Danger_Zone

Seriously Lana, call Kenny Loggins because you're in the Danger Zone....

I've had mine for three years and I have no complaints. Still running strong.
Mine is surprisingly sturdy.

Yeah, I would wait and see. Did the school specifically request a bank statement from you for X dollars? If not, you might not even need to show your savings, if your TAship + tuition waiver meets the determined minimum funding required for your program. For us Canadians, there is no real rush to get our I-20s because we don't need to get a visa prior to moving to the US. We would just need the I-20 to officially enter on F-1 status and we do this at the border. You would want your I-20 a little bit before you leave so you can pay SEVIS fee (you need your I-20 numbers to do this). But basically, as long as you get it about a week before you plan to enter the US, you will be fine. This leaves lots of time for back and forth between the school and you to get all the documents right. 

^ That.  The magic of being Canadian is that we get to skip the visa process.
As threatening as my offer letter sounded when it comes to documentation, delaying on some of the I-20 related docs most likely won't be a dealbreaker for any students.  At this point the university wants you.  They'll work with you to make sure you've provided everything required.  The school I'll be attending has some strange document requirements (why on earth would I need to send my physical degree parchment, it's written right on my transcripts!), but I've been in contact with them enough that they're clarifying requirements fairly well.  Keep in touch with the school and they'll help you.
As for the signed/stamped balance statement, any teller at a bank can print one off for you.  It took me five minutes at my Scotiabank branch.  But I'd wait, if they ask for the documentation, send them your GRA appointment letter and ask if that's enough, if they still insist on a statement/letter provide one.

I have a chromebook and its really convenient and light. Especially since windows office has an online version now. Its super easy for typing notes, now i jusy wish i typed better. 

I asked about Chromebooks and got some good reccs starting on  page 13 of this thread

Someone I went to high school with whom I'm friends with on Facebook is very anti-Bernie Sanders. She likes to post a lot of stuff about how Bernie Sanders supporters are freeloaders who want everyone else to pay for their free benefits like education, healthcare, etc. So I engaged her in some conversation about it (which was quite civil), and someone else jumped in and said that low-wage workers get great state-funded health insurance that's better than the insurance he gets at his good job. So I brought up the point that while doing my masters, I was eligible for state-funded health insurance but the state didn't have the funding available to give it to me so I was without insurance for two years and many of my friends were in similar situations (and thus, not everybody making low wages has health insurance). So the woman I initiated the conversation with said that getting a graduate degree is a luxury and she shouldn't have to pay higher taxes so someone could pursue a higher education (and that's pretty much a direct quote).
So what do you all think? Is a graduate degree a luxury? What makes an undergraduate degree not a luxury? I haven't asked her yet why she doesn't mind that her existing taxes go towards the stipends and health insurance of many graduate students (though indirectly). But any thoughts?

I don't know if I would classify it as a luxury, I think of it as an added certification so someone can be more knowledgeable in their chosen profession. Then again I think an educated population, learning a trade, going to undergrad/grad school, taking certified exams, is necessary if we want to maintain a thriving society. I'm very fortunate because my parents have been able to help pay for my schooling. I'm not religious but I believe in helping people because its the right thing to do. I like some states' model on education, if you have a certain gpa, the state will help pay for you to go to school. If that means I have to pay extra in taxes, so be it.

This.
My partner doesn't drive... and his taxes fund the roads and public transportation equally (well proportionally) despite the fact that he only uses one. That doesn't make driving on roads a luxury. 
We don't have children... and don't plan to. But our taxes help fund children's education. That doesn't make basic education a luxury.
Neither of us has ever to my knowledge been a small 4 legged furry child... but our tax dollars pay for the shelters in our city (which they should - poor kitties). Doesn't make helping defenseless animals a luxury. 
Just like grad school... none of these things are necessary to survive and are perks of living in a developed country. But that doesn't make them luxuries. 

