Shamrock_Frog

I'm sure this is going to go over like a lead balloon here but: alcoholic beverages. They don't taste that good (or at least not as good as beverages without alcohol) and I don't like my brain feeling fuzzy (I've never been drunk, but I suspect I'd be a mean one). We're so obsessed with alcohol as culture (wine tours! craft beers!) and honestly I just don't get it.

"Those accepted but not intending to attend please decline your offers"
 
Everyone is making decisions as best and as quickly as they can. The entitlement in this kind of post annoys me.

I think if they already made plane reservations for you it would be better to go. Even if you are not planning on going there for your phd, what about post doc? I just got back from an interview I agreed to go on before I received my first acceptance (from my top choice) and I went anyway. I still learned a lot. Chatting with professors who may share some valuable information with you is a good idea, and you can always keep them in mind for future opportunities. Instead of treating it as an grad school interview, maybe think of it as a networking opportunity? If you cancel these people may remember you in 5+ years when you are applying for postdoc positions. Also, professors move around all the time, you might end up working with these people at a different institution altogether at some point in the future.
 
edit: typo

I think if they already made plane reservations for you it would be better to go. Even if you are not planning on going there for your phd, what about post doc? I just got back from an interview I agreed to go on before I received my first acceptance (from my top choice) and I went anyway. I still learned a lot. Chatting with professors who may share some valuable information with you is a good idea, and you can always keep them in mind for future opportunities. Instead of treating it as an grad school interview, maybe think of it as a networking opportunity? If you cancel these people may remember you in 5+ years when you are applying for postdoc positions. Also, professors move around all the time, you might end up working with these people at a different institution altogether at some point in the future.
 
edit: typo

I figured out pretty early on that any idiot could graduate from our high school by just showing up to class. I didn't really try that hard.

My long distance move story: I knew my spouse and I were moving across country (NY to WA) and looked at many of the options people have already suggested here. When I looked at my gmail, there was a banner ad for cheap moving services. I clicked the link, which was not for a specific company but sent my info to many, many moving companies. I got a bunch of phone calls and emails over the next day. Some of them were not very useful, but we easily got at least 8 quotes from different companies. We called the cheapest company ($1400 to move 300 cf across the country). We ended up going with them. Ultimately, we moved more stuff (probably about 450 cf, which included a bed, futon, dresser, 2 bookshelves, table, 4 chairs, chest, desk, vacuum, and about 50 boxes) for just over $2000. I had a moving stipend from my department to help pay for it. But the majority of the quotes we got were for less than any other option. There are A LOT of budget moving companies out there that are trying to undercut each other. Some of them are really terrible (check BBB) and all of them will try and find ways to make you pay more through various fees. The one we used gave us a big runaround on moving day because the inventory we had submitted online to guarantee our quote was binding (ie I was supposed to magically be able to correctly estimate the number of boxes I needed to move before I moved them, and since we had more boxes than I originally thought, they told us they would only take the number I had said. That was not fun, but we worked it out). When we moved into our place on this end of the country, the guy who moved our stuff into the building tried to charge us for four flights of stairs, because even though we live on the third floor (ie up to flights) each flight is divided into two, so there's four landings. He did not prevail in getting me to pay that. But as long as you ask repeatedly about the fees and make sure you understand what you're agreeing to, it ended up being both cheaper and less work on our part to use a real moving company. 
 
These websites seem similar to what I used to get multiple quotes:
http://www.moving.com/movers/moving-company-quotes.asp
https://www.unpakt.com/

I agree wholeheartedly if you have old/used furniture that have low resale value. I see that people here who suggest using U-Haul here are spending more than $1K to move everything that they need. I spent $850 ($500 1-way ticket + $350 shipping) to move coast-to-coast, from an international (but small) airport to a regional hub. If I were flying out from and to an international airport, it would be even cheaper. In terms of furniture, I initially got used furniture for free, which saves a lot of money. In the end, I spent no more than $500 for new furniture so I guess the total was about $1350 but I saved a lot of time.

I'm moving from Colorado to New York for school in the fall. I've figured out that I have three options:
 
1.) Rent a 10' Budget Truck (cheapest of the Big 3 companies) at around $740 for 10 days and unlimited mileage + an ungodly amount of gas money. My parents want to help, so they'd fly out to me and help with driving by either driving the Budget Truck or my small pickup (Ranger). This options includes taking everything in my small 1bd apt in the two vehicles.
 
