circassian

Dude... Tatooine... that's so awesome...

Nevermind. I found out the answer is no. Thanks for reading ;)

Hey All, Oddball question. Going to a school in Texas next fall, and part of the package includes the standard research assistant position. Does anyone have any experience in going to a state school and being eligible for a defined-benefit plan while working as a research or teaching assistant? Given that I might be there five years, I'm thinking that would mean I'd be vested upon graduation.

It is that intense. I got 770/780/5 and got into very few out of many. But I don't know that I'd recommend retaking it. There are other strong factors - your math classes, your GPA, a sincere/eloquent/well crafted SOP, and similar research interests.

I got invited to stay friday through sunday. Friday is to meet faculty and the weekend is to go to some casual events (what's a beer garden?). I don't want to wear jeans when I meet them all on Friday, but I don't think I want to wear a full-on suit either. In some sense, it should be about the person; if I'm getting all hot/uncomfortable in a suit and so am not able to come across well, then maybe it's better to dress comfortably (within reason) and be myself. Agree on the Dr. Salutation.

Yeah, the wording from one school was a little ambiguous. The one I just had an interview with was very nice though. For those of you nervous about this topic, I hope it helps that this school, at least, seems quite aware of how it works. They were nice, but realize it kind of depends partly on competitive funding and I didn't feel any pressure... yet ;) Flyout next week. If I get an acceptance, I'd like to take it. It is one of those schools phdhope has listed so far (in the admissions thread).

Ok, yeah, I mean no mal-intent.

Ok, thank you. I have an early interview today so I'm nervous about what to do. I mean, of course I want to go to this school, but I haven't heard anything from all others.

Hello All, I received this email today from one of the schools: "Normally we make our first offers of admission during the 2nd/3rd week of March, and we ask those to whom we make offers to respond within two weeks. We and most other major universities in the U.S. are signatories to the resolution of the Council of Graduate Schools, which states that acceptances of financial aid before April 15 are not binding. After April 15, they are binding." Am I correct in understanding that we can accept an offer upon receipt, and then have the right to change our decision up until April 15th?

I'm sure it hasn't escaped anyone that almost every school uses the exact same software as a service provider, either.

Yeah, I actually had a hard time working up the gall to keep generating the recommendation links. But in the end, we are talking about a big life event. That's what kept me going on it.

Well, actually, I didnt tell them how many at the outset. And I apologized profusely throughout. But more than that, Ive done research with two of them, and the other is the advisor to an association Im in charge of, so it is not the sort of situation where I just took thier class and got an A. I also showed them the admission statistics, to show the legitimacy in applying to so many places. Rsaylors is right about how its relatively easy-there is typically just one letter they use for all of them, unless they are an alumni. Ask nicely and ask early though. And always be unendingly polite, even if your recommender likes to submit each one of them the day before they are due, grouses, or needs a spreadsheet with deadlines and links. One thing I noticed, that I thought was pretty neat, was that I kind of felt they all wanted to do it. I mean, if they see some kid who is quiet, smart, and going on the same path as they did, I think they feel a sense of duty to help him/her out.

Just think of it as an excellent exercise in keeping a calm mind while under steady pressure.

I just received a snail mail letter. It was nicely worded though. I applied pretty early though, if that makes any difference.

I dont know what country you are looking to get a job in after, but have you thought about a financial economics phd, or economics phd with a finance specialization? In some countries, you may be able to teach finance with a phd in econ, though it would behoove you to investigate that yourself. Plus if you are interested in development finance, an econ degree might help you for an NGO job. The math is still the same, but it may be easier to get in. You need a GRE score for that though.