How did you find TheGradCafe?

[AnxiousNerd]

Just curious how everyone made their way here (reddit, word of mouth, google, etc)

[jpain3]

I found The Grad Cafe a few years ago when I was first seriously researching how to apply to PhD programs. MIT Sloan had a link to a document written by a former student which I have found very useful since. In it, the author specifically calls out The Grad Cafe as a good resource for admissions results. There are a few other good resources in there as well!

"A Guide to Business PhD Applications" by Abhishek Nagaraj 

http://mitsloan.mit.edu/uploadedfiles/phd-guide.pdf

 

[Adelaide9216]

Google.

[E-P]

Yeah, I think I googled "grad school acceptance status" or something like that.  I've known about it for a while, but didn't actually join until I needed SOMETHING to do while I waited.

[Crucial BBQ]

For me it was definitely from Internet searches into various topics relating to the graduate school application process.  I no longer remember what that initial first search was, and I had landed on GradCafe numerous times over the course of six months or so before signing up.  I do know that I did join so I could respond to a particular thread, though.  

[khigh]

Googled how to stay sane waiting for grad applications... 

[ArcierePrudente]

I had a Facebook friend allude to checking GradCafe obsessively, and far be it from me to miss out on the chance to develop a new compulsion. I looked into it, realized it was basically WebMD for graduate students, and have never looked back. 

[aurora borealis]

I googled "graduate school forum" and this was the first result.

[jazzontherocks]

I was Googling some grad school programs, and Grad Cafe immediately showed up on the first page.

[madamoiselle]

The reddit posts that explicitly advise not to come here

Being told not to do something only makes me want to do it more!

Edited February 4, 2018 by madamoiselle

[Auuudriana]

Honestly don't remember but I've been in grad school for almost 2 years now and I haven't left.

[AccessGranted]

Known about for years, (I think since I was at least a senior in h.s.) but did not join until after I got accepted to my M.S. last year. I figured its a right of passage for stressed out (grad) students. Anyway, I'm in it for the long run from starting 1st year of masters to applying and continuing to a PhD later.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

I was searching for more information about grad school status updates and whatnot when it showed up in the Google search. I didn't get in that cycle, but I made wonderful connections and utilized the forum as a resource to improve my app this cycle (which has led to admission, so definitely a good resource).  

[deshypothequiez]

My ex used it when he was applying to PsyD programs, but I'm not sure how he found out!

[MarineBluePsy]

I googled "grad school advice" and found this forum and a few others.  This one was more appealing so I signed up.

[ShewantsthePhD101]

A friend of mine who is a year ahead in her studies mentioned it as she was waiting for her results and I remembered and looked it up later.

[GoneWilde]

My undergrad advisor actually recommended it to me as a source for seeing first-hand the perils of the application process and grad school itself.

[megabee]

UCSD had a really weirdly worded essay question on their application that wasn't on the applications for any of the other schools I was applying to. Googled the question prompt with quotes around it, and found a few gradcafe posts made by other equally confused applicants. Haven't really left since then, and I attribute my successful application season to a lot of the advice shared on these forums. 

[XVIIA]

I had some business travel proposed for early last spring, and I was trying to research which of my programs had interview weekends and to get a good guess as to when those interview weekends usually are. One of the programs I searched for had mentions of interviews on their GradCafe results page, so I checked the rest of my programs and clicked around a bit.

[Adelaide9216]

I believe it was a Google search. Now I talk a lot about this forum to my peers at the master's level. 

[collegesista]

Google search for Computer Science grad school resources

[jmillar]

I was a McNair Scholar and I think it was mentioned in one of our seminars. Now whenever I go back to give a talk to them, I always mention Grad Cafe.

[TwirlingBlades]

I googled "GRE advice" back in 2015 and I found some threads on here!

[Cheshire_Cat]

I was accepted into a Ph.D program and then thought "Oh crap! I have to figure out how to survive grad school!" so I googled it or something.

[WilliG]

Google search