Crucial BBQ
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Posts posted by Crucial BBQ
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Alot of posts I see imply that the writer isnt that familiar with articles/professors in their field which i feel is probably equally if not more imporatant than class work.
To see whats normal, Im curious how many journal articles would you say you average a day/week/month? Also, how do you choose which artcles to read.. do you follow specific journals, professrs etc.
thanks!
One thing I found with articles is that if you search for what-ever niche you are interested in, the same handful of authors comes up time and time again. Sometimes I feel like I know these people as if they were my professors, their names appear that often.
I find it more important, though, seeing as how once you are through with school--undergrad in particular--journal papers and research articles become your "course work", reference materials, "fact" checkers, and so on.
The first year I did research I read only a few. Perhaps maybe five total for the entire year. I was a biology student who managed to work myself into chemistry research. I was told that if I could do the math, I could do the research. Math aside, I was horrible at chemistry. I had to use reference books. During my last year of doing research as an undergrad I was reading perhaps up to five a week. I say perhaps because many of them were only partially read. I struggled with research design, so I tended to go from the abstract to methods to conclusion. If the conclusion peaked my interests, I would go back and read the entire piece.
Since I have been out of school, I have not read many.
How do I choose which papers to read? Generally, I start with a particular topic. After I find a few papers that are worth my while, I look to see who cited the paper, then I follow those citations to those respective papers. Sometimes I will follow up on a particular citation within the paper.
I do not follow specific journals.
For those of you you arent keeping up with reading in your field, how have you nailed down a research topic?
I find the more I read the more my interests change broadly.
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Anyways, to the OP!
-I would have read the specific web pages a little more closely. One program I applied to required transcripts to be sent to "office" of the niche program I am applying to, not the department, not "Graduate Admissions"....Thankfully that deadline is not until March 1.
-I would have started saving money so I could apply to all the schools I wanted to apply to. Or at least most of them.
-I would have made use of mind maps for program. My SOPs were very program specific, and well written, but....I made a mind map of one of the programs I applied to, yet, didn't refer to it for what-ever reason when I was writing my SOP. I looked over it after I submitted that application and realized I had some good stuff jotted down that I did not include.
-Ugh. Ugh. And, ugh.
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I want to be a research scientist too... that why it is important that I get the perfect training for my field, which would come from only around 15 people.
I think it is different for us few science students. Those who are all doing Humanities seem to want academia. Nothing wrong with that.
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Are you a Fulbright student?
Honestly, I would get in touch with the school.
However, based on my understanding of the 22 or so programs I looked into, it seems the more common route would be to take the courses after you have been admitted. In some cases, you would be admitted on a provisional basis with the understanding that you were not "fully" in the program until those two courses were met.
Then again, these were all biology-related programs.
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I was not sure where to put this. It seems that many accepted and already attending users post in this forum, so...
Has anyone been accepted into a program where they did not meet all of the "required" undergraduate courses taken in preparation and/or had good, but not stellar, GRE and GPA? Perhaps because where one lacks in numbers and a course or two has been made up by research experience, specific ECs that could directly relate to the program, excellent LORs, and a solid SOP?
Just curious.
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I rode the 16 bus five days a week (the bus you to the U, most likely). I also rode other busses to and from downtown MPLS just as often. I am not sure what is meant by "bus people", but rest assured many professionals, students, and "normal" people ride the bus in MPLS. Some lines, in particular the one that goes down Lake St. (forgot the number) do have undesirables who ride it (but they largely are off the bus by Bloomington and/or Cedar). I wouldn't worry about.
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Hi everybody,
I just got accepted into Davis for a MFA program, and I'm starting to do some research about transportation. I still have to see where else I get accepted, but I want to figure the numbers out since if the numbers are doable, then Davis would sure start to look better.
I live in SF right now and am really not sure whether it would be more cost effective to try to commute (I assume ~3x /wk?) via the Berkeley shuttle or train, to drive/carpool, or to just rent a really cheap room there for the week and go home on the weekend? I'm in a long term relationship with someone who works in the city, so I'm not really considering moving to Davis full time. I'm not sure if I'm getting a stipend at all, and it seems like a lot of money if a one-way ride is $11, plus I'd still have to BART to the city. I'm leaning toward the public transit options since I'm really sick of driving in East Bay traffic and I like being able to do work/read, but it looks like a crazy 2 hrs each way! It seems like most people who carpool or commute do so from the East Bay and not the city? Is it doable at all, or will I go insane?
