Yup, Plei--UW public health program. It's very well respected. But...Portland is so cool! Except their program is...less respected. And I've never been to Seattle, maybe it's as cool as Portland? I mean, it does have, like, 1000% more cool people I know (since, um, I know no one in Portland).

Nicole, not sure that I will--am there two days, but have family (aunt/uncle/cousins) in Denver I have to see, since otherwise I never see them (we don't do Chirstmas together anymore since my grandparents died).

it does have, like, 1000% more cool people I know (since, um, I know no one in Portland).

1000% of zero is zero, miss test taking lady.

Nicole, not sure that I will--am there two days, but have family (aunt/uncle/cousins) in Denver I have to see, since otherwise I never see them (we don't do Chirstmas together anymore since my grandparents died).

No worries. I know how that is. Enjoy Denver and pack sweaters. No snow but still quite chilly.

Oh sure, ita, be all...scientific about it!!

Yeah, Nicole, I saw about shutting down the highway...I'm just praying I don't spend the night in O'Hare!

Speaking of grad school: what the heck are they wanting in a "personal statement"? I mean, sure, say "I really want a degree in X, cause it's what I want to do and this is how my past experience is great for that", but...I'm just not sure of the tone/formality/setup.

1. They want to know that you can write in English.

2. They want to see a sensible narrative about how you decided to do this--cuts down on the people who show up with unrealistic expectations. Make sure that your goals match theirs.

3. They want to know you are not a nut. A surprising number of applicants with high GRE's/grades reveal themselves to be inappropriate candidates in the less structured realm of the personal statement. Avoid saying creepy personal things.

So if you edit carefully, tell a reasonable story, and say nothing cringe worthy, the exact content and tone won't matter much.

I think that it's a great program at UW. Some of my training overlapped with the M.P.H training there.

I know no one in Portland

My best friend the ESL teacher and her husband the tattoo artist live there. Portland is cool (or, well, it was five years ago, anyway).

You know, it's a slightly unsettling thing to realize about myself, how much happier I am with low expectations. Not that I want to be complacent, but I like feeling that I have a good shot at excelling, rather than a possible shot at not failing. This is the sort of thing I don't plan to tell possible bosses. But "Mostly, just don't say anything creepy and personal" is the kind of thing that soothes me and makes me feel better about my prospects (and do better, I think. I'm not good under pressure).

"Mostly, just don't say anything creepy and personal"

Perhaps, once I've mastered this in the real world, I'll give another shot at grad school.

Avoid saying creepy personal things.

Somehow, Rick saying this makes me really want to hear stories of whacko people and their creepy personal statements...(is that creepy of me?)

Part of it is my problem of drawing the line between actual interests and enthusiasms, and Making Shit Up Because It Sounds Good. I draw the line much closer to reality than you really should when writing an application (much like when writing a resume or interviewing for a job)--not that people should completely make things up, but...for example. I took four semesters of ASL at Gallaudet. Just cause I wanted to. Deaf culture is interesting, sign is cool, languages are a thing for me. I could, in theory, be all "I wanna do public health and work with Deaf people!". Which would be valid, and possibly true. Or might not be. I mean, I wouldn't be averse to it. It could be pretty neat. Is it a deep and abiding goal of mine? Not really. Do I say it to have something to say in a personal statement? Hmmmm....

(also, now I'm tempted to write a fake personal statement about my online friends and slash, or something)

Somehow, Rick saying this makes me really want to hear stories of whacko people and their creepy personal statements...(is that creepy of me?)

In this context, I'd guess it's more "join the club". However, if you wrote a personal statement about how you want to go into academia so you can spend your golden years pointing and laughing at other people's creepy personal statements, that would be creepy. And weirdly recursive.