking for a field where I can utilize my knowledge and skills from both of the fields. I have a lot of research experience and am currently considering going to graduate school to study fields like AI or HCI. I am not interested in becoming a professor as of right now, but I enjoy every step of research projects. However, I am still unsure of what exactly I want to do or how I can integrate two separate fields. There is no professor or staff at my college who has experience in these two fields, and the suggestions I receive from professors are usually biased towards their field. I am also struggling to decide if I should (1) find a job after graduation and keep searching for an ideal field in graduate, (2) go to master's program, or (3) go to master's & doctoral dual program. Getting scholarships is another factor that I have to consider as I will not able to financially support myself without a full scholarship and some stipend. Someone told me that if I want to go to graduate school right away, I should choose a dual program in master's & Ph.D. because they tend to have more funds for students than master's programs. As someone who needs scholarships but also unsure of what field to study, I am very conflicted with what path to take. Could you please give me some insights on this situation? Any advice is helpful. Thank you so much in advance!

There was one professor during my undergrad. education whom I particularly admired both personally and professionally. I only took two courses with her (one a short summer semester), so I understand that I barely knew her, but I thought she'd be the perfect thesis adviser for the master's program I was applying to at this university (based on our shared research interests, political views, and personality factors). I envisioned us having a perfect mentor/mentee relationship and her then becoming my Ph.D. adviser and eventually friend and colleague. The problem was that she was on the verge of retirement and not taking on new students. Our relationship ended up souring (and I"m still affected by it), but even if that hadn't happened, it would still would have been difficulty/depressing to work with another adviser. However, I also don''t want to throw away my future and still hope to attend graduate school. My first question is, was the adviser/advisee relationship I envisioned with the former professor even realistic? How often does one meet with their thesis/dissertation adviser and how close are these relationships? (I"m not referring to sexual relationships, but does one typically become close friends with their adviser or is more of a distant relationship?) I honestly don't think I'm going to form the same connection with another adviser, and I'll be depressed which would distract me from my research and coursework. I guess the logical answer is to take more time off (I graduated a year ago) until I feel ready to work with another adviser, but as a non-traditional student (late 30's), I feel more pressured with time. Also, I worry that a gap of more than a year might be perceived negatively by admissions committees. (They may perceive me as less serious/passionate about the field, etc.) Thoughts or suggestions, anyone? How do I find an ideal adviser and what should my expectations be about the relationship. (I imagined all the positive, but does everyone have negative moments with their adviser?)

I am currently a senior and have started looking through different PhD programs. I've been concerned lately because I happen to have 2 C's (Organic Chem I and Physics I) and I worry about whether this will hold me back. I'm already taking an extra year (2020-2021) to complete my B.S. as well as continuing my research project and I prefer not to go into a Master's program as I am sure that I want to enter a PhD program. Should I be worried about my GPA (overall GPA: 3.5, major GPA: 3.3). Also to improve my chances, I have been considering applying to summer undergraduate research programs (internships), but I also figured that if I didn't do the summer programs I would just work on my year long project. Would grad programs prefer a summer internship where I would be able to participate in intensive research with a faculty member and present my research or continue working on a research project at my institution with my PI and eventually present my research that summer/year? Also, since I'm trying to refine my list of schools, what PhD programs are recommended for Cancer Biology or Immunology. My research interests include: Ovarian Cancer, HPV, Infectious Diseases, Allergy/Immunology Regulation

I am currently an undergrad, and will send in my first applications for Child/Clinical Psychology PhD programs next week. I graduate in May (2020) with a BA in Psychology, a BA English, and a minor in American Sign Language from the Honors College at my University. I have a 3.95 GPA, 154 in Quantitative, and a 157 in Verbal, and a 4.0 in writing on the GRE. I have been working in a child psych lab for nearly two years, and I have joined another child psych lab this August. I have one poster where I am third author, a poster submitted to SPP where I am first author, and another currently being proposed where I will be third author. I try to volunteer as much as I can and have been a part of PSI CHI for over a year. I know clinical psychology is the most competitive field. My GREs aren't great, and I don't have anything more than a few posters and lab experience. Applying is expensive and I currently have a list of 18 programs I am interested in. Am I wasting my money?

Hello All, I am thinking of applying to: Bloomsburg University, Adelphi University, Salus University, Clarion University, Ohio University, West Virginia University, and SUNY at Ferdonia. I am super nervous that I will not get accepted to any program and thought it would helpful to ask on here what your opinions or advice are! My GPA is a 3.3 and my GRE scores are VR: 150, QR:145, AW: 3.5 I feel that my scores and gpa aren't super low, but they definitely are not very high either. Any feedback or advice as to whether or not I could get into these programs? I was a Division Two Athlete at my undergraduate school and was involved in NSSLHA and the orientation organization at my school. I'm not sure how much involvement weighs on your application, but I figured I should include that information. I also did several hours of observation at a local nursing facility. Thank you!

