banana21

Thanks guys! To add on, I heard from my friend today that T-mobile also has unlimited data for $50 per month, without contract. Virgin plans sound great with unlimited data at $35 though I guess with the plans you would need to purchase a mobile set. I am also tempted with AT&T. I guess with this, at least I have narrowed down to 3 network providers cost-wise(I heard Verizon has the best coverage, but in general, Boston is pretty well covered already by the rest of the network providers as well): 1. AT&T 2. T-Mobile 3. Virgin Verizon is a bit pricey and I am forced to buy a mobile set with that because of the SIM card issue. Thanks guys. I'll scout around and if I find out anything new, will post here for the benefit of other readers. -banana21

Hi guys, Didn't see this on the forum though I'm sure it exists somewhere (can someone pls point the thread out to me?): I'm scouting around for mobile phone plans in the US and have narrowed it down to 2: 1. Verizon 2. AT&T My question is, care to share what network provider you are with and which plan you're on and why? Normal phone or smartphone? Pre-paid or Contract? I've got an iPhone from my residence country (Singapore) but was told I can't use it with the SIM Cards here. Also, I will be getting a social security number but was told that even if I have one, I can't wriggle out of the security deposit if I don't have any credit history. Anyone have the same questions? Thanks! -banana21 PS: All those in the way of Hurricane Irene, looks like the worst is over, but stay safe nonetheless!

Hey guys, I'm from Singapore and will be moving to Boston, MA in August onwards. Any advice on when to start looking for housing? On one hand, I am resisting starting too early in case something opens up later. On the other hand, I don't want to be left desperately looking for housing, landlords knowing there are last minute desperate renters and upping their prices later on! It's also tough when you're not there physically to be able to assess the house and see if it's perfect for you. Unfortunately, pictures can be deceiving! How are you international folks dealing with the housing situation? Any forums or real estate websites that have been great resources? Any advice much welcome! Banana21

has anyone NOT received BU COM decision letter yet? Granted, I'm an international student, but still - it's nerve wracking to be sitting at the edge of my seat every day. Holler here if you're an international student and have/have not received the decision letter yet!

Hi aliicat11, Thanks! Apparently some students received the e-mail from BU without the "IF accepted" portion. Haha, I'm hoping against hope. Patience is not one of my many virtues and it's plainly obvious during this entire application process. I applied for the Mass Communication Studies program, for much like the same reason as you - I don't have a Comms background and wanted to give myself the foundation which I felt would be covered (from bottom up) by the BU COM program. With regards to the challenge of the program, I've read on a couple of forums that the basic modules are rudimentary - having said that, like I mentioned, I don't have a comms background, so won't complain - in fact, the simpler the better...! Anyway, congratulations on your acceptance. From the edge of my seat, bananana21

Hi writerwill, I applied to BU COM (same as you), Mass Comm studies and have not received my letter yet! Not allowing myself to leave it to the hands of fate even at this point of time, I wondered if you received a letter from BU right about the time they sent out decision letters. If you don't mind, could you share the email with us? I read on another forum that BU may have sent out 2 versions. Mine stated that decision letters were out and the email mentioned IF (yes in caps lock) I got accepted, what I could expect. Do let me know if possible, the normal wait is excruciating enough; what more with the delay that comes with being an international student! Thanks a lot! -bananana21

Not really answering your question but I applied to the exact same program as you at BU. I'm also not from a comms background so I felt the syllabus at BU was a perfect fit as it seems to be more general which is exactly what I need (with no background in comms!). Having said that, I haven't received the decision letter yet though I thought I saw a few admits already. Could be because I'm an international student, though. I'm really anxious about this one... :/ especially having been rejected from Syracuse :/ Congratulations on your acceptances and all the best in your decision-making!

Bumping. I just received a Twitter request from my potential grad school. I feel like I'm being lulled into a false sense of hope, especially when they will be releasing their admissions results sometime now! To add to that, they deliver this news via postal service only and I live approximately 3 weeks away :/ Anyone else being tortured this way too? (I checked, no Facebook request :/)

Hi All, Since I started the thread, I thought I should post an update once I got one. I got a reject from Syracuse. Hope the rest who read this got good news instead! I will continue to be cautiously optimistic about the rest of the schools. Good luck to us all! Cheers, Banana21

Oh.Coco. Your reply was totally unexpected but that was really nice of you! Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad about posting your results -- that is, after all, what the results page is for! But thank you for this note. Really sweet of you. I'm thinking that perhaps my notification is late because the international students are assessed later than the Americans? May be grasping at straws here, but hey, that's what keeps me going!

Ok who posted another admit to Syracuse, Media Studies M.A.???? Reveal yourselves!!! SIgh,... I admit defeat *waves tiny white flag* I'm taking it as a rejection that both Accepts posted on the results page received their notification a week ago... (Congrats though to the both of you!) and I have been privy only to the obsessive clicks of my mouse button from refreshing this website and the occasional cricket chirp.

