washdc

Again, I'm no expert- but, since you don't have a contract, changing plans shouldn't be a problem. If you have an unlocked Canadian phone then you should be able to switch sim cards. I've changed plans (within the same phone company) during billing periods- once I had such an outrageous international bill$$ & they immediately changed my plan to international and it automatically took off 300$ within that same billing month I have no idea about pay as you go but I imagine pay as you go is a very flexible program. You can totally remove features if you'd like, without incurring additional costs. I once removed my internet for one week while I went to Europe so I wouldn't get charged expensive roaming fees- and then had them put it back on after that week- Well, I don't have skype.. never had, and I've heard the wonders about it too. But here I am It takes me awhile to switch to new technology-

Well.. I'm not expert but.. I have T-Mobile, and what I would suggest is buying a phone in-country (here in the US). For me I asked for their international plan- so my outgoing calls are something like .26 cents a minute and each text message is .15 cents. But if my mom or boyfriend, for instance, call ME- it just uses up my minutes.. and I don't get charged the .26cents ^^ so I have 2000 minutes (because I had a 1000 and I was talking to my boyfriend wayy too much). I also have free nights and weekends, so if they call me at night, or on the weekends- none of my minutes are used. It was a work in progress because my first phone bill was 1500, my second 800, and so I'm slowly getting everything figured out. But the way I have it set up, is so that I never call them, and rarely text- to keep my phone bill at a minimum. And I do have internet on my phone here (I have a Blackberry so I think the per month is like 30 bucks or something along those lines). Hope that helps!

Wow, you make community college students sound like absolute idiots. Hopefully Yale will expand your horizons.

I mean.. Columbia ONLY has "a name recognition" mostly because of the quality of its undergrad- for those in the IR field SAIS, Fletcher, GU, WWS and KSG are well respected, probably more so than SIPA for all the obvious reasons that everyone is stating above ^^ they're accepting a huge number of people, putting a large price tag on their product and pushing out graduates. There is a reason why people feel as though SIPA accepted everyone who applied, even unqualified candidates- it speaks to the quality of their graduate program.

I disagree. Especially if "indian" refers to "native american"- there are so few native american applicants, that it would HIGHLY increase your chances of getting in. I knew someone once who felt politically correct and therefore inclined to choose "other" on his application when he was a White male- he was offered admission, but once the admission office discovered he lied, they rescinded their offer. Even if it's a small error, you should definitely iron it out- otherwise they can totally fault you on the error and if they feel inclinded to, reject their offer. Why take that chance? you know?

I want to I want to! but! I don't have my permanent grad school email yet just a temporary one. sigh..

Your GPA is definitely, definitely do-able, but your GRE scores ... I would definitely recommend getting a tutor, and work for several months- take some practice tests, read GRE prep books. The GRE is learnable, the verbal is mostly memorizing new vocab words- and the math section is at the high school level, so you might just need to touch up on basic formulas & rules. & maybe don't do a psych subject test this time around, since it's in your field and you didn't score exceptionally well, I think it does more harm than good. Stay positive, even if you don't make it through this year, it's completely possible to improve yourself as an applicant and do better next year.

If a professor has that much time and energy to be vengeful couldn't they just say, sure I'll give you a copy (of a great LOR) and in fact send off a horrible one? The last thing professors at my school have time for, after preparing for various classes, reading papers and/or grading tests, having office hours, advising thesis work, publishing articles, going to conferences and presenting their work, giving lectures, reading up on new info in their field, sitting on the board for various committees etc. etc. is to do something as immature as say, wow you're so great I'd love to write your LOR so that I can secretly ruin your future chances of getting into grad school mwahaha. Really though? I think we should just waive our right, and be confident that our work is good enough for a bomb ass LOR. If it's not, then we deserve an average LOR. It's called life - you can have awful work and go around telling professors and employers if they don't provide a copy of their LOR you're not going to have them write it but you won't ever learn that maybe your quality of work SHOULD be better, and you should work harder. Like I said, if they reeeeeeeeally have the time to be that immature and vengeful, they're going to write a horrible LOR either way. That's just me- I'm not into internet arguing so I'm not going to go back and forth on the subject, but that's my two cents.

I'm really sorry to hear that frankdux, I've been rooting for you.

haha well, in my limited experience, it definitely works there was a little bit of an awkward pause.. but leave it to me to further be awkward and fill that pause with and I love your university, I would love to attend dot dot dot Good luck though! I would definitely call by the start of next week- because I emailed said University ^^ asking to know about my admission decision, and WELL after I receieved the hard copy, a month later to be exact- they write back saying I had been wait listed. I wanted to write, well, I got the memo, it is in fact a whole month later. But I called, and I got call backs from both schools within the hour. I'll cross my fingers for you

I had two wait lists and nothing else. So awkwardly, I called both schools and pretty much threw myself at their mercy and asked what I could do to stay proactive while "waiting"- the first school that accepted me, I contacted the Director of Admissions and when she called me back (the story of which I posted in funny admission stories- I answered with I love you baby thinking she was my boyfriend, haha) she told me to write an informal email discussing my continued interest in their school. I am really enthusiastic about their study abroad options and I wrote exactly which programs I want to take, why those particular programs and how that would complement my MA and the languages I know. anddddd she emailed me back saying I was in super awesome feeling to know I'm going somewhere! (I took a chance & only applied to my top three schools so either of the two saying yes is like going to my top choice school since I like them all equally). I almost feel like after being on the wait list it makes getting in even more exciting.

ps. because I doubt I'll be going home in the summers since I plan to do internships in DC (where I'm going to grad school).