Also, in terms of commuting and grad school - is it inherently a disadvantage, since most people will be living nearby and hanging out together while I go off at the end of each day? I was looking forward to having more camaraderie with a group of folks esp since I had to commute for the last year or so of my undergrad and consequently never really got close to any of my peers even though we were friendly. The program will be small, so I feel like it will be even more pronounced - but then again, do a lot of people have families and other commitments anyway in grad school?
I really like the program and professors, but the logistics are a bear!
I've had two GFs who did grad school: one for an MFA at CSUS (aka Sac State) and one at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (hence, why I am currently in Maryland). The one who got her MFA barely hung out with anyone in her cohort. Not sure if that was because of her degree/program or what, but she just didn't. She did hang out with some of her prof's, though. The one who went to Hopkins definitely hung out with member of her cohort, generally to study, but also to help create a sense of community since practically everyone was new to the area and not from Baltimore or Maryland.
As for commuting, I would seriously reconsider, but, there are plenty of people who work in the Bay Area yet reside in places as far away as Sacramento. Personally, I would take the Amtrak as there would be more room, but for costs the UC shuttle might make more sense.
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Davis gets a bad rap, but it's mostly from people who have never been there.
I loved my experience as an undergrad. The town is very suburban despite its undeserved reputation as a rural school. You can see Sacramento in the horizon from many town locations. It's apparently the second most educated town in the country, but I am unsure of the metric. The families who live here are very open and very friendly green-liberal-types. The town has gone out of its way to maintain a "progressive small town"feel.
There are many nice scenic walks and bike rides around town. The bike culture here is insane. If you are into bikes as I am, then you will be in heaven. I read a map once and the map showed that the town had more than 40 (!) parks where you bike around, walk, play softball, etc. Nice restaurants. Walking downtown is pleasant.
Weather: Varies between two extremes by California standards. Summer months are hot and dry (85-95deg av) and winters are cold and rainy (40s-50s days, 30s nights).
Where to go: I've lived in the Bay Area for all of my life, and many exciting things are in driving distance. San Francisco is 1.5 hours southwest, Sacramento is 15 minutes east, Napa range (for hiking) is 1 hour west, Napa valley is 1.5? hours west, the Sierras are 1.5 hours northeast, and Reno is 2.5 hours northeast. Indian casinos are within an hour by car.
Housing: The most expensive area is South Davis. North Davis is next. Students usually populate these two areas because these areas have shopping centers. West and East Davis are both in the lower in price, quieter, and less obnoxious (in my opinion). If you want to bike to campus, then live in South Davis or West Davis. These two areas have long, dedicated straightaway bike paths. You can bike to campus from just about everywhere since every street connects to a small bike path. Most people overestimate how often they will bike to campus, though, since the weather is rarely "perfect".
Houses are usually available but are variable in quality. Some of my friends had bad experiences with landlords trying to rip them off.I was born and raised in Sacto, so I most definitely have been to Davis many, many, many. In my opinion, Davis is boring. Even for a college town it is boring. It is pretty cool if you are into bicycles, and the Davis to Sacramento bike trail is a nice ride, but there is really not much to do in town. That is probably why people mention The Bay quite often. Davis is also too far to the Left. So much so that I am surprised the city and its residents have not banned car exhaust from 80 from entering its airspace. Also if you smoke anything other than marijuana, you be treated like a pariah. Not very Liberal, in my opinion.
One thing to keep in mind: there are many rice fields near Davis...and these get burned once a year to make-way for next seasons crop. The smoke from the burning crops is extremely irritating, in particular to your eyes. It also has a peculiar smell...like burning rubber does.
The smog/air quality can also get pretty bad. Sacramento is something like the 8th most polluted city in the U.S. (actually, if I remember correctly, California has like five of the most polluted cities in the U.S.). Davis is about 11 miles from Sacto, so the air quality is relatively the same. If you have asthma, air quality might be an issue.
Also, if you are not from California, and have zero allergies, chances are you will develop an allergy to something.
And then there is coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever. It is a fungus that lives in dirt. People who are born in California have already been exposed to it, and chances of reinfection are rare, but for new comers it can give a terrible flu-like illness. It is noninfectious from person-to-person, but it is airborne and generally can not be prevented. Chances are if you get it, you will just think you have a bad case of the flu. Not to scare you, though. You probably won't know you have it.
