thanks for the help, michelle! i am leaning toward clairemont for sure, though i have seen some places in la jolla that seem alright. granted, i do like going out every now and again, but i'm definitely not a bar fly. i enjoy peace and quiet, i don't want to live somewhere where that i think my car's gonna get broken into, and i'd rather not have to battle my to and from school through traffic every day (though if ucsd is like any other campus that i've seen, the traffic i will have to accept). i just took another look at my budget, and it looks like i can spend up to about $2000 on a place, so that will help out, too. i can't wait to head down to the san diego area to check out the housing prospects, the community, and the school!