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hopingforfunding

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  1. sorry blargh! you just posted this.....I stopped midway through cooking dinner and then posted!
  2. Here is the list from last year's 8146 applicants that were reviewed by discipline. The number next to field is the number of reviewed applicants, and then the percent of those applicants that succeeded in getting the award, so they probably will follow those type of distributions if they are going to give out more this year. So pretty much everyone is around 10% with engineering a little above. Applications Success Rate (%) Chemistry I 270 10.4% Chemistry II 268 10.8% Computer Science I 221 12.2% Computer Science II 195 12.8% Aerospace/ Other Engi 328 14.0% Bioengineering 477 13.6% Chemical Engineering 270 14.1% Civil & Environ Engineering 227 13.7% Electrical Engineering 283 12.7% Material Engineering 241 13.7% Mechanical Engineering 398 13.6% Geosciences 261 10.0% Animal Sciences 153 9.8% Biochem, Biophys & Structural Bio 250 10.0% Ecology 340 10.0% Environmental Life Sciences 206 10.2% Genetics & Evolutionary Biology 316 10.1% Microbiology & Cell Biology 305 10.2% Molecular & Developmental Bio 236 10.2% Neurosciences & Physiology 287 10.1% Plant and Other Life Sciences 288 10.1% Mathematical Sciences 232 9.9 % Physics I & Astronomy 196 10.2% Physics II 245 10.2% Psychology I 374 10.2% Psychology II 320 10.0% Anthropology & Archeology 191 9.9% Cultural Anthropology & Linguistics 179 10.1% Economics 207 10.1% Political Science, Geography & History of Science 204 10.3% Sociology & Public Policy 178 10.1%
  3. I have to say I applied last year and did not get it, even though I had excellent on all reviews (too low grades though!). I re-applied this year now that I started grad school and have a project (will again one last time next year too!). I know that the GRF might not be the most life changing experience ever, but if it allows me to not have to spend 20+ hours away from research and my own classes doing TA work than that alone would be a huge help. I agree with Cogdiss that it is not just going to open magic doors for anyone who has it- you still have to do amazing research and make connections with people or no one will notice. But if someone reviewing my NSF Career award in a few years takes 2 minutes extra to look at my app Ill take it!
  4. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York for a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering
  5. Hey Keyboard, Congrats on your decision. If you are flying into the country and then to Troy, you can go to JFK, BOS (Logan International Boston), or ALB. ALB is definitly the quickest way to campus, its only a 15 minute car ride. You can take taxis directly from the terminal to RPI. JFK or BOS are probably cheaper however because they are much bigger. If you fly in to JFK I recommend taking a train to Albany and then a taxi/bus from Albany to Troy. It is a 3.5 hour drive from NYC to Troy if you have good traffic. It is also a 3.5 hour drive from Boston to Troy and you would probably have to take a bus. So overall, Albany International is the easiest and closest- but usually more expensive due to its small size. As for shopping- Crossgates Mall in Albany is 20 min from RPI and you can take a bus there from campus. It has pretty much every store you could want for clothes (department stores, Jcrew, Banana Republic, Abercrombie etc), electronics (Apple, BestBuy), shoes (DSW, FootLocker) and all that. In Troy up Hoosic Street (Rt-7) there is a WallMart, PriceChopper for food, AT & T cell phone store and hardware store. In Latham 10-15 min away there is a Home Depot, Hannafords Grocery store, Sam's Club wholesale food, Target, Sports Authority (or Dick's Sports I can't remember). As for a computer on campus, almost EVERYONE has an IBM thinkpad. This is because all incoming freshman are required to get it. The school sells them at a pretty good price at the RPI Computing Store which is located in the VCC on campus. They also sell Mac's on campus too. I used my thinkpad for 5 years before the fan died and i did not want to fix it. I got an MacBook last summer and have no problems using it on campus or getting the wireless or anything. The helpdesk is also familiar with Macs as well as the IBMs. But i find the RPI thinkpad is a little overpriced personally. About the drivers license- i honestly have no idea what the laws are about that! I would check with the Department of Motor Vehicles in Troy once you get here. You do not need a car on campus, but it will definitly make your life a lot easier. Good luck finding a roommate and moving here too!
