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Revthought

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  1. This sounds like me. I graduated with a major GPA of 3.9 in one major, and a 3.75 in another (I was a double major), and with an overall GPA of 3.78 (in a + and - granting institution). I graduated with Highest Honors (summa cum laude) in Political Science and Honors (cum laude) in Philosophy as well as Honors from my specific college at a University of California campus. I then got the exact same scores as you did on my first GRE. My point here is not to puff and brag about my "achievements," which is something that happens way to often on these forums, but rather to illustrate a point. This point, simply put, is that GRE scores are not an accurate reflection of someone's past or future ability. I also find it disgusting that someone like Minnesotan would suggest that a person not be worthy of their degrees based on a GRE score. The fact that anyone would judge either a person or an undergraduate program based on a set of standardized test scores is insane.
  2. Shinagins to this. GRE's mean very little relatively, its not a surprise that the only country in the world to use them is the United States. True enough, if you have a low GRE score and you're applying to good programs, you are taking a risk. GRE scores are used to sort you and exclude you--if you're GRE scores aren't good it does hurt. This just means that those with low GRE scores have extra steps they need to take. Contact people in the department you are applying for early. If possible meet them in person. This forces them to look at, and consider your application at least on the level of individual faculty. It helps if you find who is on the admissions committee and talk to them. If the rest of your application is good, and you come off smart and grounded, your GRE scores might not be a problem. If you don't get in, you should seriously consider dedicating time to preparing for, and retaking the GRE. What you should not do is abandon the idea of going to graduate school if its what you truly want to do. If you're on the fence, then maybe you shouldn't go to grad school; however don't let the "I love the GRE because I did well" guy talk you out of grad school. And, I might add, that some pretty damned smart people I've met in my time have failed to do well on the GRE, but out preformed the "I love the GRE guy(s)" as a student both as undergrads and, after they were accepted, as grads.
  3. I cannot sugar coat this for you, I'm sorry. As a person who spent a year working in the video game industry before going back to school, I feel your pain. You won't have the disposable income that you had in the work place. However, your stipend seems reasonable (I get about that in Southern California). There are (I know this sucks) loans that you can take out if the stipend is not enough (I've done this myself), as well as the option of working part time. The good part is (hopefully) you get to do what you love to do. Something that comes with that is being able to keep your own hours, and your own work schedule.
  4. If you live on campus, in graduate/family housing with your husband, then yes. I pay around a thousand a month for a two bedroom on campus with my wife. This might seem a lot, but rent in Irvine proper is much more. Plus the graduate community on campus is great, and so are the apartments. Anyway, my wife and I are both grad students (I at CSU Long Beach and her at Irvine), and we get by quite comfortably. Cheers
  5. I live in Irvine now. As someone who did their undergraduate work in Santa Cruz, which is an amazing college town, and a fantastic place to live, I was a little disappointed with Irvine at first. Irvine is, somewhat, as described by an earlier poster. I cant really put words what my initial impressions of Irvine were. You have very wealthy people from Balboa and Newport, the upper part of income bracket for suburban southern California, mixed with the college crowd. The actual area around the university, at first, didn't seem very college towny at all (it reminded me of UCSD a little). You certainly don't have the ambiance of Santa Cruz. There are only a few coffee shops, no real bars or pubs, no record stores, etc. After a few week living here though, you'll find that there is a vibrant community. Most of the grad students live on campus, where there is a great community, and you'll discover that you can walk almost anywhere. You'll also discover a great art theatre, and some hidden gems. Now having said ALL that you have to keep a number of things in mind. First Irvine is situated smack dab in between Los Angeles and San Diego. San Diego is about an hour and half drive, and LA varies depending on what part of LA you want to go to. You will find that you are WELL situated to be part of one of the best music scenes in the world. You can easily drive to great record stores, venues, all kinds of shit (pardon the language here). You'll also be 10 minutes away from Newport Beach, easy driving distance to all the beaches in San Diego and LA, 2 hours from the desert, 2 hours from the mountains... And Irvine is also the "safest" city in the United States. Is there a moral to the story? Well, I suppose I'd say that Santa Cruz is a better community, UCLA has a better "college community," but Irvine is at least as good as La Jolla (UCSD) and has more going for it than some seem to think. Cheers
  6. Bloomington, from what I've gathered is a great community, and a great college town. The school is good, and the campus is very pretty. The down side? Its in Indiana. I hate Indiana. My mother has lived there for years, and when I visit her (in Indianapolis) I always go down to Bloomington and up to Chicago. Oh, I was born, live, and attend school in Southern California. That was in case you were wondering. ? I'll answer your questions as best as I can. Living in a college town is amazing. I did my undergraduate work in Santa Cruz, and wish I could have stayed there forever. Now granted, Santa Cruz is not Bloomington, but I've spent a bit of time in Bloomington. My mother lives in Indiana, and my brother and myself have a number of friends who did their undergraduate work at I.U. The community around the school is pretty small, and imo, absolutely beautiful. You will absolutely be able to get around everywhere on your feet or on a bike (I'm not sure about the public transport). You WILL however want to have a car. I say this, because as someone who is adjusted to city life, I'm the kind of person who needs to travel to a city from time to time. Indianapolis would be closest to you, but Chicago is probably a 4 1/2 hour drive. I'll be honest. MOST of Indiana I despise. Not all though. Its certainly got its charms. You'll also be damn close to a lot of NICE places too. The best state parks and historic towns in Indiana are in the southern part of the state. As for rent, I'm not really sure what you should expect. What I do know, is its far cheaper than either Santa Cruz or Irvine (where I live now). I'm guessing $600 a month for a two bedroom. Someone with more intimate knowledge of Bloomington or I.U. should probably chime in here before you go running off accepting any offers. ? Hope this helped.
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