[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

It depends a lot on the house as far as how accurate they are. Im an undergrad at UMD and also going here for grad school. I've noticed that its really a grab bag. What was initially my first pick house before visiting turned out to be the last because the pictures made it seem a lot bigger and nicer than it was. But the place I signed a lease with was pretty spot on. It really depends.

And at least for my dept, the award amount is listed before taxes.

As far as housing goes, avoid anything on Knox Rd. which are very affectionately known as Knox Boxes here. They're typically old, run down, and very very overpriced for what they are. That and theres typically more crime reports from that area of college park than other neighborhoods.

If your ok with a house, try looking in College Park Woods, down Rhode Island Avenue, or Berwyn House Rd. etc. Old Town CP can also be hit or miss depending on where you are.

Thank you for your reply. I sent you a PM.

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

From what I've discovered, there is no way you're going to find something close to College Park without a roommate for anywhere close to $500. In fact, I would say you would be lucky to find a two-bedroom, with a roommate for less than $800 a person. But, that's just been my experience in searching.

I wish you luck!

I can't afford to live without roommates. According to UMD's Off-Campus Housing Services, there are a lot of listings of houses with 4/5 bedrooms where the rent for a private room is between $400-600. Most apartment complexes are more expensive. Some houses look nice on photos, but I have no idea about the condition of them. Have you looked at those places? What do you think?

@Dengue2011

So the way that income taxes works is a bit complicated. I find the easiest way to figure out tax withholdings is to use a calculator like this one. You can plug in relevant info that affects tax withholdings (income, number of dependents, etc) to see what your take home pay will be, approximately. If you're single, no dependents, and your payments are spread out evenly through the calendar year instead of academic year, it looks like you'll be living on about $1400/month.

While it won't be fun, you can definitely live on that much in College Park/Silver Spring (I live on even less, but it means no going out and lots of brown bag lunches). You'll definitely need to share an apartment, which if you don't have a car and need to be Metro-accessible will cost you, at minimum, $600-800/month (as I've stated in other posts/threads, I share a 3 bed/2 bath older apartment in Silver Spring, Metro/bus accessible, for $610 including utilities but that is the absolute floor pricing for such apartments). As for the timing of your move, I think you can find an apartment in 1-2 weeks especially if you start looking before you arrive on Craigslist and such, so you can schedule visits for right after you arrive, but you're more likely to find an apartment opening at the start of the month (i.e. September 1 or October 1) than on a day in the middle of the month.

Thanks for the calculator, it helped a lot. In my admission letter, it doesn't say if the amount of my stipend is before or after taxes (I believe it's before taxes, though). I plan to stay in a hotel while looking for a permanent place to live, so I have a more flexible move-in date.

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

Hi, everyone

I'm an international student and I'll be attending the University of Maryland at College Park for my graduate studies. I've been offered a research assistantship (US$22,000/year). I have a few questions and I appreciate if people currently living in the area could help me out.

I'm not familiar with the US income taxes rates and I wonder how much I should expect to pay in taxes. From what I read, I have to pay state (US$ ~1,000) plus federal (15% of my income) income taxes, is that correct? It's seems a little too much, but I'm not sure.

I started to look for housing options, but I don't feel confortable making a deposit or signing a lease without seeing the place personally when I get there. I planning to arrive at College Park with 1-2 weeks in advance. Will I still find a good place to live at a reasonable price? I'm hoping to spend US$ 500-600 in rent for a room in a house or apartment (up to 800 depends on what's included in the rent). Where should I look at? I'd prefer to stay near College Park in my first year, but I'm open to take a look in other places/areas. Are there any other options?

Any piece of advise for an international student traveling to the US for the first time?

[2012 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results]

Well i am suppose to have video interview but they haven't given me the dates yet for the interview. Do let me know how was your interview? if you have any advice/suggestions/ thoughts to share , it will be great.

I have been invited for a Skype interview with Mount Sinai. Have you been contacted by the program yet? If not, have you contacted them and got any response? After 3 weeks of waiting, I sent them an email, but I got no reply so far. It's been a week since I sent them the last email. It's starting to freak me out.

[2012 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results]

Hi,

Has anyone here already interviewed at Mount Sinai? I have a neuroscience interview coming up next week, and this is my top choice, so any advice/info/thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!

How was your interview at Mount Sinai? Did you get any more information on acceptance rates? Any other thing you would be willing to share is very much appreciated.

[New York, NY]

Hi everyone

I just finished reading the entire thread. Most people request information about NYU or Columbia. I was wondering if anyone has any information about Mount Sinai School of Medicine in general. How is the housing situation there? Has anyone here lived or visited the Jane B. Aron Residence Hall? Could you share your thoughts? And how about off campus housing options? Best neighborhoods?

Thanks!

Anyone?

[2012 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results]

My interview dates are 2/13 - 2/14 for Structural - Chemical Biology and Molecular Design Track . However, i am in india and i cannot afford travelling all the way to New York for two days of interview. I had opted for Skype interview.

All the best for your interview Alexhll6

I was invited for the same interview dates (for the Microbiology track). As I reside oversea too, I chose a Skype interview instead. Have they scheduled your Skype interview yet? They told me I'd be interviewing with two faculty members and they'll contact me to schedule a convenient time. It has been 2 weeks since the last email. Should I contact the program?

[New York, NY]

Hi everyone

I just finished reading the entire thread. Most people request information about NYU or Columbia. I was wondering if anyone has any information about Mount Sinai School of Medicine in general. How is the housing situation there? Has anyone here lived or visited the Jane B. Aron Residence Hall? Could you share your thoughts? And how about off campus housing options? Best neighborhoods?

Thanks!