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mesocyclone

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    Stanford University
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    Environmental Earth System Science

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  1. mesocyclone

    Davis, CA

    I'm just finishing up my undergrad at Davis and preparing to move on, but I've got to say...I'm going to miss the place. If you plan to live anywhere within the city limits of Davis, you really don't need to own a car. As has been mentioned, Davis is an extremely bike friendly town, and it's not just the "hardcore cyclists" here who use a bike to commute every or almost every day to school/work. I live in North Davis at the moment (Temescal Apartments--I can vouch for the location and the management, if that's any use!), and I'm perfectly happy to bike the ~2 miles to campus each day. Any two points in Davis are no more than 15-20 minutes away by bike, and the student-run UNITRANS bus system is pretty comprehensive for a relatively small town, so it's extremely reasonable to forgo the expense of a car. Zipcar has also made a convenient appearance in Davis both on and off campus, so that's an additional option for short trips. Yolobus (which is free to students) is an option for travel from Davis to Sacramento, Woodland, or Sac Int. Airport, and generally runs every hour or so on weekdays and somewhat less frequently on weekends. If you're willing to share an apartment, rents in Davis can be rather reasonable (by Northern California standards, in any case). Rents at my apartment complex (and I suspect at others as well, given the existence of the communally agreed-upon Davis Model Lease) have actually decreased this year after increasing monotonically each year for as long as anyone I've talked to can remember. You could probably get away with $450-650/month, assuming you want your own bedroom but are flexible regarding most of the other details of your living situation. The lower end of that range would probably entail splitting a 3/4 bedroom apartment with 3/4 people and living moderately far away from campus (still within biking distance, of course). The higher end of that range might allow you to rent a 1 bedroom apartment for yourself fairly far from campus or split a larger 2-bedroom closer to campus. Obviously, rents at some complexes, especially in West Davis and near campus/downtown, may run higher, but it you're persistent (especially in the current economic climate) I think the above rents are attainable. Davis can indeed be a quiet place, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. For the record, I've never been bored here, but Amtrak is a great (if slightly expensive) way to get into downtown Sacramento or the Bay Area if you so desire. I also second the suggestion that all those interested in Davis check out DavisWiki (http://daviswiki.org). This is a fantastic resource for all things Davis, and I will miss it dearly.
  2. Though I'm not yet at Stanford, I've lived in the Bay Area much of my life and visited friends in Menlo Park/Palo Alto frequently. Caltrain is great for going between the Stanford area and San Francisco, especially if you can catch one of the Baby Bullet express runs. I've heard that recent budget woes may result in less frequent trains, but it's still an extremely convenient link between SF and really any point on the Peninsula. If you're okay with a 40-60 minute train ride, you definitely don't need a car to get to SF.
  3. Hello all! Any fellow Earth Systems Science folks out there? I've been looking at the graduate housing options for Fall 2011--from what I've heard, they're much better (and more plentiful) than they were a few years ago as the opening of Munger (~600 slots?) has freed up space elsewhere. Does anyone know if Munger really is comprised mostly of law students, or are there folks from other fields mixed in as well? Seems pretty expensive, though the EESS stipend might just cover it... As for the other graduate residences, has anyone heard whether the multiple occupancy bedrooms are still an issue? I'm not especially picky about my living arrangements as long as I have my own bedroom...
  4. I'm seriously considering pursuing a PhD in Environmental Earth System Science at Stanford. I'm presently a senior Atmospheric Science major at UC Davis, so I've already completed the standard physics/calculus/dynamics courses for the degree program. Until recently, I wasn't really thinking about grad school at an extremely selective university, but after starting to peruse the departmental websites and such I've fallen for the program at Stanford. We all hear how difficult it can be to earn admission to an advanced degree program at a place like Stanford, so I guess what I'm wondering is how realistic a shot I might really have in this field. Like I mentioned, I have a pretty strong math/physics/meteorological background and am currently involved in research on climate impacts with a faculty member (similar to what I would like to pursue at Stanford). I've been actively involved in several ways with the Atmospheric Science department, organizing student events (including the construction and successful launch of a stratospheric photography probe, which was a collaborative effort between faculty and students), and I'm President of the university chapter of the American Meteorological Society. I've won a couple of university science writing awards, though have not yet published formally in any peer-reviewed journal. I anticipate very good letters of recommendation from three professors in the department (all of whom I know quite well). My overall GPA is 3.86, and my major GPA is 3.82. I've yet to take the GRE (but plan to within the month), though I've heard that those scores are more of a formality at many institutions than a serious deciding factor in admissions. Any thoughts or any suggestions as to what I might want to pursue in these last couple of months before I apply? Thanks!
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