FiberPotter

Hi, all, I grew up in Bowling Green, OH and have lived here or within the area for most of my life. Bowling Green is one of THE safest cities you could ever hope for. Though we certainly have the occasional car break-in, alcohol-related incident, and (sadly) sexual assault (mostly on campus, it seems), the murder rate is so low it doesn't even register. Maybe one every 20 years. The neighborhoods surrounding campus can get a little "wild" on weekends, of course, as they are largely student-populated. But the suburban neighborhoods on the west side of town are the kind where you can walk your dog at 3:00 AM and nobody will bother you. If you want a party lifestyle, BG might be a tad boring, though the bars downtown do get quite lively. However, if you're a grad student or young professor looking for a safe place to raise a family, this is the town in which to do it. I'll admit that in my 20s I got very bored and moved to a very big city for the excitement. BG is a great place for raising kids and for growing older due to its safety. The cost of living isn't bad, either. While a $14,000 doctoral stipend (2019) is not a lot, with roommates and conservative living, one can survive. There are also plenty of retail establishments and restaurants seeking part-time workers. As there is no public transportation system aside from a taxi service, if you wanted to Uber or Lyft, you could earn extra that way. Yes, it's flatlands and cornfields. Yes, we are known for hosting the National Tractor Pull in August (on BGSU move-in weekend, for some ridiculous reason). Yes, the summers are humid and the winters can be horrendous (but not Minnesota horrendous)--it's the wind and the wind chills more than anything, and the lack of wind breaks. But it's a safe, small college town with a nice campus and good programs, and hey, it's only for 2-5 years, right?

I'm in the bizarre position of being the graduate secretary for a state university AND a potential graduate student (though it won't be with my university, they don't offer both of my fields) and I handle grad apps for three degrees including a PhD program. The best advice I can offer would be to contact the universities in which you're interested, prior to applying, and ask whether they would consider an application from someone without a Masters, and what factors might make them more inclined to look at an applicant coming straight out of a Bachelor's degree. It is very rare that our PhD program will consider an application from someone without a Masters. Yet, last year, we had two such cases apply to our PhD program. One was actually considered based on the strength of the application but in the end, was not offered admission; the other was encouraged to apply to the Masters first, initially did so, then later withdrew when accepted by another school. You may be in luck, given your strengths, depending upon where you apply. Good luck!