long_time_lurker

Sorry, I didn't mean to turn the thread into a pissing match; I just don't want OP stuck somewhere not knowing what he's getting into. It must have touched a nerve with Herc because the Bronx does get an unfair shake, but to suggest there are no problems is a bridge too far, that's all. Good points made especially in regard to the brokers. As Herc said, try to avoid them all together. It's easy enough to find a place in a 2-4 family home with an owner landlord. The great thing about Woodlawn is it's on Metro-North; same goes for White Plains and Stamford too. All are lively places. I've found most out-of-towners find Woodlawn, Sunnyside, Woodside, Bayside, Bay Ridge, etc. (unfortunately OP only wants a < 30 min. ride each way eliminating those other places) are plenty fun. If nightlife is being able to meet people and go out, those nabes all fit the bill. Good luck abc!

Cheap compared to the city or Scarsdale, but not really for what you get - particularly from the "student apartments" you're referring to. You're on point with Pelham Parkway but you're talking $1500 for a 2br - not bad but not cheap. Also you're assuming here this person can rely on parents. We're not talking undergrads here. Anyone footing his own bill is going to have to show a credit score, stubs for 40x the rent, and have first/last/sec. up front for a building which is what PP is primarily. OP is probably going to have to rent from an owner (i.e. 2 or 3 family) because a Fordham stipend is only 22k. (25k if you get a "supplement") Herc pointed out something important - I wouldn't even mention the word "student" to landlords. Tell them you're working at Fordham. To most people "student" = undergrad and you're going to get steered towards the overpriced ratholes he's referencing. This isn't quite true. By Arthur Ave is ok but west of Webster it's still really hot over there with drugs and gangs and also on Crotona below 187 there's lots of action. There was a multiple homicide there last semester. About once a week the university sends out the latest bulletin about some crime. Granted, many are perpetrated on people who don't use common sense - not watching their surroundings, walking around with their IPod's or cell phones out, stumbling around drunk alone at 2am - but there's been muggings during the day too. It's not 1970's "Bronx is Burning" or early 90's with over 100 murders in the area, but crime is an issue. The 4-8 is still one of the busier houses in the city. Which kind of proves my point, I know you didn't recommend Belmont to him, but pissing in doorways and stealing packages isn't an indicator of a good neighborhood. You mean the Candy Lounge? Funny you mentioned it - the university just sent out a bulletin this morning about a shooting that happened there last night that blew out a window of a university vehicle. So it's not just paranoia. Don't get me wrong - I'm not blind to what you're talking about. Lots of white people here don't even give anywhere in the Bronx a chance because of preconceptions they have. On the other hand it's irresponsible to lead out-of-towners astray - look at all these young out-of-towners, these hipsters, moving into places like Bushwick and around Bruckner Blvd. by the Willis Ave. Bridge (the Realtors have the nerve to call it SoBro). They have no idea what they're getting themselves into I don't mean to be a total buzzkill, you brought up some good points and PP is a decent area convenient to the #12 Select bus. It just irks me when people ignore history and try to whitewash what really goes on. Then the newcomers are led to believe something that isn't true and they end up getting taken advantage of.

To make a long story short, you can do it for 800 if you share. You should know that you're really restricting yourself with the half hour or less ride. Most grad students in my program and for that matter many New Yorkers in general spend more than that. If you are willing to go 45 min or an hour (that's a general average among the people I talk to) you will have much more to choose from. By nightlife do you mean just bars and restaurants and meeting people or do you need nightclubs/live music and theater or comedy shows? Do you want the nightlife right outisde your door or do you want a quiet place (i.e. where you can study) with the nightlife close by? Are you bringing a car, and if so will you use it to go to campus?

