I am sorry for another GPA explanation SOP post, but I could use some advice.
I have a very mentally ill parent that resulted in our home environment being very abusive and traumatic and this had a big impact on me growing up and the first two years of university when I was living in and out of home (due to financial difficulty I struggled to afford rent on my own). My first two years of university are TRASH. I mean fail, withdrawal, absent fail etc. I'm a first-gen student and had no idea how to seek help. I have been in therapy for years and I'm very happy and functional now. I turned it around, got almost straight As in my final two years, then got into medical school, now I'm on leave from my MD program (in Australia) to do an MSc in Biomedical Data Science in the US and appy to PhDs as I realized I wanted to focus on basic research not clinical in MS1.
Here are my credentials. I'm applying to bioengineering and neuroscience PhD programs with a very detailed list of labs highly aligned to my interests in cities where I want to live and where my long-term partner can work (Stanford, UCSF, UCB, Yale, Mt Sinai, Columbia, MIT, European Molecular Biology Laboratory).
Grades:
CGPA (including MSc first-year coursework): 3.25
Final Two Years of Undergrad: 3.85
Major GPA: 3.88
Masters GPA: 4.0
Education:
BSc in Genetics from top Australian university
Completed MS1 of MD and going to withdraw in good academic standing (Pass/Fail School) from top Australian university
MSc in Biomedical Data Science from US T10 school
Research Experience:
2 months functional genomics research in undergrad cut short by pandemic lockdown (~15 h/w)
1 year synthetic biology/genetic engineering research in undergrad (~20 h/w)
1 year in-vivo and in-vitro neuro-epigenetics/neural stem cell research during MS1 (~20 h/w)
1 year bioinformatics/computational biology research for master's thesis (~30 h/w)
Publications/Presentations:

• 1 mid-author neuroscience publication in high impact journal
  
• 1 synthetic biology conference presentation in undergrad
  
• Preparing paper submission and conference poster resulting from master's thesis
  

Additional Relevant CV Items:

• I co-founded a biomedical machine learning startup and successfully raised a seed round from VC funds in the Bay Area (leaving this due to wanting to pursue more technical depth in bioengineering)
  
• Worked as a science and technology communications adviser for government (managed investment announcements in bio research)
  
• Received US-based scholarship to study MSc
  

Letters of Recommendation:

• 2 quite strong recommendations from PIs from MS1 (PIs sent to me for input and there is lots of focus on my passion/drive, ability to identify road-blocks and postulate soutions, work ethic etc)
  
• Hopefully strong recommendation from US Masters supervisor PI
  
• Can get a rec from Masters prof who I will be TA'ing for (got 100% in his class)
  

I am just so nervous about my early years ruining my chances to get into a program I really want when I have been busting my ass every minute since I figured out how to get help, especially as an international student. I also have an autoimmune disease that was only recently diagnosed and ADHD diagnosed when I was 21, but I don't want to trauma-dump and include every little reason.

Apparently, I have a rather unique situation and TurboTax is making it quite confusing.
My community college tuition is paid for by federal Pell Grant money. For both 2022 and 2023, I got awarded more than was needed for tuition, so I was "refunded" the difference which dispersed via direct deposit to my checking account. For both 2022 and 2023, I did not know that this "difference" was supposed to be reported as taxable income on my taxes. I wish to amend both of those years.
I've tried using TurboTax which is what I used to submit my taxes in the first place, but from the beginning they were never clear about situations involving educational expenses and scholarships.
For my 2022 return, I had to explicitly download TurboTax 2022 software. Under the "education credits" section, I was able to first enter education expenses for the year ($1905), and then amount of scholarships/grants that I "received" ($4086). TurboTax calculated that I would owe $258 Federal tax and $122 state tax... okay, cool. Only thing that is unclear is - does it mean the total aid award amount before covering expenses, or does it mean the total amount I received in my checking account after expenses were covered? If it's the amount I received, I would instead enter $2181 in that field, but then the amounts I owe drop drastically - $30 Fed and $14 state. Why are they far less than half of the original numbers?
Even more confusing - the next question is "Did Your Aid Include Amounts Not Awarded for 2022 Expenses?" and I interpret that as "was there leftover money which did not cover tuition that you received?" But after answering "yes" to the question and filling out how much I received as a refund ($2181), considering $4086 in grant money, the amount of tax I would owe dropped down to $0 all around. However, if I answer no to that question and I say that I used grant money to pay for room and board (which is what the TurboTax website says to do from the get-go when filing a 1040) and I enter the same amount of $2181 in that field, Fed and state stay at $258 and $122 respectively. Which is it?!
The 2023 return amendment with TurboTax won't even let me continue without upgrading to a paid subscription! Apparently the free edition won't let me "access all the forms I need." So I haven't even gotten this far with 2023.
Should I give up on TurboTax for this and just fill out 1040-X forms on my own? And if so, how do I enter this information? What line does it go on? Do I even need to designate that it's grant money?

