suggs55

I currently live in Baltimore. Love it. Moved from NYC 2 1/2 years ago for money, job, and friend reasons. I will be attending UMaryland College Park (between DC and Baltimore) in the fall and I'd rather commute a bit than leave my wonderful life in Baltimore. Anyone, feel free to ask me any questions on here on in private. Some info and thoughts: -Yes, Baltimore is a dangerous city. So are plenty of cities. If you make friends and do your research, you'll make sure to live in a safe neighborhood. I know my way around the city, so I feel more comfortable driving anywhere (but not always walking anywhere!). -Read up on the history of Baltimore. It is a fascinating city. There is so much to explore!!! When I first moved here I had a bit of culture shock. It's a very segregated city and very black/white. I was used to living in NYC with everyone under the sun running around town. The geography of the city also encourages a certain amount of isolation when it comes to some neighborhoods. It's easy to stay in your little 10 block radius here. DON'T DO THAT! It's too rich of a city to isolate yourself. Many people will tell you not to go to certain areas without having ever been to these places....I often think this is a result of racism and classism. -Many of my friends are artists and musicians. Baltimore is really making a name for itself lately and it's exciting that there is always a play, concert, or art opening to attend. -I live in the neighborhood of Hampden and am in close walking distance to the main JHU campus. Very pretty campus. Figure out where you'd be going. For instance, the med school is not on the main campus. -Many JHU students live in Hampden (my preference!), Charles Village, and Remington( cheapest and least safe of the 3) neighborhoods if they go to the main campus (I think it's called Homewood). -Hampden is an amazing neighborhood. A little strange in a Baltimore kinda way (watch a John waters film!). Historically a blue collar, white neighborhood, but lots of gentrification over the last couple of decades. It's still rough around the edges, but I feel very safe. I live in a rowhome, have a yard, and walk two blocks to some of my favorite places to eat. I know many of the local merchants. Many young people flock to this area of the city for shopping, bar hopping, and eating. -Mt. Vernon is a fun place to live. Gives you a real "city' feeling as opposed to my Hampden lifestyle. Totally agree about Brewer's Art....best fries in town! Can find good deals here if you look....you'll be living in an apartment building. -I have a bunch of friends who are gay, but none into the "gay scene" in the city for various reasons. They'd rather hang out with like minded people with similar interests than with other people just because they are also gay. -While the beaches are on the Eastern Shore (two hours away), the surrounding areas in Baltimore County have amazing reservoirs and swimming areas. There are public pools that I go to in the city. There is tennis all over, in private clubs and in public parks. -Get a car or find a friend who has a car. There are amazing places to visit outside the city. For example, I buy meat at a farm north of the city and find antiques in old timey Ellicott City (west of city). -I hate public transportation here (although people do use it)! I have a reverse commute to the county, and so I must drive. Many of my friends in the city, though, don't have cars. Although it's hilly here, many of my friends bike everywhere. -Don't use JHU housing, as they'll take advantage of people new to the city. One of the reasons I moved here is because I wanted to save money! I currently live 15 minutes walking distance to Homewood. I live in a newly remodeled house with a yard and a deck with three other friends. I pay $450! WELCOME TO CHARM CITY!!!!!!!!

I know this is a little late, but here is some info for anyone else confused. I applied to school psychology PhD programs. The ones I applied to are very research based. The specialist level degrees for school psych are the ones that are only practice oriented. I myself am considering a career in research/consultation/teaching. I'm not trying to convince anyone to apply to school psych programs, but make sure you've done enough research on both educational and school psych - there is an incredible amount of overlap. For instance, your stated interests, "motivation, achievement and metacognition," are definitely research interests of many school psychologists. I would suggest thinking of applying to schools who have the PROFESSORS you want to work with, and not the type of program, especially if you are interested in a life of research. One school psych program I applied to (UGA) was labeled as "Educational Psych with specialization in School Psych." Here are some picks I know about: -UGA ( I interviewed there for school psych and loved it. It is within "Educational Psych and Instructional Tech Department. There is no "Educational Psych" in this department as you might think. Check the website.) -Penn State -Fordham University (interviewed for school psych program, but there is also an educational psych program within same department) -CUNY

I think funding has different meanings for us depending on our lifestyle, family support, and age. I have been out of school for a couple of years and am proud to be financially independent. I realized through this process how important funding is for me. In addition to desiring a comfortable lifestyle during graduate school, I also want to leave school debt free. I think that this financial independence will allow me to have more flexibility in terms of a possible post-doc and other areas of professional development. I also will be graduating after I am thirty years old....hence, I don't want to be in debt when I start planning a family. I think that for those of you who are still undergraduates, you should really think about your current financial situation before you make any decisions. I didn't fully understand the cost of living until I was on my own and I surely learned a lot about debt from various friends who currently struggling. Regardless of what programs people choose, though, I think our future careers are incredibly lucrative. I'm currently making my decision. In addition to funding, there are obviously more "meaty" factors. Possibly the most important aspect of my decision is how I "bonded" with the faculty, students, and applicants. I want a place that is nurturing and that promotes a true community of teachers and students. I also want a place that offers a good balance between practice and research. I don't want my hand held at all times, but I do want proper supervision. Hence, I realized that I like programs that lean more towards the smaller side. I've also taken into account the diversity of populations I would be able to work with throughout the program. I want a program that is well rooted with various school districts, especially if I plan to practice in the same area after graduation. Those are some of the big ones for me.

Definitely a suit. Skirts are more conservative, but I personally think they are less comfortable to move around in. Pants are more comfortable. Therefore, they make me feel more confident. In addition, make sure to wear shoes that you can actually walk in! No open toed heels or crazy high wedges....go with a simple pump or flats. I also suggest wearing something underneath other than a boring collared shirt.

Hi everyone, waitingwaiting....are you the awesome applicant from Brooklyn that I met at UGA???? I'm the girl from Baltimore (originally from NY). Regardless, good luck with your interviews! I'm getting ready for an interview at UConn on Feb. 12th. In addition, I just received an email from my POI at Temple that she wants to have a "preliminary phone interview." What goes on in this phone call? If I make the "cut," I'm guessing they then ask to meet you in person. Does anyone have any experience with this? Fordham also told me that they'll get back to me next week. Good luck to everyone on this board.