Welcome! The Bronx is big and has lots of neighborhoods so it's hard to give a comprehensive list. Avoid the places within walking distance to campus. It's fine during the day but you probably don't want to live there. The couple grad students I know in my program who do don't like it all that much. Most of us live elsewhere, in fact outside the Bronx. If you're dead set on the Bronx, first it depends on whether you're bringing your car and whether you're driving in or taking the train (or bus). Either way is easy. The school is very centrally located by train stations and the Bronx River Parkway. Good neighborhoods in the Bronx include Woodlawn (specifcally on Google Maps "Woodlawn Heights", the part west of the parkway by Katonah Ave.) Morris Park (again realtors stretch the definition be careful), Throggs Neck, Country Club, and City Island. Riverdale is nice but likely too pricey. It would probably be best to tell us what you're looking for in a place and a neighborhood and what you like. Peace and quiet or nightlife? Do you like to see trees? Do you mind a high density urban scene or do you want something a little less noisy, crowded, or dirty? Is space a big deal? How long and how much are you willing to spend to get to campus? Are you trying to meet singles and want a bar scene? Would you rather live in a family neighborhood? Do you have a spouse and/or kids? Are you looking to share an apartment or do you want to rent a house with a yard? I know those are a lot of questions but then it would be easier to steer you in the right directions. People in my program live anywhere from literally steps from the gate to Connecticut, and in every borough of the city. It's really up to personal preference (and how much cash you have!)

Definitely doable. I had a low undergrad (barely 3.0 by rounding) but high MS GPA, and a high GRE. That and my work experience did the trick.

I'm only 33 but I have a baby on the way so we will see what happens! Honestly I was surprised how many people in my program are young. I always assumed people had to get real life experience first before they applied for a PhD. There are a few others in my program who are in their 30's and 40's so I don't feel alone. You shouldn't have to think you have to "live like a student". Honestly I never did that when I was young anyway. I've worked since I was 14. If you manage your time properly - and I'm not always even good at that - and are willing to forego some sleep, it's very doable to work 20-25 hours a week elsewhere - and the benefit of not being 22 years old is you have real life experience and credentials so you can make $30-100 an hour during those hours instead of the kids who are doing odd jobs.

For this summer one would think you will keep your current job so I will confine my response to the subsequent summers. I can also only speak definitively about my school and reasonably well about the ones I decided not to attend.. Funding packages are usually academic year (i.e. 9/10 months) unless explicitly stated. You're either going to have to be funded by a P.I. to get a 12 month grant as then you're going to be working on his/her project (projects don't "take off for the summer") or you're going to have to go somewhere that has plenty of TA assignments in the summer. At my school, there's not much in the way of summer courses but on the other hand enough folks don't stick around that although the assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, most people who applied got what they wanted/needed. I think what you'll want to do is make sure the school you select has enough courses to go around in the summer to at least make it probable that you will get funded in the summer. If the school is not forthcoming with the info you can always get it from the current students. Another thing worth considering is going to a place that has a good enough job market that you will be able to pick up a job when May rolls around, whether it's in or out of your field. I can tell you I've been offered summer work and others in my cohort and department have work lined up both in or close to our field and out (e.g. bartending) and have even been able to turn employers down. This seems to be location specific though as the economic recovery is going strong in some locales and is nonexistent in others.

Congratulations!

You have to be more specific as far as "international vibe" because so many nationalities are represented here. However in general you won't go wrong in Queens. Half the people who live there were born outside the US and hail from just about everywhere. The 7 line in particular is dubbed the "International Express". Sunnyside and Woodside are both good neighborhoods with nightlife and not an arm and a leg to live in especially considering their proximity to transit. Another good place in that vicinity is Maspeth. If you're into South Asia, Jackson Heights will be up your alley and if you're looking for Central/South American then Corona will work. Be aware the latter two areas are a tad on the sketchy side (Jackson Heights less so). One thing to note though is former Mayor Dinkins' "gorgeous mosaic" analogy; the city looks diverse from far away but is made up of many monoglot or monocultural neighborhoods. There are exceptions (I mentioned a few) but you should be aware of people who, for instance, use "diverse" as a euphemism for "black" or "not white". Places like Flushing (Chinese), southeastern Queens like Hollis/St. Albans (black), arguably Jackson Heights (if you lump together Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani) I argue aren't really diverse because they still have a dominant culture. JH has going for it though proximity to other neighborhoods, lots of housing and it's on the 7 train.

