这是一个非传统意义上的电面，事情经过是这样的~~~：

　　起先是我实在忍不住等待的煎熬了就给自己申请的教授发了封信，想跟他打电话聊一下：

Dear Profs. ***

May I know your office time please? I’d like to talk to you to know more about your researches and programs as well as my chance of being admitted through phone. Many Thanks!

他回信说：

To the best of my knowledge, your file is in the hands of the Graduate Program Committee (GPC), which adjudicates all applications. I do not know whether they will admit you or not, but this decision should be made fairly soon.

I did look at your file some time ago and recall that you were indeed a very strong candidate worthy of admission. However, I could not readily agree to supervise you at the time because I already had agreed to supervise two other new applicants. 

Please let me know whether you need financial assistance or not. If you do, then your chances of admission are slim. This is because GPC has allocated most of the funds to other applicants. 

If GPC agrees to admit you, they likely would do this without financial support. Further, if GPC admits you, I would be willing to meet with you later this week. If GPC turns you down, there is little point in meeting. Please check again within 2-3 days.

　　郁闷了一晚，回信说可以接受无奖学金的事实，于是收到他的来信说 have just had a conversation with the chair of GPC, Dr. Jackson. There are questions about your file that are best sorted out in a brief personal conversation between you and me。定下8-10am （北京时间11pm-1am）给我电话。

电话是晚上十一点半左右打来的，内容主要集中在以下几个话题：

　　首先，他给我解释了为什么这么晚还没做决定。他说每年从世界各地申请他们系的人都巨多，名额有限，特别对国际学生更是难上加难。他们会有一个list，给所有applicants排名，然后一个一个回复。现在这个list上还有十七八个，我就是其中一位（汗）。我问他是不是waiting list，他不明白。

　　接着奔向主题，问我没有经济资助是否会来。我说可以。他还不放心，问我知不知道一年在那要花多少钱？我说一共总2w加元吧。他说差不多，然后又自己重复了一遍：Just now, I get the agreement through phone that you will come to the University of Alberta and with financial support from yourself.我用了自己知的所有英文正面回答方式Yes ok certainly sure of course no problem I promise you have my word 让他放心我是一个讲诚信的中国人！

　　明确我会来后，又问我想要跟他做什么项目。我是学地质的，申请他的项目是一个关于液体包裹体的（大家不明白就算了）。他说那个人已经满了，想给我一个新项目，关于重油的。我一听乐坏了，大家都知道加拿大重油，石油砂储量世界第一！赶忙答应下来，又跟他侃了一大通。教授听了很高兴，告诉我明天发两篇12年前他与一个中石油老师合作写的论文给我，让我和这个老师联系。我说好，然后开始哭穷，嘿嘿：

　　我问他如果我表现出色，第二年能不能拿到奖？他说没问题，还告诉我他的这个项目正在申请资金，申到了我也就有钱了。还强调 in this way, both of us will be independent and not be disturbed(感觉已经是和导师同一战壕里了)。 我说谢谢，还告诉他不是我念不起，只是我快23了，不想再让家里花钱（事实）。他严重同意，说我的想法很对，还告诉我good news 现在加拿大留学生可以在外打工了。我佯装惊喜让他的虚荣心得到了充分的满足：）。

　　最后又告诉了我，怎样回复ad，什么时间能知道消息，还问我为什么英语这么好，在哪学的？是学校吗？又跟他侃了一通学习心得，说我想给您打电话就是想有一个彼此深入了解的机会，看看您是否是我喜欢的教授，我是否是你想要的那种学生，而从申请中得到的信息太有限了。他又严重支持我，说他从来不相信道听途说和写在纸上的，总是事必躬亲（我们仿佛已成为知己，神交已久亦~~~）。奇怪的是他问我想直接读博士还是硕士。我说据我所知加拿大本科毕业不能直接申博士的。教授回答可以，只是很难。我说我想先读硕，看看自己是不是作研究的料再决定吧。他说 oh that’s much easier to get the admission(现在他已很想要我喽)。末尾，他祝我晚安，我祝他have a nice day。
挂下电话，一夜无眠……第二天收到他的两篇论文，和中石油老师的联系方式。三天后收到good news:

Hallo again,**** 

I have just spoken with Dr. ***, the chair of GPC. He and the other members of GPC have evaluated your file. You have been deemed admissible to our graduate program and worthy of receiving an offer for teaching assistantship. 

Congratulations. We have many applicants, and only the best make the cut. You can be proud that you are one of them. 

This memo, however, does not constitute your admission. Early next week a letter will be sent to FGSR (Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research) recommending that you be admitted to the M.Sc. program under my supervision. FGSR is a superior administration at the university, and they make the final decision. 

If FGSR admits you, (in all likelihood they will), GPC - on behalf of my department - will offer you a teaching assistantship for 2 years, and partial financial support for 2 summers. I have agreed to pay all of your research expenses and a part of the foreign student fees that you will have to pay. Financial details will be sent you to later. But you can be sure that, if your receive our offer and come here, you will not need much money from your parents. 

For now there is nothing for you to do but wait for the letter from FGSR that will offer you a graduate student position. Once you receive this letter, (1) you send back to us an acknowledgement that you will accept this offer. Copy to me. Then (2) you take the original letter from FGSR and go to the Canadian Embassy to apply for the visa. Once you have that in hand, (3) you can make travel arrangements. 

You should make an effort to arrive in Edmonton no later than Sept 01 2006, preferably one or two weeks earlier, so you have time to get settled. You will have to get all sorts of papers signed, find an apartment, move into your office space on campus, get a bank account, and so on. After September 01 it will be very hard to find a place to live close to the university, as thousands of other students will be competing for a relatively small number of rooms. 

Also, I will be away traveling in the United States from about August 26 to September 17. I would like to meet with you before I leave, so we can discuss what courses you should take. As a part of your degree program, you must take 3 courses, and they will start in the first week of September when I will be away. It is imperative that you begin with these courses on time.      

I am looking forward to meeting you in the fall

从这次非比寻常的经历中，我有如下体会：

　　1、由于加拿大大学没有美国4.15协议的制约，导致申请的处理速度很慢。从跟导师的谈话中感觉到这些好一点的大学都是秉着宁缺毋滥的原则，只先选最好的学生给offer，拒绝他们的人太多了，才会再补一个进来。而不是一次发很多AD.可见这样时间就会拖的很长啊。唉 我是鸡肋``````

　　2、主动联系是很重要的！大家可以从教授给我发的第一封回信看出（I did look at your file some time ago），他对我根本知之甚少，电话中好像也听出对我的本科分数，申请方向都不太了解，跟他说IELTS根本不知道！给我的感觉是好像只有Graduate Program Committee里的教授才看这个。象我这种情况的同仁们一定要大胆show出你自己啊！

　　3、教授的权利很大。首先，在电话里他说若项目申请到资金，both of us will be independent and not be disturbed.充分说明教授只要有钱，想要谁就要谁啊！而且，邮件里电话里说TA都发完了，但导师活动一下，offer还是给我了：）

　　4、电话是一种更有效的联系方式。快速而直接。鼓励后来者还是练好口语主动出击吧！对小米直接询问就行，对教授最好先问一下办公时间再打，免得太冒昧。其实最主要的就是引起教授对你的注意啊。现在想想有一个老外朋友曾经建议我去年暑假直接到加拿大学校找老师面谈。那时觉得有点荒谬，现在觉得很有道理了！嘿嘿，有钱的朋友约好时间直接飞到加拿大参观学校，听听老师的看法，效果肯定比电话有强多了！