Emdave

Like puchi, I have some really nice furniture that I'm looking to ship (a full bed, two dressers, a nightstand, and an AC unit) and am trying to figure out the cheapest way of shipping them. I'm going from Memphis to Baltimore, have no specific time requirements, and just want it there for the cheapest rate. I've looked at getting a pod or small uhaul truck, but I'm nervous about trying to drive cross country (myself) with a uhaul on the back of my tiny Honda.

I went to UChicago visiting days and the housing lady who did our orientation basically said that you don't get to pick which building you go into. Unless you have a super preference for VERY specific reasons (i.e. family, disabilities, allergies, pets), you just list what you want and they shove you somewhere. Basically, you would say: "I'm interested in living in a building that has XXX and I don't want to live with a roommate. I would prefer to live closer to this side of campus and I require that the apartment be furnished." And so on....

I would email the DGS for your program and ask them to put you in touch with some current students in your program. It'll help you socialize and make connections, but you can also solicit reliable information about housing. I started talking to some of the people in my program and I'm receiving roommate offers/suggestions from the people I trust the most. In general, I would take the Yelp reviews at face value. Someone probably didn't flat out lie in the review, but they may have exaggerated a bit. That said, craziness happens on college campuses. Stercus accidit.

Yeah, I've heard bad things about the Marylander... I was looking at the Carlyle too, because it's cheaper and still has the amenities, until I saw that it has some sort of mouse problem. Not my deal. I think right now that I'm primarily looking at Charles Village. Maybe Guilford. Ideally, I want to be able to walk from my doorstep to the university in under 15 minutes. Is the Hampden/Wyman Park area better/cheaper/safer/funner(?) than the Charles Village side of the university?

I got into, and accepted, an offer from Johns Hopkins with full funding. Waited till the last day, but it's still the outcome I wanted.

Does anyone know anything about University West Apartments?

Thanks everyone! I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED! Now, I'm off to do hella day drinking with the SO. Thank you for being the best community for anxious grad applicants!

Recently accepted to the PhD program in History. Looking for a good place around Homewood. So, the Marylander is bad. Any others to avoid particularly? Please (anyone!) PM me if you have specific recommendations or you know of anyone looking for a roommate. I am housetrained and I have no pets.

After attending visiting days last week and speaking to many people I know who attend UChicago (some undergrads, some grads, some former MAPSS), I decided to accept another offer. Some people I spoke to said that just being at UChicago-- no matter the program-- is a boon, that it's worth the money. But, more people than not said that the MAPSS program isn't the best option if you have any other offers (especially if they're PhD or even a marginally funded MA). One PhD friend of mine said that she has personally seen, on at least two occasions, professors (in history, I think) boot the MAPSS students from a classroom just because he/she thought the class too large. She also said that MAPSS students have to fight for professors to advise them. That said, I wish the best of luck to everyone who plans on going. No matter what, it is still a good university.

Being able to change your signature on Gradcafe from "Waitlisted at XXXXX" to "Attending XXXXX" is the best feeling ever. I wish luck to everyone still waiting on your offers. THERE IS HOPE!

Just got a call from the DGS! ACCEPTED! Fully funded! Hopkins! So many exclamation points!!!!!!!!

Called the DGS at my waitlist school and I've been emailing with my POI. They said that they won't know until Monday (April 15) and that it might even be late in the day on monday. It seems like there are four (heartless) people who are just sitting on their offers until April 15. At this point, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I would go up to a prof in your department and just ask them. Seriously. Brass tacks. One of my profs told me that an MA from an interdisciplinary program at the #4 history department is either equal to or less prestigious than a fully-funded PhD offer at anything in the top 15. I'm still waiting to hear back on Hopkins (#11), so that's where I'm coming from. You also have to think about institutional fit-- Chicago can be harsh; and especially a 1-year MA program with limited faculty support. That's just my take on it as someone in pretty much the same situation as you. Although, anthro and history are a bit different. I also don't put too much stock in the exact rankings. I see them as a ballpark.

.......and this is what I'm writing my thesis about. On another note, of many of the chief Greek authors/texts from the Classical Period, Herodotus and Thucydides are generally read less than your typical Sophocles/Euripides/Plato. That's why I suggested that someone who liked Thucydides read Herodotus. That's also why I was so excited when someone mentioned them. Anybody else do classical things? I feel like the classics kids are all underground on the gradcafe. Where my peeps at?