Economically, an education is worth more to society than it is to the individual, which is why it is subsidized.  Personally, I am a big fan of programs that pay for education, as long as the students are held to a GPA standard and scholastic rigor is not deminished. (AKA no grade inflation )  However, instead of paying for *everyone* to go to post-secondary school, we should improve the quality of a K-12 education. Currently our workforce is overeducated, but lack the real world skills to be productive members of society.  People are having to spend more time in school for ever diminishing returns for doing so. 
I do think that some undergrad degrees should be considered a luxury instead of a necessity.  I think that people should consider their economic future before they get to self actualize in some philosophy program somewhere.
(The real problem with Bernie is that his plan increases the supply of college educated students, while placing hiring pressures on the employers (in the form of mandatory healthcare provision), which reduces the demand for said students.   I wouldnt mind paying for it if I thought it would help, but it is a recipe for disaster. Also, I personally am a fan of universal healthcare, but that we should remove the burden from companies and have the government itself provide the healthcare coverage.)

Well, to be fair, she actually does a masters degree, but she earned it part time while working full time and I believe her employer paid for part of it.
Yes, Bernie's proposal is limited to undergrad as far as I know... she is against that part of Bernie's plan, too, but in this context she was really just referring to people who work full-time towards a graduate degree who need some form of government assistance while they do so (and she is opposed to paying taxes for this). Her rationale is that after you get your undergraduate degree, you should immediately get a job (which in theory comes with benefits like health insurance) and if you choose to get a graduate degree, it is a luxury so you aren't entitled to any sort of government assistance like publicly-funded healthcare.
 
I'm on board with both of you. While a graduate degree (or even an undergraduate degree) is not a necessity, it improves the lives of the individuals pursuing it and more education generally equates to a better society. Plus I don't think receiving training that will increase your earning potential can legitimately be considered a luxury even if that wasn't true. Perhaps if someone was working in the medical field and decided to get a masters degree in philosophy or Russian literature for their personal enrichment, then we could call it a luxury. However, most people get graduate degrees in their field (or a field they would like to switch to), which makes them better qualified for better-paying positions, and that is not a luxury situation. I also would be quite happy to pay taxes once I get into my career - I'm all for using tax money for social programs.
I think the real motivation behind this particular woman's opinions doesn't have to do with anti-intellectual feelings (although I agree that many people are opposed to education funding for that very reason). We went to a surprisingly good public high school, and she's been through graduate school herself. However, I think her actual motivations reflect a certain segment of society - people who come from wealthier families and earn a decent amount of money and don't want that money taken away, especially to benefit the lower rungs of society. The town I grew up in was populated primarily by doctors, dentists, tenured professors, architects - basically people with high-earning professions and big houses. A lot of my classmates got free rides to college - either through scholarships or more commonly because their parents had the money to pay for their education. So now these people have careers, families, and little to no student loan debt - and they have no idea what it means to be burdened by student loans, having to work to pay their way through college, or even just having to stay sick because you can't afford to go to the doctor.  The woman in question is living a pretty privileged life - her husband makes over $100k, she just had a baby and has become a stay at home mom, they don't have any major bills beyond their mortgage... and she's openly said that she feels like her lifestyle would be at risk with Bernie's tax plan.
It's true, though, one person's opinion will not end government funding of academia. I do, however, find it worrisome that so many people that I encounter are so strongly opposed to a tax plan that will go towards a lot of fantastic public programs like paid family and medical leave, healthcare, education, social security expansion, etc.  And of course there's the original topic - calling a graduate school a luxury and suggesting those who pursue it shouldn't get public assistance.

No idea if they have a wait list or not, but I just declined my offer from the University of Cincinnati.

Attending Purdue! Just made my official acceptance today.

Committed to the University of Oklahoma yesterday morning! So glad to have this process over with...