  6. Hey amirhomayoun, There are definitly places to stay on campus that are for graduate students- http://reslife.rpi.edu/update.do is the residence life website and they organize it all. I think it is good choice if you are living by yourself since they are a shuttle bus away from campus, have security, and you will be surrounded by other graduate students. It is a little more expensive- but I believe all your utilities are included so that should save you some money- you might want to check on that though because I am not sure. Also you could live here for your first year, then find roommates and move off campus after you have gotten to know the area (not a bad idea i think). I think it is still cheaper to live off campus if you can get a roommate- maybe someone in this forum is also looking for one? There are no websites that I know of that hook up prospective roomies, but perhaps your department can give you some emails of other incoming students? http://offcampus.union.rpi.edu/ is the website of off campus housing that RPI pays attention to. As for the food plans, they are definitly overpriced although convenient and if you do not like cooking for yourself they may be a good option so you stay healthy! They also do not include food for the summer, so you have to factor that in as well. I think it is better to buy your own groceries and then put some money on your student card (RAD). You can then use RAD for lunch at any of the dining halls or coffee shops on campus when you want to and it ends up being cheaper. I usually grab a coffee in the morning and get a small lunch on campus and it comes to less than 30 dollars per week (bring your own drink, breakfast bar). There is also a new Indian 'stall' in the student union that I have not tried yet but have heard it is huge portions and is very good. That means I can eat well on campus and still save money by making dinner at home. There is a PriceChopper and Hannafords near campus, a pizza place across the street, and also a farmers market on Saturdays downtown where you can get really cheap veggies/cheese etc. That is just my opinion- but i may be bias because I also like to cook.
  7. hopingforfunding

    Troy, NY

    Hey Keyboard, There is a discussion going on in Meet and Greet for RPI that discusses good places to stay etc. and other people looking for roommates. There is on campus housing for graduate students, which is pretty nice, but it is usually cheaper to live off campus near the school. http://offcampus.union.rpi.edu/ lists some off campus housing options that are RPI sanctioned (I don't really know what that means, but if you get screwed by your landlord I think the school will help you out). Residence Life sets up on campus housing - http://reslife.rpi.edu/update.do?catcen ... rentCat(23) and they have an application and all that. Hope that helps
  8. Hey amirhomanyoun Cost of living in Troy is super cheap. You can find places from 275- 1000 in the area depending on if you want roommates or a nice condo/apt in the surrounding area. Most places right near campus are $300-700. I pay $550 for a three story house with 4 people in it, a yard, 2 bathrooms etc. it is actually too big for us. Getting a roommate is a great way to save money- you can get 2bdrms for 550 total or less and then split it. For 750-1000 you can get an apartment with some utilities included in a complex - The apartments at Brunswick and Rivers Edge Apartments are the closest to campus that i can think of that are higher end. There are plenty of cheap houses/ students looking for roommates around campus if you want to spend less. I don't know if you have a car or what your other costs are going to be (medical insurance, books, food?)...but say you spend 500 rent + 200 food + 200 gas/car ins + 200 fun + 200 utilities that is $11,700 for the 9 month period. That leaves you with money for emergencies, savings, or other expenses. I would say you should be fine with 16K as long as you pay attention to your expenses! hope that helps
  9. Hey Prat, I am not actually sure if we have an active Kung Fu club still, but I know that Capoeira, Isshrinyu Karate, Aikido, and Judo are definitly active- there are a bunch of martial arts clubs. If you go to https://clubs.union.rpi.edu/?content_id=1 it has a list of the clubs that are on campus, and their own websites with more details if they have them. I know Crew and Rugby clubs are also big, and a lot of people do the cycling club and go mountain biking. Yah, I really like RPI, you can't beat the education. You just have to get over that Troy itself isn't that great and get involved on campus and in outdoor activities and you are set. I'm sure as graduate students we won't have that much time anyway, right??
