psi*psi

So you were impressed by their visit weekend too? Who will you be working for?

UCSB

Wouldn't it probably be a lot easier and cheaper just to drive it? I'm moving from central KY to southern CA, and taking the scenic route. The trip is 3500 miles--so factoring in an estimated 15 mpg (will likely get more; car is 30 hwy when empty) and an estimated $4/gallon for gas, that's still under $1000! (At 20 mpg and $2.50/gal, which I think is more reasonable, that works out to less than $500.) Your trip will probably be much shorter than mine. As far as lodging goes, you can get a room at a decent hotel in a very small town for $30-$40/night, or reserve a campsite for around $20 in a lot of places. Alternatively, if you're renting a moving truck, you can just rent a car trailer...

Me too. Yay for indifference!

Honestly? It's cold. I go through a bad seasonal depression every winter, so I'm better off living somewhere that doesn't experience that season. Plus, I did an REU at UCSB, loved living there, and noticed that most of the grad students really do seem to be happy people with lives outside chemistry. Northwestern would have been at least tied for first if Chicago were warmer, I think. Otherwise, I liked the department and the people and the surrounding area a lot. (Plus, I found an amazing advisor at UCSB, have a cool project or two in the works, and picked out a place to live...)

Really? Then there's nothing I can tell you that you won't find out very soon They put together the best of all three visit weekends I went to--it was fun, informative, and also really organized. The only downside is that we only met with three faculty. Make sure you go see downtown Chicago on the last day, if you're not leaving super early. Definitely, definitely make sure you talk to Emily Weiss at some point! She is an awesome person with cool research in your area.

just finished my last visit (Northwestern)...was very impressed, but I'll be at UCSB in the fall

application fee: $75 GRE score report: $20 burning the official rejection letter from Berkeley: priceless honestly, i would have been very bummed about it if i hadn't realized my second choice was an infinitely better fit. but now i don't care!

If family housing is where I think it is (on/off El Colegio, just slightly west of campus and north of IV?), there's a shopping center near the Storke/Hollister intersection--a quick bike ride away. IIRC, there's a Costco and an Albertson's, and a nice farmer's market Sundays 10-2.

moving (and starting research!) in june

BTW, no qualifying exams at Michigan for chemistry.

Visited UCSB, will be visiting Northwestern at the end of March. Honestly, laid-back is a definite advantage in my field. Materials research is interdisciplinary for a reason--it requires people from many fields of expertise. The more collaborative the environment, the better. I'm not really into competition...I'd rather go somewhere the students work hard but also work together. i'm also a big fan of the fact that materials-division students don't have to take cumes at most schools

I did! Michigan puts together a FANTASTIC visit weekend--they treat recruits really nicely. The facilities are pretty awesome, the labs are nice and very well-equipped. One group had their own XPS, another a (really nice) diffractometer. The buildings (3, all connected) are confusing, but mostly because they're so large as a complex. The research impressed me a lot, and UM does seem dedicated to its chemistry department. Many of the current grad students were pretty cool, and everyone I spoke to absolutely LOVED Ann Arbor as a city. It's a nice place to live, and not too expensive. Lots of awesome microbreweries, too. To be honest, the only thing that really put me off the place at all were some of the other prospective grad students--a few were very nice, but some came off as a bit self-absorbed and not all that friendly. Several profs did mention that UM has extensive support for first-gen students, but after enduring a long "where did YOU study abroad" discussion--largely with other prospectives...it was apparent to me that I'd do better in a more laid-back department. Still, I would probably be dead-set on going to Michigan if I hadn't just visited a program that was a *perfect* fit for my interests. Awesome chemistry there.

I'm in chemistry, not humanities/social sciences, but I'll be there starting in June! Found a nice place to live near campus (but thankfully not in IV).

Not telling for another three weeks--I still have a visit left. (Not Berkeley, though, they rejected me. :,( )