withjoy

I've requested a summer reading list from my advisor and another professor in the department. I asked them what books they wished incoming doctoral students had read. I've been out of academia for eight years, and my knowledge of theory is VERY rusty. I don't want to be playing catch up for the first year. I figure some work this summer will relieve a lot of stress in the fall.

Quick question for strangelight - Could you let me know where you found out that NYU can act as a guarantor? When I looked on the website, I found this: http://www.nyu.edu/housing/offcampus/faq/#Q5 "The university does not act as a guarantor. If you are receiving an award package as part of a fully supported Lease Guarantee Program we suggest you speak to your department head and find out what options are available through your department. . ." I'm not sure what the "Lease Guarantee Program" is, but it seems to be a GSAS thing. I'm attending Steinhardt. How did the person you know have someone at the school sign? Was he/she a student at GSAS?

Thanks! I've been a little obsessive about checking craigslist lately. (I'm thinking it may be an addiction.) :-) I know that Park Slope and Prospect Heights are out of my budget, but I'm hoping to find something in a different nabe. I don't mind living with someone as long as there isn't much drama. :-) Thanks for your input; I'll check out Bay Ridge.

Thanks for all the great info everyone! I have an NYU question. Do you know who I talk to about having the school sign as a guarantor? This is the first I've heard of that, and it's a relief. I'm moving from Kansas, and feeling overwhelmed at the though of dealing with the NYC rental market. I'd like to find a place in Brooklyn, hopefully near Prospect Park. (I need some green space nearby if I'm going to stay sane!) :-) :-) I'm excited about the PhD program I'll be in at NYU, but pretty nervous about life in general in New York. For those of you in the know -- in this rental market, do you think it's possible to find a place for $700-800 that's within a few blocks of a subway station? I care less about how long I'm on the subway than I do about how far I have to walk to get to the station. Also, when do apartments that are available in August start showing up in craigslist? (and is that the best way to go? Are there any no-fee brokers that you recommend? I can't tell which brokers are genuine and which I should avoid.) It seems like all the apartments right now have April and May move in dates. Thanks for the help and information! Withjoy

Acceptance letter arrived yesterday!! Yesterday also brought an e-mail from the program director with information on funding -- I'm pretty excited! :-) Good luck everyone!

Could you give the reasoning behind the note for TC? I am making the same choice, although in a different program, and I'm leaning toward NYU Steinhardt. The NYU program fits my interests more closely and seems to be a more community focused program. That's important to me. They seem to put an emphasis on building community within the grad cohort and within the department. They are also working to offer more financial aid than TC, although that isn't set in stone yet. I'd like to hear why others are choosing TC, since I'm not completely sure yet.

I wouldn't say that. I didn't get an "official/unofficial" like the one above. I've been in contact with a few professors from the Dept. of Teaching and Learning. One of them told me that they were planning to accept me. I have received nothing official (even an e-mail like the one above) but I'm still assuming that I'm going to be accepted! :-) I hope that's not a false assumption, but surely this particular professor (who is in the position to know) wouldn't tell me I was going to be accepted if I wasn't. . . hopefully! I would think it's possible that you could still be accepted. If this professor hadn't said something in the e-mail, I would assume I wasn't getting in either. It seems like the graduate office is just slower than molasses. I'm still obsessively checking the mailbox! No official word on funding either. Does anyone know when NYU usually makes those decisions?

What do you want to know? :-) I went to undergrad there and enjoyed it. Lived in both on campus housing and rented a house the last two years. Rent in Norman is not too bad. It's very close to Oklahoma City, but doesn't have traffic like a big city. There has been a lot of growth, particularly on the west side since I was a student. People are generally nice and helpful. I wasn't really into the bar scene, so I can't tell you about it. It would help to know where you are coming from and what you are used to if you want to know how Norman will relate to where you are now. Good luck!

Thanks for your input! I'm compiling a list (and hope I can remember most of them in conversation!) Does anyone have good questions to ask about life outside the program? Questions to ask about the city and community. (Obviously, I'm thinking of New York, but what general questions should we be asking about any city?)

I will be visiting two of the programs I've been accepted to next week. (Columbia and NYU) Does anyone have a list of good questions to ask current students? I hope to have a lunch with a few students and get a feel for the program. Thoughts on what to ask?

How miserable is miserable for the NYU stipend? If I end up going there, I'm thinking of an apt share in Brooklyn. Hopefully not in a sketchy neighborhood, but I don't need to be in Park Slope. :-) Could I swing a shared apt in Brooklyn and a fairly quiet lifestyle (not a lot of going out, etc.) on a stipend from NYU Steinhardt? (BTW - PhD in Ed.) Any advice from those who live there? I'm just trying to figure out if this is do-able.

I am interested also. And perhaps other schools? Has anyone done a side-by-side comparison of the top education schools? (And by "anyone" I mean students in the programs - not people wanting to make money!)

Thank you so much for all your input. This has been helpful!

Hi Everyone! I've been accepted to two very good schools (Columbia TC and NYU Steinhardt) and am having trouble deciding. I hope to visit both schools in a few weeks. Do you have any advice? What questions should I be asking? I'm a little afraid I'll overlook something obvious. Does anyone have something they wished they had asked about? Thanks for any and all advice!

I'm in the EdD program for Teaching of English. When I applied I kept going back and forth on applying for the EdD or the PhD in English Education. I ended up going for the PhD. When I received my letter yesterday, the admissions committee admitted me and switched me to the EdD program because they felt it was better suited to my interests. I'm sort of glad they did, since it certainly answers that question! I have you heard anything on TC's funding? Do they let us know? Should we be asking?