1098 1) 1098-T's are famous for being wrong. The important thing is that you don't have to put what is on the 1098-T. As long as you have documentation (i.e. bursar statements that show your bills for tuition & fees, the amount of your waiver, and amount you paid) you can put the actual amounts on your return. 2) Just add your books cost onto whatever your out-of-pocket fees cost was, and enter that in TurboTax, then it won't complain. In all seriousness though, there are differences among the different deductions in whether you can count books as an expense or not. One standard says the books must be REQUIRED, as in you buy them from the school directly when you sign up for the course; one standard says the books must be Required, as in if you were to show an auditor your syllabus, you would be ok. Another standard - which is what I use on Schedule A - it's good enough that your books are an expense. It really goes by whether your taking a deduction or credit, and for a deduction whether the deduction is above-the-line or below-the-line. Honestly I would just can the software and do it by hand. The IRS publishes all of the information online and all the forms (and instructions) no matter how obscure are available at the click of a button, unlike the old days when you used to have to go to the post office which usually only had 1040's and Schedule A's.

Big +1 (+1) Also they're not as easy to find these days but if you make nice with the meat guys at the supermarket or if you're lucky and still have a neighborhood pork store or butcher shop they will usually cut up a chicken or steak for you for free.

Dunkin Donuts' 6 for 3.99 deal right now has been great for breakfast and lunch the past week! I guess that doesn't quite qualify as healthy though! Levity aside, even though if you're only going to be living on a stipend that's not a lot of money to live on, not eating out and food preparation tricks (like using a slow cooker with cheaper cuts of meat) go a long way. Even eating out - including at nice places - is doable with Groupon or if you just budget wisely (like not blowing $6 at Dunkin Donuts in the morning). Hell you can get the tasting menu at Per Se if you just avoid eating lunch out every day (though I'd rather spend the $300 saved elsewhere).

People do it - that's a competitive stipend - but not (usually) in the neighborhoods you mentioned. Take the advice from the person in Bay Ridge - but beware that he/she got real lucky, I know that nabe well and $1200 for a 1br is a steal there. There are plenty of people (and plenty who disagree) who would love to live in the City if they had unlimited budgets; the reality is most people live elsewhere. And really, you're not missing out on anything living, for instance, in Bay Ridge, or Sunnyside, or Bayside that you can't get in the City and you can take a train and be to the City (specifically Midtown or Downtown) if you really want/need to be there in the same amount of time as some people who live there (e.g. in Inwood, a popular place for people who want to live affordably but still demand to "live in Manhattan", have a 212 number, etc.).

I've lived here my whole life but even this mild winter I've rarely gone out without long johns (pants). It's been de rigeur for me since I was a kid going to Catholic high school and having to deal with waiting for MTA buses in the cold. It's just a part of life that in the winter you wear long johns, a hat, gloves, and a warm coat. Having said that as you've seen from the other responses it's all subjective. For instance as intolerant as I am of the cold I absolutely love the heat and only rarely install my window A/C - only if the temperature in my house goes over 90 for an extended period. Others run their A/C's constantly from May to September. It's all up to what you feel like and your budget.

Be honest: tell your contact that you're weighing your offers and that while you like the program you are hoping for more $. The Profs in the program were grad students once also and know that money is an issue. While it may be that let's say, all TA/GA/RA assistantships have a standardized stipend, you may be eligible for an additional supplement or be able to be paid from someone's grant. If they really have no money you can ask if they can set you up with a job - your department should have connections to employers - or if your school has a "no additional work" rule (many do) for accepting a stipend, ask them to waive it. If you approach it like any salary negotiation you will do fine. If you go in like an entitled hotshot or someone trying to pound blood out of a rock, it won't.

Ditto the last two responses. It comes in handy once you're in the program and you're TA'ing or teaching courses. Really more important is knowing what the prereq's are (if any) for your students' courses, how they go about switching sections of classes, what the course sequence is for the major of your department. These are the things that will come up in class. However, none of these factors led me to choose the program I chose. I ended up choosing a private university over a public one, so I suppose my students are easier to work with, but that would be well down the list of reasons I would make my decision again.

If your family lives here you know the deal with the real estate market here. You're going to have to figure out if your priority is moving out or going to school. You can get a job for a few years and gain some financial independence. Then you can always go to school. Also, are the programs you're looking into funded? This will make a big difference. Then, especially if you don't mind having roommates, you can swing living in the city especially with a not-too-onerous job on the side.

