sweetchild

@feed.the.beat Congratulations!! USC is an awesome program!

So uh, April 6th has come and gone and still no word from Columbia. Anyone get a decision??

Yes, sorry, I did mean federal loans. I was notified about my financial aid package through an official letter (via email). Although previously I had been in contact with Dr. Nechyba directly and he seems very open to discuss need. To your point, yes I've also heard that they have a very limited budget as a new program so funding is tight.

Thanks! And no, there is no deposit (which I also found strange). I'm surprised you haven't heard back from MIDS about financial aid yet, but I do assume that you must have to hear something next week, what with the April 15th deadline and all. I know you can't just wait around and not prepare, but it's possible that your financial aid package could include some type of student loan, so you may not have to rely on the external banks in the end (trying to figure all this out myself). Good luck!

You might be able to find a sublet for the summer with an opportunity to renew in September, most likely from another student. I'm sure there are plenty on craigslist. There are also apartments without a 9/1 start that may be a 12-month lease. It can really vary. I personally had a 12-month lease that started on 4/1 and after the 12 months turned into month-to-month. I don't know if you'll be able to reserve an apartment more than 1 month out. I typically found that the process moved very quickly and once you've signed you'd probably move in the next month. Sorry I can't be more help there!

Because it's such a college town, most leases start on September 1st - in fact, it's rather usual to find a lease that starts anytime other than September 1st. You certainly will have plenty of options to choose from. That said, do realize that the entire city moves on that day so get ready for sheer chaos. Hide yo kids, hide yo wife.

Thanks @MrsPhD, @The Prince of Uncertainty, @brainlass for your replies! Just in case anyone wanted to know, I'm accepting Duke's offer. I'm so excited!! And so relieved to finally have made a decision

Yup - got that rejection letter yesterday. I visiting Columbia over the weekend just because I was in the city. They did say that notifications will be going out this week. They also said they had over 1400 apps this year - more than double what I've heard from any other program I applied to. Soooo there's that.

@The Prince of Uncertainty I actually just received my financial aid package today, and unfortunately there was no scholarship which I was very disappointed to see given the high tuition. But that said, @kir2 is right, the high tuition is offset by the low cost of Durham. When calculating the overall cost (including fees, room, board, etc.) of NYU vs. Duke, the two programs come out within a couple thousand USD of each other. So apparently cost will not be deciding factor here. I also really like the amount of personal attention that Duke plans to give each masters student and the amount of flexibility in the curriculum. From what I can tell, NYU yields graduates in tech (~50% of graduates), finance (~30%), marketing (~15%) and not a lot anywhere else (https://cds.nyu.edu/academics/careers-in-data-science/). But that could also just be a reflection of the current job market. Nevertheless, as someone who's not too interested in applying data science to those sectors and more interested in policy evaluation/healthcare, the Duke program seems more tailored to my interests. Although I am much more drawn to NYC, I think the program at Duke seems like the better fit for me. That said, I feel like I change my mind everyday so there's clearly merits to both programs. I haven't received a decision from Columbia yet, but from what I've heard the Columbia program is more tailored to consultant work/working with out-of-the-box solutions where NYU's program is focused on more "scrappy" innovations. I haven't given it as much thought as the Duke and NYU programs because I don't want to invest if I just end up getting rejected.

I spoke to Dr. Nechyba on Monday - he said he'll most likely be finishing his decisions on financial aid later this week. I'm also waiting on news for funding!

@The Prince of Uncertainty I was mostly referring the to price of Durham, as opposed to the price of the program. I agree, the tuition for the program is exceptionally high even compared to other private 2-year programs. However, Durham is exceedingly cheap especially compared with cities such as NYC. I actually have not heard anything back about funding yet. So no news there

I heard a bunch of people got into Columbia yesterday, don't know what that means for the rest of us...They said they were only given 2 weeks to make a decision so it may be that there's a second wave coming soon..

