Thank you all, for all this information. It is very helpful. I will definitely ask everyone about housing/ transportation when I visit UMD for the Open House in March. Greenmt, I was accepted by UMD, and Ralph did say that he will make the offer more competitive once I have other offers; as of now, I am waiting to hear back from other places. It could take a while, since many of these places (like UC Davis and CUNY) inform applicants in March. I am actually already enrolled in a PhD program, and I re-applied to PhD programs because my program isn't a good fit for me. I came here straight from undergrad, so it took me some time to actually learn about what a real good "fit" means. Anyway, thanks a lot for the suggestions about negotiations. I definitely would need some financial help with relocation, since I live on a PhD stipend already, and don't have savings. So I will try to bring it up with Ralph when I visit.
ProfLorax, the disability reading group sounds great. So happy to hear you're reading Audre Lorde. There isn't information about the disability reading group online... or maybe I've missed it. But if there is, could you send me a link? Thank you!
Also, thanks for the comments about diversity and social justice. I asked Ralph to put me in touch with folks in my field (postcolonial/gender/queer theory), and with a student of color, so he sent me their information. He has been very nice and helpful over email so far, and I'm excited about the possibility of joining UMD.