I don't really know what you mean by "likeminded grad school oriented people". You can try what was suggested, looking up when talks are being given. I'm not sure, for on-campus talks, how one goes about getting into a talk if you're not a student. You can always also try going to a bar around, let's say, NYU, Columbia or Fordham. I suppose there's no guarantee there will be a grad student (or any kind of student) in the place, but it's worth a shot!

Hotwire. It's awesome.

Definitely had some laughs, but I think I could apply half those slides to people in grad school too.

@crazed: You seem convinced that one that does not subscribe to left-wing ideas is ignoring "facts", delusionally ignorant, and needs to move to India (which actually has subsidized health care). Frankly if you change the left-wing ideas to right-wing ideas and keep the "love it or leave it" sentiment that's no different than the bile on the neo-con radio shows. No thanks. @Zee: Interestingly enough, I had more of your point of view for quite a while (worked on Clinton's '96 campaign, became a Kucinich supporter later) and it was after I worked in Brownsville, Brooklyn - which includes some of the most impoverished census tracts in the US - that I started to change my mind. As such, my views don't come from ignorance of the poor or their plight. I just don't think an entitlement system works for them nor do I think it is fair for us who pay their freight. It's not about villainization or stereotyping. I don't think it's about ignorance of history either, because until the New Deal, the welfare state as we know it in the US just did not exist. Since you mentioned it: a grad student stipend disqualifies not just a student but even a student supporting a family of 4 him/herself from receiving food stamps in NYS. Even someone working a minimum-wage job can't qualify. So I would reject the idea of these government social programs supporting the "hardworking". It was my experience that most of the support went to those who were entrenched in a culture of entitlement in which literally generations of family members were not gainfully employed, by choice. I indeed don't think a person has a right to healthcare, nor does he have a right to food. He can work for it, provide for himself and his family, and ask for charity if he must, but I don't think it's a right. Though I don't agree with much of Aaron's arguments I do agree with the analogy that this is tantamount to requiring someone to give someone care or give someone food on demand. What if someone came to your house and demanded free food because it's his right? People say, well we're a rich country and no one should have to pay for healthcare, but a grocery store owner does not have to give away food to those who cannot pay, even though food is something that is fundamentally required for one to survive. We do not have a national system of supermarkets or force people to pay into food insurance programs. (The food analogy is not mine: Dr. Bodreaux from George Mason wrote an article in the Journal making the analogy to public education. The article is called "If Supermarkets Were Like Public Schools", if you're interested.)

It's controversial because in order to give to the recipients of the free or subsidized health care you must take away from others. It can be especially offensive when the government compels citizens to fund other people's insurance (through higher taxes and higher premiums) as well as mandate people to buy insurance. Excellent post. There is no such thing as "free health care", "free food stamps", "free tuition", etc. Someone is paying for it, and this payment happens through the redistribution of wealth. If one wants to use the fruits of one's own labor to engage in philanthropy, that's great; however, the government shouldn't be taking from a person unwillingly what that person has rightfully earned to redistribute it others so that they can reap what they have not sowed.

I suppose one can argue that if you use large nationwide companies with standardized pricing (not just Amazon) often that you are better off living in the high income/high cost-of-living area. However the key question you must ask is how much disposable income you will have left. Your biggest expenditure - rent or mortgage - is going to depend on where you live. Paying hundreds of dollars more of month to live in a place with higher pay is not going to be easier just because you're still paying a dollar for the "dollar menu" or the same price for stuff on Amazon. Also, since you mentioned NY: Amazon collects tax (8.875%) from NY customers. Also, since I mentioned "dollar menus", in the City and in the busier locations in the outer boroughs (like near transit hubs) you will not get advertised deals and the "dollar menu" is more like a $1.49 menu.

Just curious since I have a little one on the way - how did you find childcare you can trust/afford? I agree with you, but I'm wondering how I'm going to make it work.

I'm on G+ and can use a fire under my butt (well really anywhere tonight, it's freezing!) at times. PM me and we'll exchange info. You'll have to show me how the whole screen thing works too.