I wondered the same thing about living in Sacramento just to save some money (I'm not from the area originally) but a friend of mine did her undergrad at Davis and said that trying to commute on the causeway would be a huge pain the backside. I do have a car so I might look a little further out than central Davis in order to cut some costs. When push comes to shove, I'll do what I have to to make my stipend work. I've heard a lot of people say that they don't end up being that close with their cohort anyway so you might not miss out? Just depends what you want out of it. If you're just there for the degree then commuting probably won't be a problem.
Not sure what websites you are looking at, but you can definitely find a studio in Davis for less than $900. I looked not to long ago as UC Davis is one of the schools I applied to. I found quite a few in the $600 to $700 range.
As for the Causeway, traffic is not that bad, but I suppose it is what you are used to. There is also a Yolo county bus that you can take from Downtown Sacto to Davis. Not sure how often it runs, though. There is also Amtrak, which operates a commuter train between Sacto and Oakland daily. It stops in Davis.
Sacramento, though, would not be cheaper than Davis, and most places that you would find cheaper are going to be cheaper for a reason: you don't want to live there.
You might want to check out West Sac if you cannot find anything in Davis. There is also Winters and Woodland, as already mentioned, and perhaps Dixon.
I prefer to live alone but it seems like most of the 1 bedrooms or studios I'm finding online are $900+ and I definitely can't afford that on my stipend. Any current or past Davis students know of places to look or ways to find less expensive single-person living?
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I know that these posts are a few years old, but....
I'm over fifty. I applied to six PH.d programs and I think I have been rejected by all, despite great recommendations from strong faculty and good grades. It was suggested that it was pointless to try because of unspoken politics, but then I thought perhaps my good grades and huge amount of experience in many areas would make me interesting. I'm just wondering if people think it is outrageous that I would try for this in the first place. If there are any PH.d candidates actually in colleges who are in my demographic I'd love to know? I suspect at in the humanities there aren't any...
I am not a dilettante. I went back to college at Community college, transferred to IVY and am finishing MA. I'm not rich either. Just to get all those criteria off the table.I hope you have yet to give up.
I can only give my 2 cents on this, take it or leave it.
Let's say you enter and get your ph.d. you'll be 55 or 56 when you graduate. In the increasingly competitive job market in the humanities, few schools (if any) are going to hire someone who is near retirement age. They want to get the most bang for their buck--young, enthusiastic people who are going to stick around for 20 years. Ideally, anyways. Things are changing, of course, and tenure-track positions vanish every year. But if I were on an adcom, I doubt I would accept someone who is 50, for the simple practicality of it. Not to mention that there have been unprecedented numbers of applicants this year. But I am not on an adcom, and so can't speak to what they would do. I would say that someone who is 50 and going to grad school would have to be really amazing, beating out all the younger folks, which would be pretty hard to do, I think. I don't want to rain on your parade, and I certainly don't want to discourage you, if this is what you want to do. Keep trying, if that is the case.The OP never said he wanted to get into academia. Even if he did graduate at 56, that could still give him at least a solid twenty years to contribute to the field....considering it is not manual labor and all
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I agree, but for a lot of people who post on these sorts of forums.. the academia is the goal, not the research or education or anything else.. academia.. their life is academia.
I must be one of those oddballs then. I want to be a research scientist, not become a professor.
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My top choice was my top choice because:
(not in any particular order)
1. Location.
2. Guaranteed paid tuition for five years.
3. Guaranteed stipend of close to $40K for five years.
4. Offered graduate housing.
5. Offered full University perks minus the ability to play Division sports.
6. Location of the lab (off campus).
7. It was/is a joint program between the lab and school.
Perhaps a few others. I ended up not applying.
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On one hand I had wished I could have applied to more schools. On the other, meh. My original list had 22 schools/programs. After further review, I was able to eliminate 11 of them. Out of the remaining 11, I narrowed it down to 8 based solely on what I thought was fit. Well, one got dropped because although I loved what I knew about the program and had a contact in that program, ultimately, I could not see myself living in that location for 5+ years. One school was dropped at the last minute because admissions was too competitive. It's was not that I felt I couldn't compete in the application process, that is why I was applying in the first place, but because I ultimately realized that those other applicants would be members of my cohort and their competitiveness would drive me nuts. Another school only received one LOR....Then there was the school that I misread; I began the application well in advance, but,the due-date I had noted for that program was two weeks too late.
So, in the end, four schools/programs.
