rising_star

Hi tvn and welcome! Is there anything you could do now and early in the fall to help you get another strong LoR? I definitely think you've got the research experience, even if it isn't all in CS. It shows your ability to cross disciplines and apply skills to different fields. Good luck!!

Nowadays, a SSN is pretty much standard for opening any sort of bank account. I would advise the money order/cashier's check route for bringing money over and opening account. Also, an ATM card from your current bank would be great and you should advise them that you'll be making withdrawals from the US. (Make sure you can bank online just to keep track of things and to make it easier for them to contact you!). I went the other way... study abroad in Europe. A bit different because I didn't need to open an account but I did rely heavily on my ATM card, it's a sound, reliable backup. As far as getting an SSN, no clue how long it takes. But I do know it takes 2 weeks for an American to get a replacement SSN card (lol, I've lost two and now the latest is lost somewhere in my mom's house...)

I'm totally in with all of you. Ivy League (and one of the high ranked ones) for undergrad, and going to a large state school for my MA. Not that that's a bad thing, I think I'll be much happier there both academically and socially. Just no one understands why I didn't go to a higher ranked or more prestigious school. *sigh*

I hate the idea that people are going to look at me negatively for being who I am. Oddly enough, on my blog I tend to leave my political opinions in the open. I have in the last year or so made an effort to keep the personal posts private or at least limited. All the incidents of the police using facebook, myspace, etc briefly made me worried but really, I don't have much to hide.

Who else is getting excited/nervous? Anyone doing summer preparation? If so, what are you doing? (I only ask because I feel like I should do some)

Oh I'm currently completely terrified of taking graduate seminars. Minimum credit hours is 12 per semester. They recommend three classes and an independent study which would be fine if I wasn't already during research for my assistantship. That just seems like too much research. So I'm gonna hope they let me learn/re-learn a language instead. I want to learn French, Arabic, and Hindi, not lose my skill in Spanish, and regain my skill in Swahili. This is what happens when you start in comparative lit...

wow, i basically never called. i did do some emailing. then again, i started hearing good news early so i didn't care so much when the rejections came later on.

I'm that rando who posts here but is actually starting a MA in Geography at the Univ. of Georgia in the fall. And I'm not in a cash cow program, I've got a lovely assistantship to help me out.

Good to know. I'm definitely not Gates/Rhodes quality. And I was actually looking at going to Leiden, even though it's not that warm and I don't speak Dutch. Why must good programs avoid funding people that were just average as undergrads?

Is it difficult for Americans to get funding for D.Phils abroad? I've been thinking about getting an interdisciplinary Masters abroad but I don't know how to pay for it...

I'm not sure it's worth it since PhD programs will care more about your master's work so why try and raise the status of your undergrad diploma. You already have a great GPA and such. I dunno if I'd do it.

Yin, that's really awesome. How imperative is it that your graduate magna cum laude? I'm just asking because cramming in 3 courses seems like a lot. CONGRATS!! Ooohhh plus St. Louis is a bigger city so more job opportunities for the boyfriend. YAY!

Congrats Shelly, that is fantastic news.

Honestly, the kids at Chiles are no more spoiled on average than the kids you would find at Leon High School (where I went) and Lincoln High School. Rickards is a poorer school on average and their situation with books and classrooms a few years ago was deplorable (they have fewer students so they get less money which becomes a vicious cycle and leaves them with fewer resources). I can't remember much about teacher pay in Gadsden County. But Wakulla, Liberty, Gadsden, and Jefferson counties are the closest to Tallahassee. Just over the border there's Thomasville Schools and Thomas County schools. There's also Grady County just over the state line. I would avoid the Mission Road area. There used to be a lot of families out that way but they have all moved to other areas as the undergrads have moved in and taken over the area. If you want something quiet, Lauren's suggestion of Monroe north of I-10 is a good one. There are also some family-oriented apartments on North Meridian (London Town and Meridian Place Apartments) that are nice and quiet.

My mother worked in Gadsden County (about 30 min to the west of Tallahassee) for like 8 years. And honestly, she preferred it to working in Tally. The commute into Tallahassee is much worse than leaving town, simply because so many people live in the surrounding areas and work in Tallahassee. And while housing and utilities are cheaper outside of Tallahassee, I'm not sure how much savings there would be overall. For most shopping needs you would need to come to Tallahassee (clothes, etc.) which is what makes me doubt how much you'd save. Then there's the high price of gasoline (I don't know where you're from but gas in Tallahassee will pass $3 probably in the next two weeks) which would be exacerbated by a long commute on either of your parts. Sitting in traffic (ie community INTO Tallahassee) would probably waste more gas than just driving. If you want to talk more about the pros and cons of commuting to campus versus commuting to a surrounding county, just shoot me a Private Message. And like Lauren said, there will be a lot of hiring in Leon County and the surrounding counties for math teachers. The school year isn't over yet so they can't really advertise openings. School ends just before Memorial Day so start looking then. I'd say, go ahead and get a lease if you've found a place that you like, go ahead and get it. Your husband will certainly be able to get a job, there are 6 public high schools in Leon County, and many more in the surrounding areas.

Sadly for you History_Nerd, the San Francisco Bay area is not known for its warmth. Good luck with that anyways!

History_Nerd, Colorado is for people that like cold weather. Think about it. People in warmer states tend to lose their virginity at an earlier age because they're already wearing less clothes which arouses the hormones... (No, I don't know if this has been scientificially proven)

Wow, I should really try your method Bianca.

I asked about my cohort and they told me. Try emailing them and see what they say.

Honestly, I'm not worried so much about being around rich jet-setting kids. I've spent all four years of undergrad around them and learned to deal with the fact that I have to work 6-10 hours a week to keep food in my stomach and books in my bag. It definitely helps to meet other people that are working their way through just like you. It reminds me that I'm not the only one who actually needs to budget the money I earn to make sure I can cover all of my expenses. Being in the real world is particularly scary after spending 4 years living on campus (ie rent paid upfront so I never have to worry about that). Should be interesting...

It's the lack of teaching experience and the fact that I didn't "click" with any of the students when I was visiting. Then again, my cohort is going to be very different. The current 1st years are predominantly on the physical geography side whereas my cohort is supposed to be more evenly split. It will also be one of, if not THE, most diverse cohort the department has had.

I'm terrified about having to cook for myself next year. *sigh* You'd think I would've learned how to cook at some point in life but no.

Sonny, I totally agree with you about the acceptance rates. I didn't realize how competitive admission to grad school is until I started reading this and other forums. I feel grateful now to have gotten 4 MA acceptances with solid funding, which is pretty rare. I'm going to UGA with a grad school assistantship where they pay me primarily to do my own research. I'm worried about not getting any teaching experience. But I may have time for that in a few years when I start my PhD, plus over the summer.

Thanks for the advice Locura. The problem is that I might be doing the SummerBridge program and thus need housing starting in June. Plus I'd rather not move twice if possible... *sigh* We'll see how it goes. I've started browsing various websites and looking at things but I refuse to commit to an apartment site unseen (I may go down there in late May just before my graduation).

Any word yet guys????