ReadingLisa
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Posts posted by ReadingLisa
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So I am effectively freaking out. I don't have a place to live in Philly yet. I've looked through my school's Off-Campus Housing site, and have "favorited" a few listings that look promising. This Saturday I'll be going to take a look, but that's about all I've done. Have I fallen behind? I've been so concerned with getting some much-needed rest from school, that I might have ignored the problem of housing for too long....
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Hello all, so I am currently in the process of relocating from NY to Philadelphia (of course, I don't really have a place yet...) but I'm wondering, once I find a place what sort of furniture and other home goods should i get? I'm looking at one-bedroom apartments, so should I bother getting a couch or not for the living room? Should is fully-stock the kitchen or just get necessities?
I currently don't have much that I would be bringing with me, so I'm looking at purchasing everything (even my bed).
Thanks in advance.
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^Definitely can relate.
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Hi ReadingLisa! Sorry you're being made to feel split between family obligations and academic goals. I had a similar situation. I am my mom's only child; she's single and her parents are gone. She really struggled (and eventually succeeded) in being supportive of my decision to go to a school across the country. My biggest suggestion is to drive her to UPenn. First, she'll see that the drive isn't so bad. Second, she'll see where are you going. When my mom flew out last month, I took her to campus; something just clicked for her. She said she could totally picture me on my campus, in my building, at my desk. Now, when I tell her I'm at school, she can imagine where I'm sitting. But most of all, it seemed to all come together for her: why I was doing this, what it meant to me, and why this was the best place for me and my goals. It's still hard for both of us to be this far away from each other, but I swear it's been easier for her since she saw my new world.
Hi proflorax! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am so glad that your mother learned to support your decision. I definitely want to take my mother out to Penn, but if I do it will have to be in the summer when I'm done with school (I'm too busy now). I believe eventually my mom will cave in too.
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On 4/5/2014 at 3:28 PM, RomulusAugustulus said:
UMMMM, Center City is the downtown section of Philly (with sky scrapers, fancy designer stores etc.) Where in the world did you get the idea it was a 'slum'? It is one of the more expensive areas, and most housing there is in apartment buildings or extremely expensive houses. You would probably find it difficult to live there on a graduate stipend.
Well I know Center City is not a slum and that it's the expensive part of town, but it didn't look all that great when I was there. Yes there are some lovely new buildings and condominiums, which are definitely out of my price range, but the regular buildings don't look all that great.
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Thank you all so much for sharing your stories and for your great advise!! You've really made me feel better, and like I'm not the only one going through this.
I officially accepted my first choice (UPenn) today, but have yet to tell my mother about it... I am definitely sure that I've made the right choice, but I still can't help feeling guilty and a bit down about my decision. Guess this is what someone on another thread referred to as "post-decision blues." It does suck though, because this should be a truly exciting time but it's kind of bittersweet now.
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...into selecting a school that's close to home rather than one in a city 2 hours away. This is really stressing me out and it's the main reason why I haven't officially chosen a school, even though I know I want to go to the one 2 hours away.
In their eyes it's all the same, and they're much more familiar with the school nearby and think it's more prestigious than the other one. So they can't understand why I'm being difficult. I feel terrible because I have a small family (just my sister and my single mother) and I don't want to leave them alone here or "abandon" them...
This is the only place where I can really bent.
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Congrats
My very first credit card (when I turned 18..or was it 19?) had a $500 limit, but that's how you build it up. Assuming you will use the card responsibility (i.e. pay it off every month) your credit should build up really fast. You might even start getting spam mail soliciting you to apply for their cards in a few months or so. Most of these offers and the Capital One cards tend to have really crappy terms (very high interest rate, no real rewards/benefits etc.). I would say that you should consider switching to a bank-issued student credit card when you can. Another good thing to note is that your credit score/history is stronger the longer you have credit and you should never cancel your first credit card. Since this card might not be the greatest, you might not want to keep it and if you get a bank-issued card in the next few months or so, it won't make much of a difference in the long run. However, if a few years down the line, you want to get another credit card, don't cancel your first card / close the account. Keep it there and never use it because this extends the length of your credit history (if the card requires you to use it once every X months, then do the minimum to keep it open).