Honestly, I could not see applying to all 22 schools even if I had the money to do so. I really want to go to graduate school. I really do. But I also really do NOT want to do to some schools/programs. I made the mistake of applying to shotgun technique to undergrad (you know, "scattering" multiple applications around with the hope of "hitting" at least one school). It was a waste of money and I ended up transferring.
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Mine was two pages with the second page almost reaching the bottom, top and bottom margins set at 1.4 cm, with the sides at 2.5 cm. I used LaTex, so not sure about the font. It was set to default, which appears to be sans Serif of some sort. Font size is looking to around 10...once again, font size was set to default, which just means that the best size was determined by proper setting. My original was 3 pages, and that was including stuff that I left out.
Mine was also a hybrid of sorts. It is a CV through and through, but a little more wordy. Not as much as a resume, but definitely more wordy than a typical CV. I dunno...there were things that I wanted to keep out of my SOP but still wanted to emphasize, you know. I figured the CV was the perfect place for that.
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So, what surprised me most....?
What surprised me most was that some web pages to program information are buried deep within the schools website with no logical way of navigating to it. I originally had my heart set on going to grad school in Boston, and decided to check out Tufts for s&g's. I am not sure how I found it, but I somehow navigated to one particular option for program that turned out to be of related interest. I emailed a professor associated with this niche, gave him some info about me, what I am looking for in a grad program, etc...and he emailed me back...to offer his support....and to sit on my advisory committee when/if I was accepted... but wasn't taking students that year. Since I was not applying at that time, I filed it away. Since then I have gotten a new computer and for the life of me could not find that darn page. It didn't occur to me to check my email... I just pulled up his email, and was able to search his name and found his lab.
I have applied to a school on the West Coast that has a similar "issue" as Tufts...the particular niche group/lab I am applying to has no logical way of navigating to it, yet, the webpage in question is a part of the university website and not some random faculty member's webpage.
Then there was the issue of funding...or lack there of. I had developed a good conversation with the PI of a particular lab at another school, and initiated a meeting. It wasn't an interview, mind you, I just happened to be visiting that area and since I was already going to be near, thought I'd pop in. We had a good chat, he gave me a tour, and so on. Everything was awesome. Then, at the end, he mentions that his funding is running out and even though he has secured new funding, that new funding would not kick in for another year. And that he may or may not already have a full lab. He didn't exactly say that he was not taking on new students into his lab, but kind of hinted that I should consider applying to another lab....even making a recommendation as to which one...or that I might have to pay for the first year out of pocket...Still applied, though.
Speaking of websites, I noticed at least two programs had two different due dates each...depending on which part of the website you were on.
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Hi everyone!
Somewhere on this forum, I found an excellent thread for first-generation applicants to speak of their struggles and accomplishments during and after the graduate school application process. I thought it was an excellent thread, but the last post was from 2009, so I thought I'd recreate one! I think this could serve as a great support system for us, though I'm certainly not opposed to non-first-generation applicants joining in on discussion! I've found that I often feel alone in my pursuit of higher (and higher!) education since most of my friends in high school and in college were not the first in their families to attend.
Some questions to get discussion going:
1) Are you the first in your family to pursue graduate education? Are you the first to pursue higher education in general?
2) What struggles have you faced as a first-generation applicant?
3) What have you accomplished as a first-generation applicant?
4) What has helped you reach your educational goals?
(Feel free to add more!)
1. Yes, for the most part. My mom has some vo-tech; dad went all the way then dropped out in his last semester for unknown reasons...but he passed away before I went to college; grandfather has some college, but he also passed...long before I even knew what college was.
As far as I know, I am the first to go for a graduate degree.
College was a dirty word around my house when I was in high school. I was expected to join the Army, anyways.
2. Figuring out how it all worked on my own. Not really knowing what financial aid was until my sophomore year; not really knowing what scholarships were until my junior year. I mean, I knew these things existed, but I didn't really know what they were about.
3. Just surviving it all. I'm not going to bs anyone, my GPA was nothing to write home about. It seemed that every semester I would run into a brick wall of some sort: usually something to do with financial aid, but sometimes something relating to academics. It felt like I would take two steps forward, then one back; one forward, three back; three forward, one back; and so on. Semester after semester, something seemed to come up. It was maddening. Then I graduated, finally.