There are a few mistakes in this article (ie. 10 scholarships to give) but it IS the first interview I have seen since his announcement as the new head coach.
https://malibutimes.com/waves-hoops-coach-schilling-has-a-zeal-for-basketball

For seven years, Ed Schilling worked as a trainer, helping pros get ready for the NBA Draft and NBA season

New Pepperdine Waves men’s basketball head coach Ed Schilling is passionate about his sport.
“I have a great desire to see players get better and teams improve,” said Schilling, a coaching veteran who has coached everywhere from the high school gymnasiums to NBA arenas. “That really gets me on fire. A lot of times, if players can see themselves getting better on the court, they’ll allow you to try and help them get better as men. That is ultimately what it is all about.”
Schilling, 58, an Indiana native, got his basketball fervor from his dad, Ed Schilling Sr., who coached hoops in the high school and college levels. Schilling said his father, also a college professor, who passed away in 2020, had an intensity to educate on the court and in the classroom.
“He loved to teach,” Pepperdine’s coach said. “He was a teacher at heart. Every single day he went to teach, he was excited. We both love to teach. I’m a teacher at heart.”
Schilling expects his love for the game to be evident has he leads Pepperdine’s men’s hoops program. The coach laced up his sneakers and hit the court running soon after he was hired for the coaching gig in early April.
Schilling solidified his coaching staff in the middle of last month and is working to complete the Waves’ roster before practices in June.
Schilling’s coaching staff includes Scott Rigot, Tyus Edney, Peyton Prudhomme, Mike Doig, and Jeremy Grubbs. The quintet are all seasoned coaches with experience teaching the game in college and high school.
For a considerable time, Schilling said, he dreamed about the type of coaching staff he desired.
“I wanted guys that are good coaches, who can get out on the court and really help players get better,” he said. “I also wanted guys that mesh well together. It’s not about building an all-star team, it’s about building a team that works well together. I wanted a group that played off each other’s strengths and covered up for each other’s weaknesses. That is what I was looking for. I feel like I did that.”
Pepperdine ended last season with a 13-20 record. The team’s coach for six seasons, Lorenzo Romar, was let go after the Waves’ final contest. Several players also transferred out of the program since then.
Four players from last season’s squad — guard David Mager, forwards John Squire and Boubacar Coulibaly, and center and forwards Aladji Gassama and Martin Gumwel — are still on the roster. Guard Aaron Clark and forwards Stefan Todorvic and Alonso Faure have also transferred to Pepperdine. The team has signed one recruit, and still has 10 scholarships available, so Schilling and his coaches have been busy hosting potential players and their families on campus and showing them around Malibu.
Schilling envisions the Waves taking the court next season with a talented roster and a playing style spearheaded by the best players’ strengths. He said competing in the West Coast Conference is a challenge he welcomes.
“Ideally, we want to play positionless basketball on offense, and we want to be challenging and tough to score against,” he said. “In this league, you have to be able to defend or you are not going to win. You have to be able to score too, because there are some high-powered offenses in this league.”
Schilling played for his dad in high school and played at Miami University (Ohio) in college, where was backcourt mates with future NBA champion Ron Harper.
“I broke all the assist records because I figured out it was really good if I passed the ball to [Harper] to take the shot,” Schilling said.
Schilling suffered two ACL injuries during his college years, and started his coaching career right after college. He coached high school basketball and spent time as an English and physical education teacher.
“The one thing I had when I started coaching was incredible passion for the game,” Schilling remembered. “I was 22 years old and trying to figure things out. My practices were about four and a half hours. I’m glad I didn’t play for myself back then.”
Schilling soon moved up the coaching ranks. He coached at the University of Massachusetts under legendary coach John Calipari. When Calipari accepted a job to coach the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, Schilling joined his coaching staff.
Schilling was then the head coach at Wright State and later an assistant on the University of Memphis coaching staff.
Then, for seven years, Schilling worked as a trainer — helping pros get ready for the NBA Draft and NBA season.
Schilling returned to the coach ranks as an assistant at UCLA for four years. Then, he was an assistant coach at Indiana University for two years and had the same role at Grand Canyon University for four years before he became the Waves coach.
Pepperdine President Jim Gash said in a press release that Schilling has demonstrated the highest levels of leadership and player development and preparedness during his years coaching.
“His extensive coaching experience throughout his career has exemplified the visionary leadership, strategic thinking, adaptability, and emotional intelligence required to navigate the world of college athletics,” Gash stated.
Schilling said the best thing about coaching is the opportunity to impact lives. He is excited to step on the sidelines and lead the Waves.
“I feel fortunate to be here,” he said. “There are not many places in the world like Pepperdine.”

I notice there is a lot of talk about cross international dating (ex: passport bros) on this subreddit and the manosphere at large. I thought it would be interesting to share this study by a Swedish researcher named, Annika Elwert, who has studied gendered differences in foreign mate preferences between men and women in western countries.
The three countries she’s mainly studied are her home country Sweden, Spain and the USA by analyzing data on natives with foreign spouses. This what she found in Sweden for example regarding changes in patterns in cross national marriages:

Until the turn of the millennium, Swedish men who married across national borders usually chose women from Norway and Finland. In the early 2000s, a change in men's marriage patterns crystallised. Partly because of increased international travel, Thai women became the most common group of foreign women to marry Swedish men. However, Swedish women are rarely in relationships with Thai men.

In 2023 Elwert published a study focusing on Spain and USA to see if these patterns hold. She found some interesting differences and similarities between men and women when it came to choosing a foreign spouse that I thought were worth sharing.
Just a heads up, before I delve deeper into the study, I should note the researchers for this study only looked at marriages between natives in the USA who were of non-Hispanic European heritage and those with two parents born in Spain, to foreigners. So large swaths of the population are being left out of this study as it only examines foreign spouse preferences for certain members of the native population not the entire. Just keep that in mind:

We restrict the native population to the non-Hispanic of European descent born in the United States. Similarly for Spain, we restrict the native population to people born in Spain whose parents are also born in Spain. These restrictions are intended to minimize the impact that cross-national couples between international migrants and descendants of migrants of the same origins might have in our analyses (ex. Mexicans in the United States or Moroccans in Spain).

