musichistorygeek

I love the Quo Vadis Textagenda planner. It's small enough to fit in my medium-sized purse and gives you a full page for each day, which is handy if (like me) you procrastinate by making long lists of minute things in order to feel more accomplished.

Just got an email from the International Student Services office at McGill. Because of the processing time and the uncertaintly of the labor situatiion, a number of Canadian universities are highly recommending that those who can get their Study Permit at the border do so.

Thanks for the advice, Troppman and random17! Good point about having an inventory ready to go. Edit: Ugh, pressed the wrong button. Did not mean to upvote my own reply. Sorry!

So, I just did Part I of the online McGill international student orientation last week, and was advised that it is easier for students who are citizens or permanent residents of the US to apply for their Study Permit at the point-of-entry, with no prior application or letter from the visa office needed (just your proof of citizenship or permanent residence, letter of admission, proof of funding, and CAQ). Which makes sense, except I can't seem to find a step-by-step guide to how this works while at the border. I'll likely be entering Canada by car, and everything I've read either assumes you're coming by plane and/or that you're coming from somewhere where you need to have a temporary visa and a letter from the visa office. If any current or former US students who've done grad programs in Canada could walk me through what your study permit application process was like, that would be great (especially if you also came by car). Thanks!

Hadouken- I can't help with the apartment hunt, but if you want to socialize with other grad students, check out if your department has a grad student organization. I was in the graduate academic music student org at Madison, and we did a mix of social things (including the occasional bar visit or party at someone's place) and professional development activities. It's also a great way to feel less isolated when you first move to Madison (and not get lost in the sea of undergrads).

I'm pretty much deciding between McGill and UW-Madison at this point. I liked the folks at CUNY, but I just don't think I'm ready to move to NYC at this point.

Yale said nope here, as well.

Good to know. (I'm also not expecting positive news, but it would be good to know one way or another as I start making decisions.)

I love this! Me: deciding among WI, CUNY, and McGill. My family: Where is McGill again? Will you have to write papers in French? Don't you want to move to NYC? Isn't it supposed to be a great place to be a musician? Me: I'm a musicologist. And all three schools have some great people in my research interests. My family: What's musicology again?

I'm considering going. I emailed Anne Stone for a general schedule (since I'm also trying to combine the trip with catching up with family) and she said that the day generally goes from 10:30-5ish and will include a library tour, meetings with faculty, lunch with current students, and a reception.

I haven't heard, but I'm assuming a rejection here (just too lazy to bother changing my signature until Yale actually lets me know).

Congrats to the UW-Madison music theory admit! (Yay Wisconsin!)

I'm not going to address the issue of "handouts," but PSLF doesn't provide a "free education" to anyone, regardless of the definition of public service. To qualify, someone in an eligible profession still has to make the first 120 payments (10 years) of their loan. According to the Federal Student Aid website, full-time employees of most public and private not-for-profit universities are eligible for PSLF. http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/public-service-loan-forgiveness.pdf So, for this to this sort of thing to apply to grad students (as well as other groups of university employees, such as adjuncts), it seems like one would have to address: 1. The definition of "full-time employee." Most of the grad students I know (myself included) are hired at 33.3% or 50% assistantships, which in theory suggests that we work (and are paid) for 1/3-1/2 of the time as full-time academic staff. There would definitely need to be some further research into how much time the average grad student (regardless of field or appointment) actually works per week in comparison with full-time academic staff and/or faculty. 2. How much one's academic work counts as "work" in an employment capacity. I'm especially thinking of RAs and PAs who are paid for assisting a professor with research, but who also use that work towards completing a thesis/dissertation. I don't know that grad students necessarily should be eligible, but the issue of what work we do and how we are compensated is an ongoing issue. Also, while I disagree with ANDS! that this is necessarily stretching or distorting the definition of public service (especially since many employees of both public and private universities already qualify), I do think we need to have more of a conversation in and around academia about what sorts of public services universities do provide for the general population.

And to the music business admit at NYU-Steinhardt!

I don't know how to feel. A bunch of musicologists got rejections from Case yesterday. I didn't receive a rejection, but I also haven't heard...anything. I would ask if admits have gone out or if I'm on some sort of invisible waiting list, but the department website emphasizes the "we will contact you" attitude towards admissions. Still...maybe a good sign? Or, at the very least, an omen?

Congrats to the Yale theory admit!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Also--admission/rejection by text. That gives us all something new to worry about! )

It seems to be silence so far from McGill and Case on this front. I'm hoping no news is good news and that my rejection isn't just lost in the aether somewhere. (McGill mentions a 'rolling admissions' policy, which I'm assuming means they look at applications in the order they came in or something.) But mostly I'd just like to hear something from either of them.

A good friend who lives down the street from a Whole Foods informs me that Annie's Organic Bunny Classics come in a variety of flavors (butter, pretzel, wheat, different cheeses) and at least partially satisfy the goldfish cravings. (They are crazy expensive for a box of crackers, though, so you might want to ration your stress eating.)

Falafel and chocolate chip cookies. And I stress ate goldfish crackers and cheese-its while writing my thesis last semester.

Minerva is down for the weekend! How will I be able to work grade papers start on my seminar projects waste time online without compulsively seeing that my McGill application is in fact still "ready for review"? And I totally agree about weekends, sweetpearl16. I have the most time to worry and keep hitting refresh during the two days of the week I can almost guarantee I won't hear back from anywhere.

Looks like we've got some more acceptances and interviews on the board today. Maybe this will be the week for music people! Congrats to the composition acceptance at the University of British Columbia and the musicology acceptances at Georgia and NYU! And best of luck to the musicology interviewee at WUISL!!

Well, Cornell said nope.

I haven't heard anything either way...

Agreed.

Congrats!