Globalist

Hi everyone, I just got an email from UT about health insurance and they mentioned that dental and vision is not included, but that you could purchase it at your own cost. Does anyone know any more about this? I'm probably going to need both and am concerned about how much this will cost buying independently. Current students? Any info? Thanks so much, hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Hi Everyone, I scored in the 50th percentile on my practice test at home, then studies for one month, using this website: http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/WhatYouNeed.htmlhttp://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/WhatYouNeed.html and the norton anthology of british literature. It was recommended to me to read and take notes on all the intros. It was a major pain and a ton of work, but my score went up into the 80th percentile when I actually took it. My professors have implied that more and more the lit subject test is NOT a make or break score for your total application process, however the websites of the top schools that require it were mentioning their accepted students were scoring in the high 600s, so that's what I aimed for just in case. Hope this helps.

Hello everyone, thank you so much for all your advice, it's been helping a lot. I'm now looking at specific apartment complexes and found one that's reasonably priced on 45th street (Tanglewood North). My only fear is that it's too close to campus and may be overrun with undergrads? Anyone have a sense of the area better than me? Would I be better off going further North? Thanks again. Definitely getting excited about Austin!

Great info! Thanks everyone. I've found an apartment finder and am trying to get some more info on the Tanglewood North complex on 45th street. Is this too close to undergrads? Or should I be looking a little further north. I love being close to UT but I'm afraid of noise! Thanks for all your help.

Hi everyone. I currently live in a 2 bedroom in Northampton on Elizabeth Street - walking distance to town, and near bus to Amherst/UMass. I'm moving out to attend Ph.D. program in Austin, and one room in my apartment will be available in August. Its a LARGE 2 bedroom, hardwood floors, back yard and deck (not beautiful, but existent) and the main plus is the location and the price - rent is 440 plus utilities, which certainly range, especially in Winter depending on how warm you like to keep the house. Your roommate would be a local painter in his early thirties, neat, friendly, etc. We'll be posting on craigslist soon, but after seeing there are people on here looking for places, I figured I'd post here. This is definitely the best deal I've found in noho - along with very hands off landlord, lots of space, and easy proximity to whatever you need in the valley. PM me if interested.

Hello all, It looks like most people are focusing in on the Hyde Park/North Loop/ Rosedale areas which makes sense given how close they are to campus. But has anyone lived in or know anything about the Far North or North west areas? I'm finding reasonably priced places with more room outside the little highway rectangle that encircles Austin, but I'm worried it'll be too far away not only from classes, but other aspects of social life. Do grad students live out there? Or is it a much better idea to settle for less space in a better location? Also, when are you all moving down? Are you going down to find a place first? I was planning on moving in August, and wasn't sure how to go about the visit and setting up an apartment from afar. Sorry, many questions. The internet is just so vague! Hope you have some insights for me. Thanks!

Having lived in DC - I'd suggest the Columbia Heights/Petworth areas. They are more "up and coming" so to speak so they are much cheaper, but still VERY accessible to DC's excellent metro system. It also would mean you would be living right in the center of tons of amazing and affordable restaurants, funky local bars, and access to all that metro DC has to offer. I went the craigslist route when I moved there several years ago - and lined up MANY visits. It took awhile. If you have the chance to sublet a place for a few weeks while you find something it might work better. I subletted a place for two weeks and was able to find housing during that time for $600/month in the U Street area. That has since increased, hence the suggestion of Columbia Heights/Petworth.

Hello all - anyone who is current student or someone who has visited/lived in Austin: I've pored through the forums and everyone seems to suggest living relatively close to the university. My general rule is to try to live near where I'll want to go out and to travel to work. I also know Austin is a bit more spread out than other cities? Or at least that's my understanding. SO - my question is - where do people go out? Where are the great coffee shops/restaurants/bars, etc? Are they centrally located or are there several locations? Where do the grad students tend to hang? I think if I had a better sense of this I'd have a good idea of where I'd want to live . . . any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, I too will be attending UT in the Fall! Very excited and eager to meet you all!

Thanks all. Any suggestions between Austin and Michigan? From what I'm hearing both have congenial, friendly, and supportive departments, and great locations. Placement rates and overall reputations both seem good, with it hard for me to tell if there's a significant difference, though it seems Michigan is rated slightly higher. Was anyone else considering both programs? Anyone want to weigh in with advice. Right now I have an acceptance to Austin and am very excited about the school, but I'm also still waiting to hear from Michigan, and this late in the game, I imagine I should know what I would do if I got that call.....

Email today indicating there *might* be movement on the waitlist? Anyone else in this boat who did not visit?! I have no idea how I'd make this decision with so little time until the deadline. Anyone want to weigh in on their sense of the department during the visit?

Thanks for the info. This helps. Still nervous though. Hard to go from full-time employment to the stipend - but from what everyone is saying it sounds like Austin is worth it. Deciding by tomorrow.

Sorry if this is a repeated question but does anyone know exactly what the tuition and fees comes to? I'm trying to get an actual number for what I'd be getting financially to live on next year and am having a hard time finding specific info. Thanks!!!

This sounds great! So relieved. I definitely am interested in finding a close and active social community as well as an academically challenging one. Thrilled to hear that the grad students seem close and that the professors are approachable. I know having taken some graduate classes at other Universities that the Ph.D. program can be a lonely process, and I know that I personally am far more productive when I can also take social breaks, or mull over ideas with friends. Thanks for your input! I suppose I could always take loans if it turned out to be necessary . . . I just get worried thinking about what I make now, and the fact that I have NO SAVINGS, but am also not a big spender. I guess you can always make something work though.

Thanks Swagato, actually USC and Austin have a lot of the interdisciplinary options that I'm interested in as well as high tech add-ons like courses etc. in the Digital Humanities which I'm interested in being able to integrate into the degree. Tufts and BU are great places, it's just that USC and Austin seem to fit more overall for me and my interests. For those who were asking about focus - mine spans the full 20th and into 21 centuries - including modernism, but also contemporary global literature. As for waitlisters - I had a similar experience in not hearing anything while on the waitlist until I got an email at 9:45 Monday night offering me admission. Those of you who had the opportunity to visit - what was your sense of the community in the department? Eager to get people's senses since I'll have to decide not having visited or met anyone. Thanks!!!