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BuddingScholar

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Posts posted by BuddingScholar

  1. I'm not sure about monthly costs, because that's a very personal thing... There are shelters where you can get free food in the mornings if you really need to, buses to avoid racking up gas prices... All sorts of ways to cut costs! :) But for housing, I have a lot of info. Here's a brief overview, because I have lived everywhere, lol:

     

    First of all, the whole area is pretty liberal. The only problems I run into with people come from undergrads. They're pretty easy to avoid, though.

     

    Northampton is a wonderful town! It has an awesome scene, lots of bars, independent stores, coffee shops, music halls with lots of performances... And it's where Questionable Content (the webcomic) takes place! And I personally like Diva's, which is a gay club that a lot of students and locals go to. Lots of fun! :D Because of the area, it's pretty accessible to meet people of the same sex (not sure if you're looking or not)... The people are generally awesome! But since NoHo is a bit far, and can be a pain to commute to / from, you might want to consider the Hadley area, somewhere between UMass and Northampton. (Plus, Hadley is a bit cheaper!)

     

    If you lived in Hadley, you'd be near all the stores you'd need. The bus to UMass from there isn't as regular as some others (some come every 15 minutes and since places might be on a route with two buses, it's like every 8 minutes; Hadley's bus is every 20 minutes during normal hours).

     

    As for costs: if you're willing to, say, take a private room in a house (spots which the locals usually give preference to grad students), it's usually between $350-500, depending on location. Regular 1br apartments can be $700-900. That being said, there are a lot of places where you can split 2br apartments for prices like $300-500, depending how nice a place you want. There are reliable apartment complexes in the area, so you can expect similar rates around.

     

    Sunderland is another town nearby with a bunch of housing and apartments, but it's also a longer trip to things like the grocery store at that point. That being said, it's freakin' beautiful around there; farms, mountains,... It's only like 15 minutes from campus, but more like 20 to the stores. It's quieter, there aren't as many party-hardy undergrads out there; in my experience, it's more seniors who are ready to graduate, and non-students. :)

    [bUT HOLY CRAP DON'T GO TO SUGARLOAF ESTATES. They look nice. They're a nightmare. If you seriously consider them, please message me first. I have warnings to give.]

     

    North Amherst is awesome if you go far enough. It's close enough to regular buses, but still just out of ugrad party distance. But the string of apartments just north of campus is an undergrad party zone. By your description, you do not want to live there. If you're interested in North Amherst, make sure it's at the border of or beyond Pine Street.

     

    Are you bringing a car? A pet? A roommate?

     

    And here's the UMass housing resource, if you're interested (I've never used it): http://www.umocss.org/

     

    Thanks a lot for the tips! I am hoping I won't need the shelters, but it is always good to know that I have options though. ;) I am planning to ride the bus, and whenever/if weather allows, even ride my bike to school. I heard it is a pretty bikeable area, right? Besides, I need to lose some (i.e. a lot) weight also.

     

    No, I won't be looking for anything nor do I plan on partaking on the gay day/nightlife--boring and partnered here. :(  But it's great to know that the area is pretty liberal and safe.

     

    Living by myself (having my own kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom) is THE MOST important thing for me. I am very easy going, but don't enjoy sharing places or living in someone else's house. Besides, my partner will be coming to visit me every now and then, and so will [hopefully] my babies (three pugs), so I don't have to deal with being mindful of roommates. So I guess, that answers two of your questions (1) no one is coming with me and (2) my dogs will stay home with my husband. And yes, I am bringing my car, though I hope to use it only on weekends or to run errands.

     

    I think someone mentioned SugarLoaf Estates before, and after your advice, I will absolutely steer clear of them! Are there any companies or complexes you would particularly recommend?

     

    Many thanks for all the info!

  2. I am considering attending UMass in the Fall, but am trying to figure out costs first. I would like to be able to rent a one bedroom (no roommates), keep my car (insurance/gas), eat/drink, perhaps be able to drink a Starbucks once in a while ; ), and pay my bills on time (utilities, internet, cable, etc), and be in a safe area. I don't go to bars, nightclubs, etc, but would like to go to the movies perhaps once a month. How much do you think I need to have per month to afford that 'comfortably'? Aaahhh...and I don't know if this matters, but I am a gay man in my late 30s, so I need to be somewhere safe also.

     

    P.S.: One more thing, be far away from rambunctious undergrads. :angry:

     

    Thanks...

  3. I am considering attending UCR in the Fall, but am trying to figure out costs first. I would like to be able to rent a one bedroom (no roommates), keep my car (insurance/gas), eat/drink, perhaps be able to drink a Starbucks once in a while ; ), pay my bills on time (utilities, internet, cable, etc), be in a safe area, other basic things. I don't go to bars, nightclubs, etc, but would like to go to the movie theater perhaps once a month. How much do you think I need to have per month to afford that 'comfortably'?

     

    P.S.: One more thing... and be far away from rambunctious undergrads. :angry:

     

    Thanks... :D

  4. On 2/21/2014 at 1:04 AM, mf1717 said:

    If you're interested in renting, check out http://www.madisonapartmentliving.com - it covers a wide array of locations and landlords. In terms of buses, you might find it useful to just refer to the full city map of bus routes (http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/schedules/SystemMaps/WeekdayMap.pdf) as you look at potential housing situations.

     

    Which area in the map would you recommend? thanks!

     

    I am considering attending UW in the Fall, but am trying to figure out costs first. I would like to be able to rent a one bedroom (no roommates), keep my car (insurance/gas), eat/drink, perhaps be able to drink a Starbucks once in a while ; ), and pay my bills on time (utilities, internet, cable, etc), and be in a safe area. I don't go to bars, nightclubs, etc, but would like to go to the movies perhaps once a month. How much do you think I need to have per month to afford that 'comfortably'?

