Onwarrdz

Hi everyone, Would anyone be able to provide me with any encouraging words about moving to Ann Arbor? I'm starting my PhD there in the fall and am really having a hard time looking forward to moving to a small town. For reference, I'm Canadian and I've lived in Toronto and NYC, and am currently living in London. I don't drive and am not really in a financial position to buy a car and start doing it. I'm really used to being able to take super easy transit all around a city and having lots of interesting cultural things to do or tons of different restaurants and nightlife destinations, and just generally being in a big city. I've visited once last year for a few days, and found the whole thing a bit claustrophobic. I'm just really not a small town person. I'm trying to do research into it and I'm not really finding much to work with. The internet just keeps telling me it's a family friendly place (I'm finding this hard to take as anything other than it's boring, things close early and there are a lot of children around), easily walkable (this did not seem to be the case when I was there--there were so many highways and roads with no sidewalks and I swear 1/3 of the land was just parking lots), and better than other small towns in the Mid-West (which I can't help thinking is a bit of a low bar in this respect). Unfortunately I'm not really in to college sports either, so that whole thing is lost on me. It also seems difficult to get to other place around Ann Arbor without a car. The only option to Detroit was the Greyhound? And none of this seems to be made up by cheap rental prices either, given the captive market of students. People seem not to hate Ann Arbor though, so I feel like maybe I'm missing something. Is there an arts scene at all? What are the bars like (that aren't sports bars)? Are there areas that aren't crawling with undergrad frat boys? Is the food scene any good (I'm vegetarian)? Any good places to go dancing? Does everyone just take ubers and they're super cheap or something? I mean, I guess it's only a four hour train to Chicago, but that's hardly commuting distance. Does anyone have anything to say that makes the next 5+ years of my life seem less like a yawning expanse of boredom and me trying desperately to spend time elsewhere? Would really appreciate any tips at all!

I'm assuming if we haven't heard from Columbia it's a rejection? One of the entries on the survey page says it was a generic email, so it makes me think they sent them all out at once, and aren't like, going slowly through the alphabet/by subject. Oh well!

Are you talking just about NYU? Or have I missed something with Columbia? I didn't think anything from them had gone out at all.

Certainly better be! I do not have it in me for a 'results will be out last week of feb to early march'. I think I'd actually die. My soul would just give up, and leave my body behind.

What the hell is happening on the results page?! Someone literally just posted about not using it for discussions and now there are like three discussions happening on it! Grrrr!

Anyone claiming the McGill acceptance?

I mean, maybe it did? (I only found gradcafe this year, for better or worse) Basically my point is that the rest of the decisions should be coming out this week, and I'm not holding out too much hope.

Thanks!

I did an MA in the UK two years ago. So far I've gotten into Michigan, so likely going to go there over the Canadian schools. But god, I would way rather live in Montreal or Toronto than Ann Arbor any day.

I mean, it seems like they'll mostly be rejections? I applied last year and was rejected on Feb 22nd. But logically, I just CAN'T imagine why they would have SOME rejections, but not all of them. So like, maybe there are very few admits left, but mostly rejections? Does anyone know if they waitlist? I don't think they do, but I'm not 100% sure.

Hey! I'm a Canadian, currently living in the UK. I've applied mostly to US schools, but also U of T (where I did my undergrad) and McGill. Obviously, have heard nothing at all yet. Also theory!

I tried to post on there asking for people to stop, but my computer wouldn't let me for some reason. Also tbf that would have been adding to the noise. But seriously, it's really fucking annoying.

Great thread idea! Does anyone know for sure where they'll be going next year? I've been accepted to Michigan, waitlisted at Minnesota, and still waiting on Columbia and Northwestern (although that last one isn't looking good).

This is how I feel about Northwestern. It's been THREE WEEKS since they released some (all?) acceptances and a few rejections, and then NOTHING. It's driving me INSANNNEEEE.

Anyone have any insight about when Columbia might be? It seems they're much later than last year.