Regardless, I thought the results would interesting to discuss, here is a summary of the most important findings:

Sociologist Annika Elwert has previously studied marriage patterns in Sweden and, in a recent article, examined statistical databases of Spanish and American men and women who have a foreign partner. Their marriage patterns are similar to those of Swedes.
In the US, it is common to have a partner from neighbouring countries or Europe, but many American men also have a partner or wife from the Philippines. However, American women rarely marry Filipino men, preferring Germans and Mexicans. Among Spaniards, marriages with people from France, Germany and Argentina are common. Spanish women also choose partners from Senegal and Morocco, which is rare among Spanish men. Statistically, they prefer women from Romania and Colombia.
Although there are many commonalities in the marriage patterns of men and women, differences remain. Men more often marry much younger women from countries with lower education and living standards. The general trend is that the greater the difference in development between countries, the greater the age difference between the native man and the foreign woman. If the women come from countries with a similar level of development, the age difference is comparatively small.
“It is difficult to say why this is the case. One possible explanation is that when men have a preference for much younger women, it can be challenging to realise this preference in the domestic marriage market. It may be easier if she comes from a less developed country, where, for example, the marital age gap is usually larger," says Annika Elwert.
The same phenomenon is visible when considering countries' gender equality. Men from Spain or the US are more likely to marry partners from countries with low gender equality. In contrast, Spanish and American women rarely marry men from countries with low gender equality. An exception is American women. They are often in relationships with Mexican men.

So native men are more likely to marry foreign spouse from a less developed countries in places like SEA, Latin America, Eastern Europe, while native women are more likely to marry someone from developed countries and Western Europe. However, this trend changes depending on the region, with native women in Europe being more likely to marry someone from Africa and the Middle East compared to their male counterparts for example.
Native men are also more likely to be in relationships with a larger age gap compared to native women, although there has been slight increase in the latter:

When women from the US or Spain marry foreign men, the age difference is generally small. However, Annika Elwert's research shows that it has become more common for Swedish and Spanish women to have younger partners from less developed countries. This is not the case among American women.

Here is the full summary of the study: https://www.soc.lu.se/en/article/women-and-men-show-more-similarities-when-choosing-foreign-partner
Here is the full study which has more details and graphs: Read the article published in Population and Development Review
My basic summary of the studies is:
European men (Spain and Sweden), tend to marry partners from Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, with notable gender disparities seen in marriages with Russian/Latin American women in Spain and largest age gaps in marriages with African women. European women from these countries are more likely to marry partners from neighboring regions, Western Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with significant gender disparities observed in marriages with men from Africa. While European women are much less likely to marry younger partners from developing countries, there's a slight uptick in such unions, (particularly with Eastern European men interestingly enough), although this trend isn't mirrored in the US despite US women being more likely to marry men from developing countries then their European counterparts.
In the US, similarities exist between native men and European men in terms of marrying partners from Asia and Eastern Europe, with pronounced gender disparities seen in marriages with partners from Asia and age gaps being the largest with SEA Asian women and Certain Eastern European countries (Russia/Ukraine). US women are more likely to marry partners from Lebanon, Turkey, and India. Interestingly, there's less of a gender gap in marrying partners from Latin America in the US, although preferences vary by individual countries within Latin America. Native US men are more likely to marry someone from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, El Salvador and Peru while native US women are more likely to marry someone from Mexico, The Caribbean, Jamaica, Cuba, Guatemala, Panama and Argentina.
Regarding, developed countries, US women are slightly more likely to marry partners from Western Europe and Canada, while US men are more likely marry partners from East Asia.
Anyways, are there any surprises by the study's results? Or did it confirm something’s you already suspected?

Hey, So i did my bachelor in Bsc IT from university of mumbai & MCA to complete my 16 years of education for eligibility 1. I had 8.65/10 in my bachelor's 9.2/10 in my masters ( currently in sem 2)

1. Work experience: I'm working on a startup which is going a project which a number of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( sustainability startup) 9 months of exp
   
2. I had one research posper award ( Institute journal) & one research paper ( same journal)
   
3. I'll get 3 Lor, one from the CEO of the startup I'm working with, one from my prof & one from my Institute director
   
4. I'm active in serval clubs in my college, like Institute innovation council, I'm head of women empowerment club in my Institute, teach school students who are unprivilege about technology I've attendedHarvardw wecode conference with an scholarship
   
5. Have different certification of coursera courses
   

I'm looking to do masters in ms cs in usa, I haven't shortlisted any universities but I will be looking up for some who provides scholarship
Will you please evaluate my profile & suggest some university I could apply too.

i know that the stereotype of art school students is that they’re rich and privileged, but neither of my parents went to college and did not have an understanding about what i was getting myself into. i worked all through school and paid all of my bills myself, barely made any art for myself and only focused on assignments and just trying to survive. i made the decision to go to art school when I was 17, because I felt like art was the only thing i could do. but now all my love for it has been sucked out of me and I realized I hate doing art for other people. i hate that I was encouraged to turn a life long hobby into a career. over half of my tuition was covered by scholarships and grants, but I still owe a little less than $60k for a subpar education and spending over half of class time working silently because the professors didn’t put in effort outside of giving us projects they’ve reused for decades. i just wish I could go back and tell myself to not do it. on top of this, my mom royally screwed me over by putting $30k of private loans on a 5 YEAR PAYMENT PLAN without telling me until I graduated. yes i have since then refinanced. she also just tells me to get over it when I rant about how this all makes me feel and that I should be happy with the job I have. (non art related) this has all made me realize i put all my faith in someone to help steer me down the right path who never really cared in the first place. i just feel so lost and without direction in life, and so so different from any of my peers. most of them didn’t even have a job in school, and all of my free time went towards working. I just wish i could find someone that understands because ive never felt more alone.

