rising_star

I wasn't going to visit a school because I'd gotten into my top choice. Then, they mentioned the possibility of full funding and offered to offset the cost of a visit and I decided that I'd go because, though I'd applied there, I'd never really given them a chance. That said, the two schools are now tied on my list. If I hadn't visited, I'd have written off an excellent program that's a good fit for me just because I dislike the Midwest. *shrug* Maybe the visit will change your mind about the school?

Oh this is easy. Don't go into debt, especially if you want to go on to the PhD. Also, if you're going to apply for the PhD, you won't be able to apply for fall 07 even if you do MAPSS because you won't know professors well enough to get good recommendations. So, I'd go to the one giving me money since it'd be two years before you could begin the PhD either way. If you aren't going to do the PhD, then just think about your finances. Someone in another thread (don't know where but there's a thread about Chicago's MAPH [the humanities equivalent] on this forum too) did a breakdown of how much debt could affect you. This is important since Chicago is such an expensive school and the city isn't exactly cheap to live in. So, if you think having that much debt and paying it down over 20 years (aside from any undergrad debt you may have) is worth it, then go to U of Chicago. But really, getting out of debt is ridiculous hard, why put yourself in a situation where you have to?

mungdaddy, You can check your application status from the Ohio State Graduate School website. There's a link to "Application Status" (I think it's on the left) and the you just put it in your info. I checked it for another OSU program and found out I'd been admitted but my acceptance letter had gotten lost in the mail.

Definitely colder in Ohio than it is in either Georgia or Florida. Though there are professors I want to work with at both schools, I'd get to work with Kevin Cox if I went to Ohio State and that's kinda appealing. Now that all three of my financial offers are the same, I have no clue how I'm going to decide. *sigh* Any advice?

Hey Cridamour, I doubt you'll get your first paycheck before the end of September so definitely save up for all of those moving-related expenses. I know that at Ohio State, which is on quarters and starts in late September, the first TA check does not come until the end of October...

Federal only since state taxes vary by state and even area within the state. Plus since the original poster didn't mention a state, there was no need for me to look that up. And that does not include the automatic deductions for social security and medicare, if those are being taken out.

Well I don't think any school would advertise being racist. Sorry if it seems like I'm grilling you Tiffany. I was just trying to clarify about your background so that I could better understand what about Athens you really disliked. So how does Gainesville, GA compare to Athens? Is it closer to Atlanta? More diverse?

Thanks for the kind words, kev44. It's good to have lots of perspectives on a city before making such a huge decision. If you have any other comments or advice, please feel free to post!

If you've already committed, ask them if they'll send you the ID and password you need to log on to the system.

Still considering. But I may be a Dawg in the fall. I'll let you know.

Heard from Ohio State about funding (still haven't gotten my official acceptance letter...). I got offered a fellowship that guarantees funding for the first year and virtually guarantees it for up to 3 more years if I decide to finish the MA and begin the PhD there. Really unsure of whether to go to Ohio State or UGA. I think Florida State is out of the running now...

This is highly variable. It depends on state taxes paid, student loan interest paid, and numerous other factors. I did a quick estimate and got that you'd pay $1655 in taxes but this could be reduced easily, especially if you took education credits or paid interest or plenty of other things. Here are some links: http://www.turbotax.com/tax_tips_and_re ... index.html If you scroll down, there's a link to a bunch of calculators where you can estimate and customize to your situation. Or just put "tax estimate calculator" into Google.

Mnemosyne9, I just did the visit thing twice in the last week. I was really worried about what to wear but then recalled that I'd been admitted and offered funding already and they couldn't really take that away. I wore nice jeans and a sweater. Most of the profs I met with, including the grad chairs, were dressed in jeans and sweaters or polo shirts. Make sure that you're comfortable since you'll be meeting with a lot of people. Remember that they're trying to get you to come there, not evaluate you to see if they want you (except maybe potential advisors). I hope that helps! Shelly, If I were you, I'd go with the black pants and button-up shirt. You don't frequently see academics in suits (business formal) but dressing nicely is generally appreciated. P.S. Don't forget the thank-you emails afterwards!!

Is NYU more money on paper or in reality? Because living expenses would be much lower at Maryland...

A two year Masters can be useful, particularly if you spend the time correcting deficiencies that you had before. I don't know much about one year MA's but since you're going to have to take a year off anyways, why not just do a 2 year program? Otherwise, what will you do during your in-between year? Call me crazy but I like being paid to learn

Hi Tiffany, could you elaborate more specifically on what you don't like about Athens? It'd be helpful for those of us considering moving there.

How far from campus are the apartments that are $400/mth? What do things total to with utilities, cable, etc? Earlier you wrote that there aren't a lot of minorities. I was wondering if you could clarify and elaborate on that point. Have you heard any bad crime stories?

yes, the East Coast is expensive in general but outside of the DC metro area, living in VA is not too bad. Plus Charlottesville is a college town so I'd imagine that it's pretty affordable but I have no specific knowledge...

The UGA 21-month thing is what I have too. However, you can be enrolled in independent study or research type things instead of taking actual courses during the summer. Or at least, that's what I've been told. I'm a bit less impressed by UGA than I thought I'd be. We'll see how dinner with the grad students tonight goes.

You might want to check out the "Asian Studies" thread under Humanities...

Hey all, just returning from the Ohio State visit. I was impressed and am now seriously considering the school. The profs were surprised that I hadn't applied to better programs (specifally U Wisconsin-Madison). Any last minute suggestions on things I should say or ask UGA tomorrow? Also, finally found out about funding at OSU. It's a fellowship for the first year and guaranteed TA/RA for 3 years after that, assuming I continue on to the PhD.

Just go ahead and say yes then turn them down if you find out from somewhere else.

Which MSU?

The only downside to living on the East Side of town is that traffic can get pretty backed up. The northeast and parts of the northwest sides of town are known for their quietness because they're predominantly non-student residential neighborhoods. Check out the rental listings on http://www.tallahassee.com if you want to get an idea of how much townhouse and house rentals cost. I must say that renting a house is getting a bit exorbitant, particularly in the nicer neighborhoods.

If your application were teetering on the edge, they wouldn't have notified you yet and you wouldn't be on the waitlist. Why not ask if there's anything the committee would like to see in addition to your file? Or restate your interest in the program