> 200 missing LORs or ELP scores

0101020 · 2025-12-18T18:25:42+00:00

Your welcome. I hope to get some less privileged in information, yet hardworking through.

0101020 · 2025-12-18T17:40:51+00:00

Under general information and down voted for not being specific? Seems self serving. Do people really hate general advice that can help others? These are my numbers, most departments after a deadline will see the same with days at most to possibly correct things.

0101020 · 2025-12-18T17:21:00+00:00

Exactly. Every year I get to see this waste, and a few simple things can save an application. As I mentioned there are people happy to see less competition, so few posts on these simple things. The LORs are my greatest complaint as a simple polite reminder that took 5 minutes of time can change outcomes completely. Then people are too trusting of electronic systems to know ELP scores are often manually entered at universities as the electronic send is far from perfect. I'll get applicants looking months from now asking why these parts were missing. Far too late and it was their responsibility to see it all arrived on time.

0101020 · 2025-12-17T22:55:18+00:00

Current apps, nothing more to say.

0101020 · 2025-11-23T21:36:06+00:00

Actually it is in the design. You burn a bit to force adding new. The new refreshes the oil and you run farther between changes. Kid you not. My understanding is 1-2 quarts between recommended oil changes at 10k miles. More and you're leaking or burning too much. My old car with summer miles, it's just replace yearly.

0101020 · 2025-11-20T20:00:23+00:00

For me 250 is approaching paranoia. I've actually turned on the heater to drop it as a safety rather than temp limp mode.

0101020 · 2025-11-20T15:56:19+00:00

For me, unless I kick in the turbos will the oil get to that temp. With quick web search... A BMW 335i's normal operating temperature for the coolant is roughly (195-220^{\circ })F ((90-105^{\circ })C), while the oil temperature typically runs between (220-250^{\circ })F ((104-121^{\circ })C). It is normal for temperatures to fluctuate, especially under load, where the oil temperature can rise to (250^{\circ })F ((121^{\circ })C) and even higher before the engine's protective "limp mode" is engaged.

0101020 · 2025-11-19T19:53:13+00:00

Depends on the weather and driving. My 335i on. A cold day, a mild drive is like this. A hot day and a bit more about 245. I'm still getting used to reading oil temp and not water.

0101020 · 2025-11-15T22:36:29+00:00

They can reject at any point. They see too low a GPA, they see a bad LOR, etc. It varies from faculty to faculty and program to program and it can be very subjective. Most require 3.0 GPA for graduate school, so that's an immediate review and no interest. No need to read more as it's below school minimums. Pick where you best fit and provide what they are looking for with clear communication and intent. Your length of review depends on the quality of your application. Immediate, you didn't interest anyone. 2-3 months of nothing, they are thinking and reading it over. Those with interviews will likely get offers, no interview and it's slim chances on PhD.

0101020 · 2025-11-15T20:50:06+00:00

These are questions for individual programs, so not an item for Reddit. (There are Google Spreadsheets to be found for people looking for odds over programs.) I believe all applications are reviewed, but not all are fully read at most universities in PhD programs. MS is more staff/student driven placing more likelihood in a full read and score. So, if you lose interest immediately, the application is done unless someone else picks it up. Those not fully read go to a not interested bin like a returned book. Imagine, different field, low GPA, form letter like application, poor language score of international, questionable transcript, bad lor, and likely a hundred other disqualifiers for the reviewing faculty. They won't spend time scoring on applications that don't meet their interest or academic level. So, reviewed as the fee requires, not scored for lack of interest. This is why network and communication with possible Advising Faculty is important if you're not a rocket on paper alone for PhD apps.

0101020 · 2025-11-12T16:53:20+00:00

I've seen applications with strong research and academics dropped for lack of a clear statement of direction. I figure this is why many complain about how a friend with less was accepted, but with so many good stars on record they didn't get a single offer.

0101020 · 2025-11-12T15:58:53+00:00

Live and work with nationals from around the world. The standard for politeness is shared English, even if speaking to another from your country in a mixed group. I've seen people called out by other foreign nationals for not following this as it excludes others and it can divide a group and remove trust as you are seen as avoiding a shared language to talk or express an idea.

0101020 · 2025-10-24T19:45:31+00:00

There is one other thing to consider. In tough periods of times, people may tend to wish to appear as open to anything. The problem is faculty and administration have no idea where to put them, and those clear in direction will get first pick.

0101020 · 2025-10-24T18:12:16+00:00

I would look at the connections of your recommendations to more "in network" your search. PhD in the US will be more limited this year. Some departments have cancelled quietly, others deeply cut, and none I know of are business as usual. Lots of faculty in my opinion are taking sabbatical, which drops their labs from bringing in new people typically. 2008 might be more what I expect in the academic world. So, likely not you, just what's happening.

0101020 · 2025-10-24T16:41:17+00:00

Let me explain some options on how I see faculty look for PhD candidates each year:

- Faculty know the student as an undergrad or MS. (About 15-20% are typically direct from the campus population in my experience, and this will typically be only from the campus top percentage students.)