4. Pure tenacity and determination. I wanted to quit many times and questioned my motives, and sanity, for putting myself into that situation voluntarily. My ultimate goal has always been grad school, I knew that before I even began my first day of undergrad. I always had that goal in mind no matter how much I wanted to walk away. I know there are others out there who had to navigate a tougher route through college, and I am leaving a good amount of my headaches out of this, but I do know that most would not have put up half of what I endured. They would dropped out before completing two years, more-than-likely.
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Grad school is all about research, even at the Masters level. An applicant's GPA and GRE scores do not tell the admissions committee of your capabilities as a researcher; only that you test well. Keep in mind that unlike undergrad admissions, graduate school admissions are conducted by actual professors who are more than aware that there are usually more than one way to earn a grade in a course; that some profs are more lenient than others, and so on. I wouldn't worry about your GPA.
You have a stellar resume, and a patent. Those will definitely give you a leg up and trump your low GPA everyday of the week even at the best programs.
By the way, properly labeling your GPA shows your level of maturity, which is leaps and bounds above current and recent undergrads who moan and groan all day long about how their lives are over because of their "abysmally low" GPA of "only" 3.7.
You should be just fine.
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To add to brown cow: I would also use the prompt as an opportunity to discuss course selection; why I choose the electives I took; rigor of course; and so on.
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The mistake I avoided most was using an online example, or one found in a book, as a template for my own SOP. I just wrote it; free-write style, then edited it as necessary afterwards. I am applying to STEM and the one thing that is glaringly obvious is that the writing styles of those essays that supposedly gained the applicant entry even into top programs varied so widely that any one particular format does not seem to be an issue. Some were so awesomely written that the applicant was surely admitted into every program applied to, and, others were so bad that I cannot believe the applicant was accepted into Yale. Of course, you cannot believe everything you read on the Internet.
I avoided an opening hook, but did make my first paragraph interesting enough. I kept the writing light, used the show-not-tell approach, and avoided academic speak. I also avoided everything that was obvious (I am applying to...) and did not mention anything about prestige of the school, program, or any particular professor. I did not mention how a degree from MIT would...or how studying under Professor X would...I made it clear I was applying to the program and not the school. I did pull out some specifics of the program that made it a fit for me, though, and how those specifics would benefit me in the future (once again, I avoided any discussion of prestige). I also focused on how my background and "training" would contribute to the program/lab.
I also did not mention low grades, GPA, GRE, and so on. In one sentence, I did mention that I was not only a full time student, but also doing research, volunteering, clubs, etc. and working full time for almost my entire undergraduate career. It was rather ambiguous, but my CV and perhaps LORs, demonstrate that I was a very busy student. Once again, I avoided the obvious.
Every one of my essays were written for the specific program I applied to. I had a loose, a very loose, template, but I also had very specific reasons for applying to each program. And those reasons varied by program. Plus, my essay prompts varied by school: one asked to include something about diversity and how I would contribute to the diverse campus; one wanted to know of all faculty that were contacted; one required four separate essays AND a separate writing sample; and so on.
I also avoided using a quote: seems way to corny. And, I avoided what is probably the biggest mistake....the I have always...
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I would just think it's because a B- combined with a lazy work ethic isn't the kind of academic performance that warrants an LOR. Anyway, why would you want one from someone who, if being honest, would have to say that you slacked off?
I didn't want to write a novella as this was more of a topic of honest curiosity than a rebuttal against the prof. The information provided through the course material, as well as corresponding laboratory assignments, were all things I was already familiar with, many with first-hand experience. I nearly aced all tests without even studying. My contributions to classroom discussions were far beyond what any other student brought to the table in terms of knowledge about the subject. And, prior to having taken this course, I had taken six advanced courses at my previous school (I am a transfer student) that should have came after this course if it were sequenced correctly (it was/is a 300-level survey course, at my other school it was a 100-level survey course. Both courses covered the same introductory material), and, had two years solid research, work, volunteer, and other hands-on experience that directly related to this course.
I had discussed all of these courses and experiences, and many other topics relating to these with her since the course, and her Ph.D., were in fields relating to what I desire to pursue in graduate school.
What caused the lowering of my grade where two projects and a missed "mandatory" field trip. When I turned in those two assignments, I told her they were not the best they could have been, offered my reasons, and told her I had to make a choice between this and that and I choose to bite the bullet on those two assignments. We talked about it; I took full responsibility. She handed them back to me right before finals week, giving me the opportunity to improve on them. It was finals week. I turned them back in the same as they were.