Last month I got an offer for my first choice course at NUS. I was originally going to not accept this year and re-apply again next year as I was planned to take a mental health recovery gap year. I only applied this year mostly because I was considering the possibility I would get significantly better in these few months, but right now I still feel like I need more time to recover. However, a few days ago, I was totally shocked to find out I had actually received the Merit Scholarship as well.
Now I am in a dilemma. My RP is 88.75, my portfolio is so-so and my course is relatively competitive, so my chances of getting the scholarship again next year are quite slim. I didn’t expect to get the scholarship this year to begin with. I will be self funding my uni education so the scholarship will really be helpful. On the other hand, I’m still undergoing treatment for depression and though I’m making progress it’s still quite slow. I’m afraid that by jumping back into Uni I’ll undo all my progress and get into an even bigger mess. I guess it’s my fault for applying scholarship this year to begin with… but oh well.
I know it’s possible to apply for deferment of matriculation under medical grounds, but I’ve heard that it’s close to impossible to keep the scholarship. I feel it will be a huge waste if next year I don’t get the scholarship, or even worse, don’t even get into my course of choice. Honestly what is the best course of action for me here? Assuming I just matriculate this year, any current students have tips for coping with the transition? Thank you.

hi! so I'm planning on heading up to NYC to get my gemology degree next year! I have a brief background in geology and metalsmithing (two things I studied at university before dropping out due to COVID, kinda hard to do those over zoom), worked several gem shows, and have worked at two rock/mineral/jewelry shops where I teach classes and run the social media.
In the information for the scholarship it mentions how you can have a portfolio or a second letter of recommendation and I would like advice on what would be better in my case. Getting letters of recommendations wouldn't be hard as I've made close connections throughout my 4 years in the industry. However, I do have plenty of pictures (and physical pieces) of the stones I've cut/jewelry I've made, documents from college projects about various gemstones and minerals, videos from my social media educating people about minerals/gems, lesson plans, and more. What is the portfolio supposed to be like? Is it more of an art portfolio or a sort of pseudo-resume?
Would a portfolio or a second letter of recommendation be better? I really am gunning for that scholarship as I'm already paying back debt from university. I've been worrying over this a lot admittedly!
Thank you so very much, have a wonderful day!!

I am looking into alternative car insurance options for full coverage. I currently have Allstate, but it isn't feasible for me anymore.
I recently got into a car accident last April 2024, and my insurance has tripled in cost for the renewal date. Apparently no insurance in California has the car accident forgiveness 😕.
I'm a single mom, full time student starting a part-time job in summer and fall 2024.
I have a 2018 Honda accord EXL, other than the recent car accident, I haven't had any in two years & no tickets and such..
Last year my premium for 6 months: $1327.33 my premium for 6 months starting June 26, 2024: $3149.12
Payment for June and November due by June 26: $948.51 $475.63 a month from july-october.
Below is the rundown of my current financial situation Income: My part-time pay for the training I'll be doing is going to bring in about $960-1280 a month in the summer. The remainder I'll be ubering to make up for lost time.
In fall, it will increase to $1620 a month, assuming I get all the 20.25 hours I'm available to work for.
Monthly Expenses: $1507 a month -$425 - car payments -$775 - rent (may increase a little in a few months) - $132-140 - utilities (gas, electric, internet) -$175 in credit card bills -$100 in groceries
Other income: Savings account that I have been dipping into due to disability. Scholarship money for my education expenses Fafsa education expenses Child support Food stamps
It's been a really rough two years for me being out of work, focusing on my mental health, and re-entering school. I was on unemployment for a little bit, but I have to wait until October 2024 to renew my claim while attending school (long story). If anyone can let me know any other resources there are out there, please send my way. Thank you ♡

I just received my cda but want to know more about education does it help you with a associate degree or straight to bachelors I’d love to stay working with 3s and younger and as much I love the center I work for I want to see what else I can do as I further education , I’m looking for scholarships but is there a teaching degree for this young age or is it just early education? Where do I go from here ?

Hi, all! 👋

Intro/Question:

Let me just start out by saying that I’ve been on here for a little while and have admired not only the persistence, dedication, and grit of the women on here, but also the kindness and support in comparison to other groups. I wish I could give/get hugs from you all because a lot of you seem like such wonderful people, and I could really use some of that kindness in my life at the moment.
Now, I guess I’ll get right into my reason for posting this: I’d love some advice/insight/thoughts from y’all on recommendations for my next steps in this career transition towards software development because I’ve been struggling for awhile with finding a FT or even PT role.
Throughout this time, my mental health has also declined greatly (while on this journey, I’ve actually started antidepressant medication for the first time ever because my mental health has exponentially decreased, and have also seen a few different therapists in the same span of time).

