AlHal

I got verbal confirmation on July 2, letter in the mail. Phew. Also, for future people reading this, I didn't know exactly what it covered: All fees (incl. health), tuition, out of state tuition (for first years only), and a waiver for the professional fee if applicable. $16,500 stipend on top.

So, update. I called again yesterday and while she has not received the GAN for my region (Middle East) she has started receiving them for different regions (she mentioned Latin America, but I forget the other two.) Hopefully it's only a matter of days now. Good-ness. For the record, I should have been notified March 15. It is June 20. Still waiting.

Well, I think that's a really hard question to answer without background... 1. Do you have undergrad loans? 2. Are you able to cover tuition without loans? Costs of living? 3. Do you have a TA-ship, other sources of funding, etc.? 4. What is the caliber of the program-- likelihood of high-paying job (or frankly, any job) to cover repayment etc. (this should be a very pessimistic figure, like the bottom tier of the pay grade, just to be safe.) In the end, if you have decided to attend a program and can't cover tuition and costs of living, then a reasonable amount to take out is whatever is the bare minimum to cover these costs. If you're partially funded and are just talking about cost of living, then that's where it will be more tricky. It comes down to whether you think the course load will make working impossible (or just a really really bad idea), or whether that's not going to negatively impact your education. I'm for front-loading the cost, but that can majorly backfire if you wind up not getting subsequent funding, and graduate with debt up to your eyeballs.

I've tried researching what the official allocations from the government to the DoE have been for the upcoming fiscal year but NONE of the websites have any information. The only information is that it's contingent on federal funding. Now, the woman at Berkeley told me that she had been told that the funding would be the same from last year to this, meaning 6 fellowships. But she also told me back on April 15 that she had been told the official paperwork had been put in the mail the week before. So... someone is lying about something. All in all it's got me going crazy.

Email students from both programs. I'm a former Fulbrighter and I field emails all the time from people in just this sort of situation. Only people on the ground really know what each program is like and what you're actually going to be able to get out of it. Tell them your plans and ask them their advice. And stop it with the, "which is more prestigious" B.S., take the option that fits your interests best and excites you most because that's the one that will help propel you forward.

I've been emailing with a woman from the graduate division's fellowships office and she said they've been told unofficially what they'll be given to dole out, but as of yet, she hasn't gotten the official documents from the DoE. Understandably, she doesn't want to send out notifications until she has the legal paperwork from the government. I've been checking in weekly for the last month, and she's been wonderfully sweet, but seems to have no idea why the government hasn't sent along the paperwork. Losing my mind.

I'm still waiting too... I check in periodically with the grad division's fellowships office, and when I do they seem entirely nonplussed about the delay. I've been told "next week" since mid-March.

I'm waiting on a FLAS too. I was told at the accepted student open house that the graduate division has provisionally awarded the fellowships, but are now waiting on funding from the DoE. So, I've been told that if funding is cut by about 20% I should still be high enough on the list to be getting one, but they have no way of knowing how much funding is coming through. Ahhhh!

I'm a master's student and have been waiting on a 15k FLAS fellowship that may or may not come through. After talking to an assistant in the department office, the potential for that fellowship coming through makes me ineligible for additional funding rounds... but there's no guarantee that it's coming through. By the time they've heard, the additional funding will be gone and I'd be out both 15k and a fellowship. GAHHH.

The financial aid office has a breakdown of general costs of living, which might be helpful: http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/graduates/cost.htm

Also, DON'T TAKE THE 86. My colleague takes it to Harvard Sq from Cleveland Circle, and it frequently takes over an hour during rush hour. Don't do it.

You can still find something in Brookline if you're flexible. You can take the T's Green C line from further out on the Brookline/Brighton border (Washington Sq and further) where things get a little (not tons, but a little) cheaper. Steer clear of the B line, if you're not comfortable with billions of drunk undergrads running amok and puking on your front steps, this is a good warning to anyone. Really steer clear of the B-line in general. It will make you want to stab yourself in the eyeball, some stops are less than 1/4 mile apart and they have to stop at every light. It's a disaster. The C and D lines will bring you to Kenmore Sq, which will then be easy for you to navigate wherever you need to go on BU's vast "campus." If you're really set on your own place, you may have to put up with a "garden level" studio if you want to keep the price under about $1300. You'll sacrifice daylight, but you'll also be a student, so... who needs sun? Your other option for BU would be to look at Brighton Center around the St. Elizabeth's medical center, and on the 57 bus. It is a dream of a bus, it goes so quickly, often passing the dreaded B-line when it meets up with Commonwealth Ave.

Yes, masters! Sorry if I caused alarm, haha.

I have narrowed my list down to three that I am seriously considering, possibly four if I get into one of the schools I'm waiting on. WHY DO THEY ALL HAVE OPEN HOUSES THE SAME WEEKEND?! Has anyone else run into this? I specifically didn't visit schools this fall so I wouldn't become emotionally attached to any before knowing my real options, and now it seems to have backfired. I'm curious how you're all deciding where to visit and where to make your own trip. I'm lucky that my current job is very flexible, and my colleagues are supportive of my future plans, but it's still stressing me out. There is also the problem that I will not hear about financial aid to two of these three programs until at least the end of next week, shortening the amount of time I have to organize a trip. Suggestions? What kind of criteria are you all using to help narrow the list?

I want to be clear, my apartment is a freaking unicorn. Don't expect to find a studio anywhere outside of Allston or JP for under at least $1100 (which I would still consider a great deal.) I scoured the internet for months and pounced when I found it. Finding much outside of Sept 1 will be hard. Consider coming to Boston, taking a sublet for a summer, and learning about the city. You'll be on site in the freak case where you find something as cheap as my place, but you'll also get a better idea of what you're able to find/afford. The realtor's fee is something that CAN be avoided, just do a search on craigslist that excludes realtors. It means your choices will shrink substantially, but they're horrible and nightmarish 20-somethings working solely on commission and they will make you hate life. I suggest not using them, not just to save money, but to save your sanity. Don't live in JP if you're planning on going to school at MIT or Harvard. It is simply too far, and unfortunately the crosstown buses are just not good enough. If you want to save some money, look at Allston and Somerville, or even Medford or Arlington (if you'll be at MIT/Harvard.) If you're going to be at Med School near Longwood, you can look at JP, though MGH, stick with my Harvard/MIT suggestions.) I would generally suggest against university housing, especially for BU which has a well deserved reputation for ripping off its students. You should just look for a place in Allston/Brighton, or even in some of the cheaper parts of Brookline (move about a 1/2 mile from the T and you'll see the prices drop, not so far that you'll hate life, but just enough to save some $.)