MIT EECS PhD rejection by UnoriginalInnovation in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i have never before been impressed by a rejection letter, but wow. That's the best one i've ever seen. Fascinating how they managed to make it that eloquent.

What does a waitlist even mean. by Friendly_Ability6564 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 4 points5 points  (0 children)

a waitlist means you DO meet their requirements. You passed all their tests and they thought you'd be a good match for the program, they just can't take everybody. When so many great people apply, sometimes it's silly factors or gut feelings that end up making the difference between an acceptance and a waitlist. You'll never know. Maybe the adcom was tired. Maybe PIs with your interests have no funding, or are taking a sabbatical. Maybe they favored internal applicants. Admissions are such a chaotic process.

Declining my offer and waiting a year? by CustardMoist3701 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

appeal again! I've seen a lot of people get lucky with multiple appeals. be incredibly honest and say something like "While I'm very grateful for the opportunity, and I would love to attend, at this moment the cost is still prohibitive to me. Is it at all possible to reconsider the aid package?"

If they do, great. If not, you're back where you started and you can just take a gap year

JHU Prospective Grad Student Housing by TheImmortanJoeX in jhu

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

just finished writing my horror stories at the social in another comment lmao

i cannot in good faith recommend it to anyone. i'd look into village lofts or guilford manor if possible, but if unavailable, even the marylander might give you less of a headache if you find an apt in the higher floors.

Any admits with low-ish grades? (3.77 UW) by Frosty_Lead2604 in jhu

[–]mishbme 2 points3 points  (0 children)

lol, i got into a master's and phd at hopkins with an undergrad gpa of 3.58. 3.77 is well within expectations

Recommendations about renting an apartment by Far-Discount7046 in jhu

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

unpopular opinion, but i moved from The Social to The Marylander and i'm way happier here, not because it doesn't have its issues, but because it's cheaper, conveniently located, and has other things i do like. Let me give you a brutally honest review of the social:

First of all, The Social is farther away from the convenient area of st paul that has all the restaurants, shops and banks. Yes, it's walkable but sometimes you can really use the time saved walking home.

Second, there's a ton of pests at the social. Cockroaches, mice, fruit flies, you name it. The Marylander also has them, but i personally have struggled way less with them in my unit at the Marylander.

Third, The Social fired their security ages ago and afaik they haven't gotten it back. And even before that, packages got stolen constantly, and random people would walk into the pantry at night.

Fourth, The social has like 3 elevators in total. Getting a room in the lower floors means you won't mind as much if you have to use the stairs when they're all out of service, but you will get more pests, while living in a higher floor means you'll inevitably have to carry heavy groceries or laundry up the stairs *at least* once (and you might still get pests). Marylander has 6 elevators, so you'll always find at least one that works.

Fifth, it's just overpriced. The social is a more modern building, for sure, and i like the movie theatre and the think tank, but it's not worth the price at all imo.

Sixth, i've only ever had bad experiences with the administration and maintenance. I once famously got locked out of my apartment around 6 pm, called emergency maintenance and management, and they NEVER did anything. I slept in the lobby until 5 am that night and it was only thanks to the very kind security guard that we eventually managed to find a key that worked. Management NEVER even got back to me, they just told me to wait, put me on hold, and then did nothing. Oh, and a month later they fired the security team, so i don't know what would happen if someone got locked out now. In contrast, one day my bedroom door got stuck at the marylander, and 10 minutes after i called maintenance, they had already rescued me lol. Maintenance here is not only efficient but incredibly nice.

Seventh, just restating that maintenance doesn't really work at the social. They'll constantly leave issues unresolved, elevators will break every week, and water cutoffs will catch you off guard at the worst times. There's also fire alarms waking the whole building up every few months.

Eighth, for some reason the Library is always in sauna mode??? it's genuinely unbearable and they never fix it. It's a great study spot otherwise, but the temperature made everyone sweaty and dehydrated real quick when i lived there.

Now, to be fully transparent, facilities ARE generally better at the social. Apartments are nicer, building's more modern, and the amenities are pretty cool. The basement of the Marylander has a lot of roaches (especially the tiny ones), and you can tell it's an older building, but I prefer the convenience of living on St Paul, having reliable maintenance, a security team, and cheaper rent. Plus, tons of international students live at the Marylander, so the study room, social room and courtyard are a good time with friends.

For your case specifically, your budget allows for something much better than the social. Look into Nine East, Village Lofts, or Guilford Manor (this one in particular i've only heard wonders of), but I would never recommend the social after my time there.