VERY brief overview of my journey thus far:

Early Education: Growing up in a predominantly white community outside the main city, I was put into ESL classes despite being born in the U.S. I'm Latina, and my parents--who knew little English at the time--agreed with everything the educators suggested. This meant I was often taken out of critical science and math classes to make time for ESL work. Despite being a straight-A student, I had to work harder than others, and I believe this was one reason why.About a year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with combined ADD/ADHD. As a kid, it often took me longer to complete my work. My parents noticed but assumed it was just the way I functioned. My mom often recounted how I needed a "million" breaks while doing homework, which often led to late nights. Despite these struggles, I managed to stay on top of my studies.
Undergrad Education (2015 - 2019): I am a first-gen college grad and earned a bachelors in biochem & environmental science summer 2019. I discovered computer science during my junior year of college (by then, it was too late to take more courses in CS let alone attempt to make a switch without staying an extra year, which my scholarships would not cover). After graduating college, I was still interested in learning more about CS, so I took an Introduction to Programming in C course at my local community college, and not only earned an A, but also thoroughly enjoyed the content.
Grad School (Spring 2022): Enrolled in an online Masters in CS at Case Western Reserve University for those without CS degrees with a $30,000 grant from the dept. Took Discrete Mathematics and Algorithms & Data Structures in Java (those of us w/o a CS degree had to pass these before being able to move into the rest of the program where we’d be merged with those who DID have CS degrees), but paused due to my younger brother's unexpected passing.
Bootcamp (Fall 2022): Received a full-ride scholarship to a bootcamp (1/15 out of 1200 applicants accepted) where I learned full-stack development with Python, JavaScript, SQL, Flask, AJAX, and React, among other technologies. Graduated December 2022.
Further Learning (Spring/Summer 2023): Accepted into Code the Dream’s React course, dedicating over 20 hours per week to mastering React all while volunteering to work on open-source projects.
Internship (Fall 2023 - Present): I was interning at an early-stage Ed Tech startup up until the end of April, contributing to building an app from the ground up. I Gained experience in code writing/reviewing, CI/CD methodology, technical communication, and working on a software development team along with other teams like the content team and design team.

Struggles/Thoughts:

I have been consistently applying for FT/PT roles, internships, etc. with nothing but maybe 4 interviews since graduating from my bootcamp. In addition, I’ve been tweaking my resume for jobs that I feel I could be a particularly good candidate for using Jobscan with no luck.
With regards to the startup, they’ve informed me that they do not have sufficient funding to bring me on. Furthermore, about a month after the internship contract officially ended, the other female intern (graduated from the same bootcamp, although different cohorts) at the startup also let me know that she was being brought on again for an extended contract, and asked if I was offered the same—to which I replied that no, I wasn’t. I guess she also has an associates in CS, which also helps and I am not mad at her for anything and support her and uplift her, but as you can imagine, I am a little disappointed (more in myself than anything, I guess). It just makes me feel a bit crushed. I made myself always available (even after hours), replied quickly, got along super well with everyone, got my tasks all done for the most part. ==> Towards the end, I was tasked with a particularly difficult task, and was able to get through a good chunk of a new game, but was not able to fully finish. During this period, I was also struggling to get ahold of my ADHD meds, but they seemed to be out of stock everywhere, so that also didn't help.

Next steps:

I’m debating whether I should just keep applying, find some other program (AS/BS/MS), or just stop this trajectory altogether (although, I REALLY hope that I won’t have to because it would probably break me 😔).
I know that my math skills probably aren’t on par with those of others in the field, and I know that I need to work on those as well, so if you have any suggestions for free resources for that/what I should focus on with regards to teaching myself these concepts I’d also really appreciate it. I'm currently taking the Harvard CS50 course for credit as well as a Mathematics for Machine Learning course on Coursera (they state that this is for people of all math levels).
I’ve learned a lot and am passionate about continuing to grow as a software engineedeveloper. Any advice on next steps, opportunities, etc. that you feel may be relevant would be greatly appreciated. Thank you SO much if you read this far! 🫶

Can anyone advise her?

