LukeKY

No, haven't been there. What I've heard though is that in general, you should stay west of the railroad tracks (that cut the city in half). I agree with that. Also, the area north of Main St. and east of Illinois Ave. doesn't make the best impression either. A lot of grad students and faculty live either on the western outskirts of town or in nearby towns, especially Murphysboro. Rents there are a lot cheaper! This of course is only an option if you have a car. Hope you find something good!

Saint Germaine seemed kinda ghetto to me, and definitely overpriced. $600 for a 450sqf. hole is just to much, even if some utilities are included. We've only visited complexes and houses that allow dogs, so we were pretty limited in our choices. If you don't have a pet, you definitely have a lot more options! We visited places like Lewis Park, Brookside Manor and Garden Park Apts, but we just didn't feel comfortable there! Names that come to mind are Breckenridge Courts (good ratings, probably the most quiet!), Quadrangle Apts, The Reserve, Aspen Court etc, although like I said, we didn't go there since they have a no pet policy. The apartment ratings side might also help you! Good luck!

Start here: This is a listing of landlords and apartment complexes: http://www.siude.com/dawghouse/ If you're ready for horror stories, go here: http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/IL-Carbondale.html Also, I think I recall reading that bikes aren't allowed on the SE, so I doubt they have bike racks.

Thanks! I've actually been able to visit twice now, and after looking at a lot of places, we found a very nice house in a quiet neighborhood! Saint Germain's apartments are very small (450 sq.f.), and we didn't like the atmosphere. Lewis Park is nicer, but not really a good deal financially if you look outside complexes.

There unfortunately isn't much on Craigslist for Carbondale! My problem is that I most likely won't have a car (but a bike) in August, so the closer to campus the better! I'm actually going to visit this weekend, so I'm gonna be able to look around in person. Lewis Park looks good to me, but I've read awful reviews about the surroundings! Also wondering about Saint Germain and Campus Square Apts. Any thoughts on these would be greatly appreciated! I'll definitely stay away from Heartland Rentals, thanks!

4givn1: Great, I guess I'll see you there then! Unfortunately, grad housing isn't an option for me. ShamPain: I've heard now that the housing situation is pretty crappy, lots of slumlords, etc. The reviews of almost all apartment complexes on the various websites are scary! Do you know of any reasonably quiet, pet-friendly decent places close to campus? I know this might be a tall order!

Thanks for the info! Right now it looks like I'm going there! What's the housing situation in C-dale? P.S.: That Frontier League team in nearby Marion really might sweeten the deal!

I got my rejection today after emailing the grad secretary Ms. Quirk at griff@purdue.edu. Better luck to you guys!

Hi! Since I might end up at SIU this fall, I thought I should get some info about this place! How's life in Carbondale? Boring or exciting? World city or redneck hamlet? P.S.: No offense to any rednecks reading this thread!

I got a reply from the secretary Monday afternoon as well, but mine said that "Our admissions process is still on going and we'll let you know your status as soon as possible." ???

I'm also still waiting... I've emailed the graduate secretary this morning, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet!

So, just got my first rejection...damn you, Buckeyes, damn you!! It hurts...

I got a letter from Loyola. It's dated Jan 24th, but was mailed out on the first of February!

Same here for Southern Illinois! Plus waitlisted at Loyola...We got a few more in common: Indiana, Purdue and Ohio State, if that's what you mean by Ohio! Good Luck!

Thanks so much for your responses! I have narrowed it down now (even changed some schools) and definitely kept "fit" in mind. I took the GRE Subject in November, so I'm still waiting for the scores, but in the General verbal I'm in the 91st percentile. Also, I have started on "alleviating the stress."