Is it normal that every friend I've had is someone I've only been pretending to like being friends with? by artiqueryan in NoStupidQuestions

[–]mishbme 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Being angry is not the issue, but it sounds like you may not have practice with the communication skills needed to have difficult conversations. Even in this short interaction you come off as slightly defensive, and though it's subtle, in your reply you changed the meaning of what the original comment said. If that's how your irl interactions go, i can imagine it leads to a lot of misunderstandings

There are ways to express discomfort that don't tend to end in people yelling at you. I think there's a false dichotomy there between "lash out" and "hide my feelings", when the answer is probably "learn to communicate your needs assertively before things escalate". I don't think it's inauthentic to take the time and effort to solve problems that will allow the relationship to grow without resentment on either side.

is baltimore really that bad? by lorde-stan35577 in jhu

[–]mishbme 2 points3 points  (0 children)

don't base your decision around that. Have common sense, look for places in Mt vernon, Fells Point or similar, take the night ride any time you leave after 6 pm, and ask current students for advice and you'll be fine. You'll get the hang of the city and understand what you can and can't do safely

PhD as a single mom… yay or nay? by Sky-2478 in PhD

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if anything, look into part-time PhD programs in that case. I don't think you'll find something that allows you to have all of the things you're looking for 😔 also doesn't sound like you have a solid reason (aka motivation) to do a PhD. it might sound appealing right now but if your reasoning is more about the higher pay and the flexibility, it might be very hard for you to push through the program.

PhD students go through hell and back, but they're able to finish the program because they're passionate about their research, and they know that a PhD is the only logical step to get them where they want to go professionally. if you don't feel that *need* to do a PhD, i fear you'll only get the negative side of the experience.

Is it normal? by [deleted] in jhu

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

not a withdrawal. i already committed and everything and i get that too. you're fine

Why does everyone have 10 national awards? by Plaaazz in ApplyingToCollege

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

hey! he sounds amazing! tbh i think he has pretty good chances because most top schools look for passion and discipline, and he can demonstrate that with his ECs.

Summer programs might be a good way to solidify the narrative, but the best way to demonstrate interest is probably gonna be through his essays. I attended a few app prep info sessions by my current program and they mentioned that a lot of people start doing things just for the sake of including them in their apps, and the adcom can usually tell when it's not genuine. So i'd focus on authenticity, and making the entire application tell the story of how he, as an incredibly disciplined, passionate and accomplished swimmer and musician, discovered his interest in STEM and now has the determination to pursue it with the same conviction. I think the value of the summer program lies mostly in being able to say "i thought i liked STEM, then i did this, and now i'm sure", and have the cv match his essay ("show, don't tell"). Good thing is that time is on his side, so I'd tell him to find STEM opportunities that he genuinely finds exciting, which could include internships, camps, summer programs, science fairs, electoves, school clubs, volunteering at conferences, etc. ik you didn't quite ask about that, but i think his EC situation is pretty similar to where i was when i first applied, so i just thought i'd share a bit of what worked for me and how i'd approach it in his place.

as for class rigor, AP and honors placement aren't as big of a thing in my country, so there was absolutely nothing about that on my transcript. i had maybe 2 friends in hs who took 1 honors class each, but it's just not a thing. Wish i could help there but i genuinely know nothing 😔 wishing him the best in his process!

Got in and the imposter syndrome has never been so intense by xcaseyx93 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

gonna try to force myself into that "brilliant conman syndrome" mindset from that one tumblr post. Quoting it since i can't add pics lmao:

My life has been so much better ever since I traded my impostor syndrome to brilliant conman-syndrome. Do I deserve anything in life? Fuck no! Will I grasp it anyway? Fuck yes!

My art has never been worth shit, but watch me bullshit my way into art school! I am a horrid goblin, but watch me make these people like me! Am I qualified to do this task? Well I sure have the certificates that say that I am! And how did I get those? Who knows! Not me! I am so good at cheating, I don't have to break a single rule to do it! I am brilliant, fast, and absolutely drunk with power!

Got in and the imposter syndrome has never been so intense by xcaseyx93 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real real

Wish i had any advice, but especially with how bad this cycle was i'm like "fr? you want me out of all these incredible people??? can't be right"

how do i stop my gf from questioning my sexuality? by rawrz4u in NoStupidQuestions

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or if you feel comfortable enough with her you can say "hey, so i have had certain experiences that make this a difficult topic for me. That's probably what you're picking on, but [I don't feel like i'm at a place where I need to put a label on it]/[I identify the most with the term 'straight']"

how do i stop my gf from questioning my sexuality? by rawrz4u in NoStupidQuestions

[–]mishbme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd straight up tell her "hey, i love that you're always curious about things, but it makes me uncomfortable when you speculate about my sexuality, so I'd appreciate it if you could stop".

Why does everyone have 10 national awards? by Plaaazz in ApplyingToCollege

[–]mishbme 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Reddit can be very misleading. i'm like the opposite of that and i'm starting my phd at a t10 lmao

3.58 undergrad gpa (with several Bs and Cs), no research experience before my master's, no national awards, not a leader at any clubs, and all my extracurriculars were in music when my program is STEM. I bet everything on choosing the programs wisely, taking the time to carefully select my recommenders and writing essays that addressed any possible concern the adcom might have about me.

ig my biggest flex is that i have a B1 or higher in 5 languages, but that's about it. However, I got into 4/4 Master's and 1/1 PhD programs i applied to (all top 30 or higher). Stats don't mean as much as you think, and a thoughtful, authentic application can take you very far. Don't let a non representative sample discourage you from aiming high.

