geographyrocks

I have NEVER had to offer anything more than proof that I could pay rent every month. Of course, I've never been in a highly competitive market so I guess it could be different, but that seems ridiculous! And no, they can't refuse repairs just because you could afford to have it fixed. Every lease I have signed outlined what repairs the landlord was responsible for.

I visited schools during the summer. I sent emails to all of the prospective departments and asked to meet with the admin assistant. I was advised to do so. Most didn't respond. I didn't request meetings with PIs or grad students though. I figured they would be busy or gone. I don't know why anyone would ask for a lab tour. Maybe he received some of the bad advice that I did. And asking on such short notice is just really unprofessional unless visiting was a last minute decision. I don't know. I agree that it's odd.

Well, that would be almost all of them. GREs are generally used to thin the applicant pool. Look for a strong fit and try to at least hit the minimum GRE. Just a note: don't type in all caps. It's like you're yelling at everyone.

I ended up moving just South of the University in University Heights. I'm actually right next to CNM. I highly recommend this area because there is easy access to everything. Smiths is just minutes away as is a surprising number of really good restaurants. Most streets have bike lanes that are larger than I'm used to. Cars also tend to give you a wide berth...which can be both good and bad. There are tons of side streets which makes taking short cuts really easy. There are a lot of bike racks which is also nice. A couple of things: The Smiths on Yale has all your basic food stuffs, but if you're use to a wider selection (like I am), you might be disappointed. I tend to go to Sprouts once a week which is a local natural/organic market. It's a little further from UNM, but I'm not sure the exact distance. The prices on their fresh food tend to be cheaper than Smiths. There is a huge farmers market downtown. Even though the transportation system (bus) isn't great here, the most reliable routes are from Nob Hill/University to downtown so it's easy to get there via mass transit. And since UNM students There is also a farmers market near the University at Presbyterian Hospital and one that is actually on campus when school starts. There is a Walmart on San Mateo which is 1-2 miles from UNM. I heard it called the ghetto Walmart. Avoid it at night. The lines are RIDICULOUS. I'm talking 10-15 people per lane with huge carts of stuff. Also, I've had some bad luck with buying things that are missing parts. There are quite a few bums that hang out on campus. I don't know if they'll still be there when school starts or if they go elsewhere. I haven't been hassled (much). There are also a LOT of bums downtown. I've never felt unsafe though. If you are on the ground floor, be sure to pick a favorite roach spray. Those suckers are HUGE here. They wander their way inside through any cracks. I have an organic/non-toxic spray that seems to keep them out for the most part. I'd read about the roaches, but I don't think I was really prepared for how big and fast they are. Gas is cheaper in the SE compared to the NE. It's generally $0.15 more expensive in the NE. BONUSES: The zoo and museums have free and half price days. The Isotopes have fireworks after a lot of their games. (The stadium is right behind CNM). There are an amazing number of festivals. I haven't been disappointed yet. They have both Chicago and New York style pizza here. My favorite so far is Amadeo's. There is a lot of food diversity around UNM. Nob Hill has all sorts of shops that are fun to go through. There are cheap movies on campus (whoo!). I think I've rambled long enough. lol Edit: One last thing. There are several weekly bike rides. One starts at UNM. A couple of weeks ago, there was a clothing optional one. I didn't see it, but I'm sure it was amusing.

I've made friends with classmates anywhere from 18 to 60 (I'm 31). Don't worry! You'll be fine!

While I hate walmart with an unhealthy passion, their memory foam mattresses are wonderful and cheap. I had a full size (bed plus frame for around $200) for years. I liked it so much that when I moved, I bought the king size. I wish I could remember the name. The mattress is comfortable beyond belief and the frame is incredibly sturdy. Edit: the brand is Spa Sensations

By here, I mean the US. I have no idea how international grades translate to the US scale. I doubt a lower grade in a history class will really affect how they view your application.

You might try posting your question in the computer science forum. http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/33-computer-science/

Even if they don't take taxes out monthly, you will be responsible for paying them quarterly. No matter how taxes are done, you really can't afford that apartment. Does the rent include utilities? Try to find a roommate situation or cheaper housing. You could always rake out additional loans, but it's always best to not go in debt.

