judith

thanks a lot for the info - really helpful (for both Amherst and Brandeis)!

i meant: "Knowing the faculty can help ..." (I am also accepted to a program where I did not meet anyone, and that will count for many of us) - however, it can help for faculty to know the applicant in order to make their decision.

If anyone knows anything about the Fletcher School, its reputation, its curriculum, the people, the neighborhood, the atmosphere etc... - please post it here. I wasn't able to visit the Fletcher School and would like to know if this would be a good option for graduate school or not. thanks a lot.

oh, that is sad. Knowing the faculty, meeting with them, really helps and puts a face to an application. As soon as you know that your chances to get in are less than 5%, it does not depend any longer on purely your qualifications. It depends on what the particular faculty is looking for to fit their students, their program and their researches (soc-students versus non-soc; american versus int; only openings for a specific research - has to be lucky it is your field of interest and many other factors). I hope you have other options in the run for graduate school. Still no envelope from Brandeis ... the mail to Hawaii has at least a 2 day delay with the mainland. I am afraid it is bad news as well ... but then at least I know and can cross out this one on my list. Maybe today?

... Umass Amherst, MA *housing? *transportation? *nightlife? *grad programs? *any other info? Thanks!

Hi Marie, It seems to me that Waltham area is cheaper than Cambridge or Boston. I think you have to consider if you want to live in a suburb (and most likely have to depend upon a car) and live close by campus, or have the conveniences of a big city and rely on public transportation. Brandeis is a school I do consider, since this is so far the only acceptance (still waiting for 5 schools!!) I got. More important, the interaction I had with faculty and staff was very positive. People I met and interacted with by email are open-minded, friendly and intellectual stimulating. Brandeis seemed to me a small scale university, with a personal touch (versus larger universities, large scale programs). The program I got accepted to seems to me an excellent fit - therfore I truly consider attending Brandeis. However, I do want to see what other programs and schools have to offer and am patiently waiting to hear back from the rest of schools/programs. Judith

I visited the campus before Christmas. I met very nice people - everyone was so helpful, and very friendly. the commuter rail (train) is a 10 minute walk from campus. it takes 20 minutes to Cambridge, and 30 to Boston. once you are in Cambridge/Boston area you have excellent connections to the metro and bus. Also, Brandeis does have their own bus that goes to Cambridge etc. often. The prices for the commuter rail can be found on the website http://www.mbta.com. I believe that a monthly pass would be around $110 and will give you unlimited access on commuter rail, buses and metro in the whole Boston/Cambridge/Waltham area. I did not see a lot of Waltham, it just seemed to be a suburb, lots of houses, with easy access to highway. Cambridge was lovely, vibrant and dynamic - but housing there is more expensive.

i live on the big island, Hawaii- as a potential astronomy student you might end up here for research at the institute for astronomy to work on one of the telescopes on Mauna Kea. The market for houses is tight (Big Island) with lots of people buying and selling their houses. There are also not a lot of rentals available, but there is always something to find. email me if you want to know more. I cannot tell a lot about the housing on Oahu (Honolulu), other than that it is more expensive (but I don't know how much etc.). The weather is great - very stable, lots of sun and palmtrees, and gorgeous beaches.

still waiting for the letter from brandeis - most likely a rejection (only 2 positions out of 80-100!). Mail to Hawaii is so slowwww ... every day I check and nothing. Maybe tomorrow?

funny!

Did anyone hear from Umass Amherst - psychology?

that was me, judith (behind my husbands computer, logged in as my husband who is applying for grad schools as well )

George Mason is still in the running! There is still hope! You could in the mean time check out the websites of universities such as Univ Penn and Univ NC Chapel Hil; they still accept applications, even now! These schools offer a variety of programs that would fit your interests (IR, Sociology etc.). Syracuse Univ still accepts applications for their MA in IR. Keep hanging in there!

Dear Meridionale, Yuster and other grad students: Lets brew a fresh new pot of coffee - - my treat. To Yuster: Meridionale is a great barista, treating her clientele well. She doesn't sell her coffeebeans, she likes to brew good cups of espresso and latte for grad students. If you think it tastes bitter, you can go drink coffee somewhere else and simply keep brewing your own. Judith

thegradcafe is a better website - with taste and good coffee.