psylocybha

Something to check, if you are a US citizen or resident, is whether your university withholds and reports your stipend income. Mine does neither, but this is unfortunately not the case for us foreign students.

Hey Tino (and anyone else). What do you feel about F1 visa holders with valid I-20 etc needing a return ticket to travel to the US? When I arrived in August they didn't check if I had a return ticket. What if I want to go to a third country to visit, do I need a ticket from the US to my home country when I return from my travels at the US port of entry? Any experiences?

Drexel university: http://www.drexel.edu Syracuse university: http://www.syr.edu No need to be pedantic about word order or a missing letter, IMHO

I think what shoaibakram was trying to say, if you look behind the bravado and posturing, is: PhD students can be pretty obsessive. Don't let it overwhelm you.

I agree with asquare, although I feel that there may be more latitude in the tone than his post suggests. After all, the adcoms will be reviewing hundreds of apps - yours has to stick out. Unfortunately, most current and prospective Phd students have hardly seen any decent SOPs, only their own (myself included), so asking that question here may not be overly useful. You'll get people telling you how they did their SOP because it worked for them. That, of course, is the logical fallacy of affirming the consequent. Best advice: get your hands on as many successful SOPs as possible.

Hi Ivo ... I'm flying off in a couple of weeks, I guess the same as you ..? As to whether your friend should say that he is currently a PhD student or working, it depends on what his transcripts show and what the referees say. In any case, I don't think it will present a problem if he has registered for a PhD, especially if the SOP explains it in the way that you mention. After all, most US Phd programmes include a masters, yet they admit many people who already have masters degrees or who are currently grad students.

I agree with Cridamour that not having finished the first PhD presents a window of opportunity. You can present yourself as a current grad student looking to get a decent PhD, not as a PhD looking to get another, which will be tougher to sell. I don't think it will be too difficult to explain your motivation, as in the academic world, where you get your PhD matters considerably, which won't be lost on the adcom. The major difficulty however, as mentioned by Cridamour, will be winning support from 3 of your currents profs for you to abandon their ship and feather your nest elsewhere. Unfortunately, there's also lots of jealousy in the academic world and it is not inconceivable that one of these profs will by put out because you have opportunities that he/she didn't and are looking to get a more prestigious PhD. My two cents then: it all depends on your current profs. If you can gather together 3 who support your application, I think you're on your way. Just don't finish the PhD before you apply. Adandon it, write it off to experience, etc.

Why not try the GRE again, hopefully with a better AWA, AND submit a sample that shows how well you write ... try and eliminate any weak spots in your application

It is not conventional to put your referees' alma maters in your CV. In any case, you have to submit LORs anyway, so why include an additional list of referees? I say don't do it: the adcom will most likely see it for what it is, an attempt to impress them.

I'm in the same boat, although my visa is valid for 3 years. I posted something a couple of weeks ago and Tino, among others, gave me advice. It seems you understand the situation. It is a visa office-specific arrangement; You can either stay the whole time in the US or get a new visa every time you leave; I'm not yet sure if you can get a new visa in Canada - I'll be investigating that at some point. 1 year is really harsh - I hope you're able to get a new visa in the country you visit when you leave the US, or else your travel will be severely curtailed.

On thegradcafe.com people compared the size of their disciplines packages (!) I'm not sure who won. Anyway, check it out: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/viewtopic.php?t=468

Has anyone managed to shake out some extra money from their school to pay for relocation or flight costs? I'd love to know if this happens or is possible because my ticket is burning a hole in my credit card...

York is more highly rated in economics. See: http://www.hero.ac.uk/rae/rae_dynamic.cfm?myURL=http://195.194.167.103/Results/byuoa/uoa38.htm

I think the F1 is only good for entry up to 30 days prior to the start of your program. You will need an additional visa. Given that you will be presenting research, you may need to apply for a J1 (?) visa rather than a tourist visa.

Hi Clodo I think that the MA will definitely help you decide if you want to do a PhD. However, it probably won't help you too much in your PhD application. Given your uncertainty about your future, I think the MA in Spain is a pretty good way to do something while getting a clearer sense about where and what you want to do. My feeling is that it is OK to bumble through sometimes, especially in the mid-20s. And, you get to live in another country for a couple of years, which, in my book, is always a plus. I also wouldn't worry too much about being 'too old' for a PhD program (26!!). If you decide that your life is happening now, and not when (if?) you graduate, your age doesn't matter.