What a topic! I've been reading the topic where everyone chips in on what they did when they got their acceptance and I was like "Darn I wish I could contribute... to something... anything...! =(" Now I can (albeit a slightly different... angle..) I am assuming I will be receiving a rejection letter very soon from Syracuse (MA). 1. Pizza definitely would hit the spot. 2. Beer. Lots of it. 3. Wallow in self-doubt/pity. 4. Get cranking on other applications =/

Yup, she's an international student, as am I. I called the graduate coordinator and she just said vaguely that results would be out by mid-March and that there were no interviews conducted. My only take is that she just wasn't really bothered with what I had to say - I'm sure she receives plenty of such of my calls and was pretty sick of answering yet another "When will we be notified" call! I really wonder what the admissions rate of the Media Studies M.A. program is. They post the admissions rate of all the other programs except 2, one of which is Media Studies! Good luck and keep us updated!

Ooh! You've been in Singapore too! Funnily, I still feel this loyalty toward Malaysia - possibly because my family is still there and I have very close ties with them. Nonetheless, I unfortunately do not see myself ever studying nor working there. :/ I've read some topics where they mention the possibility of affirmative action but take all the posts with a pinch of salt. I'm sure the guidelines and policies will differ from school to school and I just don't want to unnecessarily get my hopes up. I majored in Molecular Biology during undergrad but am (relentlessly) trying to switch over to Communication / Media Studies. With 4 years of - I'd like to think - relevant job experience under my belt, I really hope this will sway my application into the "Maybe" bin at least, as opposed to directly into the "Trash This Application" one! Is the rest of your family back in Selangor or are they all in US with you? Who knows, maybe as our posts continues, more Malaysians will chip in with their replies

Gosh. Although I am happy for the person who got the admit. Just a heads up, a friend of mine who applied to Newhouse (PR) got a Skype interview - she's an international student. I never knew this application process could be such a highly stressful situation! I hope I will look back on this one day and LAUGH, holding my Master's cert. in one hand and PhD in the other.

Hey guys, Saw an admit posted on the website. Anyone else got an admit? As of now, I've not received anything :/ The waiting is already agonizing enough... what more when you throw in a sudden admit or two (which is/are not yours!)... The suffering levels up!!! GarrrhgggHHH! -rant over- :/

Was in Singapore for undergrad, have been working in Singapore for the past almost 5 years! Been away from my hometown, Penang for 8 years now! Still a M'sian citizen, but a Singapore PR now. I've got a 10-year visitor visa to the US coz I just went there last year for a holiday. Which part of M'sia you from and how long have you been away?

I'm not a Classicist but I am trying to pursue my dreams of being accepted into graduate school in Communications / Media and I'm from Malaysia! Just nice to see a fellow Malaysian on the forums. Hello, there! =)

Hi! Anyone applied to BU? I haven't heard anything yet and I submitted under the priority admissions (submit online by 23 Dec). Anyone has any idea when notification of admissions results will be? Also anyone is an international student (I'm applying from Singapore) like me applying to BU please holler! -Banana

Just in case anyone is interested: I took my GRE and did not-so-well for Verbal. Many of the words that were used, were ones that I've read before in newspapers and magazines like NYTimes, Time, Newsweek etc, but it never really crossed my mind to look up the definition only because I could guess it well enough within the context of the sentence. In the GRE, the relationship/pair questions near-killed me, I think. My Math has never been my strongest subject. I think what helped me was to consciously tell myself that if I was taking too long to ponder over a question, I was probably approaching it in the wrong manner. My score: 570V/760Q Worried only because I'm applying for MSc. Comms/Media and a high Verbal score would have been a much needed peace of mind... Good luck to everyone else and please someone holler if you are applying for MSc. Comms/Media! Cheers & Happy New Year!

if you've got space for an international applicant to blog, i'm all for it! How do I sign up? Been in the workforce for 4 years and hauling my buttocks back to grad school for a Masters in Communication/New Media!

Good luck, Windy City Girl! I am applying for a "coursework" Masters too. While I've not completed my essay, I've already made 2 drafts in the past two weeks. It was basically verbal diarrhoea. Anything that came to mind that I felt inspired me, relevant anecdotes were put on paper. So all these thoughts about my life and relevant experiences are now top of mind. Next I plan to structure my thoughts (which should be easier to do now that they're on paper). Finally, when I confirm the list of grad schools, I'll look into verbalizing how I fit into the particular program and including that in my essay too. Well, that's my approach - not tested yet as it's my first time applying to grad school in the States. All the best, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Cheers, D generallygrad.blogspot.com

Thanks for the tips, cherubie! Oh man, those stats questions are the ones which give me the hardest time (Math for me is not a walk in the park)! I studied using Kaplan and not Barron's... so... well... fingers crossed for me. GRE Vocab really scares me, though. I thought my English was not bad, until I started looking through the vocab list. My flashcard pile is sky high and I'm off to buy a new pack of flash cards tomorrow. My exam is on the 29 Dec, then I'll have to start on my essays and monitoring my LoRs. I hope you had a great Christmas too and that all of us receive fantastic news in the next few months. Cheers, Diana generallygrad.blogspot.com