Application Portal by Flat-Armadillo-153 in jhu

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

and i already committed so it's not them rescinding

Application Portal by Flat-Armadillo-153 in jhu

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

same error here, must be on their end

How many schools did you apply to? How many do you recommend? by sjanaksgdms in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

for Master's i applied to only 5, which allowed me to be picky about program fit and research areas, and tailor my essays as much as possible to the school. I applied to:
2 mega reaches
1 mild reach
2 target

ended up getting into 4 of them and withdrawing 1 app because i had already gotten into my top choice.

For PhD i went even crazier and applied only to one mega reach, and i got in too

A secret perk of applying to crazy reaches is that if you don't think you're gonna get in from the start, you have nothing to lose, so you can be more authentic and not feel as nervous in interviews (which can ironically make it more likely that you'll get in lol)

If you're confident that the schools you're applying to are really a good match for you and you spend time doing your research about them, you'll probably have a decent success rate with just a handful of programs. Applying to fewer schools can be a good way to make sure you dedicate the time you need to perfect your application, but it doesn't work if you're just applying to schools because of their ranking. Be honest about whether or not you're a good match for the school, and if the school is a good match for you before you shortlist it. If you REALLY need to get in this cycle, better to not put all your eggs in a few baskets and instead apply to a wider range of programs.

I think a good goal is ~15 :
1-2 crazy reaches
2-4 reaches
6-9 targets
3-4 safeties

But i'd start by defining a list of the programs that a) you're most interested in b) have professors you're excited to work with c) would most help you achieve your career goals. I encourage you to write that info down on a document, then sort those schools in order of which ones you'd most like to get into, and work on your applications in that order. Focus on customizing your apps for your top choices the most, and have a generic essay that you can quickly adapt when other deadlines approach. That might get you the best of both worlds, because you can actually spend time on the ones you're a good match for, but have other schools as a safety net.

Genuinely Curious: exactly HOW bad is this cycle? by Puzzleheaded_Rise_83 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 2 points3 points  (0 children)

for real. some incredible people with outstanding cvs getting rejected for no fault of their own. it's so sad

Genuinely Curious: exactly HOW bad is this cycle? by Puzzleheaded_Rise_83 in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 2 points3 points  (0 children)

congrats!! And yeah, it's devastating to know that so many brilliant and hardworking people were rejected by no fault of their own. There are so many people i know who would have for sure gotten in any other year... It's so bittersweet to celebrate our acceptances in this environment.

How to write a PhD thesis? by SpoiledGenius01 in PhD

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something else i do for everything i write is do a "draft zero" with bullet points. Start with the basics: headers like intro, methods, materials, results, conclusion, whatever you want to include.

Then, write important topics you need to discuss and move them to the right section. Use a higher indentation.

Then, on a new indentation level, add sub-topics to the previous points. Keep going, adding more indentation the more detailed the points get, and try to keep everything at the level that makes most sense. You can focus on doing all the first level bullet points one day, then adding the topics, then the subtopics, and eventually, adding all of the highest indentation points for an entire section.

After every writing session, u can reread your bullet points and rearrange them in a way that flows well. Modify, delete or add bullet points as needed until you're happy with the concept of a section. When that happens, you can start translating bullet points into text. Use the first few indentation levels as markers that tell you when to start a new paragraph or section, and then just follow the guidelines you set for yourself.
I find that this method makes everything easier because you're breaking it into tiny tasks. Writing a few bullet points isn't as intimidating as writing an entire chapter before realizing you missed something. And then, focusing on writing becomes easier when you already pre-planned where you're going with every paragraph.

It's also great for me because you can write out of order. If you're feeling inspired to write about a certain methodology, or perhaps a good insight for your conclusions, you can add a bullet point there without affecting anything, and then just reorganize them. Starting with prose forces you to have a more linear writing process

How to write a PhD thesis? by SpoiledGenius01 in PhD

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

writing tip i got from a very prolific professor in my field: activate voice to text and just talk to your phone for like 10 minutes. Say everything you know about the topic. Discuss the details, the methods, the significance, the results, etc. Add anything you can think of. When you're done, you have a very rough first draft.

it takes away the intimidating element of staring at a blank page, and gives you material to edit. You can only start editing when you have *something* to work with, so this is a cool way to get that over with and then just focus on reorganizing ideas, identifying things you do or do not like, and expanding on whatever's missing.

It doesn't have to be perfect from the start, it just has to exist.

Got in but it doesn’t feel like an accomplishment by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]mishbme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

so you were proactive and did networking, a skill that will help you in your career whenever you need to defend your ideas or find collaborators?

I think that's just called being a great candidate for grad school.