There
As for what I expected her to write: well, I expected her to be honest. I expected her to mention her disappointment over those two assignments, yes, but I also expected her mention my overall knowledge and enthusiasm for the field.
Ignoring where this professor did or did not go to school.... what sort of letter do you think she'd write about your proven academic abilities? If she knows your capabilities more than anyone, and those capabilities equal a B-, I'd be thanking whatever deity you believe in that she said no.
This was a science course and science Ph.D. programs are concerned with the candidate's ability to do research like a science researcher and the desire to do research like a science researcher. Grades, GPA, and GRE scores are only indicators that the student knows how to get good grades and take tests, by what-ever means, and says nothing of their ability to really do science. I am not protesting the grade. I have been out in the field with this prof and in the lab with her. I have had numerous discussions with her about the particular branch of science we are both interested in and she knows first hand what I am capable of and that I would make a competent scientist.
Best wishes on your applications and I'm glad that you have enough LORs.
EDIT: I wrote something rather mean and then I deleted it.
mainly because you seem like a smart kid and I'm sure this was just a joke.
No, it is not a joke. I expected her, or anyone of the others, to simply say "no" if they were not interested. While I respect her response, ultimately being that it was honest, I did find it a bit snide. Perhaps that is just my own sensitivity, hence why I asked if anyone else had been in a similar situation.
She did not say she felt I was not prepared for graduate school, and even went on to say that I should seek out another to write an LOR in place of her and wished me luck with my applications. She just flat-out said she had to deny the request because she gave me a chance to rectify my grade and I did not.
Thanks for the responses everyone.
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Everyone I have asked to write an LOR on my behalf has accepted, except for one. I am not worried about that one prof as I asked more than enough people needed just in case one or more said no.
What I do find interesting is the reason that one prof denied my request. She was fresh out of her post-doc when she came to teach biology at my small, no-name, LAC. I had her last semester, which was only her second semester teaching. I earned a B- in the course, which was due to the fact that I slacked off on two projects. The grade, and my "slacking off" are why she felt justified in denying my request. More power to her, I suppose, but...
...I have talked to her extensively not only during class but also outside of class. Out of anyone, she knows my desires and capabilities more than anyone. But she still sad no, and told me why. She could have just said she was too busy, or just flat out ignored my request, right?
Here is why I am wondering if her denial is spiteful: She had the opportunity to attend the #1 school in the world for her chosen program, yet, declined because she could not afford it. She later found out, after already beginning attendance at a rather less prestigious university, that he-who-would-have-become her mentor, the one who "sponsored" her application, turned out to have an organism named after himself. In essence, he was a big deal...and she missed out. Two of the schools I had requested she send the LORs to are rather prestigious themselves, which I think ruffled her feathers a little.
Anyone else have this happen to them? It doesn't matter now as I have a great group of recommenders as it is, but still. I find it rather amusing.
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I was looking at the on-campus options as well but as you mention, the on-campus housing is indeed very pricey vs. other university campuses that I have looked at. Housing must be a big source of Cash Generation for the U...
On campus appears to run around $750-$825 / month for a shared apartment. (If you would expect to get a car you would have to add another $70-130 / month for a parking space and you have to enter the lottery with all of the undergrad. students to compete for a parking location.).
The other on-campus option is a room in Centennial Hall. The majority of rooms at Centennial Hall are single units (530) with a common bathroom shared by approximately 15 people. These appear to be the traditional dorm room in the heart of the largest undergraduate housing complex on campus and you would have to purchase a meal plan.
I guess this is why most students, both undergraduate and graduate, do not live on campus.
I lived in MPLS for ten years, and the U is simply too large (50,000+ students) to house everyone. That is why most live off campus...it's not a choice, they have to. There are lots and lots of rental options around the U...finding a place would not be an issue.
I'm getting increasingly nervous about finding an apartment from out of state --somebody talk me down!
-I'm thinking I'll be looking for an August 1st lease
-looking for a 1 bed likely in uptown or northeast (close to a bus line, since I'm car-less)
-I'm hoping for sub-$900 (I'm sure I could go cheaper, but after seven years of roommates and shitty apartments I've started paying more for quality).
It sounds like I should start looking around June 1st?
I'm considering trying to book a weekend trip in june to look at places, but
a. that means shelling out for a plane ticket (and using precious PTO!)
b. I'm worried about signing on something just because it's the best I saw in those two days
any/all advice is appreciated!