I also applied to UofR and I actually went to undergrad there for cognitive science. If you're looking to apply data science specifically to cogsci it's a wonderful place to be. Beyond that I can't really speak to the program but I know they've made huge investments in the area. In terms of jobs after graduation, Rochester is pretty much a dying city so most end up in NYC after graduation. That said, I moved to Boston and my closest friend from undergrad are in Philly, BC, Chicago and Berlin now so it can really vary. Just don't expect to stick around Rochester. Overall, I absolutely loved my time at undergrad there. It's a really great school and it's a very reasonably priced program. The main reason why I'm not accepting my offer is that I wanted a change of pace, not because of the program itself. Hope that helps!

Just saw this post. In this case, maybe you do want to walk from Davis. It's <2 miles - the T just seems easier. Also Somerville/Cambridge is one of the most bike-friendly areas in the country so that's always an option. I ride to work form Somerville to Cambridge on my bike in the nicer weather and it's lovely.

I absolutely love Somerville - I can't recommend it enough. It's very funky and there's always a bunch of festivals/cultural events going on. The prices have always been a bit cheaper than Cambridge, but that seems to be changing as of late. Depending on how far you're willing to walk, I'd suggest a couple areas in Somerville: Union Square: Really cool area, tons of restaurants, art, and has a big grocery store. ~30 min walk to Harvard (and probably 20-30 minutes to the closest T stop) Porter Square: Lots of shops/restaurants and also has a big grocery store. Next to Lesley College. ~20 min walk to Harvard or 1 subway stop. It's right on the Red Line (which is the best line in my opinion) Davis Square: Lots of shops/restaurants and has a very small grocery store. Near Tufts. Can't walk to Harvard, but 2 subway stops away. Again it's right on the Red Line. You can always find in between these areas that are a bit quieter, but also probably cheaper. Let me know if you get anymore specific about your search. I have a bunch of recommendations!

I would say if you're looking for a 1-bedroom it would actually be a bit higher, more like $1,400-$1,800. I'm sure you could find things on the lower end of that spectrum, but as someone who's lived in Somerville the past 3 years I would be surprised to find a decent 1-bedroom below $1,300. I don't know where you're going to school, but I would highly value anything walkable to the T (MBTA subway). Buses are ok, but very unreliable. If you change your mind and you are willing to live with roommates I bet you can find nice places between $900-1,300, but I'm less familiar with that arrangement.

Hi all, I got accepted to some great data science masters programs and I've narrowed down my choices to NYU's master of data science and Duke's new masters of interdisciplinary data science programs. Background: At a high level, I come from the social sciences/market research analytics world and am thinking that's where I want to continue applying myself in the future. That said, I am open to exploring other applications of data science during my studies if I find another stream of research that catches my interest. Dilemma: Duke's program feels very comfortable for me. The program is housed in their Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI) and they seem to value a really diverse class of students beyond the traditional CS, Econ, and Tech folk (which is nice for someone like me who does not have a degree in math, stats, cs, or econ). Overall, I think the research is more aligned to my background and my interests than the research at NYU. They also have been extremely welcoming and attentive to me during the entire application process which I can only hope would carry over into the program itself. On the other hand, the Duke program is entire new and seems to still have not worked out a lot of the kinks yet (a required summer online bootcamp that has not been finalized, lack of solid funding budget, etc.) I'm a bit afraid that my class would be a test run with a lot of disorganization. Also, it's no surprise that Durham is not the metropolis that NYC is. When comparing Duke to NYU I have to take into account the networking and internship opportunities available in NYC that may not be available in a mid-size city in NC. Pros: Research fit, welcoming department, price Cons: New program, lack of networking/internships NYU's program is very highly regarded and I'm confident I'd receive a great education and has a track record of successful graduates. I'm very drawn to the energy of NY, and all the culture that comes with it. The accepted student body is very heavy on mathematics and computer science and, to be completely honest, I'm afraid I'll be a way out of my league. NYU's program seems to be much more focused on the science of data science, as opposed to the application. Also, I think it goes without saying but NYC is way more expensive city to live in compared to Durham. I haven't received any funding so it would be all money out of my savings at this point. Pros: Proven program, NYC Cons: Research interests, price I know that either program will be a great choice, but I'd love some thoughts on what you all think would be the best move. Thanks!!