Finally, usually people can request a credit limit increase every 6 months or so. Probably a good idea if you are finding that $300/month limit isn't very useful. Also, the bigger credit limit you have, the better your history looks (as long as you don't carry large balances) because if e.g. a bank trusts you with $2000/month, then someone else would be more likely to trust you too. If you pay off your balance once a month when you get your statement, I think the ideal ratio is to make your regular monthly statement 1/4-1/3 of your total limit--i.e. if you spend $1000/month and you put it all on your card, you would want your limit to be like $3000-$4000.
Thanks for all of this great advise! I'll definitely keep it in mind.
So, I actually only plan on using the Capital One card to pay my monthly cell phone bill ($75), and then I'm hoping to pay the balance before the end of the month. So I don't think I need a card with a larger spending limit for now. I will apply for a bank issued credit card in a few months though, as you suggested.
I have absolutely nothing of value to contribute to this thread, but just wanted to say I like your avatar ReadingLisa.
Haha! Right back at ya!
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So based on my searching (mainly using google maps) the area west of Penn's campus (42-47th street and Chestnut, Walnut, or Spruce) look A LOT better and are much cheaper than places in Center City. Most grads I met at Penn lived in, and advised me to live in, Center City, but honestly I don't know why. The place looks like a true slum, yet rent is not really cheap... Meanwhile, the areas I mentioned west of campus are just lovely. Many of them are converted Victorian-style homes, with nice porches and lots of trees..
So I don't know, does anyone know if there's a reason to live in Center City as opposed to 42-47th streets??
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Thank you guys for the suggestions. Right before I started thus topic I had applied for the Discover It card but was declined. Today I actually checked my credit score and as I suspected, I have no credit history. However, the website (creditkarma) recommended the Capital One Journey Student card. I was just approved for it with a $300 spending limit. It's far from much, but I'm still happy!
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Yes, in general, PhD students qualify for the "student status" required for a student credit card. Whether or not a student qualifies for credit in general is a different question. However, it's good to note that most people qualify for a regular credit card with a lower income than some PhD stipends, so unless you did something to your credit in the past, I'd say most PhD students should be able to get a credit card. My advice is that you should get a credit card as soon as you are able to, and begin building credit!
Thank you! That's actually a problem for me right now as I don't actually have credit. I've been too paranoid to get a credit card, thinking I'd spoil my credit, but now that I need credit (to rent an apartment in another city) it might be too late.
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Any opinions about Columbia or UPenn for English lit? I'm torn between both schools. Both are fully funded, though Columbia guarantees 6 years of funding, and Penn only 5 (6th funding is competitive). They're pretty comparable offers financially. Also, I like the faculty members at both, though Penn has more in my field.
I really don't know what to do apart from flipping a coin.
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Just turned down NYU's fully-funded offer.
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I visited all five schools I was accepted to, even those I was certain I would not attend. In the course of these visits one of the schools managed to win me over. I will most likely (99% chance) attend this school instead of my "dream school." I loved the campus, the faculty members, and the overall good feeling it gave me.
My suggestion to you is to definitely go to both! You lose nothing in the process, and you got into both so why not go and enjoy the visiting days they've arranged for you? They're quite fun and you get to eat good food and drink good wine...
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Fuck that bullshit subject exam and any school that would reject you for it. I'll proudly boast; 18th percentile and accepted into top 25. Fuck that test. It's bullshit, so much.
Ha!!! I, too, will boast my 18th percentile!
Buuut, I guess if the OP feels like she'll have a better shot with higher subject GRE scores, my advice would be to study verse forms as much as possible. The subject GRE I took last October was laden with questions about meter, rhythmic, and the like. I was very very unprepared for these sorts of questions.
Good luck!
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Sorry, I totally didn't mean for my comment to come off as snarky as it did!!! I guess I was just clarifying if we meant the same school or if I misunderstood the rankings; I definitely know what you mean, like if you're merely comparing it to, say UC Berkeley or Harvard or something!
Haha! No worries at all, you didn't come off as snarky. I was just worried that I had (which was not my intention at all!).
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How is CUNY a "safety school" by any standards? Isn't it ranked in the top 25?