Hey everyone,
I'm currently someone (30M) who has always had folks by my side all my life as part of "my team," as my parents call it. A major reason for this outside support network is because I'm autistic, have ADHD-I, dysgraphia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD (more on that later), and processing speed in the 3rd percentile. I did not learn I was autistic until I was 14 and always took medication for it and my ADHD-I. I also did not know I had ADHD-I until I was 24-25 because I was on my own for submitting the records of my disabilities to the graduate schools I've attended up until this point. As for my processing speed, I did not learn it was that low until this past August when I sought a DSM-V re-evaluation with my own money.
My mental health symptoms were so severe that, despite doing well academically in a suburban school district that was well funded through property taxes (I'm in the US so the education system here is messed up), I transitioned to a tiny high school that specifically accommodated disabled students. This school had no AP, honors courses, or foreign language courses offered at all. I enrolled in a rural undergraduate school because they gave me the best scholarship offer and my parents insisted on getting as many scholarships as I could (more on this towards the end of the post). Despite my university's reputation as the "stoner college" of northern Ohio, I got my butt handed to me academically and had a 3.1 GPA from that undergraduate and a 3.26 from all of my courses overall. Part of the reason was because I went for a BS, rather than a BA, in Psychology and didn't do well in the math courses with the exception of when I retook Calculus 2.
After my first year, I wanted to take a break from college, but I was forced to stay at the behest of my parents. They even hired a life coach who worked with me from a distance for all four years. As grateful as I am for that support, I realize it was the beginning of issues with becoming totally independent. Fast forward to graduation and I have one summer's worth of lab experience and a 3.5 PSY GPA to my name. I'm forced to take a gap year because I applied only to Ph.D programs (big mistake) and had low GRE scores.
So, how did I get into graduate school with my awful credentials? My parents hired a different coach who specialized in job applications and had a lot of connections. I was able to sell what little I had and get offers to 6/8 Master's programs I applied to in Experimental Psychology and had solid references that explicitly address that they thought I could do well despite my shortcomings. This coach taught me how to contact potential advisors and professors ahead of time and taught me the ins and outs of selling myself to get in.
My final Master's record upon graduation was a 3.48 GPA and I graduated a semester later. My final year of the Master's program, I reconsulted my old coach who helped me write my personal statement and get in contact with potential advisors again. I got two interviews and had one offer of admission to the current Ph.D program I'm in right now. This was despite my lackluster GPA (both undergrad and Master's) and not taking another 10 hours for an assistantship during my Master's program (no additional TAship or RAship in other words, even though everyone else in my program did something extra by their second year).
After I matriculated into the program, I got my Master's in December 2020 due to COVID delays and defending later than I had hoped in my case. I eventually had an ugly falling out with my first advisor due to a misunderstanding (I'll leave it at that since this background detail is already long), but thankfully passed my qualifier project still. I think the world of my current advisor, especially since he was the only one who took me when no one else would at all. I developed PTSD from the experience with my first advisor based on a neuropsychological evaluation I got back in August 2023. When I spoke to the original evaluator for my autism, she said that it was only likely that way because my stress management is characteristically poor and I have extremely low stress tolerance.
Fast forward to now and I recently turned 30 earlier this month. I am back with the old coach who helped me with my Master's and Ph.D applications once again and they're even helping me with "life stuff," getting through all of it and were immensely crucial for helping me get through the situation with my first Ph.D advisor.
I am thankful for the help I've received, but as the top of comment of a previous post alluded to in this instance, I have not learned to walk on my own.
In case this information is relevant, I have $53k in student loan debt principal. The undergraduate loans are eligible under Biden's SAVE plan and have their interest waived when payments are due since they're $0 at the moment. I have about $26k saved right now that I'm not going to put back toward my $24k of graduate loans until I know if I have income after this August.
I have student loan debt even though my father makes over $200k a year ever since I was around 10 years old and my mother makes anywhere between $60k-$80k a year. My parents do not have student loans since neither went to college. I also just learned that the coach billed my parents for around $680 each month over past two (highest ever). Even though its $100 per one hour session (thus leading me to think it was $200 a month since we meet twice a month). Turns out they charged for email and text communications with me even though those were encouraged. Should I feel guilty for not keeping track of the spending despite the agreement with my parents to help me on that? Given everything else mentioned earlier, should I feel guilty for "blowing through" these support systems? Folks love to tell me that someone who had half the resources I did taking my spot in graduate school instead could've gone further.
There is also something else I've been wondering ever since I learned their income levels. Other than the spending on me and my brothers, why would they be that insistent on me and my brothers taking out student loans? They said that they, my grandparents, and me would all pay for "a third" and part of that third on me and my brother's end was taking out student loans. I should also note that I went to a private high school for those with disabilities tuition free despite my parent's income as well because I got an autism scholarship from the state of Ohio that waived tuition.
Only other things I know that are finance related are the $350k in loans (not sure if this was principal or principal + interest) my father took out for his small business, which I know were paid off around my junior year of undergrad. Other than that, I don't know the mortgage of the house or anything else related to its value. I do know there's a mortgage in general though because one of my brothers asked if he paid for the house upfront and he said he did not at all and took out a loan. What else could be underlying their spending? I'm open to hearing others speculate.
Also, thank you for reading this super long post.

hi guys, i am in grade 10th, and 2 years later i want to apply for a foreign university. rn i am so confused, as i didnot know where should i go and what i should choose for my major in the near future. i have some options in my mind: America( its quite hard to get scholarship and of course expensive, but the education is very good ) Canada or Australia ( maybe this two options are easier and my family can afford it ) China ( i am studying chinese as well, and i am into some top universities here, but both my parents are skeptical if studying in china is really worthy) Finland or Netherland or Switzerland ( i have not found out much about three regions but s.o tell me, if i choose to study and work for a long time here , its not so tough and maybe its much more stable ) . Another important thing is what i should choose for my major, i am quite good at communication skills, networking or sth need to be flexible to adapt . in short i am such an outgoing person and i want to find a major can allow me to communicate, to have chance working with another people. i have found out about some major like international relations but i still cannot imagine what will i do after graduating . i do not know what i should do while i can realize my strong points. i need all of your help, your opinion about countries and major i should choose. i am still a newbie and am waiting for your replies( my post maybe a bit long as i am so confused rn ) ! Thanks guys

