QASP

I have managed to cut this down to ~$40, but it took some doing. I don't sacrifice on quality, but I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch 5 days a week (costs $10.00/wk for those 10 meals) and I rely heavily on sales as well as carefully planning out meals using everything I have in the fridge/freezer.

It varies, but typically broker's fees are one month's rent.

Unfortunately, being location limited makes a lot less sense for graduate school than for undergrad. There are so few programs that will actually share your interests and make a good fit, it simply doesn't make sense to limit yourself in this way. I'm not saying go somewhere you know you'll be miserable, I've been to some college towns myself and said "nope nope nope," but if this is your view of the locations of most schools then you're both not giving those locations a fair shake and not giving yourself the best shot at success. For example, why don't you think you could make it in Michigan? It's a large and diverse state, and people often have extremely inaccurate impressions. Ann Arbor has a climate similar to Boston (winter is actually shorter, though Ann Arbor gets more snow), is an extremely left-wing town with a long history of political activism and a diverse population (especially when next-door Ypsilanti is considered), and has an abundance of things to do in the town itself as well as all of Detroit's attractions less than an hour away. Anyway, hem. The other program that comes to mind is the combined clinical/community program at the University of South Carolina, which I think of as quite strong, but still just because the broader program label matches your interest that doesn't mean the individual professors there will be a great fit. Boston College's counseling psych program also has some community-oriented values, but is not a "community psychology" program by name. I think a counseling psychology program in general might be a good match for those people who have broader, community-focused interests, but still want the ability to practice. However, many of those will not allow you the depth in community psychology you'd get from a truly "combined" program, I suppose.

Some thoughts; Those GRE scores are still a bit on the low side, even updated... they aren't "keep you out" horrible but they aren't "get you in" good, you'd need to have something impressive beyond that on your resume to overcome it a bit, I'd think. You also are missing productivity, which might typically fill this gap; you've been "in the field" for four years, and still do not have a publication if I am reading you right...do you have presentations and posters at conferences? Also, although you certainly applied to a reasonable number of schools, looking at the schools you applied to, those are mostly extremely competitive programs. It's sort of surprising you would apply to that many hyper competitive schools after not getting in before. Additionally, they are somewhat "all over the map" in terms of approach; I am not saying that there might not be individual reasons to apply to BU and to Columbia, but these schools are pretty far apart and it makes me wonder how clear you are on these differences and how well you really have considered the "fit" question, which can keep out even the most qualified applicants. If you think you could see yourself doing counseling, I would consider the MSW-- it might give you a chance to get some more productive research experience and provide a chance to work with adult populations which it sounds like is your preference. I think you do need to think about the financial advantages/disadvantages of that, though, and if there might be easier ways to improve your application over the next year by focusing on the GRE, your PS in terms of fit, and the competitiveness of the programs you're applying to. Best of luck whatever you choose.

Straight out of undergrad, but older non-traditional. I don't understand people who think 95% of the United States is uninhabitable. I find the use of the word "desolate" for a college town pretty laughable. I find people who make these broad sweeping generalizations usually have no idea what they're talking about. My personal preference would be large city in the middle of the desert > middle of the desert > other large city > somewhere warm but not a desert or large city > every other small college town. I am attending a school at the last one, because it's a top school and I think it's worth it (and my field just doesn't have the options that a lot of others do in terms of schools and location). It's a personal choice, certainly, but I think a lot of people make ill-informed decisions based on surface understandings and false impressions of what a lot of places are like.

I like Cambridgeport quite a lot, but it's an area that changes block to block so it's good to visit if you are going to look for a place in that area. I think it's relatively quiet in the evenings in comparison to a lot of other neighborhoods. Expect to pay a stupid broker's fee. I'm sorry. It's how it works in this city. It shouldn't be, but it's almost impossible to avoid. If you contact independently owned buildings, they will often tell you to contact a broker, who will then charge you a fee. Craigslist "no fee" rental listings now are filled with lying liars who say "fee negotiable." I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will severely limit your options and it's hard to find.

I agree with this, but I think that implicit in the original post is the idea that the SO in this fictional situation is not willing to compromise, or at least not to the extent of allowing you to go to your dream school. It's sort of like choosing "both" when the options are "A" or "B."

Anyone who would ask you to give up your dreams for them is not worth having.

This is the way I'm feeling. I am falling behind on my current research and my "real" job, because I really just want to move on with my life. I feel a bit guilty about it, but after a great deal of excitement and craziness it's just driving me crazy to settle back down into exactly what I was doing before the application process.

This has been covered a number of times. The answer is yes. Accepting a funded offer and then rescinding it creates problems for the program, limits options for other applicants, and is likely to be upsetting for the professor who was planning on having you as a student. It is viewed negatively.

In my subfield, only 4 Ivy League schools even offer a degree; only 2 of those are well respected, top programs; one of them is really not well regarded. Still, people come in with this "Can I make it into an Ivy" question all the time, and are very resistant to hearing that these are not necessarily the best programs. People who throw the term "Ivy" around are people who generally don't know what they're talking about.

Yes, this will burn bridges, do not do this. Make a decision and commit to it, whether it is to go or not. Accepting an offer and later rescinding it is viewed very poorly. I have heard that master's level I/O pays fairly well; that may be a good choice if you felt it was a better fit, especially if you are not completely committed to the field. If you feel certain this is something you want to do, and the PhD is funded, consider how much you want it. That's a lot of hard work for a field you sound uncertain about. If the PhD funding won't cover a significant portion of your expenses, I wouldn't go, especially if the fit is off.

