2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[GeoMex]

4 hours ago, geophys said:

Congratulations! That's exciting news. Did you apply for PhD or MS?

Thank you. I applied for a MS. I just hope this year there isn't any problems like last year when I couldn't go

[Windmills]

Does anyone know how the thesis is structured at UT? I'm not sure if a masters in geology has a similar curriculum as energy and earth resources, but EER has 30 credits with 6 for the thesis. I guess you don't join a lab and do original research since you don't get a thesis supervisor until the second semester. Also I don't know if all theses are always defended, but the EER curriculum page just says you complete the thesis in the last semester. Does that mean you just write it and submit it?

[GeoDUDE!]

26 minutes ago, Windmills said:

Does anyone know how the thesis is structured at UT? I'm not sure if a masters in geology has a similar curriculum as energy and earth resources, but EER has 30 credits with 6 for the thesis. I guess you don't join a lab and do original research since you don't get a thesis supervisor until the second semester. Also I don't know if all theses are always defended, but the EER curriculum page just says you complete the thesis in the last semester. Does that mean you just write it and submit it?

this is a good question to email the director of the graduate program there. 

[zerozircon]

@Windmills  When I visited, they told me that MS students defend.  If you've been accepted/ waiting, you should email your potential adviser to get the details.

[Windmills]

@zerozircon Interesting. Did Geology applicants have to contact/secure an advisor with similar research themes before applying? Since it wasn't required for EER, I wasn't planning on contacting faculty unless I'm certain I'm going to UT.

[jader]

Hi all!  I'm new here, so I guess I have to post some info about myself before I proceed with my queries.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Undergrad Institution: Top Philippine state university
Major(s): Geology, BS, finishing my MS Geology this year
Minor(s): n/a
GPA in Major: n/a
Overall GPA: Undergrad/Grad: 1.72 / 1.29.  According to our schools conversion, 1.00 is 97-100% and a 3.0 GPA, and the passing grade of 3 is 75-77.75% or a 1.0 GPA.
Position in Class: Undergrad: cum laude
Type of Student: International, male, Filipino

GRE Scores (revised/old version): revised
Q: 154   V: 159  W: 3.5

TOEFL: 113

Research Experience: Been with our structural geology and tectonics lab since being an undergrad in 2010, most of my research experience here has been nonstop since then, mostly on recent large earthquakes- from structures, paleoseismology, seismicity analysis, modeling, and a bit of handling seismic reflection data.  No publications yet, but I've presented in some conferences abroad.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Full-time teaching undergrad subjects (principles of geology lectures, geology labs, summer fieldwork) from, 2011-2015. In between that I did my Masters and research, and 6 months of geohazard assessment.  Right now I am full-time in research and have some work in K-12 development.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: 5 years to finish my masters (largely due to full-time teaching

Applying to Where:

Tohoku University (Japan) - PhD (3 years) - Geophysics - Accepted, but no scholarship, I have to find other sources for funding. Confirmation deadline on 31st March.
San Diego State University - Joint Geophysics PhD with UCSD - Rejected
UC Davis - PhD - Structural Geology and Tectonics - no news yet

Only applied to three since fees are kind of expensive.

----------------------------------------------

I first met my Tohoku University POI in a conference in 2014, and he happens to be the main developer of the software I used for my Masters thesis, so it's pretty cool that he was willing to take me in.  But I guess my inexperience (read: virtually none) in Geophysics (fleshed out during my skype interview with them) put me at a disadvantage for funding, as there are only 4 slots for the scholarship. 4 of us without scholarships were also accepted.  Same with SDSU, but I really had no strong connections there, though one professor did reply to my email.

I've read here that UC Davis has sent out offers already, but I haven't received any.  I'm sure my GRE is the weakest part of my application.  But I emailed my POI here September last year and was fortunate enough to meet him at the AGU last year where he came by poster.  Haven't contacted him since. Will it be okay if I emailed him to ask about my application, or should I wait it out a bit longer? I'm not sure how American "etiquette" is for these situations...

Thing is, it is with my POI at UC Davis whom I think my experience and research interests really align with. And even if I will be successful in finding a scholarship in Japan, I'm not sure if I will be able to do good in Geophysics in Japan, considering the language (even if the program is in English and my POI seems to be good in English) and time.  But if I have no choice, I am now trying to decide whether I should just confirm with Tohoku U and find a scholarship (but I might have to shoulder school expenses first, which is another issue), or pursue opportunities elsewhere (there are some interesting ones in Europe that should also start this year).

Hope I can get some thoughts.  Thanks a lot!

Edited March 1, 2016 by jader
typos

[zerozircon]

8 hours ago, Windmills said:

@zerozircon Interesting. Did Geology applicants have to contact/secure an advisor with similar research themes before applying? Since it wasn't required for EER, I wasn't planning on contacting faculty unless I'm certain I'm going to UT.

