davet73

I lived in Orlando for over 20 years so I will weigh in. Winter Park is nice, but the commute can depend on where you live in Winter Park. If you live near downtown (off of Fairbanks), the commute can be quite a pain sometimes when it switches over to Aloma. Also, it can get quite expensive in that part as far as rent. If you do find some places with cheaper rent, there is a possibility that they could be retirement communities. I used to live at Whisper Lakes Apartments near the intersection of 436 and University, and the commute to UCF was easy (though I never attended UCF, so I don't know what it is like around campus during rush hours). Another option is anything along the Greenway. I lived most of my life in the Dr. Phillips area (which I love), and when I used to go to Valencia Community College East Campus, it would only take me 30 minutes from DPHS via the Beachline (or the Beeline for us old timers). Though in recent years, the Beachline has been backing up at I-Drive. Whatever you do, try to avoid I-4 at all costs. My personal opinion, I would look for apartments on 436 between University Blvd. and Casselberry, or on Alafaya between the UCF and Oviedo.

Sorry to say, but you are going to be out of luck on this one. Most elevation changes happen south of Effingham. Any place that has a river does have some changes, but only right next to the river. But, yeah, it is farmland for as far as the eye can see (and as far as the car can drive on a tank of gas).

I am speaking as a Chicago native and not as a UIC, UChicago or Northwestern student. As for UChicago, make sure you know where you are looking. To the west of campus is the Washington Park neighborhood, which is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the Chicagoland area. If anyone is looking for places to share, Wrigleyville can have some decent deals (with rooms at about $700/month). If you are open to renting a room instead of having your own apartment, that is always an option. Also, Wrigleyville makes it easy to get to all three campuses via the CTA. Then you have Lincoln Park, near DePaul, which is just a tad bit pricier than Wrigleyville. If you want to be in a place with a lot of shopping, parks, cafes and whatnot, go to Lincoln Park. If you want to have bars and Cubs games, go to Wrigleyville. Both are places that are great for young people, but I would say that Wrigleyville is more for the party types. But you don't have to go into the city either. If you can get a place close to a Metra station, the suburbs can save you quite a bit of money. I lived most of my life in the suburbs in the northwest (Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Algonquin). These are nice places to live, but don't have great access to Metra stations. In DuPage County, you will have better luck with Metra station locations. It can take about an hour via the Metra to get into town, but you don't have to deal with traffic. The Metra is a better choice for those going to UIC, but not as much for the other campuses.

Thanks, Will you be going to McGill or one of the other universities on your list?

I know it is like craigslist, but what is the reputation? Craiglist's reputation is garbage. Is kijiji any better?

I think if you had experience in the field it will help. I have over 21 years work (paid) experience in political campaigns and election (and my focus is voting behavior). I think this experience helped quite a bit. But again, I think the field needs to be closely related.

Thanks, Hopeful. I was thinking of driving up there in July actually. Also, I was wondering about listings on kijiji? We don't have that here in the US, so I don't know its reputation.

So, any advice from anyone on looking for a place to stay? I live in Illinois and will probably not be in Montreal until mid-August. I am weary of finding a place online, but I also am afraid that if I wait until the last minute that I will have a horrible selection. Any advice?

Hey Pinkmint, I still have to wait for my US financial aid before I can apply for my CAQ. I have heard that is takes 3-5 weeks.

I have been accepted to McGill's MA program. I would be interested in talking to other new poli sci students at McGill (especially since I am an international student).

I think it depends on the situation. But first, let me address APSA. I went to it last year because I only live two hours away from Chicago, so it was a nice weekend vacation for me. Overall, I did not find it to be helpful. I also did the same with MPSA in Chicago last month. In this case it was a little easier because I had already been admitted to a graduate program, so I introduced myself to some of my future professors and grad students. As far as contacting professors, I think it has to do with the situation. Last year I was doing a research paper regarding voting behavior in a particular region (which will be my MA and PhD focus as well). There was one professor who had written extensively on this region, and I contacted him to ask about literature regarding a recent election. He emailed me back (this was in October) and gave me some soon-to-be published works that he had done on this particular election. In January, I decided to apply to the university that he teaches at, and was accepted in March. When I was accepted, I contacted him (reminding him who I was), and asking him if he would need a research assistant for the upcoming year. He was more than happy to hire me for the position (pending grant approval) In addition, I have done some addition research on the subject that I initially contacted him about in October, and have had an open line to him regarding information. I think the key was that I contacted him about a subject that I am passionate about first, with no ulterior motives. Therefore, when I was accepted, communication was quite easy. I think if I would have gone the other direction, and purely contacted him as a prospective student, it might have been different.