I have lived in Uptown, and practically everyone I knew lived in Nordeast at one point or another. Uptown used to be a complete dump; drug and crime ridden. It cleaned itself up about 15 years ago, but some of the crime from other parts of South Minneapolis would occasionally spill over, in particular since it is also the entertainment and shopping "district" for S. MPLS. It has gotten even more gentrified over the last five years. But, if you have never seen the place, its past means nothing to you.
As for Nordeast; I dunno....it's going downhill. Nordeast used to be a largely working class neighborhood with a healthy amount of artists types, punk rockers, garage/indie rockers, hipsters, etc. etc. Many of them migrated over when Uptown began to really become gentrified and "not cool anymore". However, gang/thug spillover from North MPLS also happened, too. Nordeast is going downhill....not the same place it was even five years ago.
Powderhorn and Seward...convient locations, but also heavy with gangs/thugs. A lot of aging hippy types, left-wingers, artists, hipsters, etc. live hear. Just try to avoid living near Franklin and/or Cedar and you should be fine. Longfellow would be better in my opinion. Avoid Phillips, period.
I would also consider South St. Anthony and Marriam and anything over by St. Thomas and Macalester; all on the St. Paul side of campus. Also, the area around the St. Paul campus (of the U.) is also not bad.
You can definitely find a one-bedroom or studio for under $900 a month. One thing I will recommend to you and everyone else, find a lease that includes heat. For those that have never experienced an upper Midwest winter, it gets effin' cold. Sub zero (˚F) are common and -30 ˚F and lower temps with windchill do happen at least once a year. While, I am on weather, also expect to see the craziest summer thunderstorms you have ever seen with awesome lightning and intense downpours, on a weekly basis, and some of the most horrid humidity ever (unless you live in like Louisiana, or something). Anyways, if your heat is not included in rent, expect to pay in upwards of $300-$400 a month....for six months...depending on how "comfortable" you like to be.
Also...liquor stores close at 10 pm depending on county, and some may close as early as 8 pm depending on county. None are open on Sundays; state law. They are also far and few in-between. If you come from a state where you can buy at least beer almost anywhere, you will be disappointed. You will see some beer at the grocery store or convenience store. Don't buy it; it is 3-2 beer (3.2% at most).
Don't know what to tell you about only having two days to sign a lease. I primarily lived in Whittier, and would recommend it, but it does have some shady areas: in particular near Lake St. and anything on Blaisdell, Grant, or Harriet between 28th St. S. and Lake St. (there is no 29th St. here,). I would also avoid anything bordered by 35 S., Franklin, and Cedar (35 forms and an L and a border on two sides). Carag is where I lived in Uptown, although technically not Uptown...everyone will say it is. Lyndale is hit-or-miss. Nakomis is cool. Harriet is cool. Lowery is cool. Kenwood and Calhoun Isle, if you can afford it. Bryn Mawr is alright, but borders on the ghetto of North MPLS. There are tons more, but it really depends on how far out you want to live.
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I just thought it'd be nice to come together this holiday season and complain about how schools like to hide short essays (100-500 word response prompts) deep within their applications.
Void of spellcheck, possibly going to timeout if you hang out on the webpage too long, and probably asking questions you explicitly answered in depth in your SOP or PS.
Seriously, what is up with these questions hidden at the end of applications?
It feels like a weird "gotcha'!" attempt on the part of the admissions group.
The amount of applicants who whine about 100 word "essays" seriously concerns me. If you are admitted somewhere, you will be "got" on a daily basis. Seriously, it's grad school....you're supposed to write!
The prompts should ask things that you are familiar with, so what is the big deal? Oh, you already covered that topic in your SOP? Oh, ok. Well forget about it then.
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And what is the word limit on the app..? Cuz that seems ridiculous..
I literally lol'd.
1,500 words is what, two pages? That is not bad at all.
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Uh, is this your introductory paragraph? If so, I would not mention you have the opportunity to stay at Liverpool with scholarship and what sounds like guaranteed Ph.D. admittance. And you have the balls to mention that not only are hesitant about attending Harvard, but you only want a Masters from Harvard, too. Seriously, this is not the way to get into any grad program in the U.S., Ivy League or otherwise.
URGENT- my reference missed the deadline...
in Applications
Posted
It might be possible that the LOR was received but your application status has to be updated. Out of the four I had write LORs on my behalf, it seems that all of them submitted at least one LOR at the last minute, almost literally.