GeoMex Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 What mistake did you make ? Did you show it to anybody in your geoscience department? I showed mine to two of them and got their opinions on it. They're honestly probably the best people to show your essay to since they have a lot of experience with these sort of things I can't tell if it is a mistake, I think it might be. I showed my SOP to a few friends and coworkers, one of them just came back from his PhD and he said it was fine, but to be honest he's just a very relaxed guy. Congrats to everyone who got an acceptance! I am also a UT hopeful, but I am trying to not get too nervous about not hearing anything yet. Waiting it out is much more difficult than I imagined it would be! But I got an invite to a prospective student weekend at Duke in February, so I am pretty excited about that. I was somewhat surprised by this because I had received an email over the weekend informing me that the application deadline had been extended to February 28th. I guess their applicant pool was smaller than they had hoped? I am also waiting for UH, but since their application deadline is in a week I don't have to worry yet. I am attending a school in Texas, and I can give some insight. A fair number of UT attendees do come from Texan schools: 1) Residency allows half the savings on tuition bills. Schools in Texas like Rice & SMU don't distinguish residency and so there is a large number of international students with a HUGELY disproportionate number of them coming from China. In fact, I believe everyone i It's perfect for many other people, and for so many reasons too :l n the geophysics graduate department here, and who are international students, came from China. I don't recall having met a geophysics graduate student who isn't either chinese or white. 2) The Texan G&G community is close-knit, and chances are if you are doing your UG in Texas, your POI will know your undergraduate research professor. This means you would know your POI on a more personal level and be able to build rapport, giving you a huge leverage for seeking admissions. Texas yeah! I know it's a perfect fit for many people, I was just saying. I have small eyes, I might make them think I'm like 1/50 chinese or something lol. But seriously, maybe not many people apply from here and to that department, there isn't a lot of people in the industry that's good enough in english here, and the ones that do know english still battle with the GRE, I've met a couple of coworkers that went to Europe instead because they didn't get a good score in the GRE. They are great geoscientists, they are relatively good at english, but still prefer to go to a national Uni or to Europe because of the GRE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prospecting Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 But seriously, maybe not many people apply from here and to that department, there isn't a lot of people in the industry that's good enough in english here, and the ones that do know english still battle with the GRE, I've met a couple of coworkers that went to Europe instead because they didn't get a good score in the GRE. They are great geoscientists, they are relatively good at english, but still prefer to go to a national Uni or to Europe because of the GRE. Think the asians have the same difficulty as you and other hispanics would with the GRE. Btw - I met a Professor at UH who told me they had 800 applicants last year, and less than five percent were accepted. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoMex Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Think the asians have the same difficulty as you and other hispanics would with the GRE. Btw - I met a Professor at UH who told me they had 800 applicants last year, and less than five percent were accepted. All the best. Of course they do, it's not an excuse, I was just stating the fact that people that can't get a good GRE score go to another country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Think the asians have the same difficulty as you and other hispanics would with the GRE. Btw - I met a Professor at UH who told me they had 800 applicants last year, and less than five percent were accepted. All the best. I wasn't going to apply to UH, just because of the high application pool, and difficulty getting in, but I talked with a new professor there that had just transferred from being a professor at MIT, and was trying to recruit new students, as he doesn't have any now. My thoughts are still on the slim side though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prospecting Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) I wasn't going to apply to UH, just because of the high application pool, and difficulty getting in, but I talked with a new professor there that had just transferred from being a professor at MIT, and was trying to recruit new students, as he doesn't have any now. My thoughts are still on the slim side though. If you're talking about Professor Yingcai Zheng, he seems like a very likable person! I don't think he was a a Professor at MIT though, but all the best! Edited January 23, 2015 by prospecting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbia09 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 In all honesty how much weight does the name of your undergrad institution mean ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laocoön Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Received an email invite from USC to come discuss possible research projects! This makes me kind of nervous, because I'm not sure if this is an interview or just an open house sort of deal...the email was from the POI with whom I communicated in the fall and didn't say anything like "you have been recommended for admission by the department", but they're offering to pay for the visit, which makes it feel less like an interview. Further, I was under the impression that USC Earth Science didn't really *do* interviews... Can anyone with experience with this department help me read the tea leaves? I'll probably prepare for it like it's a formal interview regardless, but I'd still like to know what the invite "means". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoDUDE! Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Received an email invite from USC to come discuss possible research projects! This makes me kind of nervous, because I'm not sure if this is an interview or just an open house sort of deal...the email was from the POI with whom I communicated in the fall and didn't say anything like "you have been recommended for admission by the department", but they're offering to pay for the visit, which makes it feel less like an interview. Further, I was under the impression that USC Earth Science didn't really *do* interviews... Can anyone with experience with this department help me read the tea leaves? I'll probably prepare for it like it's a formal interview regardless, but I'd still like to know what the invite "means". Is he/ she paying for you to come out? Then its a formal interview. Your POI might want to meet you in person before devoting thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of dollars on you. Thats all! As for the name of the institution, I think it matters, but I think it doesn't make up for deficiencies in your application. Some schools are known for grade inflation/depression, so that might come up. Chances are if you are in the USA your school is known for grade inflation. But why worry about something that you cannot change? If you have already applied, put your mind to other things. That being said, most of the people in my department (students and professors) come from well known schools. Edited January 23, 2015 by GeoDUDE! laocoön 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 If you're talking about Professor Yingcai Zheng, he seems like a very likable person! I don't think he was a a Professor at MIT though, but all the best! You are very correct, I apologize. He was a researcher there. It doesn't really matter though, as I likely wouldn't get accepted. I am feeling awfully depressed now about my decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesy1116 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 You are very correct, I apologize. He was a researcher there. It doesn't really matter though, as I likely wouldn't get accepted. I am feeling awfully depressed now about my decisions. Welcome to the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Welcome to the club. Seriously. Today I started with the self examination -- why did I apply to this place and not that place? Why didn't I contact this professor over here? Why did I leave this part out of my SOP? Why didn't I sign up for Magoosh to try to improve my GRE? It is going to be a long few weeks. Edited January 23, 2015 by darkstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie anne Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Seriously. Today I started with the self examination -- why did I apply to this place and not that place? Why didn't I contact this professor over here? Why did I leave this part out of my SOP? Why didn't I sign up for Magoosh to try to improve my GRE? It is going to be a long few weeks. Yup. All of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laocoön Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Is he/ she paying for you to come out? Then its a formal interview. Your POI might want to meet you in person before devoting thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of dollars on you. Thats all! Thanks for the response! After reading over the email a few more times, I figure it's probably a chance to make sure I'm articulate, likable, and actually enthusiastic about the program, because if they were really on the fence, they could have just given me a phone interview, which is much cheaper than flying me out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddybrosevelt Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I have spent a lot of time worrying about my applications. Lately, I've done my best to avoid this destructive behavior and focus on staying positive. Like many of you, I spent months searching for the 'perfect' programs, where my research is well aligned with several faculty members. I've decided if I am not admitted it will likely be due to other factors I cannot control, like better, more qualified applicants. In which case I will beef up my application materials and try again! Best of luck everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Seriously. Today I started with the self examination -- why did I apply to this place and not that place? Why didn't I contact this professor over here? Why did I leave this part out of my SOP? Why didn't I sign up for Magoosh to try to improve my GRE? It is going to be a long few weeks. Yeah... I was told to shoot for what I really wanted, who I wanted to work with, and what research I truly wanted to do. Now I am realizing that what "I wanted" might be well outside the realm of possibilities. Not only that, but I am dealing with the two person problem as well... making it even more stressful. I feel like I should have shot a lot lower. My numbers aren't really all that impressive, although I have really strong letters and decent undergrad research. I feel like if they could meet me in person, they would have a much, much better impression. I feel like I have set myself up for failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddybrosevelt Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Sjoh197: I thought your numbers and experience were great! Also, a professor of mine told me that when applying to graduate school, you should only apply to schools you would LOVE to go to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoDUDE! Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 You can look at my profile in last year's thread: I got into 3 schools and my numbers were very mediocre. Its also luck. This year my advisor is unfortunately not taking any students because our department had 2 very big recruitment years in a row and all her grants are tied up to me and her other student. If I had applied this year, I would have been rejected. Don't lose faith! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoMex Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 if locals feel this way I don't know htf am I supposed to feel... I think I should've gone with applying to all 9 universities that I liked, and not just 3. spending some hundreds of dollars more on applications would be worth to start this year. FML. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 if locals feel this way I don't know htf am I supposed to feel... I think I should've gone with applying to all 9 universities that I liked, and not just 3. spending some hundreds of dollars more on applications would be worth to start this year. FML. GeoMex... you have pretty much the same gpa and pretty close gre scores to me.... you also have years in industry (big plus) and funding from you company (BIG plus). Not only that, but you obviously have proficiency of the English Language, which is not always the case for foreign students ( I don't know your background, but you went to school in Mexico?) Also, seeing as how you went to school in Mexico, I assume you are also proficient in Spanish? Another plus that many of us "locals" don't have. Being a non-traditional student... your stats are kind of hard to compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoMex Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 GeoMex... you have pretty much the same gpa and pretty close gre scores to me.... you also have years in industry (big plus) and funding from you company (BIG plus). Not only that, but you obviously have proficiency of the English Language, which is not always the case for foreign students ( I don't know your background, but you went to school in Mexico?) Also, seeing as how you went to school in Mexico, I assume you are also proficient in Spanish? Another plus that many of us "locals" don't have. Being a non-traditional student... your stats are kind of hard to compare. Thank you, I appreciate your view of my situation, but I'm still worried for some things. It's up to the admissions committee to decide and I hope they think as you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddybrosevelt Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I definitely agree with sjoh197. Keep your chin up! Hopefully this thread will be covered with good news for everyone over the next several weeks/months! GeoMex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoMex Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I definitely agree with sjoh197. Keep your chin up! Hopefully this thread will be covered with good news for everyone over the next several weeks/months! Hopefully, and thank you. It'd be great to read that everyone got into their preferred Universities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystalline_Sunlight Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I definitely agree with sjoh197. Keep your chin up! Hopefully this thread will be covered with good news for everyone over the next several weeks/months! Yesss I second this. Here's wishing success to us all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuff Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Congrats to all who got acceptances so far! Not sure if anyone else applied to Stanford GES department, but I got an email invite for the department's prospective student visit on Feb 23-24. I know it's not an official acceptance, but I am super excited nonetheless!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Congrats to all who got acceptances so far! Not sure if anyone else applied to Stanford GES department, but I got an email invite for the department's prospective student visit on Feb 23-24. I know it's not an official acceptance, but I am super excited nonetheless!!!!!!!!!! That sounds awesome. I will be happy just to hear from any of them... I think if I could land an interview, I would make a much better impression than my numbers. Good luck with your interview tuff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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