2.) My mom & stepdad have access to an enclosed trailer and my dad has access to an open utility trailer (w/ 2' walls). They would drive out and we'd load all my things in those two trailers and my pickup bed. Again, a lot of gas. They don't expect me to pay for their vehicle gas, but I feel bad about it because it's about 1000 miles to my place, 2000 miles (incl some fun stops we're planning), and then 1000 miles back to their homes. 
 
3.) Sell my big things and re-purchase after moving, so I can just take what fits in my pickup bed and the enclosed bed of my stepdad's truck. Big things are: Kitchen table (meh, it's old and I could use a smaller one), bed + box spring + futon frame it sits on (mixed feelings), 5' x 3' x 2' display/storage cabinet (love this thing), a 5' x 5' L-shaped solid oak desk (I would hate to part w/ this one -- it's perfect for my needs). I know that the desk fits in my bed, because that's how I moved it into my place. Not taking entertainment center that's falling apart or the 20" box TV my parents had when I was a kid. 
 
Other than that, I just have a lot of....stuff. My goodness I've collected a lot of crap in the four years I've been living on my own since undergrad. I'd currently rank my options for moving as 1, 3, 2, mainly because I'd feel bad about the gas mileage on my parents in 2, and my mom & dad still do not get a long great (21? years after divorcing) and that's one less headache I'd have to deal with. Ideally, my mom & stepdad would flight out, we'd rent the truck, drive it to their house, hang out for a day or two, then we'd meet w/ my dad and the two of us would continue on the journey. 
 
I'm not completely sure how much they want to help fund. It's five months away and I feel like I'm not doing enough to get ready /plannerproblems

You look into all the moving options, so not just U-Haul but the other companies that rent trucks, plus the other moving services like ABF U-Pack, U-haul U-Box, PODS, etc. There are several and you can find them online.
 
To pay for it, you can look into personal loans, 0% introductory rates on credit cards (which would allow you to charge the move now and then pay it off slowly over 6-18 months depending on the terms of the specific card), help from parents, etc. Some programs will have extra funds to help. Some graduate schools (as in the entire grad school, not just your program) offer low interest loans or scholarships to help with moving expenses. 
 
And yes, definitely find the threads about moving long distance or cross-country from previous years.

OMG YES. I cannot stand it. Especially the "social justice warriors/SJWs" who say their purpose is to raise awareness and create dialogue but when anyway asks a question it's "educate yourself" and "its not my job to educate you". BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU WANTED TO CREATE DIALOGUE. I guess what they meant to say was, "I talk. You listen. End of discussion."

Sorry about that . But just like you said, now you know and can move on to decide about other offers. Good luck!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

I've been lurking for a while, but I figured now's as good of a time as any to enter the conversation.
 
Due to a geographic restriction, I only applied to two programs this year (MIT Biology and Harvard Systems Biology).  After interviewing at both programs and meeting so many really talented, driven applicants, I was convinced that I would have to spend another year improving my application before having a chance.  However, I'm happy to say that I received my first offer yesterday from the Harvard Systems Biology department!!  On account of the really unique philosophy/organization of the program and the instant kinship I felt with both the current students and the faculty, I'm 99.7% sure that this is the program I'm going to attend next year.  It still feels a bit like I'm dreaming.  I hope to meet some of you fine folks out here in Cambridge/Boston this coming summer/fall 

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

OMG YES. I cannot stand it. Especially the "social justice warriors/SJWs" who say their purpose is to raise awareness and create dialogue but when anyway asks a question it's "educate yourself" and "its not my job to educate you". BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU WANTED TO CREATE DIALOGUE. I guess what they meant to say was, "I talk. You listen. End of discussion."

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

OMG YES. I cannot stand it. Especially the "social justice warriors/SJWs" who say their purpose is to raise awareness and create dialogue but when anyway asks a question it's "educate yourself" and "its not my job to educate you". BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU WANTED TO CREATE DIALOGUE. I guess what they meant to say was, "I talk. You listen. End of discussion."

THE IPHONE
 
I have one, but god, is it an overrated commodity...

The phrase "educate yourself." Such an incredibly condescending thing to say.

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!

EEEEEEE! First acceptance! I'm going to get a phd!