I’m a recent graduate who doubled in philosophy & political science, and I’m going to be applying to grad school this fall. I know “political theory” and “political philosophy” are sometimes used interchangeably, but it looks like they’re considered separate programs at some universities. I’m trying to figure out which one I would be better suited for. As far as I understand it, political theorists tend deal with more empirical data and political philosophers have a more generalized and normative approach and often, as the name suggests, do more philosophy. But is that the extent of the differences? Is there anything else I should know when making my decision, like differences in the job market or competitiveness of admissions?

Hi guys. I've seen people in other areas begin threads for the Fall 2019 applicants, so I figured I would start the Classics thread. I'm graduating in May and working on applying to a large variety of Masters and Ph.D programs related to Classical Archaeology.

Hi, I am very conflicted on what direction I should do, any advice is appreciated. I have graduated with a B.S. in biology about a year ago and my GPA is a 3.17. I understand my GPA is low. I did very bad my first two years of college due to dealing with anxiety and depression issues but my last two years I managed to raise my GPA from a 2.75 to 3.17 and got an A in all my upper level biology courses (such as cell biology, microbiology, parasitology, biochem, animal behavior, virology etc.) Anyway I have always dreamed of getting a phD and being a research scientist. My first two years in college have discouraged me from aquiring significant research experience with a professor but I managed my senior year to work on a very small animal behavior research project with one of my professors (otherwise I have very minimal research experience in undergrad). My research interests are mostly related to microbiology (infectious disease related). Experience in undergrad related to graduate school programs include: being a TA for gen bio lab, TA for an anthropology course, a bunch of leadership experience, & directed study senior year, study abroad as well Right out of college I got a job as an Associate Scientist at a cosmetic company. My job pays very well (65,000 per year + bonus), the company has amazing benefits (unlimited sick leave, 401K, pension, tuition reimbursement, vacation time, health care and even more than listed), and it is an industry job. I work in a research lab were I am gaining significant microbiology experience (such as lab bench experience, writing SOP & protocols, bacteria identification, and testing etc.). But, I am lacking a lot of "flashy" molecular and genetic lab experience. This, I feel is making me less of a competitive applicant for a phD in micro program (such as doing research for a pharmaceutical company developing a drug etc.). But, I am not sure if this job I have now does make me a completive applicant?? I also have a significant amount of loans from undergrad and am able to pay them off (hopefully in 3 years with this salary) and do not want to acquire more loans than I need to. My boss also really likes me and is willing to let me work on more research projects than I am working on now. I have signed up to take the GRE in a month as well. My recommendation letters will be strong (hopefully) I have two professors in mind and my Director and Executive Director of my lab can write me a strong recommendation. I do not know if I should: A: apply to PhD programs by this december for next fall and see if I am able to get accepted to a program and leave my high paying job (for a BS in bio out college) for this if I get an acceptance ? --> I have to start emailing potential research labs, being my personal statement etc. etc. etc. BUT i do not know if it is worth it to leave my company now considering I have a great job. B: get a part-time masters (apply for next fall- most application are due in April/May) in a related field IN PERSON such as biotechnology, biochem, or Biology with concentration that is either thesis based/internship based. There is no MS in micro or infectious disease or immunology in my area where I work. I would do this while working where I work now and get the tuition reimbursement from my company. --> I think the basis of the masters for me is to gain more lab/research experience (molecular and genetic) C : finding a volunteer position at another lab (either within the company or at a local college) to gain that molecular lab experience AND then apply to phD NEXT YEAR for fall 2021 programs OR take a molecular lab class at local college in fall to gain this experience D : look at online masters options for next fall and get tuition reimbursement and apply to PhD programs after or just stay with masters ( I do not know how reputable or beneficial an online masters will be) I have though extensively about what a phD program entails (I have taken a seminar course in college that went in depth of how to apply and what you are getting yourself into. Also, I have read books and articles on what this would entail). I am just unsure on how worth it this will be to apply for next fall, should I be applying NEXT YEAR for fall 2021 programs?? I am not sure of the pay off between just having masters vs. just having a phD in programs related to biology and the jobs associated with each. Will I be wasting my time JUST getting a masters OR getting a masters AND then phD (I know some PhD programs you can leave with masters if you choose too). I think right now my eventual goal is phD but I do not know how ready I am for this. I think I am also doubting my application strength and my ability to get accepted now. What do you think my chances are of getting accepted to a program right now? Or am I stupid to leave my job after a year for a phD program if I do get accepted to one. I know you can not do much with a BS in biology and graduate school is mostly necessary. THANK YOU FOR READING ALL OF THIS I am very lost in what direction I should be taking.