Since he was discussed fairly recently in this thread, I thought I'd chime in and say that I've found out that Jeffrey Selingo has a new book out in a few days, There is Life After College. I might have to pick it up considering how much I enjoyed College Unbound.
Nothing wrong with being well-prepared!  I'm very similar. I often plan months or years in advance. I don't feel as if I'm an overly intelligent or qualified individual, so I do everything in my power to ease my future life.

Attending Purdue! Just made my official acceptance today.

Attending Purdue! Just made my official acceptance today.

Great suggestion, I've searched just that and a number of highly rated books have come up. Guess my "to read" collection will be growing even more..

I'll be attending William and Mary. Anyone else?

Going to Northwestern! Amazing funding and great placement history but my field (East Asian history) is a relatively new program there with only a few placements. Hope I made the right decision...

For OP specifically--I've heard from an acquaintance who is near fluent in German that English Grammar for Students of German is an excellent resource.
More generally--I second grammar books if you're self-teaching. I would combine those with vocabulary practice, flash cards work for many people but I prefer using the words in sentences because if I don't apply it I won't remember it.
Once you have a decent grasp of a language, you'll need to be somewhat versed in its academese, as language exams involve translating an academic piece. I highly highly recommend spending a good chunk of time each week reading and translating scholarly articles and listening to the news in that language (the app TuneIn Radio is awesome).
How intensively you study should be determined based on if you'll actually use the language or are only checking off a requirement.

If you're learning another language for PhD reading/translation requirements, I strongly advise that you not take regular classes, buy software, or join clubs.
I struggled badly with a French translation class because I kept trying to fit the instruction into my previous French language course experience. Reading for translation is a completely different skill than learning how to speak the language.
Go to Amazon and find books on "[insert language] for Reading." You need to know the grammar rules and vocabulary for your field more so than understanding it like a foreign language speaker. Practicing translating German into English, and checking the accuracy will help you the best.

I'm not trying to denigrate anyone who is only gaining language proficiency to check off a requirement. The fact of the matter is, it behooves us all to make normative progress and part of doing that is jumping through the hoops of minors and language requirements. These can and should be meaningful to our work in some way, and for some of us will be quite important to our projects. But keeping the bigger picture of our dissertation in mind (which involves getting through the stuff keeping us from achieving ABD status as quickly as possible) should be our main task.
I also want to say that there are lots of online resources that might help you. At the very least there are free proficiency tests that aren't perfect but will give you an idea of how you're progressing.

Audible just released their "channels" to subscribers, and I noticed that two of them are dedicated to learning French and Spanish. I don't think there's German, but it's another resource, and I thought I'd mention it.  
No idea if they are any good. The channels released today, so I haven't had the chance to dig into the Spanish one to see how it is.

Well, the first thing is that schools (particularly graduate schools) often offer '____ language for reading knowledge' courses, which means it'll be an advanced/quicker class designed not for speaking but for academic reading. You should take advantage of this if you have the time in your new program. It'll take half the time or less than learning it in traditional LANG 101 classes.  You might be able to have an independent study with a professor in a language department if you don't have access to the academic reading classes.
You also might be able to get funding from your school to learn languages (I'm funded by my undergrad this summer to go to Germany and do an immersive German program), which is a super quick (and fun!) way to learn the language.
I have to warn you that I'm a Classicist, but I'm going to recommend those old hard-core grammar books for learning languages, if you're teaching yourself, especially for reading knowledge. I personally just like to have the conjugations presented to me, the uses of the subjunctive explained, etc. That said, if grammar isn't your thing or it scares you a bit, you might be better off with a newer book that focuses on practicing with sentences and doesn't directly explain grammar (this just drive me crazy, but everyone learns differently!). 
I would recommend against a Rosetta Stone approach--these programs are designed for daily conversation, which is not the grammar or standard vocabulary set that you need. I know you weren't leaning towards it, but just reaffirming!
So essentially, a lot of suggestions here depend on your situation. I know these aren't books--but maybe something to think about regardless