emma1frost

Yeah, from what I saw, the rental market works person to person and you have to keep on top of it. That is, don't wait for them to call you, you have to do the legwork and push to get what you want. I am used to a more aggressive rental market being in a densely packed city and was surprised at the vaguely lackadaisical approach to it all. There were realty companies empty and closed on Saturdays! Kinda weird for me, but it just makes me the more grateful that I was able to get out there and find it that weekend. But the Brown graduate housing boards might be a better bet for you to secure a place without seeing it. As long as you are okay with putting down that deposit instantly. Good luck! And I second the idea to reach out to local grad students for some help looking/vetting places.

Hey echolikebells, I just got back from the open house admit day at Brown. Thought I would fill you in on how it went, if you are still making up your mind about which program to attend to. I had so many questions about the program that I couldn't find answers to. Not a lot has been written up about the program and I was also a bit skeptical about it. I had gotten in at Columbia TC, NYU Steinhardt, and Boston College Lynch School as well. But Brown has the shorter program and the funding that caught my attention. Also Providence is a great city and much more affordable to live in than Boston or Manhattan. I am so glad I went to the Admit day. It was really wonderful. The program is small. There were only 8 people in the secondary english program and the director, Laura Snyder is great. People were very genuine and were committed to practical hands on training. This is very different from other places that work theory more. I don't want a theory heavy education. I want experience in the classroom. And Brown Summer high school and the student teaching program is much more than even a 2 year program. Everything is very individualized. Your school placement is done on a one-on-one basis so that you will feel supported every step of the way. And with the small cohort group size, they can actually do this. We also visited a high school where some of the current MAT students were student teaching at and met also 2 mentor teachers. It was a great visit. The school is a high needs school and we got to observe a 9th grade writing class and an AP Rhetoric Language class. Both very different, but both very promising. The mentor teachers spoke with us at length and it was really encouraging to hear them speak about their own experiences and their work with student teachers. I went in thinking, oh god, what am I doing? And after that day, I was really excited to start the program and knew I was making the right decision for me. It was really amazing. I also found an amazing loft apartment and fell in love with the city. It's got so many great things. I posted all about it in the Meet and Greet section. Check it out! Hope that helps!

Went to the Open House for MAT students at Brown this past Monday and it was great. Really confirmed by decision about the next year. I was going through the normal worries of, do I really want to do this? And meeting the staff, department leaders, and fellow admitted students was an important part of the day. We visited with current students and got to ask them all our questions. It was a great day and while their website is very out of date, the admit day answered all my questions about the program. So glad I went.

I went to the Open House for admitted students day this past Monday. Apart from attending the event I also made it my mission to find an apartment. I live in San Francisco so it was important to find a place before coming out east this summer. I didn't want to wait too long as I wasn't sure what would be out on the market when I got there in June. The current grad students had some good tips too. For rentals starting in June, look and book now. For the Fall, get on the grad list serv. You don't have to have a Brown email. You can sign up with any email you have. You can also ask about other grad students looking for places and potentially line up some roommates. Parking is a pain around campus, so make sure you can walk, take the bus, or use the shuttle service to get where you need to go. The rent compared to San Francisco is ridiculously cheap. But I know this isn't the case for people coming from other parts of the country. I also have a husband and a cat. Also, as I am in the Master of Teaching program, half my time will be spent in an offsite school for student teaching, so I don't need to be on campus all the time. And I don't want to be too near the undergrad life as I need my sleep and quiet. lol... I found an awesome loft in the Oakhill area of Providence. It's technically in Pawtucket, but right above the border of Providence. It's a compact city and walking from the campus to where I will be living is a 40 minute walk or a 17 minute bus ride. I have 2 bus lines to choose from and as a Brown student RIPTA rides are free (that is included in the hefty tuition). The space I got for $1200 a month is insane. It is about six times larger than the apartment I have now in SF, if not more. I have spent so many years perfecting living in small spaces, that now I need to figure out how to live in a large space. I am pretty excited. I looked through craigslist. And I had a few things booked up but when I actually got there on the weekend, either I got no answer, or they answered way too late. So disappointing. You need to be in town, or have someone who can do the footwork and really make sure the place is livable. Too many places look great in photos, but when you actually see it, it's a mess. Layout is weird, bedrooms too small, bathrooms that are just weird. Make sure you see it in person and that you know what is included in the rent. You want GAS heat, NOT OIL. Oil is pretty expensive and not very efficient for heating places with older windows. A lot of the student housing is older and not that updated. Weird creaky attic spaces, low ceilings, layouts where the bedroom is right off the kitchen, go see it. And make sure you have off street parking if you have a car. The rule in Providence is that from 2am-5am you aren't allowed to park on the street. There is a movement to change this and issue permits for residents to allow parking overnight, but still not passed. The food scene is awesome in Providence. Coming from foodie-ville, I was skeptical. But there are food trucks, farmer's markets, slow food movement places, amazing restaurants, and a great sense of local/organic resources around town. There are whole food, and yes, the prices still keep up the moniker, Whole Paycheck, but there are other economical options. Eating out is pretty cheap for me, compared to SF and upkeeps the same quality. You can get an awesome tasty lunch for $5! Sorry for those that think it's no big deal, but for SF, that's gold. I used a realty company, Samson Realty, to find my rental. There was no broker's fee and she was able to find a place with my needs and within my budget. It was nice to go to a place where they had a whole bunch of places and you had a choice. She showed me 3 different places and the loft, although farther than other places, was the best fit for me. The neighborhoods in the east side are fine. If you have lived in a larger city, then Providence is a small quiet town compared to that. Everything is 10 minutes or less away by car around town. I walked around my neighborhood during the day and drove by at night and it was fine. It's near Lippitt Park, where the farmer's market takes place, and it is near all the stuff on Hope Street. A great yarn shop, Asian food, vegan bakery, vegetarian restaurant, and boutiques are all 10 minutes walk away from me. People are really nice and friendly. As long as you are aware when you walk around, you will be safe. But honestly it felt like a family area and it was great. Also check out The Rhode Guide and see what he has. Listings change all the time. He has high end things and lower end things. Just call and see what he can do for you. Or call Samson Realty and line up some appointments. Have your credit information handy, know your score, and have your lists of needs. I worked with Diane and she was great. They can get busy now that students are coming into town, but just make a day of it and you will find something. Good luck!

