mae

I had a University lose half my application--specifically my GRE's and transcripts. They sent me a letter after decisions were made to tell me that I had submitted an incomplete application. I called them to ask them what was missing, they told me my GRE's and transcripts, I responded saying that I had receipts proving that I had submitted them. The coordinator said that I didn't send it. I asked for the phone number of the graduate school, I called them, they had a record of my GRE's and transcripts, the graduate school apologized profusely and then contacted the coordinator of the program i applied to--she said that they would not reconsider my application because decisions had been made. Finally, I emailed the director of the graduate program I was applying to (he was faculty, the coordinator was the secretary). I told him what had happened and the steps I had taken. He hadn't heard a word about this, though the coordinator told me she would talk to him. They reconsidered my application and made me an offer, but were not able to provide me with funding--they had given it all away. At least they refunded my application fee, and if I ever choose to apply for any program at this school, I won't have to pay an application fee. Long story short, I went home and received an email from UMD with a much better offer than what I would have received from the other school.

UMD Polysci. 20k fellowship for the first year, 15.7 K assistantship for the next four years

oh totally, after speaking to some of my cohort and researching the current grad students I've realized that I'm likely the youngest and least experienced of my year--I'm going straight out of undergrad. I've also been coming to the realization in the last year that my undergrad education has really no relation to what I will be studying in grad school--I'm interested in quant IR. I'm convinced that maryland accidentally mixed my application up with someone else's and thinks I'm somebody much more impressive.

oh totally, after speaking to some of my cohort and researching the current grad students I've realized that I'm likely the youngest and least experienced of my year--I'm going straight out of undergrad. I've also been coming to the realization in the last year that my undergrad education has really no relation to what I will be studying in grad school--I'm interested in quant IR. I'm convinced that maryland accidentally mixed my application up with someone else's and thinks I'm somebody much more impressive.

oh totally, after speaking to some of my cohort and researching the current grad students I've realized that I'm likely the youngest and least experienced of my year--I'm going straight out of undergrad. I've also been coming to the realization in the last year that my undergrad education has really no relation to what I will be studying in grad school--I'm interested in quant IR. I'm convinced that maryland accidentally mixed my application up with someone else's and thinks I'm somebody much more impressive.

I'll officially be attending the University of Maryland, sub-field IR. FEAR THE TURTLE! (that cracks me up)

my parents are both professors, my mother had me her last year of grad school. They both have tenure, and my mom actually has to commute to work--they're at diff. universities--hers is two hours away from where we live so she has a little house up there. its worked out really well, i wouldn't be concerned

The undergrads usually just party in downtown Iowa City. They can't easily get to coralville---nobody wants to drive drunk. I haven't commuted from coralville via public transportation myself--i know its possible with iowa city transporation, I dont' think it is with UIowa transportation--personally, I find that I get really nauseaus via busses so I avoid it. I don't really know of anyone that takes the bus regularly from coralville to iowa city--if they live in coralville, they usually have a car. Biking isn't really plausible from cville to iowa city--it would be a pretty long ride with all of your textbooks and the like, not to mention, you can't really bike from november through march. The horror stories you hear about the snow in Iowa are very accurate. I swear the period from early December to Mid-February is just one long, horrible blizzard. Especially this last winter. It actually can be quite amusing--there's a really large hill on campus, when its snowy out the busses have to serpentine across the road to get up the hill (often they end up sliding back down)

Hey, I'm an undergrad at Iowa. Regarding those discussing housing options--the downtown area is obscenely noisy (I live right downtown and constantly have to listen to drunk college students screaming and sirens, you'd think we didn't live in the middle of where-the-fuck-are-you, midwest.) Nevertheless, the winters are bad enough that I think its better to live downtown and put up with the noise rather than have to walk to class in during the middle of January. There's also very little in the way of parking--and its expensive, so you don't want to have to drive to class. I have a single with Apartments Near Campus--I've been living there for two years. Originally I liked the apartment company, however recently the security has gone to hell. We have homeless people sleeping in the laundry room in my apartment building, and I've had two of them try to break into my apartment (they got halfway through the door before I pushed them out). Even though Iowa City is a relatively rural, we still have a rather extensive homeless problem. Anyways, when I informed the apartment company what had happened, and asked them to get better locks on the building (any key opens any of ANC's apt buildings) they told me they weren't responsible for security concerns. You might want to avoid them.

Hey, I'm an undergrad at Iowa. Regarding those discussing housing options--the downtown area is obscenely noisy (I live right downtown and constantly have to listen to drunk college students screaming and sirens, you'd think we didn't live in the middle of where-the-fuck-are-you, midwest.) Nevertheless, the winters are bad enough that I think its better to live downtown and put up with the noise rather than have to walk to class in during the middle of January. There's also very little in the way of parking--and its expensive, so you don't want to have to drive to class. I have a single with Apartments Near Campus--I've been living there for two years. Originally I liked the apartment company, however recently the security has gone to hell. We have homeless people sleeping in the laundry room in my apartment building, and I've had two of them try to break into my apartment (they got halfway through the door before I pushed them out). Even though Iowa City is a relatively rural, we still have a rather extensive homeless problem. Anyways, when I informed the apartment company what had happened, and asked them to get better locks on the building (any key opens any of ANC's apt buildings) they told me they weren't responsible for security concerns. You might want to avoid them.

Hey, I'm planning on attending UMD-college park, PhD in political science. (pending the Peace Corps making me an offer before the 4/15 application deadline, and let's be realistic: it ain't gunna happen.) Anyways, does anybody know of good housing options, preferably close to campus, relatively cheap, and a single. Let me know, Mae