rising_star

A car is definitely an asset in Tallahassee. I'm actually not as up on areas to avoid but that's mostly because I'm a local and I can go pretty much anywhere without being harassed or bothered or feeling unsafe. But some people avoid the state/county streets (again, they aren't all bad but some are). Jackson Bluff Rd can get sketchy depending on where you are... But that's really all I know. All that advice from last year about where to live is still solid.

I would like more results shown per page. Like maybe 10, 25, or 50 as options. And I agree about showing the date someone heard from the school rather than the posting date. good work, bgk!

That's an awesome story! Congrats on the acceptances!

I would stick to the nicer side of business casual. Nice slacks, an appropriate shirt, sweater, nice/clean shoes.

I sincerely doubt that they are. I know my department has sent out some acceptances but not all (they still need to deliberate as a committee on files).

I'm going to lock this thread. All the history discussions (and there are 3 active ones) are under humanities. So feel free to repost this over there if you'd like.

If you were a bad fit, it's probable that your rejection reflects that. I personally don't think people should apply anywhere where they don't have a solid faculty match.

I dunno how limiting comp lit is but why'd they pass your application to French?

I've actually looked at this program. But now I have a fab acceptance to a PhD program so I'll stop questioning myself, at least for a few days.

I wouldn't worry about being stalled. IF you like your job, stick with it. Good jobs are hard to find. Grad school will always be there when you decide you're ready.

News is just rolling in...

History as humanities means an 800 pg book and doing 2000+ pages of reading a week for seminars. History as social science means doing 1200+ pages of reading per week. I'd prefer the latter but then I'm not even a historian. If I were, I'd do 20th century environmental history, comparing environmental thought and practices around sustainability in the US and Latin America. Hmm... maybe it's not too late for me to find a history MA program. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

You want to submit before the school's priority deadline for financial aid. In many cases this deadline is March 1 so you'd want to go ahead and submit. You don't even have to have a filed tax return to do it! And you should submit the FAFSA to every school you've applied to that hasn't rejected you yet, just to make sure you're fully covered.

dmh, you're making me wish I'd applied to Michigan State! (for the funding, not for the weather. I'd probably die)

I wouldn't go that far. My current state uni doesn't operate that way, in part because you can become a resident before beginning your second year of study. No one gets extra money on their stipend just for being in-state. And that's at least in part because the graduate school makes it possible for nearly everyone to get a waiver of out-of-state tuition and pay at the in state rates.

I agree with Minnesotan. It's too early in the game.

I think schools in Florida do because there's such a severe budget crunch at the University level. I almost applied to a school there just because I'm still a resident.

You may want to ask this over in one of the science sections...

Why was it obligatory (asks the person not in polisci)? Like why apply if no faculty match your interests?

It's definitely off-base. I can't think of any program extending 100+ offers other than a law school...

There's already a thread about this in this section. I'm going to lock this one.

Hahaha, I should've known you'd make your way over here eventually. I clearly posted far too much in this thread about a city I don't even live in anymore. And I never even posted about race and poverty issues in Tallahassee. But yea, there's definitely some info. If you've got any questions, feel free to ask. Traffic in from the east side can be pretty bad though I hear it's improving. The upside is that it's more residential/family-oriented but the downside is the neverending traffic on Tennessee-Mahan or the parkway to get to campus. I would definitely consider the Park Avenue area. It's sorta on the east side but not really and a very reasonable drive to campus, shopping, etc (and really a walk to shopping as opposed to a drive like most things in Tally). Do you have a car?

The median price may be falling but I can say that nothing in my old neighborhood has fallen in price and the house that did sell sold for a few percent more than what people were selling for a year ago. YMMV, of course, but I'm guessing some of that falloff in the median price has a LOT to do with condos and townhouses targeted at students remaining unsold and the builders and sellers dropping the price. Since I don't instantly presume any grad student wants to live in an undergrad-heavy area, I just don't even consider the prices there. Also, it started raining again, reminding people that a good chunk of the city lies in floodplains and maybe they don't want to live there...

The Tallahassee housing market has been fairly stable and on the rise, despite of what the bigger markets in Florida are doing. The two biggest issues confronting people buying houses anywhere in Florida are (1) homeowner's insurance and (2) property taxes. Definitely take both of those into consideration before buying. For instance, the market value of your house may be $200K but under Save Our Homes (SOH), you might only be taxed at $83K or so. That part is nice. But they're messing with that statewide right now with some amendments and crud to the constitution. Before buying in Tallahassee, I'd have serious conversations with a knowledgeable realtor. I can't think of a single desirable neighborhood where prices are falling, only a few where year-to-year prices are stable, and, especially near campus, things are either stable or rising.

2-3% seems fair to me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with accepting only 9 folks out of 300, especially if you want an entering cohort that size or a little smaller.