Hey everyone,
I'm currently someone (30M) who has always had folks by my side all my life as part of "my team," as my parents call it. A major reason for this outside support network is because I'm autistic, have ADHD-I, dysgraphia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD (more on that later), and processing speed in the 3rd percentile. I did not learn I was autistic until I was 14 and always took medication for it and my ADHD-I. I also did not know I had ADHD-I until I was 24-25 because I was on my own for submitting the records of my disabilities to the graduate schools I've attended up until this point. As for my processing speed, I did not learn it was that low until this past August when I sought a DSM-V re-evaluation with my own money.
My mental health symptoms were so severe that, despite doing well academically in a suburban school district that was well funded through property taxes (I'm in the US so the education system here is messed up), I transitioned to a tiny high school that specifically accommodated disabled students. This school had no AP, honors courses, or foreign language courses offered at all. I enrolled in a rural undergraduate school because they gave me the best scholarship offer and my parents insisted on getting as many scholarships as I could (more on this towards the end of the post). Despite my university's reputation as the "stoner college" of northern Ohio, I got my butt handed to me academically and had a 3.1 GPA from that undergraduate and a 3.26 from all of my courses overall. Part of the reason was because I went for a BS, rather than a BA, in Psychology and didn't do well in the math courses with the exception of when I retook Calculus 2.
After my first year, I wanted to take a break from college, but I was forced to stay at the behest of my parents. They even hired a life coach who worked with me from a distance for all four years. As grateful as I am for that support, I realize it was the beginning of issues with becoming totally independent. Fast forward to graduation and I have one summer's worth of lab experience and a 3.5 PSY GPA to my name. I'm forced to take a gap year because I applied only to Ph.D programs (big mistake) and had low GRE scores.
So, how did I get into graduate school with my awful credentials? My parents hired a different coach who specialized in job applications and had a lot of connections. I was able to sell what little I had and get offers to 6/8 Master's programs I applied to in Experimental Psychology and had solid references that explicitly address that they thought I could do well despite my shortcomings. This coach taught me how to contact potential advisors and professors ahead of time and taught me the ins and outs of selling myself to get in.
My final Master's record upon graduation was a 3.48 GPA and I graduated a semester later. My final year of the Master's program, I reconsulted my old coach who helped me write my personal statement and get in contact with potential advisors again. I got two interviews and had one offer of admission to the current Ph.D program I'm in right now. This was despite my lackluster GPA (both undergrad and Master's) and not taking another 10 hours for an assistantship during my Master's program (no additional TAship or RAship in other words, even though everyone else in my program did something extra by their second year).
After I matriculated into the program, I got my Master's in December 2020 due to COVID delays and defending later than I had hoped in my case. I eventually had an ugly falling out with my first advisor due to a misunderstanding (I'll leave it at that since this background detail is already long), but thankfully passed my qualifier project still. I think the world of my current advisor, especially since he was the only one who took me when no one else would at all. I developed PTSD from the experience with my first advisor based on a neuropsychological evaluation I got back in August 2023. When I spoke to the original evaluator for my autism, she said that it was only likely that way because my stress management is characteristically poor and I have extremely low stress tolerance.
Fast forward to now and I recently turned 30 earlier this month. I am back with the old coach who helped me with my Master's and Ph.D applications once again and they're even helping me with "life stuff," getting through all of it and were immensely crucial for helping me get through the situation with my first Ph.D advisor.
I am thankful for the help I've received, but as the top of comment of a previous post alluded to in this instance, I have not learned to walk on my own.
In case this information is relevant, I have $53k in student loan debt principal. The undergraduate loans are eligible under Biden's SAVE plan and have their interest waived when payments are due since they're $0 at the moment. I have about $26k saved right now that I'm not going to put back toward my $24k of graduate loans until I know if I have income after this August.
I have student loan debt even though my father makes over $200k a year ever since I was around 10 years old and my mother makes anywhere between $60k-$80k a year. My parents do not have student loans since neither went to college. I also just learned that the coach billed my parents for around $680 each month over past two (highest ever). Even though its $100 per one hour session (thus leading me to think it was $200 a month since we meet twice a month). Turns out they charged for email and text communications with me even though those were encouraged. Should I feel guilty for not keeping track of the spending despite the agreement with my parents to help me on that? Given everything else mentioned earlier, should I feel guilty for "blowing through" these support systems? Folks love to tell me that someone who had half the resources I did taking my spot in graduate school instead could've gone further.
There is also something else I've been wondering ever since I learned their income levels. Other than the spending on me and my brothers, why would they be that insistent on me and my brothers taking out student loans? They said that they, my grandparents, and me would all pay for "a third" and part of that third on me and my brother's end was taking out student loans. I should also note that I went to a private high school for those with disabilities tuition free despite my parent's income as well because I got an autism scholarship from the state of Ohio that waived tuition.
Only other things I know that are finance related are the $350k in loans (not sure if this was principal or principal + interest) my father took out for his small business, which I know were paid off around my junior year of undergrad. Other than that, I don't know the mortgage of the house or anything else related to its value. I do know there's a mortgage in general though because one of my brothers asked if he paid for the house upfront and he said he did not at all and took out a loan. What else could be underlying their spending? I'm open to hearing others speculate.
Also, thank you for reading this super long post.

If I dont get financial aid from Bocconi4access to Education scholarship, is it possible that I will qualify for ISU? Or does the first rejection automatically mean rejection from the ISU scholarship too?

Hi all - searched around and didn't find a post that addressed this specifically, but let me know if this has already been answered.
I'll be separating from active duty in August 2025 (with terminal leave starting May 2025). At that time, my total active duty service will be 4 years and 90 days.
My question: can I get approved for Post 9/11 GI bill benefits with an anticipated separation date of August 2025 now, while still on active duty? At my current time in service (~3 years), I'm ineligible for benefits since my first 4 years are payback for my ROTC scholarship. However, I'm staying in an additional 90 days for that 50% benefit. I called the VA education benefits hotline, and the rep advised that I could submit my application for benefits now while including supporting details. I did that, and was predictably denied. I'm looking to start using my 50% GI Bill benefit as soon as I get out in August 2025, so it would be nice to have it set up beforehand. Is there anything I can do now to get approved, or do I just need to wait until August 2025 and re-apply?
To clarify, I do not want to use my Post 9/11 GI Bill while on active duty. I'm looking to apply for and be approved for it now, while I'm on active duty, but I will be using the benefit as soon as I'm out.
Thanks!

