britt450

Hi all! I attended UF for undergrad, so I can throw my 2 cents in for housing: The Duck Pond Neighborhood is a historic district just NE of downtown that is mostly faculty/families with a few graduate students. The houses are big Queen Anne style beauties, and some of them have been split into apartments. This might be a little pricier than the aforementioned student ghettos that are directly north and directly east of campus, but it's also quieter and probably cleaner. More info here: http://www.gainesvil...21000?p=1&tc=pg http://www.afn.org/~savanna/duck2.htm duckpond apartments (fancy): http://www.regentsparkcondo.net/ (a few of these are listed for rent on craigslist). I lived off campus for 3 years, in 3 different apartments/houses, and never felt like I was in a horrible neighborhood. I also lived across the street from these apartments (http://www.trimarkproperties.com/heritage_oaks_apartments_in_gainesville_florida/) my senior year and would often look at them with envy. Really nice apartments, super quiet cul-de-sac. I think the main thing to keep in mind is that anything cheap and close to campus is going to be A. full of undergrads, and B. not kept up the same way that family housing is. If you're willing to pay more, you can get a nice place that's close, and if you're willing to live a little farther from campus, you can probably find a nicer place on the cheap.

Hi! I'm not sure if you're looking for advice or just poll votes, but... As a current resident of Minneapolis who didn't apply at the Humphey and who did apply at SPEA, I'll weigh in. I've been living in Minneapolis for 2 years, and really, really like the city. I think (unless you've visited) that is is probably larger/more urban that you're picturing. 3 million isn't huge, but it isn't peanuts either. The Humphrey's public policy program is a great program, and I totally would have stayed here, but their environmental policy offerings are pretty weak compared to other schools, and enviro policy is what I want to do. Based on sheer size of the job market, and the fact that the U of Mn isn't the only economic driver in the Twin Cities (as opposed to IU and Bloomington), I think it would probably be easier for you to find a part time job or internship while in school. However, if you are looking for a summer internship where you can travel, my impression is that SPEA has significant networks in Chicago and DC, and that the career services dept. is very helpful with intern placement. In regards to postgrad opportunities, what I've heard (and this may or may not be 100% accurate), is that the Humphrey's career networks are either regional (read: in Mn) or in DC, and that SPEA's networks are in Chicago and DC. I also get the feeling that SPEA is a little more well known on a national level, but again, I could be wrong... Good luck making your decision