Yanaka

True. I hadn't thought of the quarantine issue. I don't think passports are that much over here, but maybe that was only the European one. Anyway I can't imagine couch surfing while looking for places, and having a cat to drag with me. That doesn't sound like a conscientious and animal-loving plan... Plus what happens if I find a place to live from here, and then it was a scam! Yikes! I loved taking the train with one of our kitties I used to keep with me in Strasbourg. He didn't mind it that much, he would pop his head out of the carrier and look outside the window. Good ol' days. What haven't you gotten your pet deposit back? Because the landlord(s) were living up to landlords' general reputation?

Understood. But that is not the norm, right? Some places don't ask for addition rent or deposit? Over here in France, unless you have a "categorized" dog e.g. a pit-bull and such, or if it's a furnished place, the landlord has no say. You can have whatever pet you want and how many you want, free of charge. Boo!

What do you mean not looking forward to moving with them? Have they taken over? ;-) Okay, this is somewhat reassuring. I'm almost tempted to adopt a cat and fly out to the US with it afterwards. But I'm a decent human being. I'll wait.

But Murphy is glad you're taking care of him, otherwise he might have never found someone! @Pink Fuzzy Bunny I'm also interested in the subject. I really miss having a cat (my mom has a few but they hate being in an apartment) and I'm waiting until I know if I move to the US or not to decide on adopting a rescue in the US. Unless a very sad, abandoned, hungry and cold French kitty happens to have NO OTHER solution but me. Anyway-- So student housing is a no-no except if you have a doctor's note, right? Are there any other members who can attest that it's not that hard to find pet-friendly rentals? Are they almost systematically more expensive, or is it often reflected upon the deposit?

For anyone interested, I found another topic on this forum: Funny, there is so much info on so many topics over here

Dear all, I am asking because I was about to adopt a cat before the owners were finally found. Although I miss having a kitty, I know it's not very smart to adopt an animal when I don't even know where I'll end up and, more specifically, how easy it will be to find a pet-friendly apartment in the US. So to vent some of my frustration, I thought I'd ask here: how likely are apartment owners to accept a cat or two or any other animal in said apartment? Is rent higher in these places?

@LouisePlease I'd have said yes they mean POI's but apparently I'm wrong?

Tough situation. I'm sure you'll be ok in the end, hang in there. Recieved an email from Duke saying that the translations of my transcripts were missing (although they were there): freaked. Received one from Berkeley thanking everyone and congratulating us for our smarts: feaked. Said answers should be before December 1st.

I'm team Magoosh!

Yay for this topic.

I am truly very sorry for what happened to you. It's awful, I hope you have friends or someone to talk to... Feel free to pm me, of course. You are very strong.

What's up? Are you still waiting for them to submit their LOR's? I'm taking Columbia off my list. I need to concentrate on my finals, and I just don't have the right feeling with what I'm finding on their websites!

Hi, Noisette @haselnuss Thank you for your offer! I will take you up on that. Being the very curious person that i am, would you mind giving me a few hints on who and what you wish to work on? It's always so bizarre to meet a non-francophone person studying French! Although you could be francophone!!

Hey @AP there is absolutely no problem, your post is very relevant. I'm currently swamped with finals so I haven't yet pondered all the info you two gave me, but I will come back to you. In the meantime, I thank you very much for your help and your time. It's already helped me decipher the different terms and guidelines. You've also given me names, that's really cool. I also have trouble with understanding what I am able to do from my position as a US citizen who's almost always lived abroad. It's a completely new system for me, and I don't how I am considered: a US citizen yes, but with an international background nonetheless. This has been weird for the whole application process actually, because there are often questions that I don't know how to answer. However, I need to sit down and skim and read through all of this stuff, first. Thank you again

May I ask what sorts of conversations and questions are brought up during the interview? What is at stake?

Well now I have the feeling I'm definitely out of the picture

I guess it's helpful information but it's making me very anxious now.

I have contacted Grad offices and professors. The offices have systematically told me that either I'm welcome to contact the profs but it's okay if they don't answer (so contact per se is not really that determining) or specifically to not do so (because they already have a lot of emails and it's probably a waste of time for them to help students who might not even be admitted). The prof. who answered was very nice, but told me this: "I don't' at all mind your reaching out to me; X works a bit differently I suspect than universities you are used to, so when you apply you need only mention professors you would like to work with," Which I have interpreted as "we don't need to talk before you are actually admitted".

@Wyatt's Terps well you see that's something I don't know how to deal with. If we're not supposed to email the POIs, and if the websites don't give that kind of info, what should I do to know what their current research is? And even if I know the current topic they're working on, I don't know how they are approaching it or what will be in their research... Doesn't their past research indicate the fundamentals of their thought? @Steve2016 I designated three, but I feel I had more in common with Dr Moi's work

Which programs are you applying to? I applied to Duke, too!! Yes it most certainly makes a big difference. For instance, I'm worried I've misunderstood their concepts and arguments because I haven't read absolutely everything

*insert grain of salt here* I can't tell you if it's the right move or not, but I get what I can and what is relevant to my project out of my school's library and either skim through it or read chapters and intro/conclusion. Then I take notes that I re-write afterwards in the SoP. Overall I spend a few days on each faculty and I wish I could do more, but it's already eating some of the scarce time I have for school and finals. Even if I might be wrong on how I personally speak to faculty's works in my SOP, I think nobody should compose an exposé of the POIs' works. First of all because the SOP has its length limitations anyway, and secondly I don't think you're expected to write like five paragraphs (to speak hyperbolically) on them. You're still the most important actor of your SOP and your ideas should come from you, not only from your research! *insert other grain of salt here*

Thanks @BlackRosePhD for the encouragement, yes I'll leave them as they are. Plus, the reviews could have started and they might not be able to update my file, so... I dreamt Duke sent me an admissions offer and was so excited by my profile that they did so only a few days after I submitted my app. Was an awesome feeling, but I was really disappointed to wake up.

Wow thank you @TakeruK!! Your answer is really helpful in explaining the basics and guiding me towards how and what I should look for! I'll definitely be sniffing around and will share the info. Thanks @GradStudentFinances (very straightforward pseudonym!), I'll look into your website, too.

Dear all, I am posting this because I am starting to understand that even if I do get into a Ph.D. program, their funding and stipend might not guarantee that I will live "comfortably" (as in can survive without too many sacrifices). From some of your posts, I also understand that funding varies and since my "GPA" and GREs are not the most competitive, I might not receive something that survivable (provided I am offered admission somewhere -- if the mighty gods of the adcomm hear me and think I lack modesty and prudence). Parallel to my googling this stuff, I thought I could try and ask for help from actual people. - does it happen that a candidate is admitted to a program but the funding is not enough for living expenses (rent, food, food, food, food - food - etc.)? - as I said, I am starting to understand that I shouldn't rely on the program/school's funding alone, and should actually be sniffing around for outside awards: do I understand correctly? Are there any incompatibilities between outside fundings and program funding that I should be aware of? - are the awards the same as grants? Like grants for vegetarians, grants for women, grants for people with two big toes... (no offense, I think toes are awesome) This would be the only questions for now. Since it's all obscure, I don't really know what to ask yet. Thanks ! NB: I am not a toe fetish. Again, no offense.

I am too. Well it's justified on my part: it's my first round so I've made mistakes, and I am very tempted to try and update some of my documents I sent to Berkeley. But it's important that I let go, now. I have other applications to send out and I have finals coming...