wheresmysnow

As you've presented it, without a doubt program A. Not even a question. Don't worry about what's this or that. Go with what makes sense based on the numbers and people who know you. Gut is important, but it doesn't mean it can't be wrong. Pull the trigger. Plunge that plunger. You got this.

I'd also vote for school A. The most important thing is the faculty, but you also gotta pay the bills. You can maybe work over summer if it is only a Master's program. Class size is also usually a factor in making an impression and forming relationships with profs. Congrats on getting both acceptances and stipends especially with a Master's. Good luck!

After accepting my offer and going through the rush of finding out where I was going to live, shop, dine, etc and taking Google Earth tours through the city, I have eased off on the prepping and started living life again. For the summer, I'm planning a couple trips on the side of country where homebase is because I'm going to be moving to the other side in August. This includes favorite food joints, seeing friends and family, seeing some sights I haven't, that sort of stuff that won't be easy/possible when grad school starts. I'm definitely reading more than ever before, both books and articles, not to necessarily prepare for my program (some reading is for fun as well) but since I've been out of school for a couple years my attention span has definitely shortened and I know I need to get back to the point where reading for hours upon end isn't near impossible because I know it'll be a lot of that when I start back. For reading, I feel like I have less to prove now so I can read for enjoyment and outside of my field instead of just POIs' articles so that I can add them to my personal statements. I'm getting back into some hobbies that took a sideline while I was working on applications and interviews, including some side projects that require a lot of time. I started translating a rare book Russian to English before applications and now I wanna finish it before I go back to school because, again, I know I won't be able to do it when school starts up again. The prof who did my interview asked me about it and I promised I'd let her look at it when I start so it is good motivation to work on it. On top of that, I started a blog just about general topics in academia, my field as a whole, and my subfield/speciality so I can get used to writing in general, like I mentioned with reading, but I also want to develop a voice for my most commonly described topics. In addition, it's very helpful nowadays to get used to simplifying your very technical research to a level that can be understood by the general public, so I'm practicing translating academic speak and complex ideas into a more digestible vernacular for the common person who is interested in Russia or the Russian language. It doesn't really matter if anyone actually reads it; I'm really doing it for myself more than anyone. If there is a small readership eventually, though, I'd be quite honored! Other than that, I'm trying to relax as much as possible, and definitely sleeping better! I definitely agree with you, @madamoiselle, that I feel this compulsion to be productive but I logically know that this will be my last free summer for the next 4 decades so I want to enjoy it while it is here.

I'm from the US, most recently lived in the SW of the country. After graduation, I moved to Kazakhstan and have been here for about 2.5 years.

Ditto!

I can't help you much with different housing options and comparing them as I'm just starting (and just signed a lease for an apartment off grounds, but I've received advice to snatch up a place ASAP because Cville is tiny and housing is very limited. This may be different if you live on grounds, but regarding finding your own place I've already found it to be very true. Rent is high and places are already being rented (and not just me). A current student in my dept advised me to use the Off Grounds Housing portal, but you need to already have accepted their offer and received a university ID. I found my place on Craigslist. Otherwise, sites like BRAC, Hotpads, Zillow, and others are useful. Yes. Watch this video and learn some of the others at UVA.

Are you talking about a relocation allowance? If so, then that is definitely a thing some universities offer, you just have to ask

FInal score

Birthday suit

Rent prices are highly location, i.e. proximity to the university, dependent. Most places within 3-5 miles will probably not fit that budget that you've set out with a 3-4br house, but if you're willing to commute, it shouldn't be a problem. For example, I found a nice place on Broadway & Swan (a very nice area next to Rincon HS) that would probably be great for you and your family. Plus, you don't want to live next to campus, anyway, as I mentioned in a previous post. Finally, while it is usually better to start early, real estate is a highly season game with a lot of places not being snatched up until July or August. Maybe Tucson/UA is full of procrastinators, I don't know, but that is my experience. I'd worry more about getting your kids into a good school, as @Beaudreau mentioned. Frankly speaking, just don't even consider it. South Tucson is one of the highest crime rate areas in the country and provides little high-quality education. Especially while you don't know the area well, avoid it, particularly at night. I never felt in danger there, but that's probably because my time spent in South Tucson was restricted to certain areas and normally only during the day, never after midnight. Speaking for myself, I'd rather have a longer commute than live in South Tucson, even if it is closer.

I'll help with what I can. Depending on whether you consider charter schools public or not, the BASIS schools are by far the best schools in Tucson. The best public high school is University HS. Borman is reputably the best elementary school, afaik. Really I think any part of town is great for families. Tucson is a very family-friendly place. However, I would probably avoid the areas immediately around UA as noise and traffic are obnoxious. This is largely dependent on what industry/sector that you/your spouse is in. Sadly, a lot of modern industries never made their way to Tucson unless related to the military. The service industry is large and thriving, and there's a large need for teachers, but the tech, manufacturing, finance, and other industries are not as strong as in cities even like Phoenix. CoL, relative to other cities of similar size, including housing is unbeatably cheap. Unfortunately, this is slowly changing, but right now it is very low for a city of 1.5 million. Overall, yes it is very effective, but you have to be vigilant including monthly sprayings or even twice-a-month pesticide applications in the summer months. To be frank, central/southern AZ is not a great place for arachnophobes - spiders and scorpions abound. You live in their territory, after all. I saw my fair share of both while I was living there but never felt attacked and was never bitten/stung. Just be sure to check shoes when you put them on for the first time in the morning and regularly clean dark and cool places like under the sofas and beds or in cabinets. Overall desert life is something to which you will most likely need some time to acclimate, but once you appreciate it it becomes something to marvel. Tucson is a wonderful city full of dozens of cultural influences and quaint old buildings and tiny houses, but it is a difficult place to stay permanently if you're not affiliated with the U of A or Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. I would never give up my time spent there, however, and am looking forward to going back to visit this summer (summers are not fun, make sure your AC works well and don't settle for a swamp cooler). Hope this helps!

Bump I know it is early but are there any admits for fall 2018?

Yeah @Megabyte has a very good point. The vast majority of the crime on and around campus involves bikes, they're like gold around town. Other than that, as long as you're reasonably cautious like you should be in any big city, you very likely have nothing to worry about

Have you seen any results from the schools to which you're applying in the results? If we assume that they're correct... If you have seen some, then I'd imagine you landed somewhere on the waitlist. If not, then they may just be super slow. Did you get any estimates about when you'd be getting results back? Some dept websites say.

Honestly, don't think of schools as safe, within reach, and reach or however you call it. That's more for undergrad schools. Grad school is largely about one thing: how closely your research interests line up with the faculty's interests. This isn't to say that GRE/GPA isn't important, but letters of rec generally hold much more weight alongside, once again, what you want to do with your time in grad school. As evidence, you'll find in the sub 3.0 (generally considered the cut off on a 4.0 scale) acceptance thread plenty of people who made it to grad school despite what would be considered less-than-ideal grades. In addition, if I can say modestly, I had a 3.9/4.0 cGPA and 4.0 mGPA and you'll see from my signature that GPA, even at non-prestigious institutions, is not a guarantee that you'll get in. The lesson I learned from my first round is that I was bad at matching and framing my research interests. If you're planning applying for fall 2019, you have plenty of time to find out what you want to do (with relative depth, but you don't need to settle on a singular research topic yet) and then find out who is doing what in your field. It's more work, but there's tremendous payoff when you get those acceptances because you know you'll be doing something your passionate about with someone who shares that same passion and has the expertise that you want to gain and use to start your career. Also, it's never too early to start drafting your statement and mulling about your experiences and interests. Good luck!