I'm expected to start research immediately...so I sure hope so!

Has anyone else moved yet? I've been here for about 2 months and I love it! And it's totally bikeable so I don't know what those grad students were going on about.

Google GRE vocabulary words. There are some great resources online that are free.

For the record, if you search for previous posts, you'll find a lot of good advice. What I suggest: First, read papers from your POI. If they have interests close to yours then email them. Tell them you're a prospective graduate student and describe your interests. Make sure that you mention research they've been working on and how it aligns with your interest. Be modest! Then ask if they are taking on graduate students in the fall. That should get a conversation started. If they say no, you know not to bother applying at the school or with that professor in mind. Brettmullga: some POIs are jerks OR he doesn't take graduate students. Have you read his papers? It could be a lot of things including how you worded the email.

Every school is different so I can only tell you how they do it at my university. My stipend covers 10 months and I get paid in 10 monthly installments with my first payment at the end of August. Since my stipend counts as wages, it doesn't affect my financial aid, but they will be taking taxes out every month. I believe fellowship are awarded at the beginning of the semester with the rest of financial aid, but I could be wrong. As for the apartment, that sounds pretty expensive. Was that the cheapest you could find? Have you thought about roommates? After taxes, you'll be getting about $1400/month.

I think bsharpe hit on the best question. I know everyone loves the prestige that comes from a top 10 school (and the financial resources), but as an international student, you might want to broaden your net. I say this because most schools take very few international students. And I'm not gonna repeat the biggest reason you should broaden your net cause bsharpe already said it. Identify your sub field and find the professors who are strong (publishing papers, getting grants, etc). Also, your GRE scores are great.

The best advice that I've read is your dissertation should be made up of at least 3 publishable papers. Why aren't you publishing? Do you have things ready to be published? Can you get things ready to be published?

I've registered for classes, but I don't have my books or syllabi yet. I've been feeling unprepared too yet my adviser was shocked that I wanted to register so early. So I'm guessing it depends on the program you're in.

My previous laptop was a dell. It was a pos. My current pos is a compaq. I make bad computing decisions!

OOOOHHH...That makes so much more sense now. Thanks!

I don't even pretend to know anything about computers. I got the Ghz straight from this: 2.2 GHz minimum ; Hyper-threading (HHT) or Multi-core recommended (http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/system-requirements/10.2/index.html#) and that might not even mean what I think it means. lol I would LOVE to wait to buy a laptop, but my current lappy has some internal memory problem. I did the google thing and found out that it has to be sent back to the company to be fixed and since this was only a $300 computer, repairs just aren't worth it. I don't even bother using this damn thing to surf the net half the time since it performs so crappy. I wish there was a store that was called This is the Perfect Computer for YOU! and it had one computer and it WOULD be perfect. *sigh*

I realize that there is a metric ton of these questions on here, so I apologize in advance. I wouldn't start a new thread, but I have a pretty specific question. My department does not have computers in the grad student offices. I can easily go to a computer lab and maybe that's what I should do...but I'll probably work on stuff at home as well. I will probably need arcgis and matlab on my laptop which both require >2.2 ghz of processing power. So, here are my questions: If your discipline is program heavy, do you have those programs on your laptop or do you use the computer labs? What laptops do you recommend? I know MacBook Air is the favorite, but I think I might be more comfortable staying with a PC. I've been looking at laptops for about an hour now, and I think I'm starting to go crazy. My last laptop purchase was a disaster. I can barely type on the damn thing without it freezing. Also, my dept is both PC and Mac friendly. Price range: I'd like to stay under a grand...willing to go $1200. I want something that will make it all 4 years.

It's interesting to see how different grading policies are in different countries. For instance, a 58% would be a failing grade here. Generally, your major gpa is considered more important.

GRE scores are generally used to thin the herd. Top schools have a higher cutoff than others, but retaking in hopes a few points higher really isn't going to make you a standout candidate. Your research and research fit SOP, and LORs will do that.

Why would apply to both within the same department? A lot of schools will consider you for the masters if they don't think you're qualified for the PhD. Read over the application. It may even ask if you want to be considered for the masters if not admitted to the PhD.

He could be on vacation. You could always call the department and ask about opportunities.