Hello! I am trying to decide between Columbia and Northwestern for a master's in journalism. To give you some background, I am interested in pursing international reporting after graduation and want to attend the school that provides the best opportunities/connections to make this possible! At Columbia, I have no specialization whereas at Northwestern I picked Social Justice and Investigative Journalism. I have also included a pro/con list about the two schools below. Any insight about either or both schools would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Columbia’s Pros: At Columbia, I would not have a specialization, so my education would cover multiple platforms (audio, video, broadcast, print, online, etc.) (this may be beneficial since i have limited experience) Great international reporting department with a lot of connections. There are some great postgraduate fellowships Columbia Journalism Investigations, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Longform Narrative, funding for investigative reporting A lot of post-graduate internships that accept many Columbia grads; in particular, companies like: ABC News Broadcasting in London; Al Jazeera in Qatar, The Marshall Project (Investigative Reporting in NYC), The Reuters Institute at Oxford. Spring Career Expo (where you can have scheduled/walk-up interviews) Year long master’s project supervised by an advisor (to work on long form narrative) There is a required module on investigative journalism Students Associations: Society of Professional Journalists, Women in Journalism Ivy League Located in NYC (good for networking) A lot of students are encouraged to get published Columbia’s Cons: Slightly larger classes (15-20) and larger seminars Fewer opportunities to travel abroad while completing the degree (no established programs) No scholarship Northwestern’s Pros: Medill Explores Program: a week-long trip spent reporting on international issues and networking with local experts Global Residency Program: a 10 week program abroad with an international news organization (Time Magazine in the UK) Medill Justice Project: the opportunity to work on criminal justice cases and writing investigative stories Social Justice News Nexus: works with local Chicago news outlets to report on social justice issues Knight-Lab: focuses on emerging technology and new forms of journalism A 2 quarter class where you are trained in media technology (however, I will not be able to enroll if I do the practicum in DC) Benefits of Investigative & Social Justice Specialization: Will have stories published in Medill News Service (partners with news outlets to publish your work) There are still core courses that cover the fundamentals of reporting Practicum: a 10 week internship (instead of a thesis) in which you work with a local media outlet of your choice. It can be completed in DC or Chicago. Medill Friday events (speakers, workshops, etc) Medill Career Services Partial Scholarship Only 130 students in the program Small class size (about 10 students) Northwestern’s Cons: I had to apply to a specialization, but as I do not have a lot of journalistic experience, I am not sure if this is the field I want to stay in. Fewer media outlets in Chicago

Has anyone heard from Lamar University, the university of Texas rio Grande Valley, or Kingsville for Fall 2019? I’m so anxious and worried about not getting in anywhere! Someone please help ease my nerves 😭 I just want know if they’ve started sending interview invitations or acceptances already. Any opinions on whether I have a shot or not? Cumalitive GPA: 3.4 Major GPA: 3.4 GRE: average! I’m bilingual (spanish and English) with lots of research experience.

Hi guys! I am an undergraduate junior about to graduate this upcoming Fall... & may be applying for Audiology programs. For those in AUD programs, how did you get funding for the programs you were accepted into? If you went out of state, was it a lot of fund? Also, what are some AUD programs that offer substantial funding for Audiologists? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm an International Student. I applied to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts MFA Dramatic Writing Program from December 19th and I was told that notifications are sent out ANYTIME between MARCH 1st and APRIL frickin 15th! I am going crazy!!! It's almost the end of March and I haven't seen ANY applicants on this site with a decision for this program. In fact, I think one of the key committee members has been out of office for 1 week or so, with no "return date" in his automated email reply, so I don't know when he's expected back. I don't want to keep emailing admissions to annoy anyone, but this is ROUGH! At least with Brown University, they stuck to the date they gave (although it was just as long of a wait). At least they stuck to their date. Tisch, I don't know what's taking them so long... I mean... they have 1 month AND 15 days and I haven't seen ONE decision on the Results Search page... sigh... I'm also waiting on Boston U's MA Journalism which I was told would be out by next week.... but Tisch.... what is going on in that dept? Does anyone know? Thanks!

