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Well, I learned something today! I did not know that advice and advise have different pronunciations. So thanks for your advise (yes, it hurt me to write that) Oh, by the way, my pet peeve is a Dutch thing: als vs. dan. In English that's "That one is bigger than (dan) the other one" and "That one is as big as (als) the other one". People keep using 'als' everywhere. And it's even worse when people are involved: "He is bigger than me (ik in Dutch)" vs. "You think he is better than me (mij in Dutch)." Nowadays, some people always use 'mij' and say things like "Hij is groter als mij". It kills me

I'm not a native speaker either and I was required to take the TOEFL. Are you sure that it isn't obligatory for you as well? I think you should either explain in your application how your English is good enough but the test scores don't reflect that for some reason, or take the TOEFL and score really high. Or, if you don't get high TOEFL scores either, explain what you will do to improve your English (summer classes or something?). I found the TOEFL to be very easy, but I was lucky in that I was quick, so I wasn't distracted by other people talking during the speaking part...

I understand your confusion, because both things are correct. For the GRE general test (with Quant and Verbal) the questions decrease in value and the penalty for giving a wrong answer are as the other posters decribed. But for the GRE subject tests, every question is equal in value, it is possible to skip questions (which is not possible for the GRE general as far as I know - not sure about that though) and for every four questions you get wrong, a right answer is substracted. So it depends on which test you're taking (which is probably the GRE general test)!

Yeah, it was the same way for me - the institution I applied to received my scores before I did (although I did wait until they were available online).

neuropsychosocial, the snow and cold is a bit much, isn't it? But I'm sure we'll get used to it! It's good to know that we're not late with looking for housing. I'd still like to find something soon rather than in May, because I like to be sure that everything is arranged, but that should also work out. I'm on the Minneapolis east bank campus too. Neuropsychosocial, I guess with your spouse it depends on how much room you want to have when s/he is there (i.e. more than a bedroom and a shared living room). In my current student house, where everyone has their own room but bathrooms and the kitchen are shared (and there is no living room) some spouses are here very often and that's no problem. Unless, of course, they're in the shower just when I need to go in! I will definitely move in August, for several reasons (my visa probably won't allow me to move much earlier, I will take my last chance for a holiday with parents and friends in July). But if you really want to move out of your current situation I guess I'd move sooner than later! It's good to know that the Netherlands have a positive reputation! Bhikhaari, your plan of emailing the department and sending an email to all future (and current!) graduate students is exactly what I plan to do. I'm sure you'll find something near the St Paul campus, or at least with a good bus connection I've never been to Nepal, by the way, but I know it's gorgeous!

Thank you, congratulations to you too! I'll be attending the Minneapolis campus. Where are you from originally? I haven't started looking for housing yet, I was adviced to wait until mid-March (as you say as well). I do want to find something that has the option of walking/public transport for when the snow gets too much! I am aiming for renting something (appartment or house) together with some other people, I wonder if more people on the forum would be interested in seeing if that would work? Making friends from different programs sounds good! I'm glad you enjoyed Amsterdam

Thank you both for your replies! I do plan to go back to the Netherlands, but I don't know when yet - an open return ticket sounds good! I was mostly worried about the visa/immigration issues Peanut, Utrecht is definitely worth visiting. It's much quieter than Amsterdam and has a very different atmosphere. Especially April is a lovely time to visit! If the weather permits, you should rent waterbikes and 'cycle' on the canals. The Dick Bruna house is fun, and climbing the Dom tower is fun as well (the last bit is scary for those with claustrophobia, but you can stay on a lower level and just enjoy the view instead). Eating on a terrace on the wharfs is also great

Hi Peanut, I hope I can help! In my experience, it is not unusual for universities here to hire PhDs from the UK/USA. My thesis advisor went to Cambridge, for example. However, they are usually Dutch citizens who went abroad for their PhD. In the social sciences both Cambridge and Oxford are regarded as prestigious and of high quality, so going there would be a bonus. I did not have any professors who did not speak Dutch fluently, but I know that in other fields (the sciences, I am certain about physics) faculty can be foreign. It really depends on your field! If you want more information, just send me a message and I'll see what I can find out about your field

Hi everybody, There's an active Minneapolis thread in the City Guide section, but I thought it might be interesting to get all the newly admitted students together! I know there are several I don't know anybody in Minneapolis yet, so it would be nice to get to know you! I'm from the Netherlands and I'm in the Psychology department. I've never been to Minneapolis or even the United States, so at the moment I feel kind of crazy for doing this... But I'm sure I'll meet fantastic people over there!

I definitely recognize myself in this! I'm taking a huge step, moving away from family and friends, and it's difficult to get a mental picture of what life will be like. I don't know anyone there yet (although this forum is already changing that!) and that is scary. I am certain I will change, and that is a scary thought as well... But regardless of what you do you change, so I try not to worry about it!

Hi everybody, I'm from the Netherlands, I'll be moving to Minneapolis for my PhD in August. I've been looking at airfares and it turns out singles are way more expensive than returns! How have you solved this problem, or did you just buy a single? Is buying a return a problem with immigration/visa issues? And how difficult can airline companies get if you buy a return but don't use the return ticket - i.e. don't they care, or should I just buy a single to be on the safe side? I hope someone can help, the price difference is shockingly large!

snow angel

Haha, the same thing happened to me, my parents thought it was going to be 2 or 3 years. And I'm moving to the other side of the world for this, so they were kind of disappointed that I would be gone longer than that! Ah well, they're still happy for me Anyway, I'm coming from Europe and going to the US for my PhD. Partly because I want more international experience, and partly because my research interests aren't very well represented in my home country. The main advantage of doing a PhD in the Netherlands is that you actually get paid and don't pay tuition. I know there are many international PhD students so that shouldn't be a problem taxes-wise. But the UK, for example, is a different story: you don't get paid and it's very difficult to get a scholarship as a foreign student. I'm amazed that many US universities don't want someone who went abroad for their PhD - in the Netherlands, international experience is generally valued highly, independently of the quality of the institution you went to!

Watching a cat doing absolutely nothing. Looking for adventure, finding it too.

I'll be 23 when I start graduate school, after doing both a bachelor and a master.

Wow, it's great to be able to read so much about Minneapolis on this forum! I'm an international student and will start as a graduate student this fall at UMN. I am, of course, also worried about housing. Smaturins considerations sound pretty much like my own, except I'm not much of a runner and I hope to cycle as much as possible (what can I say, I'm Dutch). I hope to share a 2 or 3 bedroom appartment as well. It's difficult to find a future housemate and a house, without the option to set foot in the US before I move there. So I really appreciate all the information that's been posted here so far!