A 160 verbal is not going to hold you back, though the 3.5 AW score would be a problem for some, depending on a POI's feelings about that (some don't look at the AW score at all). Also, there are very few clinical psychology PhD programs in California and they are all extremely competitive due to the desirability of that area. If you are serious about getting in somewhere, you will have to apply to schools outside of that area as well.

Consider posting on the city guide forum for your area, as some of this can be area specific. I've rented houses where there was an expectation of owning/using a lawnmower yourself and also doing most of the rest of the upkeep was expected, and also rented houses in situations where all maintenance was included and taken care of. It's hard to give a single clear answer. Also, consider just sending emails to the people renting these houses so they can let you know what the expectations are. Good luck!

I'm not saying "no difference," but I am saying, "not a huge difference." Maybe a huge difference to the man on the street, but when we're talking graduate school, then no. Ohio State and Michigan State I would see as having similar prestige also; I am aware there's a lot of stratification at the top, but those are ranked in the top 75 out of the 2,000+ bachelor's granting institutions in this country. I am just trying to say, I could see somebody looking down on someone who went to some true no-name school, even though they don't look down at Michigan State/Ohio State. And also that the different people may have a different perspective on prestige of institutions.

Another thing you may discover is the wide gap between your perception of prestige and that of others; for example, I don't see the huge gap between Michigan State and Harvard that the above poster does, Michigan State is a well-known school with a very solid reputation, I don't think anyone would be shocked that you could go from there to any grad program. I met people during grad school interviews who had attended state schools and tiny non prestigious private schools many have never heard of, D-II and D-III athletics type schools or schools with no official athletics; some of them had a bit of a complex about coming from a place like that, and some of them didn't, but clearly if you're admitted it's because the school thinks you are on par or better than those from the elite institutions. I had a bit of a concern myself, coming from a non-flagship state school that is looked down upon in my area; what I found out was that people from outside my area actually thought great things of my UG institution and were impressed I had been there, it's just that locally we're in the shadow of some other big well-known schools.

Yeah, there is a lot of apartment living but closer to downtown/campus this is very frequently just houses that have been chopped up into 3-4 units, which makes finding reviews etc. a bit more difficult. Good luck!

It's certainly possible to find something in "the Ann Arbor area" for less than that. It really depends on what you're looking for. It's hard to find things with reviews because it's not like Ann Arbor has a lot of large apartment complexes. If you're looking for large complexes, there are plenty in the area that offer free parking within that budget, but they are going to be a bit further away or in Ypsilanti (the next town over). Ann Arbor is a very safe place. Ypsilanti has a reputation of being slightly less so, but is still quite safe. If you are looking for the type of complex that might have reviews, I can recommend Glencoe Hills; I lived there at one time, it's convenient to several grocery stores and the area is completely safe. If you search for it, the names of a dozen other such complexes come up as well and you can take your pick (they're all about the same as far as I am concerned). However, do keep in mind that parking in downtown Ann Arbor (where most of U of M is located) is very difficult and can get expensive/annoying, and thus living off campus comes with a tradeoff (curse those lucky ducks whose programs are located on north campus). If you're looking to live on campus, I think (unfortunately) the best idea is to come for a visit and get in contact with some local companies that rent out spaces, who can ferry you around to a few places so you can find one that fits your needs. There are a lot of sites that you can search like Cribspot (which I found via this thread) or Renthop (which I found by searching "Craigslist sucks" on Google), and I'd recommend checking those out for places that might not be on UM's off-campus housing site, but there isn't one that is particular to Ann Arbor; unsurprising given A2's size. Ann Arbor is mostly made up of small, low construction, and now that Craigslist is a cesspit it's difficult to imagine finding the type of housing that the average grad student is looking for without visiting in person and contacting some local agency. *DISCLAIMER: QASP has over 20 years experience living in Ann Arbor, but 18 of those years were as a minor living with family and QASP has been away from the area for several years now. QASP plans to live in the South University area because QASP hates walking long distances in cold weather more than QASP hates living among undergraduates. QASP looks forward to being miserable and poor in Ann Arbor with you all for the next 4+ years starting this fall. Do not taunt QASP.

Maybe it's people on an internet forum expressing their opinions in a hyperbolic manner? Maybe it's Maybelline?

I like you; specifically interests 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8. Paints a wonderful picture.

That's the ideal! LA, Vegas, Arizona, and New Mexico are also acceptable. I don't understand why all the R1 schools aren't located right there

I'd trade locations in a heartbeat, but alas History is not my area. Really, given your preferences, it's your icon that confuses me!

Very specifically the warm climate thing. I got accepted at a great school, but I am already dreading the idea of 4+ more years of real, cold winter. Super frustrated with myself that I didn't consider a particular alternative in my field that would have allowed me to apply to a lot more warm weather schools. I hope those places are hiring in 5 years when I'm done!

That figure is for all doctoral programs in psychology, and thus includes PsyD programs. As stated earlier in this document, acceptance at PhD programs in clinical psychology is 5%, or .05, lower than the .06 for social/personality. And that number includes professional school PhD's, which are primarily in clinical psychology; if only legitimate PhD programs (i.e. not at free-standing institutions) were included, the percentage of clinical psychology PhD acceptances would be even lower.

Gotta admit I don't care for them; mostly because I feel like the show is "You like this million dollar house with 12 foot ceilings and spiral staircases? Well, we can fix up a ranch house with no stairs kinda nice for you, and put in a big rectangular chandelier!" The finished product is always nice, but it's never anything like what the couple asked for in the beginning, and their design tastes result in the places they finish looking kind of same-y to me. Oh God I've watched way too much HGTV.