ChemLeg

I can't say anything about SanFrancisco, but I know a bit about New York. The transit system was built properly for the most part - subways aren't too crowded, and if you live far enough away (long commute), it usually means you get a seat (sleep, read, study). Rent is horrendous in Manhattan, and usually not worth it. Brooklyn and Queens strike a good balance of safety and rent, as long as you stay out of the worst neighborhoods (Bed-Stuy, Brownsville), and areas that are "up-and-coming" for absolutely no reason. http://mta.info/maps/submap.html A good indicator for wealth in Brooklyn - if you live along the number lines, you are probably not good for one reason or another. Either because it is super expensive (Prospect Heights), or you are in the projects (East Flatbush) Along the letter lines, south of Prospect Park (but just outside of Coney Island), you are actually okay. You know what, do yourself a favor - avoid anything north of Prospect Park, east of where the M-line turns north. Bed Stuy, Brownsville, Bushwick are all places to avoid. Queens is also nice in most areas, but transit is a pain, so that will be more of a consideration. Good news is, there's a bunch of cheap food, including Chinese, Tex-Mex, Pizza (I promise you will be in heaven compared to California) or if you go into the ethnic neighborhoods, their delicacies (Russian, Polish, Italian, Caribbean, Indian), or for the lunch-rush, the Halal food carts (which have a lower chance of rat feces and roaches than most of the restaurants). And no, you don't lose out on your produce - I still get my avocados for a buck, Pomegranates are around. Actually, you might have a nicer selection because we have different groups that can guarantee demand for supplies, so we have a constant steady stream of foods that would otherwise be unavailable. It is possible to live here, you just need to pinch pennies and room with 2 or three other people, and accept that you will not have space for your belongings, so take the bare minimum you can.

Not me, but I'll be perfectly honest, the April one isn't as bad I feel. You'll do fine, I swear - just go through the GRE practice tests that are out there. I did a 850 on them, people laughed and told me "hah, you won't crack 600" and I did much better. Don't panic - you have functionally 60 days to prep yourself. Orgo mechanisms, analytics. Give it a run-through, and message your old instructors "hey, I'm doing my GRE, and I'm having troubles on topics you taught me - do you have an hour to discuss with an old student". There's alot of organic mechanisms that escape a few people, and they DO ask mechanism questions with Deuterium placement. On the PChem, they go through Rigid Rotor (which is usually not covered), and some quantum operators that can be mixed up. If you have questions, post them - I'm coming up with solutions manuals (worked out) for the two pdfs that I have. You're more than welcome to them if I finish by the time you need it (I can always jump to your questions if need be, give me something to do).

I'm usually good with technology - I deal with most, if not all, of the tech issues in the lab, including small-instruments and data backup / restore / cleaning. One thing I noticed is that some of the stuff lost functionality when we shifted XP -> 7 (I demanded we keep an XP desktop, old laptop, and add 2 Win7 computers instead of just adding 3 Windows 7 computers - best decisions of my life, as the older stuff could not work on Win7). My concern is now even worse with Windows 8 - am I wrong to now start looking for a stable, solid computer while Windows 7 is still available, or should I embrace the torture that is WinH8? I had Vista, and I can say that the one laptop running Vista from 2007 is more stable, less grief-stricken than the new Windows 8 stuff that has been put out. Even worse, I've noticed more and more higher-end laptops are switching to Solid-State Disks, which are failing at rates of over 7% - which may not sound like alot, but I have bad luck when it comes to computer failures exactly when I cannot afford them. And more and more of these high end laptops are lacking what used to be basic needs - DVD Drives are one of the biggest. So, let's see if I can get a good feel from people who have bought any technology for Graduate School - did anyone upgrade to Windows 8, or Solid State Drives? Do grad-schools usually have noticeable discounts, or am I just fine with any discounts I'm getting through my undergrad institution? (My Sony is unreliable, and I will be benching it in July or August). (On a related note - before certain changes, is there any software I should try to get my hands on before policy changes take over? I have Acrobat Pro, and Photoshop, but anything else good that is traditionally expensive?)

3.2 K? Or 32K? That's actually very good. 20-30K is typical. I see Duke has started rolling out decisions. FINGERS CROSSED!

Wait, so this list is pretty much useless?

My friend was not smart - he aimed high, but hasn't heard anything, and is nervous with no responses. I'm sure that a few people here have already heard "no" or you just were wondering where else you can apply while waiting for acceptances. I figured I might as well start a list of places that are still open (that is, deadlines are after the 25th of January): Notre Dame: http://chemistry.nd.edu/graduate-programs/admission-requirements/ free to apply for domestic applicants Univ Nevada - Las Vegas: http://www.unlv.edu/chemistry/admissions Louisiana State University at Tulane: http://tulane.edu/sse/chem/academics/graduate/graduate-admissions/admissions.cfm (application fee waived, official GRE needed). March 15th - very late. (I really have no clue) There are rolling admissions locations, like Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. Problem is that they could have a bunch of spots now, but close within three days, and will not start looking until all items are received (GRE, transcripts, letters). Does anyone else have suggestions for where to apply with a deadline a week or more away?

Hey, just wondering if you heard back from Texas A&M? The GPA looks solid, but the GRE scores are troubling. If you want, I know they are a bit lower in ranking, or location, but Notre Dame and UNevada-LV are due at the end of January. Case Western (Cleveland) still has open applications, and it is free to apply except for transcripts and GRE. Who else..I think that's it for openings.

When did UT Austin send out acceptances? I can't even see my stuff on my UTexas profile, now I'm scared...for those who got accepted, where did you find out?

I hate to put it bluntly, but I have no better way to ask this: where in the triangle is it friendly to observant Jews to move to? I'm serious - I'm actually an observant Jew from NYC. Is Cary my only option (or is it a bad option), or does Durham or Chapel Hill offer alternative options? Fairly observant myself. Any suggestions? Proximity to Kosher food is a big plus. I don't want to be perpetually attached to the Hillel club. (I have applied to Duke, NCSU, and Chapel Hill for my programs)