Great! Thanks for the update! Hope you find something good and not too pricey. I go in a week to search for apartments. I really hope something pops up that is amazing in either Wayland Square or Wickenden. Keep us posted!

As someone who has lived in a city, San Francisco, for a while without a car, I can say that it is totally doable. Providence is a way smaller city than SF too, and without the hills! And I don't even have the Brown shuttle system here. But we do have zipcar. And looks like Providence has a great selection of zipcars too. It's a great way to just get a car when you need it. We love it. When you need a car, just get on your phone app, book it, drive it. Gas and insurance is all included in the price of the hourly or day rental fee. You get more exercise, don't have to stress about parking or tickets, and you can use a new car when you need to. When we are in Providence in June, we will be inheriting an old, old car, but we may just not take it at all. The maintenance of it might just be too much for us. But if you have a partner that needs to commute, you might want to get a car. But zipcar is great for trips to get furniture, go to Target, all that kind of stuff.

Hey echolikebells, Just FYI. I have been digging through the financial aid process at Brown, which by the way is all on you the school doesn't really provide you with help other than sending you to webpages and forms online, and I have found an interesting point you might want to consider. The subsidized stafford loans are no longer available to grad students after July 2012. But because the MAT program starts in the summer, June 2012, we are still eligible for subsidized stafford loans. The break down is like this: (from the financial aid people at Brown) You will be eligible for $8,500 in Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan and $12,000 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, provided that your "need" is equal or greater than $20,500. The new laws apply to curriculums that begin on 7/1/12 or after; the MAT program starts before this. Your "need" is the number in Box #12 of our Affordability Worksheet. If your other programs begin in the fall, this could be something to consider as you won't be able to get subsidized loans after July 2012. The interest rates for unsub loans this year is pretty steep. Very frustrating and annoying that this is happening right now. But still, might want to think about the save interest for the year. whew!

Ahh!!! I submitted my acceptance of Brown's MAT offer. Now it's about packing up and figuring out this cross country move on top of all the other financial aid stuff. Ugh. The MAT program starts in the summer, so I have about 2 months to get organized. It will be a crazy 2 months, that's all I got to say. Anyone have any insight into areas to rent in? The federal hill area sounds nice, but across the bridges... will the commute really annoy me? Or do I just stick to the east side and pay some more?

Yes, I filed a FAFSA way in the beginning of the process. Which is even more frustrating because I submitted everything they needed before all their deadlines and still this strange limbo.

Hmmm, as I am applying for this summer semester, it might be too late for me by the time they figure it out. I will keep digging though. thanks.

Thanks! The weird thing is that they did offer me a scholarship. It covers only a part of the full amount, but then silence after that as to how I am supposed to pay for the rest. It's not like I can go and get myself a federal stafford loan by myself. That stuff is passed through the school, right?

Are you really sure about this? Because I have been getting conflicting information from the teacher certification schools I have applied to. Is there an official memo from the government about this?

Yes, I got the same answer from the financial aid office. They said I would only get the semester invoice once I accepted and matriculated into the program. Which is odd because how else can I make an informed decision unless I know all the financial repercussions. Very frustrating. I have emailed both the financial aid office as well as the grad school department and I have both been given vague answers or just quoted directly from the website.

Really?? Wow!! That's amazing! Thanks so much for this information! I was really bemoaning the fact that grad students were losing subsidized loans!

After having made a decision about a masters program I was surprised to learn that the school I accepted will not be sending a financial aid packet. Is this normal? I got a letter from the department I applied to about a scholarship, which was great. But nothing more about how to cover the rest of the tuition and fees for the year. Maybe this is the way grad programs do things? I remember during the undergrad process there was a itemized list of fees/tuition as well as how to cover them and what options I had. After a great follow through in the initial application process, I feel a little thrown to the curb during the financial portion of the process. What's going on?