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GIS_GURU

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  1. Rising_Star --> Thank you so much for that! I along with a couple of friends are on waitlists for funding. Your comment is very reflective of what's going on right now. Apparently, many departments are finding it tough to fund their current grad students (also to encourage them to graduate out of their program). We just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.
  2. Hi there! Congrats on your acceptance to a Phd program. If you're looking for a laptop/ notebook, perhaps look for one that has a larger screen. I struggled with getting a PC as my Macbook served me well. I tried using Bootcamp to use Arc10. But due to the terribly small screen size of my Macbook, I felt very restrained. Having a notebook would be a great investment for the new year. You'd be mobile and not constrained to the four-walls of the office. If you have a large amount of data, perhaps it may be helpful if you got an external hard drive (try newegg.com they have splendid deals for 1Tb external drives). Either that, or you may want to ask if your department has a server where you can have space. Recently I've bought a refurbished Dell Inspiron 17R (I believe I paid only $550 for it). It has 600GB, runs on Core i5, and has 6Gb for memory. And I believe it's 64 bit (I was told that it works well for Windows 7). It's one speedy machine and I'm well pleased with it. The screen resolution works well as well. I managed to get a student version of Arc10 installed and haven't had much problems. I have been using this notebook intensely (lots of geoprocessing, interpolation, digitizing and spatial analysis). But you may want to wait till a month or several weeks before school starts in Fall. Cause in some states, you may get tax breaks from purchasing the notebook (as it maybe considered as a school "supply"/ need). Also, some schools have computer support services that would install Windows 7 on your notebook for free (especially if you're a TA/ RA). You'd get to save a lot from that! And don't shy away from Refurbished notebooks (Dell outlet online store has plenty of them). Many a times, they are perfectly normal (perhaps a wee little scratch and that's just aesthetics). Hey who knows if you wait for a tad bit, the prices for notebooks running on Core i7 would drop. That's my 2 cents worth.
  3. Don't give up! Something good will happen. Hang on!
  4. Hey! I really hope it works out for you guys. Cross my fingers and paws!

  5. Hi there! If your application to a certain school has been accepted and you are offered a fellowship or assistantship, you should not have to worry much about the Financial Statement. However, if you have not been accepted to the university, it would be advisable to get a Financial statement that shows the ability to cover all expenses incurred (i.e, tuition, rent, insurance and etc.). An I-20 would be issued only if you have been accepted and fulfill the requirements by Homeland security. If in doubt, contact the International Coordinator to clarify. Some schools don't even bother requesting for your Financial Statement (partly cause they know that you are fully funded). Good luck.
  6. Though this is an old thread, but I hope my input might help others who are reading this forum. If you're considering going to schools for GIS, here's a list of schools you may want to consider: - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. They tend to focus on urban planning and growth in addition to GIS modeling. - University of California, Santa Barbra - The very famous Dr Michael Goodchild is there. He is the author of many GIS books (many of which are used as texts for GIS courses). - University of California, Berkley - They are pretty good in Remote Sensing. - University of Connecticut - University of Buffalo -SUNY - Wonderful faculty there I must say. - The Ohio State University - Plenty of GIS Professors to work alongside. Dr Mei-Po Kwan (former President of the American Association of Geographers) is a tenured faculty there. - University of South Carolina - If you are interested in Social Vulnerability, this is the place to go. Dr Susan Cutter is there! - University of Redlands - They only have a Masters program. But they have a top notch department. They are the ones who maintain "Ecosystem Management Decision Support". - Texas A&M University - Penn State University I'm sure there are many other schools that I have not included in the above list. If you have other information on schools with GIS programs, please response to this thread. Hope this helps.
  7. Hey there! University of Wisconsin-Madison has a marvelous program for Cultural Geographers. My favorite humanistic Geographer, Yi-Fu Tuan taught there. I highly recommend that you check their program out. I think the deadline for admission with funding is over. But If I were into Cultural Geography, that would be the school of choice for me. Hope that helps!
  8. My late father once told me... Before you do anything great, remember to do all your pooping before that. Else you'd never know when those butterflies would dart out for a dump. Alright jokes aside, here's a few cents worth: 1. Be courteous to everyone - Even the department secretary. Most often the secretaries are the ones who have the connections with the various Professors in the department. And at times, they might be the lifesavers when it comes to paperwork. Another thing to note, if you're walking into the elevator with someone, don't shrug off the hippie-bike shorts wearing old dude that came in. He may turn out to be the person interviewing you - or in my case, the Chairperson of the department. 2. It might be helpful to read up on the research projects conducted by the department or Professors you'd love to work alongside. This shows interest and effort on your part. 3. Towards the end, if you could work this into the interview, it would be good to what is expected of you as a grad student. It's a good measure to see if they are interested in having you with them, and what their yardsticks are for grad students. Typically, interviews are laid back and more informal (based on what I heard from my peers). But don't be too casual and start smacking the interviewer on the should and call him "bro". Best of luck! Hope you get those butterflies out! And oh yah, update us won't you?
  9. Their willingness to fly you and have you view their campus shows their interest in you. In fact, I don't think that is common practice for History programs. Don't worry, this is a good sign. You can only prepare as only you can. What they want to see is the quality of the candidate that they will be selecting. I'm sure your credentials have impressed them thus far. Go there and strut your stuff! It's also a good time to keep an eye for potential advisors and check the "culture" of the department you would be part of. While you're there, check out the apartments and housing situation. Don't worry alright! Cheering you on!
  10. Hey guys! If anyone would like to shed more light on the housing situation in Kent, it'd be marvelous. For example, where's a good neighborhood or which apartment complexes are decent. If you would love to give your few cents worth on the places to stay away please comment as well. I won't be able to make a trip to Kent until late May. As such, it would be nice to know which area to scout for a house/ apartment to rent. Appreciate it!
  11. My first was a letter of rejection as well. It was from one of the best schools in my field. But I somehow when I was filling up forms and etc., I had a gut feeling that that school wouldn't be a good fit for me. The second letter, I received as an acceptance letter. I have yet to hear from the other schools I've applied to, but I'm overjoyed that there's a program that is willing to take me in. This isn't the first time I applied for grad schools (doctoral programs that is). The first time round, my CV looked miserable. I knew it was hard to compete with other grad students (at the Masters level) who had chalked in tonnes of brownie points along their undergrad and grad career. As such, within a year, I did whatever I could to chalk up brownie points. I presented at a regional conference and took up some research projects. I managed to be co-authors along with several professors. And it certainly helped when my department chair from my undergrad asked me to present a talk on my thesis (another brownie point). Here's my sentiments.. At the end of the day, it's a tough call for the program directors to differentiate between the various candidates vying for spots. A student with a 3.5 GPA compared to another with a similar GPA has to "shine" in other areas such as research and teaching abilities. So, if there are opportunities to present for conferences (whether it's a poster or oral presentation), go for it. Brownie points .. that's what it's all about. Don't give up guys!
  12. Hi Zion, I hope this response would be in time for you, judging that you posted that question in June. Here's my two cents worth... It's highly unlikely that you would be denied a student visa primarily due to a typo ( in your case, wrong zip code). Just ensure that the spelling of your name, and its order are right (first, middle and last name). If you are denied a student visa, it would be advisable to contact the international coordinator or graduate school representative dealing with international students. They are usually the life-savers in such situations. Hope that helps!
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