smaturin

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. I can't cut out the money for living life. Or otherwise put, I could do it, but the result would be a person too unhappy with life to get anything out of school. If I can't have a beer and a burger once or twice a month, or order up some Thai food when I'm working hard through the night, I might as well go back to the lucrative job I formerly held. I'd rather have to take out small loans than live a totally austere life. This is not to say that I eat out every week, or spend $30 at the bar every Saturday night. But I firmly believe that to be a successful student you need to be a happy person, and to be a happy person I need to allow myself these little indulgences every so often. Further, meeting up for dinner and/or drinks is among the best ways to socialize with people outside of one's department, so there are other things involved than just enjoying the food and beer. As for the phone bill, you're correct. I have an old flip phone that can call and text, but can't access the internet. I have no need for a smartphone. My provider won't go any lower on my rate, so maybe I should look into changing providers or getting on a pay-as-you-go type of plan. I'm also counting on having some type of income in the summer. I hope it will be in the form of an RA-ship in my department, but failing that, I'll work at a running store for $10/hr to get by between semesters.

My program doesn't allow this. Even if it did, there's no way I'd have time. I've just got to question why there isn't a more concerted efforts to bring stipends in line with reasonable living expenses. Graduate students should not be rich, but a situation like yours is very far from ideal in many ways. Having to work extra on the weekends really cuts in to your ability to participate fully in a Ph.D program. Wouldn't it be in your department's interest to offer your three or four hundred more per month so that you didn't have to work on the side? Wouldn't it be in all of our departments' interests to help keep us just a little bit more securely afloat?

I'm having a really difficult time understanding how it's possible to avoid taking out loans, let alone save anything, on the pittance of a stipend I get in the social sciences. My stipend is just under $14,000, paid over 9 months, biweekly. It gives me about $1300/mo. Of that: $500 to rent $100 to internet, water, electrical bills $300 to food (As an endurance athlete - I need high quality food and lots of it - this is non-negotiable). $50 to incidentals - contact solution, toothpaste, new towel, bike lock, etc. - things that just come up $150 to student fees ($700/semester, includes a bus pass) $100 to running-related expenses - shoes, race entries $60 to phone bill $100 to trying to enjoy life at least a little - beer, coffee, occasional meal out, etc. And that's all I've got. I haven't a penny left over. In fact, this puts me over-budget by $60/mo. And it doesn't even include paying for heat once it gets cold, which will add another $50/mo at least. How do people live on this much money?

I'm surprised that you weren't accepted last year, but raising your GRE score and contacting faculty in advance (who may not have or want anything to do with the selection committee) may not be enough to put you over the hill if there was something in your file that turned people off a year ago. Your list of schools is really, really ambitious, and while there's much to be said for attending a school whose name will impress, there are also many excellent professors doing excellent work at some of the schools that fall just below the tier you're shooting for. Why not apply to some of those schools also, if being a sociologist is what you truly want to do?

I'm going to vent a little bit here. How on earth is a reasonable person expected to be able to cover all of these moving expenses with no relocation assistance? I worked for two years before starting school, and I'm lucky enough to have some savings. However, a number of people start their graduate programs the autumn after they finish their undergraduate work, and those who can't count on help from their families must really struggle with moving their things, paying first/last/deposit, buying books and supplies, and furnishing a new apartment all before they draw a red cent from their stipends/assistanceships. For my part, I'm watching my savings dwindle and dwindle as things begin to add up. I stopped working two weeks ago to give myself time to find an apartment and move before starting school in late August. But I won't see a payment until September 21, and meanwhile, I've got to cover all the things I mentioned above. I'll practically be in debt before I even start school! The program seemed extremely proud to be offering me a $19,000 fellowship, but when that's spread over 12 months, has to cover student fees (about 1K per semester) and books, and doesn't even kick in until I've been working for a month, it resembles a reasonable wage even less than it did at face value when I received the offer. I know I should be grateful to have funding at all, but when you combine moving expenses (for me, $3000-4000) with living expenses and spread it over 12 months, it's going to be really, really close to eclipsing the value of my stipend.

I really urge you to avoid living in Middleton. It's cheap, but it's suburbia. Boring, few walkable areas, car-centered, and just like every other suburb in this country. The commute would be easy by bus or bike, but the quality of life would be poor. You'd lose out on everything good that Madison has to offer. I'd recommend the following areas. University Heights and Vilas are closer to campus, but don't the restaurants/bars/grocery stores that the east side does. James Madison Park is close to campus but teeming with undergraduates. 1. University Heights/Old University 2. Vilas 3. Williamson/Marquette 4. Schenk-Atwood 5. James Madison Park

I majored in religion. I took only one sociology course in my four years of undergraduate studies, but I read a great deal of sociological literature that pertained to religious studies. I have good credentials and applied to seven programs. Six of those are solidly in the top ten in the country; I was rejected from all of those. The remaining department is in the next tier; I was accepted there.

I'm still waiting for my rejections from Chicago and Columbia. I've seen rejections and acceptances posted to both on the results page. Why can't they just tell me I'm out so I can accept another offer?

Almost definitely heading to the U of M next year. Debating between Uptown, Loring Park, and Northeast. Here are the considerations: 1. Need to be able to walk, easily, to good restaurants, bars, and a grocery store. Emphasis on the grocery store, and it needs to be a good one. 2. Need to be able to bike and bus in to campus easily. From what I've read about these neighborhoods, this shouldn't be a problem from any. 3. Would like to pay $600 or less for a 1BR, or share a 2BR for $1100 or less. 4. Need access to good bike trails and good roads for running. Doesn't seem to be a difficulty in any of these areas - in Uptown and Loring the Lakes are close at hand, while Northeast seems to have good access to the East and West river roads. Opinions much appreciated!

Still waiting for my decision. Probably not going to be good news, but one acceptance is all I ever asked for

Still says "Submitted - sent to program." I'd imagine that your change in status is a good sign, but how all of that works, none of us can really know.

I received a letter via the postal service. My online status had not changed the day after the letter's postmark. This is probably because the sociology department has only "made recommendation to the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota for your admission to the Ph.D. program in sociology beginning fall term 2011." I imagine that the graduate school will have to process the recommendation before the online status will be updated.

In at Minnesota. My first acceptance. What joy.

I too was rejected from Wisconsin today. No surprise, but a disappointment still.