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Thanks a lot for your help. I hadn't think about sublets in that way :-D. I will keep looking for roommates on marketplace, but in case I fail to find a suitable apartment, do you think a shared apartment in the graduate housing of the school would be a good option? At least, it is $150 cheaper than the I-House. Thanks again

Dear pascal, Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Sorry for my late reply, I hadn't check the forum for a couple of weeks. I think every thing does seem reasonable about I-House, except the price. It is ~ $850 per month for a room and some communal spaces! In case I can't find a roommate in the next couple of days, do you think a shared apartment in the graduate housing of the university would be better option than the I-House? It is ~$700 per person in a 2BD apartment. I know the apartments are very simple, but at least I'm not paying too much. Best

Hi everybody, I'm an international student and I have never been to US. I have accpeted my offer of admission to UChicago for a Ph.D. program in Molecular Eng. and I'm considering my housing options now. (I want to spend about $800 on rent and utilities) As I'm kind of a social person and I don't like being alone, I prefer to have a roommate. But, if I apply for a shared apartment in the graduate housing of the university, I will end up with a random roommate, which I don't think would be a good idea, since we may not get along well. After reading the university website and this forum, I think I have three options. One is the International House, which I like the idea of getting to know many students and their cultures from different parts of the world in a friendly atmosphere. Also, I won't feel lonely besides having my privacy. The problem is I would have just one room, meaning that I have to share the kitchen and the bathroom with others. The other option would be applying for a studio in the graduate housing apartments, which I think will be a little depressing, especially during winter . The last option is looking for an apartment with roommates on the Marketplace or other websites (in the safer parts of the Hyde Park), which as I said is somehow risky regarding the house itself (as I can't check before my arrival) and the roommates. Ragarding the I-House, since the admission is a selective process, is it possible that my application may be rejected?! The reason that I'm asking is that to apply for the I-house I have to wait till mid-May to get my Student ID, but for the graduate apartments of the university I can apply now and it is not a selective process, and the sooner I apply the higher will be my chance of ending up with my desired building. I'm afraid that if I wait to apply for the I-House, I might lose both of my options in case my application gets rejected. What are the chances of one being accepted to I-House ? Also, do I have to pay the rent of the first quarter at the beginning or does it work on a monthly basis? I wanted to know which one of the above options do you recommend? And by any chance, are you or any of your friends looking for a roommate (it would be great if you are a UChicago grad student)? Thanks a lot for your help.

Thank you a lot TakeruK for your kind advice. Actually I have a final interview with a professor at the program tomorrow, in which I will say about my interest in doing a multidisciplinary research there and see what happens then. I guess that would be honest and fair.

Obviously the latter, that's why I am hesitating so much. I am trying to convince myself I am making the right decision by rejecting the offer

Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion. To be honest, I really don't like to enter a PhD program I'm not interested in much. I just wanted to consider all the possibilities

Thanks a lot. I didn't know you can apply for a second master degree! Indeed, it seems a good idea to bolster my background in biochemistry in the first couple of years for example by minoring in chemistry and then apply for a second master :-) the only problem is in that case I have to quit my direct Ph.D. program , wouldn't it be a problem especially at Caltech which rarely gives M.Sc degrees?

Thanks for your reply. The problem is that due to my background, I don't have any chances of getting into these programs directly, especially at Caltech. So I wondered maybe it will be possible to find advisor there willing to support me with an RA position and then requesting to change my program.

Could any of Caltech's students tell me about the procedure of program changing there, please? Do I have to officially apply to that program or is there an easier way to do so? Actually, I wanted to know what are my chances of changing my program from medical eng. to chemistry or cell biology (noting that my background is in engineering)? Thanks for the help.

Dear Fellows, I have been admitted to molecular engineering Ph.D. program at U of Chicago and interviewed for the medical engineering program at Caltech. Although my undergraduate is in engineering and all of my experience is with numerical methods, I prefer to do research in biochemistry/cell biology field using experimental methods in my graduate studies. The professors of both programs are awesome but the interdisciplinary nature of Chicago's program, which allows students to take courses from the biology and chemistry devisions, and the research theme there is closer to my interests. On the other hand, the research at the medical eng. program at Caltech is more focused on the "engineering" side of the bioengineering field which I'm not interested in much. Also, I guess the atmosphere at U of Chicago is happier and more friendly than Caltech. However, I have to admit that it is very difficult to say no to "Caltech". I wanted to ask for your suggestion regarding my choice. Besides does anyone know if it would be possible to change my program at Caltech to Chemistry or Cell Biology after I get there or not?! If it is so, then the situation is quite different. Thanks in advance for your help :-)