Oh, I thought you were a regular MS student, and my advice was directed at that situation.  Best of luck!  

[columbia09]

So it's officially March which is the last month to receive offers from schools (although offers do appear in April but it's rarer). Has anyone who applied before got an offer in March, April or even May? I actually got one offer in March and one in May but they were both unfunded offers. This year I got one offer from Iowa State and haven't OFFICIALLY heard back from any other schools. 

[rationalconsumer]

On 2/24/2016 at 6:24 AM, zhtmahtm said:

Is there anyone who heard anything about OSU CEOAS or UW Oceanography?

I received an acceptance letter from OSU Geography on 2/23, and then the grad school letter on 2/26.

Edited March 1, 2016 by rationalconsumer
grammar

[Yunix]

On 2/24/2016 at 5:24 AM, zhtmahtm said:

Is there anyone who heard anything about OSU CEOAS or UW Oceanography?

My POI from OSU CEOAS informed me on Feb. 21 that his NSF proposal was rejected and I'm on the waiting list for TA funding

Edited March 1, 2016 by Yunix

[Different_Name_111!!!]

@jader I have a friend who received a funded offer from UC Davis for structural geology - it might be a different POI though.  I will say this friend received ~9 or 10 offers and hasn't made a decision yet.  There's still time to hear back from schools everyone! 

[GeoMex]

16 hours ago, Windmills said:

@zerozircon Interesting. Did Geology applicants have to contact/secure an advisor with similar research themes before applying? Since it wasn't required for EER, I wasn't planning on contacting faculty unless I'm certain I'm going to UT.

I did, this and last application season. For geological sciences at least, I remember something along the lines where it says you need to contact an adviser before applying, otherwise it might be difficult. For EER I don't know, but at first I was in contact with them and they were very nice and didn't mention anything of mentors.

[Windmills]

3 hours ago, GeoMex said:

I did, this and last application season. For geological sciences at least, I remember something along the lines where it says you need to contact an adviser before applying, otherwise it might be difficult. For EER I don't know, but at first I was in contact with them and they were very nice and didn't mention anything of mentors.

Thanks for the reply.

I just spoke with a faculty member and they said theses for EER are not defended. It also sounds like thesis supervisors play a very light role throughout the process. Though I'm surprised the thesis requirements are different for Geological Sciences and EER MS students.

[jader]

5 hours ago, SickSlickensides said:

@jader I have a friend who received a funded offer from UC Davis for structural geology - it might be a different POI though.  I will say this friend received ~9 or 10 offers and hasn't made a decision yet.  There's still time to hear back from schools everyone! 

Oh, good for your friend! It's not too far-fetched that we may be talking about the same POI, I emailed a different POI initially and was directed to the present one who was actually looking for a student this season.  So there's some inkling of hope I guess, but still best to be ready for anything.  I just wish that I could have a much clearer idea of what I should be doing to prepare for the near future-- it's not so easy to move around as an international student.

Thanks for info and congrats, by the way, on your acceptance at Lehigh!

[columbia09]

8 hours ago, SickSlickensides said:

@jader I have a friend who received a funded offer from UC Davis for structural geology - it might be a different POI though.  I will say this friend received ~9 or 10 offers and hasn't made a decision yet.  There's still time to hear back from schools everyone! 

Your friend received 10 offers ?! Can I ask from what schools ? Most of us are lucky to even get one funded offer let alone 10

[GeoDUDE!]

27 minutes ago, columbia09 said:

Your friend received 10 offers ?! Can I ask from what schools ? Most of us are lucky to even get one funded offer let alone 10

my guess is that the friend is a top student. pool of graduate students that get into top schools is relatively small, since most of the top programs have very diverse departments. While 10 is a lot, I'd say its only rare because most people don't apply to 10. The average of a good student is somewhere in the range of 5-7 and could get in at around half depending on funding, ect.  I rarely see people who apply to many schools only get into 1 program: often, if you apply to more than a few programs and one accepts you, you should be competitive at other schools too. 

[Different_Name_111!!!]

5 hours ago, jader said:

Thanks for info and congrats, by the way, on your acceptance at Lehigh!

Thank you so much!  Lehigh was my #1 choice, so I'm very excited. (: 

3 hours ago, columbia09 said:

Your friend received 10 offers ?! ..........

Yes.  R1 institutions.  This friend isn't [currently] pursuing O&G, so I don't think there was overlapping program selection between you two.  Luck has nothing to do with getting inundated with funded offers.  

If you think that story is ridiculous: Another friend didn't apply anywhere and was offered a five year research stipend.  Said friend will begin graduate work this coming fall.  Also not my only friend who got into grad school this way, but she's the only one who got the full five year funding (others got two initially).      

2 hours ago, GeoDUDE! said:

my guess is that the friend is a top student. 

Correct.  Seasoned liberally with genuine enthusiasm, sprinkled with academic connections = recipe for success.  