     

    One more thing, be far away from rambunctious undergrads. :angry: I don't know if this matters, but I am a gay man in my late 30s, so I need to be somewhere safe also.

     

    Thanks... :D

  5. I had an abysmal quant score and am now incredibly happy at my top choice program. Last year at this time, I was SO worried about my GRE score, knowing that it was the weakest point of my application. Clearly, it didn't stop me from getting into a great program, nor will it stop any of you. Spend your time revising your SOP & writing sample--they're what matter most.

    I agree!!!!

    Just focus on putting together the strongest SoP and writing sample possible. And you will be fine!!!!

  6. If you are not trying to earn university credits, but simply learn the language, then "Campus Langue" in Paris is by far the cheapest place to go.

    The reason why not many people know about them is because most of their students are people who are permanently living in France and need to learn the language.

    They are accredited by the French Ministry of Education and use the exact same system and materials that Alliance Francaise and Eurocentre do. But they are LITERALLY a fraction of the cost. For example, a month long course there costs almost the same as a one week at Alliance Francaise or Eurocentre.

    I have studied in all of these places so I speak from experience.

  7. An admissions dean at one of the school's I applied to has a blog. On said blog, he wrote that we shouldn't, under any circumstance, bring up acceptance at another school. Apparently they really don't appreciate hearing about it. To us, it makes sense in terms of competitiveness, but I see his point, too. You don't want to sound ungrateful and/or desperate, you know? I'd keep it to yourself for now. If you're meant to be at Harvard, you'll get there.

     

    OMG! I have been so excited about my acceptances that I made this mistake several times. I did not mention the names of the schools that accepted me, but I did mention that I was accepted by some other places. My intention was not show that I was competitive, but to express my excitement for having other schools also thinking that I am worthy of a spot. What a naive mistake I made!

     

    Now I feel absolutely horrible!!!!! :( 

  8. That's what I was thinking. I'd hate to hold on to a spot that someone would love to have.

    I would hope most people would do the same since it could be one of us on the wait list after all. We all know how much it sucks to wait, right? ; )

     

    I must confess, however, that I feel sort of strange about the whole declining offers thing, since, in all honesty, I'd probably give an arm and a leg to get into many of these programs. Yet now that I got in, I will be turning them down. But as one of our gradcafe friends has wisely put it, I should go where the money is--and that's what I will need to do after all. The good news, though, is that I only applied to programs which I would absolutely LOVE to be a part of.

  9. Never thought I would ask that in a million years... but is there a proper way of declining an offer? How would you do it?

     

    And, in case you already know you will be rejecting an offer, would still contact your POI to thank him/her for the acceptance, and inform of your decision of not pursuing their program?

  10. Here is a question maybe some of you could help me with or have some experience with:

     

    Would it be strange to email current students at universities I have not received offers from (yet!), to ask about their general experiences/opinions/likes and dislikes about their program? I only applied to MAs, but I still think it would be beneficial to hear about the sorts of activities and opportunities they have from the experience of the people actually pursuing them, as well as their general thoughts on how the department functions (administratively, how it supports its students' independent research in some highly specialized areas, any idiosyncrasies). Of course, I have been in good contact with poi, but especially with Master's studies, I get the impression they may not always be so in-touch with students' actual experiences with some things.

     

    I think I would only email students who are working with topics and questions close to mine, and certainly only ones that list their email on their university page. But maybe, since it is so late in the season (Results Page tells me I could expect news starting this week and ending in May...), it doesn't really make sense? What does everyone think?

     

     

    While I think it is certainly a good idea to speak with current students to get a sense of the program, I wonder if it may be better, at this point, for you to wait for the results first.

  11. Huh. Rutgers was one of the schools that gave me a ton of trouble submitting things. I have no decision rendered yet, but also I won't be surprised if I'm rejected because of it. (Recommenders had to fax recommendations, no contact from the school when asked for help, etc etc)

    Rutgers doesn't accept everyone at once. The acceptances will come scattered throughout the next few months, and the rejections will likely not come until much later.

    Good news may still be on the way. Best of luck!

  12. Hey Grad friends,

     

    So I was wondering what the deal is with checking you application to see if it has magically changed to "accepted."  So far, I have had one acceptance - where they emailed me directly to tell me I was in, and two rejections - both of whom sent me the dreaded "a decision has been made on your admission so check your application" email.  I have been refraining from checking the status of my application because, firstly, I don't want to drive myself (more) insane and, secondly, because I guess I somehow got it in my head that they will email me directly if I'm accepted.  

     

    Does anyone have any insight?  Should I actually just be constantly checking my application status??

     

    I agree with m-ttl. I should add though that there have been cases where applicants found out through the school website before even receiving their official email. These cases are rare nonetheless.

     

    I, for one, chose not to check them this year, which is probably healthier. :blink:

  13. Just looking over posts from the past few years on the results board for Princeton, it looks like POIs tend to make contact either via phone or email beforehand to accepted students and then in 2-3 weeks or so, generalized emails are sent out for both acceptances and rejections?

     

    Yes... Princeton professors, more often than not, let students know via phone or email of their acceptance before official emails arrive--it's a very nice touch. With that being said, most schools do not do that.

     

    ---- Can you imagine receiving a call from Hall Foster, out of nowhere, to let you know that he will be glad to have you work with him? I'd probably be: "yeah right...WHATEVER... stop f$#$^%& with me, dude!" and hang up the phone.  :o

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