Well I was referring in comparison to top tier schools. However, notice how I put "safety school" in quotations to denote that the term was not accurate.
I recently visited CUNY and they have a fantastic English department with very happy and friendly grad students. I meant nothing bad by my comment.
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- Apply to a wide range of schools because there really is no such thing as a “safety” school. Some folks will disagree with this, but my advice would be to not limit yourself to “top ranked” programs. Focus on schools with strong placement records that really are a great fit for you. And on that note...
This is so very true! Really, I've known many people who have gotten into Ivy Leagues but have been rejected by "safety schools" like, for instance, CUNY. I applied to eleven schools (which is a lot) because I honestly didn't think I had much of a chance in hell and I wanted to just "go big" while I was doing it. I got into five top programs with full funding, so I am so glad I didn't follow my original plan to apply only to "safer" schools.
More things I learned:
-This has undoubtedly been stated already, but again, GRE scores are in no way as important as SoP and academic potential. I did not do very well in my GREs and I did horribly on my English Subject GRE. Didn't seem like an issue.
-Your research and writing samples do not have to be perfect. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Committees want to see that you are able to conduct research, that you have strong analytical skills, and that you are capable of putting it all together into a coherent paper. It's more about your potential for good scholarship, I think...
-Rejections don't mean you aren't good enough. At one of the schools I was accepted, my POI told me that because he and the other faculty members in my subfield had been more or less on leave , the English department had not accepted applicants who studied my specific century in 2 years.. Rejections sometimes have nothing to with you or your credentials.
-Flexibility is key. Be prepared to abandon your dream school for one you never thought you would love! I was admitted into my two dream schools, but now, after doing my campus visits, it seems another school is a far better fit for me than those two.
-I am living proof that you don't need to come from a fancy, big-name undergraduate school or have recommendation letters from superstars to make it grad school!
Wish you all the best of luck! Oh, and don't make my mistake: English Subject GREs are only offered twice (sometimes 3 times) a year, so make sure you register in time!!
- Dr. Old Bill and gk210
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Hello all, after my open house visit I am seriously considering UPenn. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments about living in Center City/University City (are these two the same thing?) VS. living in West Philly? I heard the City area has only apartments and is a bit more expensive, while West Philly has houses and might be cheaper. Is this true?
Also, is the area safe?
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Just curious, but for those who heard back--did you apply for English or Comp Lit?
I just applied for English.
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Thanks for the information! Gah, I thought that I demonstrated similar aspects as well. It's so hard to know how they make these decisions. Do you mind sharing why you think your LOR are particularly excellent? I guess I don't understand how to gauge that. I mean, my letter writers knew me really well, said positive things, and one of them was from Oxford, so that has to mean something. Also, I'm curious what type of undergrad institution you went to because maybe that is a factor.
Well, I guess I don't know for sure. All three of the professors who wrote me letters know me very well and were able to bouche for my hard work, and all that. They're on different stages of their career and from different disciplines (1 full English prof., 1 assistant English prof., and 1 associate History prof.), I don't know if that made a big difference, but maybe having a History professor recommend me shows my range?
I did read one of the letters and I thought it was amazingly written, and really showed why I'm "great" instead of just going on about how great I am. You get me?
In the end, though, this whole process is so unpredictable so there's no telling what departments want. I know several cases where people get into the top Ivy League schools, but don't make it into the CUNY Grad Center...
As for my undergrad institution, I went to a very unimpressive public school. Nothing fancy at all.
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Ah, okay! Yep, that's what I got. Congratulations on your Columbia acceptance though!
Sorry to hijack this thread-- but yes, usually colleges have offered to pay transportation and put me up at either a hotel or with a graduate student. Cornell being the only exception to that so far.
Thank you!! There's actually a good chance I won't make it up to Cornell for the open house since it coincides with Columbia's, but I might go the following there or something.
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Hi ReadingLisa-- just curious, did Cornell offer to pay for your transportation? I wasn't really sure with them, and I don't know if I should ask or not.
I actually just checked the email, and no they never mentioned transportation costs. They did offer to pay for two-nights lodgings though.
Classes begin on August 27th, should I have found a place to live by now???
in Officially Grads
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THANK YOU! I've been stressing out so much about this.