Edited March 2, 2016 by SickSlickensides

[magnetite]

Saw a few rejections from CU Boulder, both for master's degrees. That's the only program I've applied to that hadn't had any updates posted, so I'm assuming they're just starting to look at applications.

[columbia09]

13 hours ago, GeoDUDE! said:

my guess is that the friend is a top student. pool of graduate students that get into top schools is relatively small, since most of the top programs have very diverse departments. While 10 is a lot, I'd say its only rare because most people don't apply to 10. The average of a good student is somewhere in the range of 5-7 and could get in at around half depending on funding, ect.  I rarely see people who apply to many schools only get into 1 program: often, if you apply to more than a few programs and one accepts you, you should be competitive at other schools too. 

So far I have one offer out of 7 and haven't heard anything official from the other schools. I consider myself a good student with the exception of my GRE scores my application is pretty competitive. Last year I got two offers out of 8 and they were unfunded. A lot of my advisors gave the excuse that funding was being cut 

[GeoDUDE!]

1 hour ago, columbia09 said:

So far I have one offer out of 7 and haven't heard anything official from the other schools. I consider myself a good student with the exception of my GRE scores my application is pretty competitive. Last year I got two offers out of 8 and they were unfunded. A lot of my advisors gave the excuse that funding was being cut 

I guess you are the exception then? I'm not sure what you want me to say. Congratz on your offer

Edited March 2, 2016 by GeoDUDE!

[sjoh197]

1 hour ago, columbia09 said:

So far I have one offer out of 7 and haven't heard anything official from the other schools. I consider myself a good student with the exception of my GRE scores my application is pretty competitive. Last year I got two offers out of 8 and they were unfunded. A lot of my advisors gave the excuse that funding was being cut 

Could be that you picked programs that are struggling with funding right now.... or picked POI's whose interests didn't match up with your's as well as you thought. Or you could have come across the wrong way in you SOP's. And your GRE score certainly isn't helping. Did you end up retaking it, or is it still the 145, 145?

 

[columbia09]

1 hour ago, sjoh197 said:

Could be that you picked programs that are struggling with funding right now.... or picked POI's whose interests didn't match up with your's as well as you thought. Or you could have come across the wrong way in you SOP's. And your GRE score certainly isn't helping. Did you end up retaking it, or is it still the 145, 145?

 

It's still the 145, 145 ?. I retoke the test in September and did worse overall if you can believe that. It sucks because if I was in the 50th percentile I'd be a shoe in at a lot of high ranking schools. Sadly I don't believe that my scores can increase but I did get one funded offer from a so so school. I'm waiting to hear back from SMU which is my second choice under UT Austin (which I don't have a shot at). My advisor at SMU was very optimistic when she spoke to me back in November but now my application is "still being considered" after she emailed me back in January saying I'll have a decision in a couple of weeks. My advisor at Oklahoma State recommended me for admissions and since they don't require the GRE that might be my next acceptance possibly 

[sjoh197]

Unfortunately there is a huge difference between being a "top" student and being a "good" student. As sickslickensides said... luck isn't really involved when top students get inundated with offers.... however, once you go a little further down the list to people who weren't top students... luck does begin to play in some. And it does become a bit of a numbers game... you can't get 10 offers if you only apply to 4 schools and such. 

At least you have a funded offer... it is much better than nothing. I will be very happy when this month is over because hopefully I will have a decision and be able to move on with my life, whether it is a yes or no. (Although I really, really, really hope its a yes.)

[columbia09]

8 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

Unfortunately there is a huge difference between being a "top" student and being a "good" student. As sickslickensides said... luck isn't really involved when top students get inundated with offers.... however, once you go a little further down the list to people who weren't top students... luck does begin to play in some. And it does become a bit of a numbers game... you can't get 10 offers if you only apply to 4 schools and such. 

At least you have a funded offer... it is much better than nothing. I will be very happy when this month is over because hopefully I will have a decision and be able to move on with my life, whether it is a yes or no. (Although I really, really, really hope its a yes.)

 

I understand that I'm just saying if it wasn't for the GRE I might of been a "top" student. But yes I'm happy that at least one place is offering me money even though it isn't in Texas ?. Did you hear anything yet ? March is supposed to be the last offer month for most schools 

[sjoh197]

Nah... I only applied to UH, since my partner got a wonderfully awesome job in Houston and I'm not really able to go elsewhere now. Although, when I say it like that it makes it sound like a last resort... but its not like that. I really like the dept. and I really like my POI both as a person and his research. It lines up with my interests to a T.  It would be an amazing opportunity to go there. I don't really care for texas, and will be happy to move a few years down the road. 

According to the results search, the earliest UH has ever sent out a result for geology is March 7th and most years it was between mid march and mid april. So I'm not really worried yet. (That's a lie... I've refreshed the admissions portal 10 times a day since a month before the application was even due).