Ughh, I'm also waiting on Columbia. I'm dying ova here.

Hi @kir2 - Happy to see someone else in this thread! I've also been accepted to a few other programs, but am trying to decide between NYU and Duke (very different choices I know). I'm also going down to visit the campus next week, maybe we'll run into each other at the SSRI..

Hi all! I wanted to say hey to any admitted students to the new Duke MIDS program! What's your background and research interest? Are you ready to accept? Personally, I'm 2014 cognitive science graduate from the University of Rochester. I've gotten ~3 years of work experience in nonprofit evaluation and market research. I'm excited to learn more of the hard programming and statistical skills that I've been picking up in my post-undergrad life and start applying them to the world of social sciences. Duke seems to be a program that values a diverse application of data science beyond the traditional finance and tech world, so I'm really strongly considering accepting their offer Tbh, I'm a little concerned with the fact that this is such a new program with no track record of success yet. How's everyone else feeling?

I didn't get a decision from Brown either, but I'm not too worried with the rolling admissions and all. I'd actually love to hear where all you're top choices are. My top-tier choices are NYU, Columbia, and Duke although I've been incredibility indecisive and feel as though my preferences change every day. That said, I've been hearing more and more about programs that are "cash cows" that should be avoided. Honestly I'm not totally sure I understand the concept and what would classify a program as a cash cow (ie. the research experience, the length, the challenging coursework?). You guys have any thoughts here? I would hate to invest so much in something that doesn't actually give much value at the end of the day.

I actually did receive an offer from NYU! That being said I definitely don't think letters were sent to all the accepted students. I know that last year none of the acceptances were mailed out until April, so I would find it really hard to believe they're already done.

No, nothing. But given the results search I don't really think anyone has. I'm a bit surprised considering that it's supposed to be rolling admissions and like you I applied early in December.

Hi all! I've also been feeling like there's very little info out there (probably because most of the programs are so new). I thought I'd share my stats as well. I've applied to: NYU: MS, Data Science NYU: MS, Applied Statistics for Social Science Research Columbia: MS, Data Science Brown: MS, Data Science Duke: MS, Interdisciplinary Data Science University of Rochester: MS, Data Science University of San Francisco: MS, Data Science (previously MS, Analytics) So far I've been accepted USF and UofR with a 15% and 60% tuition scholarship respectively. Just for reference... Undergraduate: University of Rochester (explains the large UofR scholarship ) Majors: 1) Brain & Cognitive Science 2) Psychology GPA: 1) BCS: 3.98, 2) Psychology 4.00 GRE: 163 (84%) Q, 167 (98%), 4.0 AW Relevant Courses: The Science of Programming (Java), Statistics for the Social Sciences, Calculus I & II, Linear Algebra Other things: - I've completed Coursera's Data Science Certificate (via John's Hopkins) which is taught in R - I have 3 years of research/evaluation experience across the public and private sector. Currently, I'm a Data Consultant at a market research firm where I work with clients in the marketing and technology industry to scope, execute, analyze, and present results of custom data projects. I know that's a lot of buzz words, but basically it's a lot of survey analytics and client presentations. I was actually planning on waiting until next year to apply to programs as I am just now taking Linear Algebra at night and was planning on taking Multivariate Calculus in the fall to complete the prereqs that most programs have. I've been completely surprised to already receive several offers and I extremely excited (and also quite nervous) to start somewhere in the Fall. If I'm being honest, I am a bit scared that most students in these programs will have heavy CS and Stats backgrounds and that I am looking at a very steep learning curve. It's nice to see another psych major over here!