Hey, so I'm having a hard time choosing between Tufts University MALD, Columbia MIA, and George Washington SPS. I was hoping someone could give me some advice after hearing my reasoning + pros & cons because I feel stressed with the upcoming enrollment deposit deadlines. Thank you in advance~ Context About Me - I have a fellowship that offers me financial assistance, 2 great internships with the government, and a job straight after graduation in the government. So, technically I don't HAVE to be in DC because I have that fellowship that will make me end up in DC for the summers anyway for my internship. I'm from Texas... so I need information about the city too. I've had an internship in DC before, so honestly, DC is the only one I'm familiar with the area, but I've never visited GW. I visited Tufts for a day, and I really liked it, but again, I don't know Boston. Personal, but I'm a Christian, so I'm gonna be attending a church and need Christian clubs on campus to help keep me sane lol I'm South Asian heritage... so I need some diversity to make me feel not alone I'm 21 (will be 22 as I start grad school), so it makes me wary since I'm also super young and entering grad school Columbia - Pros: I like the program? It's an Ivy League Cons: Honestly the biggest negative for me right now is the cost of tuition & cost of living in NYC. I like the program on paper (looking into the International and Security Policy concentration as well as Management specialization), but I don't know if it's worth the debt at the end. I'm appealing for more money, but SIPA didn't offer me additional financial aid in addition to my external fellowship... that means I would need to pay 40k a year. Is it worth the debt? I mean I have a guaranteed job in government after college, so is the name/Ivy League status helpful for someone who already is going to be in the government after college? I've never visited either... I've been to NY before, but I've never seen the campus. Tufts - Pros: I like the size of the school where you can get to know everyone and can good attention from professors... it'll help with the community aspect. Visiting made me feel good because I got to talk to a couple of students, the admissions dude was nice, and I liked the classes I visited too. I like the ability you have to cross-register and take a few courses at Harvard too for more experience. Cons: I don't know Boston. I'm not good with the cold... so will I survive? It's not DC either, so if I want to do a job to get some experience... it may be hard to find organizations in Boston that are IR/gov related? With my external fellowship + funding Tufts offered me, I only need to pay $5000 per semester if I attend. But, I'm appealing for more because there's no harm in trying. GW - Pros: I am covered in terms of tuition, which would be amazing considering I have undergrad debt I need to pay off. Big school, so lots of clubs and opportunities to connect/find my people? I know DC (from my 1 semester experience there). Night classes only, so it will help if I want to find a job/internship during the day. Cons: Big school, so I don't know if I'd get a small school attention. Never visited, so I don't know if I would like the campus atmosphere and such. I think I'm really wary of grad school life since I haven't experienced it yet. I really don't know how it's gonna be different from undergrad, so I need to really be intentional in finding community/my niche. I guess that's why I'm confused? PLEASE HELP!!!

Like many others have done, I'm a current first year grad student! Feel free to ask any questions from applying to grad school itself! We're all in this together and I remember how rough the application process was!

What are my chances of getting into a decent Biostats program based on my stats? Undergrad Institution: state school in california Major(s): biology w/ emphasis on zoology Minor(s): GPA: 2.5 Type of Student: Citizen, URM, female GRE General Test: Writing 6/Quant 166/Verbal 168 Programs Applying: MS/MPH Biostatistics...hopefully MS in biostats Research Experience: 2 years of research in Epidemiology lab Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 2 year research experience in Epidemiology/Biostats funded by NIH fellowship. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: President of Health club on campus, secretary of two other clubs, student senator, heavily involved on campus with advocacy groups as well as encouraging women and other people of color in the sciences. Letters of Recommendation: I have three-four strong letters of rec being written for me by post docs/professors that are mentors. I meet with them every so often and we talk about my career trajectory, my work, and the like.

I have applied to five schools and have only heard from one school. Idaho State University- waitlisted. Is anyone else in a similar situation? 😕

I’m applying to Csudh Msw fall 2019 program, if you have applied what are your stats and when did you or when are you turning in your application. Do you know when they start sending out acceptance or denials? Why did you choose CSUDH?

Hi everyone! I recently have been accepted to my top choice clinical psychology PhD program (yay!!!), and my POI informed me over the phone that a formal email would follow within the next week. Is this normally the case? I guess I'm just in such shock, I want to see my offer written out on paper. This has been a long road for me, so I'm so excited to be accepted into my top program. Thank you all in advance!

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a nice messenger bag, preferably brown leather, to use for graduate school. I'm more interest in durability than affordability right now (although anything over $200 is tooooo much). Does anybody have any recommendations/bags they love/bags they hate? Thank you!

Hello! Does anyone know anything about Rutgers American studies program? I can't find much information on their webpage and there seems to be very few entries on the results page... Is this a strong program? Is the funding good (the DGS never wrote me back when I asked what it entailed)? Also, why would there be so few entires in the results page?

Has anyone heard from Lamar University, the university of Texas rio Grande Valley, or Kingsville for Fall 2019? I’m so anxious and worried about not getting in anywhere! Someone please help ease my nerves 😭 I just want know if they’ve started sending interview invitations or acceptances already. Thank you so much in advance. :)

hi all. I've been admitted to a PhD program and I'm getting an ok stipend, but relative to the city I'm moving to I'll barely be making it by. Do cost of living scholarships even exist? Are there things that I can apply for to subsidize cost of living? FYI I'm on a student visa