  10. Hey Prat, I love it at RPI. It is definitly a tech school, so you don't have the artsy feel and people on campus, which does change the dynamic a bit since pretty much everyone is in science. I think a lot of people complain about it because the classes are so hard and it is definitly not a party school! Also there is a 4:1 male to female ratio...so that ticks the guys off a bit. Sienna, UAlbany, and Russell Sage (all womens school in Troy) ladies are frequently around campus though...sometimes a few Skidmore girls wander down too. But there are definitly things to do in the area. Skiing, hiking, cliff jumping, surfing (3 hr drive to NH beaches) are huge for me. Intramural sports are HUGE on campus too- I do D-leauge hockey (no checking) and soccer. There is an Outing Club and they go white water rafting and rock climbing and also a Ski Club that goes on ski trips through the Union. Troy itself is a little run down, but seems to be getting better slowly. It used to be a huge mill town since it is on the Hudson River and there are tons of beautiful buildings in downtown troy- but people don't take care of them as well as they should have. If you are going to live off campus (a lot cheaper!) then try to stay near to campus because it is mostly students. It's kind of like the higher up the hill you go towards campus the nicer the area. I lived on 12th street which was great, and also on Tibbits Ave, which was even better. Either way rent is really cheap. There are a few bars (The Ruck, Ryan's Wake) that students hang out in, and also there is a pub on campus in the student union that is fun for happy hour on Fridays and trivia on Tues nights. Also Albany is 15 minutes away and has tons of Restaurants, some Bars (Jillian's is popular), a mall, and concerts at the Times Union Center. Also there is a place in Troy called Revolution Hall that is right next to Browns Brewery that has great music, Browns has great beer and food. There are also other restaurants- Plum Blossom for Chinese, Okinawa or Sushi King for sushi/Japanese, Ali Baba for middle eastern, and there is an Indian food place right in the Union. Tons of pizza - I love NY pizza is probably the favorite. I think you can definitly find stuff to do in the area and on campus as long as you are active. Also Boston is 2.5 hours away and NYC is 3 hours away or you can take a train into the city from Albany. Montreal is also 4-5 hours away from campus if you don't mind a little drive. You definitly don't need to have a car- but I would recommend it if you like to explore. Campus itself is nice and they are putting a lot of money into new buildings. The Biotech Center is new, and the EMPAC building for electronic media/performing arts will be done this Fall I believe and open next Spring for students so you will get to use it. Also they are putting in a new Athletic Village with football field, gyms, pools, and also new dorms. They just broke ground for that last semester so I don't know when it is going to be done. Anyway hope that helps!