This is what I'm worried about. I have a prospectus (pretty much an abstract), but it doesn't have my sources/footnotes/quotes. It's more like: "I will be doing X because Y and also Z means...." My adviser has been really bad about getting back to me, and I'm currently struggling with writer's block. So, I'm really uncertain about what to do. I'm hesitant about sending anything at all at this point because I'm afraid he'll either think it irrelevant or too rough. BAH

I posted before about a notification that my top choice is starting to review its waitlist. WELL, I got another email from my POI asking if I'd like to submit any more writing samples to my file for consideration. He emphasizes that it's purely voluntary and "additive," saying that it might help when he'll go to bat for me, but that he'll voice support for me no matter what. So I feel good until I realize that my thesis adviser hasn't sent me any comments on my thesis in months and that the only parts of it that are proofread and 100% worry-free are introductory bits, which aren't particularly exemplary of my deep archival research. They'd sound unsubstantiated if I just sent them in by themselves. BUT, I'm not sure about the rest, which hasn't been read over yet. Question for the group: should I send him stuff or just wait it out? He says more writing isn't really necessary, but it might help. I'm in a weird bind with my thesis (which is the most relevant writing sample I have that I didn't already send them), so I'm hesitant/anxious about sending it. Please advise! 11 days!

This is really my only major problem with Chicago. It's a huge, beautiful, interesting, bustling city with so much to do and see! There's something for everyone! BUT.... I can't go to Rogers Park alone. I can't go through parts of Hyde Park alone. I can't take advantage of things like the Lakefront alone. UNLESS I have pepperspray or it's noon. I don't consider Rogers Park a deathtrap, but I do consider it off limits for me (a female) if I'll be needing to walk alone or in a small group, and especially if I'm doing either of those at night. I always advocate caution. I feel safe walking through Evanston alone at night. 2/3am is a little different, but that's basically the same story anywhere you go.

Byzantine? Also, Thucydides! Have you read Herodotus? You should totally read his Inquiries if you liked Thucydides because it's practically Part 1 and Part 2 of the same story-- with Thucydides coming second.

Oh, the program I'm looking at is given at their headquarters in Chicago. Everything is handled in the US.

Still on a waitlist, waiting and waiting and waiting. Grandpa: "Are you just waiting for XXXX?" Me: "Yes" Grandpa: "You're waiting for them to accept you with money. Why don't you just pay them money to go there. It's like a private school, right?" Me: "There are so many things wrong with that statement. I can't just show up with a wad of cash and say 'here I am!'" Grandpa: "Why not?" Me: "Well, beyond the fact that that could be misconstrued as bribery..... there's the whole they-have-to-accept-me thing." another facepalm

I really wouldn't turn down a PhD offer (especially if the funding is good) for MAPSS. That's what I've been hearing from all corners. I go to Northwestern, which has close ties to UChicago (and I know a ton of people there) and they all say that, while MAPSS is a good program, it doesn't carry the same respect or prestige as the other programs/departments in the school. Plus, if you take the Phd offer, you can spare yourself another admissions application cycle.

Email I just got from the senior professor who would be on my committee: "XXX and I were very impressed by your application and enthusiastic about the prospect of working with you. We were disappointed when you were put on the wait list by the admissions committee. That was not a qualitative judgment and I will explain more about that in a minute. It now looks as if we may be going to the wait list, so I wanted to find out if you’ve accepted admission elsewhere and, if not, whether you would be interested in Hopkins. Here’s the story behind the wait list. We probably use it more than most other institutions because we can only enroll a class of 11 to 12 grad students a year. That is the level at which we can afford to give everyone full stipend and full tuition for 5 of the first 6 years. Admissions committees also want to have some balance in terms of geographic and topical areas. That puts a special squeeze on American applicants. In any event, I hope you are still interested and, if so, I will tell the Grad Committee and give it my strongest endorsement. I haven’t caught up with XXXXXX yet, but from our prior conversations am sure he feels the same. Best, XXXXX" I responded that I was still VERY much interested and would an accept an offer from their school over the offer I currently have. Then, "XXXX: I’m happy to hear that and have already forwarded it to our wonderful Graduate Administrator." BAHHHHHHH! I am dying of anticipation right now!

Thank you all! I'm looking into it. Lorna Hardwick sounds interesting.....

I'm so tense that my breath catches and my heart starts beating fast every time my phone buzzes (indicating a new email). The problem with this is that, when I'm in my room, I can hear the same type of phone buzz from next door, which means I'm getting double the number of false alarms. Be still my heart.

I am absolutely terrified that this is about to happen to me. I had an interview back in January, was waitlisted shortly thereafter and have been hearing nothing but good news so far..... yet, I have this aching, gnawing dejected feeling in my gut that somehow, despite people telling me that they declined their offer to work with my specific adviser.... it will all be for naught. I'm just afraid that I've gotten my hopes up so high about this school that, if I don't get in, I'll be too upset and frustrated by the process to apply again next year. I feel like I'm being followed around by a pack of Dementors.