Good question- for undergrad it was easier. I went home four times during the academic year (October, December, March and next month I'll be home for two weeks before coming back to NY to graduate, travel a bit and then head back home for the summer). For grad school...... I imagine winter break and spring break will be it. Unless people visit us

Just for laughs- but I was wondering if anyone else did anything that was awkward, or laughable, or FML worthy. As for me- I was talking on the phone with my boyfriend when he told me he'd call me right back. As soon as I hung up my phone rang a minute later and absent mindedly, instead of checking to see who was calling I immediately answered "I love you baby!"- except it wasn't my boyfriend. It was the Director of Admissions to a school I had been wait listed for. And a woman at that- all I could think of to say in response was that I am very enthusiastic about their school. (and luckily she offered me admission.. so it worked out in the end)

This made me laugh for five minutes straight.

.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Internet arguing is already immature, but internet arguing between people who are supposedly going on to get Master's degrees and PhD's? seriously? Is this what our country's future leaders are going to be? I'm ashamed and I'm not even participating in this nonsense & name calling.

thank you ajesusj

Everyone! I just heard back from one of my schools this morning saying that I've been accepted off the wait list- I didn't think I'd hear anything back until after today, but I did! So don't give up! Especially those waiting only on schools that wait listed you.

yes I'm waitlisted at two, the two I applied to.. which is now making me wonder whether or not I should have applied to AT LEAST one safety. I have no idea where my mind was when I was applying to schools in the top 10 of my field. so I know the feeling! let's hope we hear something after april 15th (and by hear something I mean, something good)

If either way you end up 120K in debt, I'd go with HKS. If high cost of living in NYC is still cheaper than 120K debt- I'd go with SIPA. Because..... for instance, I have a friend who has a studio on the upper east side ($$expensive area of NYC) and he pays 2K a month, so even if you're in a more expensive part of NYC- paying 2K, it only = 48K after two years, add that on to what you have to pay for SIPA and if it's cheaper than -120K that seems to be the better route financially. You can always live in other parts of town, such as Brooklyn, accessible by metro- and much cheaper. I have two friends living in a brooklyn apt. really cute 2 bedroom and they pay 2K a month. So, a one bedroom or studio apt in Brooklyn would be much cheaper. Only downside is Columbia and Brooklyn are quite aways from one another so the commute might be a little on the longer side.. you could always try Harlem for apts too.

The earlier the better (although there I'm pretty sure there is a "too early" deadline)- Not sure if the US is the same, but I applied for a Visa for Spain, and you put your dates for studying there- so the Visa becomes valid on the days you need it to be.

Military is pretty tricky. If he's a COL and above, or for an NCO, possibly a MSG, but most often only a SGM- then he can definitely make his own hours (if he's working in an military organization- shouldn't be a problem because military is accustomed to getting up earlier)- my mom is an SGM, so she pretty much made her own hours, and then her assistants (who were civlian) could pick theirs as well. As a civilian working contracting and then in the federal government it'll definitely be different. If he's working at a civilian organization within the federal gvt I would definitely say it could be slightly harder because most civilians do a 8-4 or 9-5 job, and if he's only working a few hours while they are, it might be more difficult for him to actively contribute in the organization and therefore harder to get different hours (I worked at a military organization that let civilians choose their hours and we would always run into the awkward, okay such and such leaves by 2, so now I can't get them to sign this document until tomorrow.. or when does such and such leave, and everyone has to learn everyone else's hours etc)- I worked as a civilian at a military org, and could choose my own hours, but when I worked at a civilian org (contracting as well) for the federal government I only had an 8 am option or a 9 am option- But he should definitely talk to his future boss as soon as he arrives and let him know his commuting situation and where he lives- they should be fairly flexible most people understand VA traffic is pretty ridiculous- 4 - 1 is crazy though.. . I give him a lot of props

Yea I'm sorry Unfortunately the DC/VA/MD area in terms of traffic is just ridiculous- 95 is the worse because it stays a two lane.. everyone refuses to commute and must drive by themselves to DC, and park who knows where.. I wouldn't necessarily cross it off your list, he CAN do it- I know plenty of people who do it, but carpooling would definitely be the only option. It's really not so bad and totally worth it. No one carpools so you're looking at a straight shot once the HOV lane opens up, and a straight shot going 70mph will get him to DC within 30-45 minutes. Also, if his job is flexible, a lot of people I knew would get up earlier, go to work earlier, and get off earlier- to avoid the rush. When I was working at the Pentagon I knew a bunch of people doing 6 - 2pm and 7 - 3 pm shifts. Traffic starts up between 7 and 830, and dies down by 9 AM, so he could try going earlier or going later. It is manageable. I hope that helps!

I used to live in the Northern VA area- going from Fredericksburg to VCU shouldn't be bad, as you're going the direction opposite of where all the normal traffic flows (towards DC), however if you're husband is going to live with you in Fredericksburg it'd be awful. I lived in Woodbridge, only a couple exits from Belvoir, where I worked- and every morning it'd take roughly 30min - 45 minutes to get in, even though it's the distance of a couple of miles. My mom's assistant lived in Fredericksburg and commuted to Belvoir everyday as well, and his commute was 90 minutes each way- he'd refill his gas twice weekly, and his gas bills were incredible! Because the metro only goes out as far as Springfield, it's pretty difficult living in VA and commuting towards DC- there are carpools and what not- and cost of living is MUCH better in fredericksburg and further south you go as opposed to the closer you head towards DC. But your husband is going to have the roughest time. My best advice is carpooling (they have an HOV lane, 3+ all the way from Stafford I think to DC) for him. Like I said, your commute should be a lot better than the DC route, but still, going towards Richmond there could still be some traffic- especially because 95 is a two lane.