Glitter1nTheAir

There are almost always places available to rent in Seattle, and honestly if you look now (unless it's something like an arrangement with another grad student who already lives here, like me) the listing you're looking at probably won't still be available in the fall, but it can't hurt to look and get an idea of what neighborhoods generally cost what amount.
 
When I buy a place I'll post the neighborhood and exact rent but my only real requirements for a roommate (putting this out there for anyone) is that he or she is generally quiet between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM and is OK with keeping the lights in the common rooms off during that time. 

I'm officially going to UW now. Fell back in love with them at the visit day. So I'm a Husky! Hope to hear from other future Huskies soon  

Oh wow.. GOOD LUCK
 
Last night I had a crazy dream that involved me registering for all the wrong classes for my first quarter at grad school.

I want to know if the weather/rain really is as bad as people day it is. I've only really ever lived in California (mostly southern CA, 4 years northern CA for undergrad + 1 semester in Sydney), so dealing with rain is somewhat foreign to me.
 
It seems silly (don't judge me) but how to dress in the rain is a concern of mine... Like, if I have to go somewhere in professional attire and it's raining - do I wear rain-resistant shoes and bring some more professional shoes with me to change into? I would wear rain boots sometimes in the Bay Area but I eventually stopped because I hate wearing rain boots and just dealt with ruining a pair of normal boots and the wet socks. 
 
 
Also, I was thinking of going up there toward the end of August/first week of September and staying with a friend of mine while looking for housing so I can check out places in person. Does that seem like a good idea or should I be looking for housing sooner rather than waiting until I'm actually in Seattle?

Hi divertan,
 
Perhaps you can also post in the Government Affairs board http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/11-government-affairs/
 
It looks like there are plenty of aspiring MPP members who are there
 
Good luck with your app!

I don't think anyone "sneaks" into these programs or just gets in "by the skin of their teeth", and I certainly don't think applicants should view admission offers that way. Starting a rigorous program feeling like you are in some way less qualified or deserving than other students is not a recipe for success.
 
I see it as binary: you're either accepted or not. No shades of gray. If you're offered admission to a graduate program, it's because they want you there and you deserve to be there. It doesn't do you any good to say "I suck, I can't believe program X would want me!". It's more beneficial to be thankful for your offer, to be forward-thinking, and to start your program in the right mindset.

Sorry to spam the thread, but I just had a conversation with Barry from the admissions office and wanted update everyone.
 
I emailed Barry and got a very detailed response in less than two hours. He also returned a call I had placed to him, and wanted to speak to me directly even though he already responded to my email. He let me know that since there was no mention of funding in my acceptance email, that meant that I was not awarded any funding. He did give me a lot of information regarding assistantships, fellowships, etc...
 
I just want to take a second and acknowledge how great Barry is. Even though I wasn't awarded any funding, he took the time to reply to me via phone and email. Not only did he reply quickly (even though he's probably very busy this time of year), but he was extremely helpful and friendly. That's the second time I've talked to Barry and the second time I've been blown away with how awesome he is. I've had the opposite experience with several other schools, where calls simply go unreturned and if you actually reach someone, you're treated like a burden rather than a potential student. I know it doesn't have a lot to do with the education I'd receive at UW, but dealing with someone like Barry really gives me positive feelings about Evans.

As cliche as this is going to sound you need to be where you're going to be happy. If that means taking out the loan then so be it.

I had a dream that I got pregnant and had to choose between having a baby and going to grad school... 

I was really worried about my undergrad academics as well - 3.16 cumulative GPA / 2.7 major GPA (BA Integrative Biology) and did not have a letter of rec from an academic source. 
 
Was I sure surprised when I heard back from my first choice school (UW Evans) - an acceptance with a good amount of funding!
 
I did do reasonably well on the GRE - 161 V, 162 Q, 4.5 W and had gained some experience with student organizations while in undergrad and am currently in AmeriCorps (I applied with not even a year of full time work experience). I'm SURE your work experience will add a lot to your application.
 
Hopefully this makes you feel better about your chances to not only get in, but get funding

I dreamed that there was a gradcafe used by all of the adcoms at various schools/programs, and they were talking about us (the applicants) and their chances of getting us to accept their admissions offers.
My top choice school called me their "safety".