  11. Crossedfingers: I did just flip a coin...best 3 out of 5. No really I decided on RPI for a number of reasons. The first is that RPI is my undergraduate institution and I absolutely love it. I know that I will be able to explore my interests, love the brand new facilities, and I already have a head start on my project since I started it as a URP. People might complain about Troy, NY, but as a person who enjoys skiing, hiking, and surfing (3.5 hour drive to NH beaches), I can not complain. Also housing is DIRT cheap so I will not have to take out loans or even pay for parking permits. I will probably be able to get my Ph.D. in 4 years, I have full funding (inc health insurance), and am nominated for a fellowship. I can not complain about this situation- The only complaint I have is the major lack of art/English classes since it is a tech school. As for why I have decided against the other schools (all great schools), I have visited them all or worked at them in the past. I worked at Case for an internship (1 year) and while I loved my research, really did not like living there. I just can't picture myself being happy there for 5-7 years. Also interacting with students made me appreciate my coursework at RPI because I felt more prepared than them for presentations and just general knowledge in attacking engineering problems and group projects. I also felt that Case's ranking was high on everyones mind- which I did not feel needed to be brought up. Great school...just really not for me personally. Dartmouth on the other hand I absolutely loved. I visited and it was exactly how I pictured- you know big green leather wingback chairs everywhere, faculty and students just hanging out over a cup of coffee...loved it. However, since they do not have departments, only "engineering" i felt that might limit my options after I graduated. I want to stay in academia and asked the profs where their students go after they leave- most go to industry or medicine (few did go to academia or NIH/NSF). Also the research was not as in line with what I wanted to do (huge focus on consulting for outside companies, less on publishing), but I could have been happy there if I decided on that school. I felt it is a little more theoretical and less hands-on. The profs were all really nice and accommodating and the community is great too. As for Cornell- they did not offer me money (only accepted to M.Eng.) 'nuff said. Drexel I also really liked but did not leave my visit having that 'warm and fuzzy' feeling. I figure for 5-7 years, being almost broke, and giving up most of my sanity- I deserve warm and fuzzy. I have not heard yet from Carnegie, UMich, or Brown, but based on research interests and how quickly I can dive in (and get out!) RPI is the best option for me. I am just waiting for the funding offer in writing and then I am done...already started looking for a new apartment and have to say it is a huge relief. So that is my novel about my decision....hope it might help you. I can only say pick where you think you will be the happiest so you are productive, do the current grad students like working with the prof, and also how many students leave the lab going into your career field of choice. Where are you deciding between?
  12. Alright, Ive decided. RPI it is with full funding. Any one else? I will be turning down other offers after I get my paperwork for funding in the mail for those of you who are wait listed. (hopefully next week) Good luck! yay: RPI, Dartmouth, Drexel, Case, Cornell M.Eng boo: MIT, Columbia, BU, UPenn no word: Brown, Carnegie, UMich
  13. Yay me:) I went there for undergrad too so if anyone wants details about life on campus, area, stuff to do post a reply...i noticed the "troy" link in the city guide forum is super old. Prat what program? decided-RPI BME
  14. Hi again, Yah, I have to say that my rejection letter from BU was pretty pathetic. It said that I was "qualified" for the program but so are other candidates so they "unfortunately" can not accommodate all qualified students...lame. I would rather they just said "you are terrible do not contact us ever." I have a feeling they have a few spots for each 'wave' and then even if u are qualified you are out. I heard from a professor at my school that they take more international students into the program than other schools too, but I do not know if that is true. As for Case, sorry you have not heard yet. I worked in the BME dept and at the Cleveland Clinic for an internship, and I have not heard yet either. I only applied to 1 specific person I was in contact with so if I do not get in it is probably due to funding/spots in the lab. Honestly, Cleveland is my last choice after living there for a year. Case is good tho and the Clinic research is awesome. if you get in to CWRU and go, try to go to seminars and do research at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner BME dept if you can. Have you heard from any other programs yet?
  15. Christina_bme- I have not heard from 6 programs yet either...I applied to a lot of programs overall (1/2 BME, 1/2 MTLE) but have not heard from Case, Columbia, or Carnegie Mellon for Biomed/bioeng and MIT, UMich, and Brown for Materials Science & Engineering....i am starting to freak out as well! I think I am probably a second/third round pick from some of these schools...or just slow rejections. I know last year Case was reaaaaallly slow with their notifications-like up to April 15th slow. MIT already sent out some rejections/acceptances and I have not heard anything...Columbia apparently has interviews scheduled according to the results forum...and it seems Brown is up in the air? I hope we find out soon. I want to know soon so I can turn down offers so wait listers can get a shot. Anyone have any info on these programs? Yay!: Rensselaer, Dartmouth, Case MTLE, Drexel U, Cornell M.Eng Boo! : Boston U, UPenn, Cornell Ph.D. ????!: MIT, UMich, Case BME, Columbia, Brown, Carnegie
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