megumi85

Ditto. I'm in an MA program now on an assistantship after working full time for three years. I did have to take out some loans this year to supplement my funding, as it pretty much only covered my rent costs and not living costs. For me, one of the biggest adjustments was re-evaluating my spending and budget. Might seem like a 'duh' but it's been harder than I thought. For me, a big part of it was learning how to spend less on food and shopping--I had to start writing down every purchase, especially of food, so I could keep track of how much I was really spending. After about 5 months in the program I'm getting better at it, but it was definitely hard at first adjusting to a sudden lack of any discretionary income.

Bump! Anyone have experience using a combination of stipend and loans as proof of income for leasing an apartment? My stipend for the first year is too small to be enough on it's own for living expenses, so I'll be taking out some of the federal loans offered to me by financial aid. When I list my "employer" though (English Department) I'm pretty sure they will only be able to report the stipend. Is it possible to somehow send a financial aid report to a third party (apartment management)? I probably wouldn't need to do this is I had a cosigner, but my father is really reluctant to do so through a combination of paranoia and a bad experience co-signing for my sister who unforunately is not the greatest with money. I don't think I can use my rental history either, as I've been in Japan for the past 3 years since undergrad and my landlord doesn't speak English. >.< Kind of at a loss for what to do.

Just wondering if anyone could explain where in west campus the metered parking is? I had a short visit last month but was just in central campus and didn't get a chance to check it out. Just trying to decide on my transportation (bus vs commuter pass and driving). Couldn't find it on the university-provided parking map for some reason.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this! I wasn't sure. Anyway, I'm currently apartment hunting for this fall, and wanted to ask for some advice. I've found a couple complexes I like. The leasing office recommended I complete a waiting list application and pay the application fee and deposit now so that I can have "top choice" when an apartment "opens up." They said they expect early August availability but can't say for sure yet. Is this normal? When I lived off campus in undergrad I rented a house with friends and never had to deal with this. Do apartments usually refund the deposit if they can't find an apartment after all, or if you find a place through a different apartment complex while waiting? I'm a little confused. It seems strange to pay a deposit before you know if you even have an apartment. I can understand the application fee a little. Thanks for your thoughts!

Yup! Starting my MA in English Lit this fall. I visited campus in March very quickly, it seemed like a fun town. Now I'm trying to figure out where the heck to live >.< The issue is complicated by the fact that I'm in Japan and all the landlords I've talked to keep forgetting that and asking if I can "drop by" to fill out waiting list forms and do employment verification, etc.

Finally got an admissions email this morning. Nice to get in, since I really do admire the program, but I'll be declining too since they can't seem to fund MAs in the first year.

I really don't think this needs to be a factor in your decision making at all. I live in Japan now and have been for the past 2.5 years. I'm about 150 miles southwest of the nuclear facilities in question. We all felt the quake, there was some panic-shopping, but otherwise, even at this close range, the area is fine. They are regularly checking radiation levels in the air and soil where I live, and those levels are at their natural amount. And again, this just 150 miles away. While it's true that some detectable amounts of radiation have shown up in California, please bear in mind that "detectable" doesn't necessarily equal "dangerous." Stanford is a great school and you must be really happy to be admitted!! And as long as people even in Japan are healthy and unaffected by this, I don't think you need to worry. Congratulations on your acceptance!

I assume everyone it still waiting? This is really starting to drive me crazy. It's my last school to hear from, but it was one of my earliest deadlines!

Also visiting soon to meet the department, next week in fact! Really excited. I'm trying to visit some apartments while I'm there as well. Based on this thread and other online research, it seems like Ft. Sanders can be a bit dodgy. But when people say "Ft Sanders," what area does this really encompass? Is east of 17th street SW and a couple blocks north of Cumberland an OK area? I can deal with some noise, having down my undergrad at Michigan State I'm mostly just concerned about walking home alone at night.

What do you need to know? Apartments, restaurants, MSU? I was at MSU for 5 years and lived off-campus for the last. Plenty of apartments north of campus / Grand River, and west and east of there, though transportation becomes an issue the further out you are, particularly to the east. There are a lot of restaurants and bars / pubs on Grand River border the campus itself. Rent isn't too bad. I split a house with 3 friends and paid around $450 per month plus my share of utilities in an area walkable to campus. Noise can be an issue depending on the street / neighborhood, as MSU is a huge school and there are inevitably a lot of parties and frat houses. All in all, I think it's a decent place to be, made better with a car for off-campus excursions (campus itself is doable by bike). Do you have any more specific questions? There's also another thread further down:

Bump! I'm currently weighing offers and heavily leaning toward University of Tennessee. Unforunately, it's unlikely I'll be able to visit the area anytime before the fall, because I'm currently in Japan, and it would just be too expensive, especially right before the big move this fall. I'm trying to figure out a decent area to live in, preferably within biking distance to campus (though I would have a car for shopping / non-academic adventures, etc). Based on the comments on this thread I'm looking at places a little north of downtown and directly south of the university / river. My question is - as far as the south side goes, how are the bridges that cross over for pedestrians and bikers? I tried checking google maps but I can't tell from the satellite images whether or not there are bike lanes / sidewalks on either the Henley St. / Chapman Hwy bridge or the S. Gay St. bridge. Is this a safe commute for bikers? Thanks!

I applied to the MA program, and I just got an email from the English Dept. coordinator! It basically read "Welcome, congratulations, please respond by May 15th." The email also included dates for orientation, start of classes, etc. The only weird thing is that it was a forwarded email, with no personalization, so I am half afraid it was accidentally forwarded. I'm thinking about calling tomorrow to ask for confirmation. No mention of funding, etc. Wondering if anyone else has heard anything?

Mine finally changed to "reject" today as well. Looks like they're finally getting through the final batch of applicants. Good luck to anyone still waiting!

I was wondering the same thing. At first I thought they might be notifying alphabetically (my last name is towards the end), but it's been a few days since anyone posted a new acceptance or rejection. Maybe they have more than one round?

Mine still says "In Review" as well...I feel like it must be an impending rejection, but at the same time I can't help but hope. Going crazy!