I got accepted into both UNC and USC for Econ. I plan on getting into both school's undergrad business school for something finance related. I only have three days left to decide :(
For UNC, I'm an in-state student and got a 7k scholarship as well as the honors program. I don't have the official aid offer but I calculated the net cost to be around 8-10k per year. They don't admit students to majors so I'll have to apply for the business school during my second year. I'm already familiar with the campus and the people and programs at UNC since it's close to home, so it's nice to already have a sense of what I'm doing.
For USC, I got a 70k scholarship/financial aid which is very good considering the sticker price is 95k, and the net cost will be around 17-19k per year. I'm not in the honors program but I have admission to the honors dorm (for scholarship students) which has its own perks. I also didn't get into its business school but I'm planning on switching into it. I was originally from Beijing but moved to the Raleigh area, so the chance of getting back into the city life really excites me.
Since UNC and USC are pretty similarly ranked majoschool wise, my dilemmas are:

1. Is the educational opportunities at a private school worth the extra cost compared to a big public school (class size & opportunities)?
2. How will the city vs. college town life affect my experience and connections? (living expenses, safety, opportunities)?
3. I've heard USC is good for the West Coast and UNC is good for the East Coast, but if I want to take international (Hong Kong, Shanghai) recognition into consideration, is USC or UNC better?

All in all, UNC seems familiar but too close to home & "boring" and USC seems exciting but too new & unknown, so I'm not sure which to choose :/
Thank you for your responses!

Hey everyone! As the title suggests, I’m currently deciding between two schools for my undergrad education. I’ve been accepted to both Northeastern University and UNC Chapel Hill, and am having trouble picking between the two. I’m hoping to eventually pursue a career in Investment Banking, but I also want to leave quant finance as an option. I’m aware that this path is typically reserved for MIT mathematicians/Physics PhDs and the like, which is why I’d probably try to get into a strong grad school MS in Finance program if I do decide to pursue this option.
Both of these schools are decent enough to stand a chance in the most competitive grad school programs if a student’s profile is strong enough, so I’m not too concerned about that aspect. What I am struggling to figure out, though, is which school would be better for landing a higher-tier IB job out of undergrad. Northeastern has the benefit of its co-op program, which would let me get some valuable financial experience before I graduate. While it's tough to immediately get IB co-ops at bulge bracket banks, it’s fairly doable to land a first co-op at a boutique and then try to work your way up to a stronger name-brand company for the second co-op. UNC doesn’t have any programs like that, but I think it benefits from a slightly stronger name-brand recognition/“prestige” factor. Bank of America also seems to recruit from UNC pretty frequently-- enough that almost 20 students get taken per year from their business school.
I’ve been admitted to the Data Science + Econ combined major at Northeastern and the Econ major at UNC, but both colleges are fairly good about letting students switch around. The decision came down to these two particular schools mainly because of cost, and with my NEU scholarships, I’ll be paying roughly the same cost for college no matter which school I choose. In other words, the cost difference isn’t a factor here.
Anyone have any thoughts on which school would be the better choice? Thanks in advance!

I got accepted into both UNC and USC for Econ. I plan on getting into both school's undergrad business school for something finance related. I only have three days left to decide :(
For UNC, I'm an in-state student and got a 7k scholarship as well as the honors program. I don't have the official aid offer but I calculated the net cost to be around 8-10k per year. They don't admit students to majors so I'll have to apply for the business school during my second year. I'm already familiar with the campus and the people and programs at UNC since it's close to home, so it's nice to already have a sense of what I'm doing.
For USC, I got a 70k scholarship/financial aid which is very good considering the sticker price is 95k, and the net cost will be around 17-19k per year. I'm not in the honors program but I have admission to the honors dorm (for scholarship students) which has its own perks. I also didn't get into its business school but I'm planning on switching into it. I was originally from Beijing but moved to the Raleigh area, so the chance of getting back into the city really excites me.
Since UNC and USC are pretty similarly ranked majoschool wise, my dilemmas are:

1. Is the educational opportunities at a private school worth the extra cost compared to a big public school (class size & opportunities)?
2. How will the city vs. college town life affect my experience and connections? (living expenses, safety, opportunities)?
3. I've heard USC is good for the West Coast and UNC is good for the East Coast, but if I want to take international (Hong Kong, Shanghai) recognition into consideration, is USC or UNC better?

All in all, UNC seems familiar but too close to home & "boring" and USC seems exciting but too new & unknown, so I'm not sure which to choose :/
Thank you for your responses!

Hello, I am a 4th year student in chemical engineering. I didn't go to school for 2 years and my courses were recorded as FF on my transcript. I'm currently studying in the second grade because I couldn't tell my family that I wanted to stop studying and I tried to continue school with panic attacks. I'm currently continuing my studies and trying to fix things. The thing I'm wondering about is this: For example, for Texas A&M or any other school, will the FFs I went through during this traumatic process prevent me from getting a scholarship or entering a master's degree?
My university life is very passive, I'm in a small city. I used to invite people for projects and events, but now I have difficulty taking part in projects because I am as unenthusiastic as them and ashamed of my failure.
If you ask why, it was because I thought that everyone at school was more successful than me, and I believed that the education I received at my community college level school would not bring me to a good place, etc.
(Not From US)