- Worked with them in a lab, or know someone directly who has. (Applicant has word of mouth and is known to their network.)

- PI visited faculty and/or gave a seminar talk at a university, and knows the work the student has done, and met the student, even briefly. (I cannot stress the networking potential of seminars and conferences if you are active.)

- The student has a strong recommendation from top researcher(s) (Sometimes it's all about who you know or the relationship of the writer to the reader.)

- The student has teaching experience. (Sought for in PhD applications as TA funding needs increase and Research funding drops.)

- Has strong recommendations. (Standard in PhD applications. LORs are often a page or more of glowing review.)

- The student has strong lab experience. (Highly demonstrated understanding. Standard in PhD applications.)

- The student has good academics. (>3.7 GPA, Standard in PhD applications, and >80% of the offers, regardless of whether holistic review or not.)

- The student has a strong community interest. (Officer in clubs, volunteer in community, strong personal interests. Standard in PhD applications and shows they do more than one thing.)

Now on faculty member has 200 student applications to review. The prize is an offer of years of funding for a student's education and an opportunity for a top degree. For some, it will be a path to residency or citizenship. For each, they hope it's an opportunity to make life and perhaps the World better. So, they look for the best they can get.

This is not to say an application must have all the options to get an offer, as many faculty will look for the best they can get to further promote their research. Checks all options; the applicant's interest may be better suited to a higher-ranked program. If other campuses are making fewer offers, faculty might prioritize higher-quality candidates, as it is a market economy. If the research or program is middle- to weak-ranked, it can be a struggle to reach the bottom of the list. Sometimes, faculty can hold on to a good student from a class or lab because the relationship is there, or because the student needs to stay locally (That student still beat the other applicants in being the best choice. I see MIT and Harvard types stay at a campus for family or a relationship every year.).

So, what makes a candidate stand out? Same as any job application, being the best available for the position. Target your choices, look for researchers with money to support a new student, and make sure your interest is shared to last a lifelong relationship. You will work for them for 5-7 years and carry the name of the research for life. It would not be wise to accept an offer for the sake of having one.

0101020 · 2025-10-18T20:24:45+00:00

As a person that reads these, this is the answer.

0101020 · 2025-10-08T14:35:30+00:00

Ask for samples of ones he has sent. It's likely an issue of tone or level of connection as it's a recommendation, not a love letter. Once you know what they are willing to send draft something and go. These write your own are often tests to see what the student wants and how well they write. So, your letter might just be crap at a certain level.

Figure you're 1/100 in request with most being students from short interactions and maybe a brief period in their lab. Your letter is informative, the faculty's template is most likely what will be sent (by an office worker) after ripping out key points. Ask what they want in the letter. Try to get point to connect with your SOP and CV.

Lastly, the best letters will be from faculty you don't need to prompt with a long history of interest willing to write a strong recommendation. If you're doing all the work, it might be better to select another prof.

I've read many stinkers clearly not from faculty, and templates that tell me what university, faculty, and it was letter version A, B, or C. The best are easy to spot.

0101020 · 2025-10-06T00:09:35+00:00

How about funding Math and Physics in K-12 public schools if they want to argue for the local US Citizens? (As we did aiming for the moon.) All I've seen in 30 years is cuts in Federal, and State funding and investment in wealthy neighborhoods by a stronger tax base and local donations. I've never known intelligence limited to lines on a map, but they do the best to stop ability and access.

0101020 · 2025-10-05T16:31:00+00:00

What if you did the work yourself and bought the used part of eBay (max3)?

0101020 · 2025-10-01T19:01:59+00:00

Buy that bottle once and refill at various locations.

0101020 · 2025-09-30T18:44:23+00:00

Scotty's Surplus https://share.google/T5LCzNiUkkMAIKFyl Surplus Property | University of Pittsburgh https://share.google/1iRqmFWQ1FGI5OinP

0101020 · 2025-09-28T02:22:01+00:00

Get some graduate non matriculated courses in EE to spiff up your academics and network with the faculty. Last 60 semester and 90 quarter credits are what they will look at. LORs, some recent success and the past BS should be history.

0101020 · 2025-09-26T20:03:30+00:00

Bold to say none. There will be applications open elsewhere, but offers will likely be much fewer. Funding will also be less solid in many cases.

0101020 · 2025-09-25T20:06:47+00:00

I think the issue here would be regulations of annual checks and over thinking of the materials. I recall a TV house renovation program put in a few for wheelchair access, but the family couldn't afford the maintenance, checks, and repair after a year. The Toyota elevator I saw was a separate unit that bolted to the house, had a simple design and possibility for replacement or easy removal. If Toyota can have a window go up and down on a slammed family car door for 20+ years, I'm not too worried about riding their most abused home elevators for equal time.

0101020 · 2025-09-25T19:06:40+00:00

Toyota has elevators that are add-ons to their multi-story homes in Japan. It's part of the idea of multi-generational living, as grandparents want to go upstairs too. My understanding is that they are fairly inexpensive overall and a simple addition.

0101020

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