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I've actually never heard of what you're saying about schools accepting so few master's students. I'm a psychology student, and I'm doing my MA in general/experimental psych this year, then applying to Ph.D. programs. While I'll likely end up staying at my master's school for my doctorate, no one has ever said to me, "If you do your master's at one place, you'll have a more difficult time getting into a Ph.D. program somewhere else." Master's degrees are intended to beef up your credentials and hone your skills and interests, often if you aren't qualified for a Ph.D. program right out of college, or if you don't know exactly what you want to do yet (I was in the second camp when I applied). If you don't think you'll like the Ph.D. program that you might get accepted to, I honestly doubt that doing your master's would ever hurt your chances of getting into a doctoral program. It's not worth committing to like, six or seven years at a school that you don't seem to feel strongly about at all.

Hey- I might be the perfect person to answer this question, because I grew up outside of Philly but have been in Boston for the last four years and will be staying on for at least one more, if not the rest of my life. As far as how parking works in Boston: It doesn't. If you want to have a car, you have no choice but to live outside of the city, because monthly parking spaces here cost as much as rent (not exaggerating). All other parking is either in extraordinarily expensive garages, or is one- or two-hour parking, both of which are strictly enforced. Driving in Boston is also hell- there's an overabundance of one-way streets, and everything that you've likely heard about Massachusetts drivers (affectionately named "Massholes") is completely true, particularly if you have out-of-state license plates. Here's the good news: Boston's public transportation system is absolutely fantastic. As a BU student, you're right: By far, the best place to live is the Allston/Brighton area, which is on the B branch of the Green Line (the mostly-above-ground subway that covers the downtown area and the western reaches of Boston). A monthly pass is $59, and it's well worth it. The B line is the least efficient just because so many students depend on it every day, but it comes about every 8 minutes and is by far the best way to get around. I lived on the border of Allston and Brighton and depended on the B line for a year and a half. As far as getting home goes (I assume that "home" is Philly for you?), I can also give you advice on this one: Your options, both totally viable, are to either take the Amtrak Northeast Regional line (which is a little expensive depending on demand and the time of year, and which is also a fairly long ride- takes about as long as driving sometimes) or to fly. The bad news about flights is that for a year and a half, Southwest was flying between Boston and Philly for pretty cheap- but they just stopped running that route because not enough people were taking it (I was so pissed!!!). Now, you can take US Airways for about $100 each way, which isn't horrible and takes about an hour of in-flight time... no complaints there. The airport is easy to get to via public transportation as well, or you can take a cab for fairly cheap. For when you do want to get out of the city, you can rent a ZipCar (which many Bostonians swear by- I've never done it personally, because I've always found public transit to be sufficient) or take the commuter rail, which runs to most destinations throughout the eastern half of the state (but no one likes western Massachusetts anyway). You can find out anything you need to know about getting around by going to MBTA.com, or by using the public transportation map on Google Maps (which I actually use more often than the official MBTA website because it tells you when the next train is coming). So my opinion should be pretty clear to you by now: Don't bring your car. It will cause you so much unnecessary stress, and Boston has the best public transportation of any city that I've been to (besides New York, because it's New York). You'll always be able to get home by taking the train or flying, and if you do want to get out of the city, there are definite ways for that as well. As far as living in Allston goes: Boston is ALWAYS safer than Philly, no matter where you live (with the exception of some places in South Boston, which you don't have to worry about as a BU student). All that you have to worry about in Allston is drunk BU and BC students stumbling around and doing what drunk college students do. While obviously, you always want to be careful, I never had a bad experience during my time in Allston/Brighton. A quick geography lesson: The green line, like I said, goes through the city, and then branches off into the B, C, D, and E lines. The B line has several stops right in the middle of BU, and then goes through Allston center, parts of Brighton, and then ends at Boston College. You would be fine living in either Allston or Brighton- Allston is closer to BU, but is slightly more crowded and city-like. Brighton is marginally less so and has some really pretty parts, including the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, which is great for walking around in nice weather. It honestly just depends on where you can find an apartment, because you will pretty much have to live with one or two roommates, no matter where you go, unless you want to pay over $1000 a month. Let me know if you have any more questions. I went to Berklee (right in the heart of Boston, in the Back Bay neighborhood), am just about to graduate from UMass Boston (in South Boston), and will be attending Brandeis for my MA and possibly my Ph.D. next year. I've lived in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Allston/Brighton while taking every possible form of public transit, and I'll be moving to Natick (which is in MetroWest, an area of suburbs west of Boston where tons of people commute from every day) and getting a car for the first time this summer.

I got the same impression of NSSR and decided not to go. I received a 50% scholarship, which seemed like one of the bigger ones that they gave out, but I ended up turning them down because after doing some research, it seemed like their incoming class sizes were enormous. I felt like I would get a much more personalized experience at another school, and also, the cost of attendance (even with the scholarship) in combination with the price of living in NYC would just be too much for me. Another huge thing that I took into consideration: They don't guarantee funding to their Ph.D. students, which I knew would matter to me in the long run. The program that I accepted guarantees full funding for five years!

The Boston fall/winter uniform is a pea coat, fashionable and *waterproofed* leather or suede boots (NOT Uggs- like everyone else has said, they don't serve any function other than making girls look fashion-sense-less and lazy, and they get wicked salt stains and are not at all waterproof), pashmina scarves, and lots of layers. You can't go wrong with this stuff. The layering is critical because it's inevitably arctic outside (particularly with the wind chill), but if you get inside and it's sweltering because your school has the heat hiked up to about 95 degrees, you can just take off a few layers. Legwarmers under boots are also in right now. You can swap any of this out for a dress with tights (I know that H&M sells tights that are basically like ribbed sweaters for your legs, which are a staple for me) and the aforementioned layered sweaters and scarves.

I actually got a ton of emails regarding Eugene Lang while I was waiting to hear back from NSSR (which gave me a heart attack every time). I really don't know why they do that, but I wouldn't assume that it implies a rejection. I got into NSSR with funding in the end.

My (serious) boyfriend is older than me but chose to go the career route early in life and is just now trying to finish up his college degree. While sometimes this can cause some issues (he has a very negative view of higher education because of how ridiculously expensive is- which we can all agree with- and how someone with a degree in ANYTHING automatically gets preference over him in the current economy), I can also see how being involved with someone with the same aspirations of me could have its own equally difficult set of issues. Luckily, we're on the same page within our relationship, and I ended up deciding to stay in our current city for grad school so we would both have career opportunities.

Unless you find a sublet that will allow you to move in earlier (which might still require you to sign a September 1-August 31 lease), it's almost impossible to find anything outside of that right in the city. BC is easily accessible from other areas by car, however, and these have a lot more wiggle room. Additionally, if you live in a big apartment building that has people moving in and out all around the year, that would solve your problem as well.

Most likely. If you're looking to get an apartment right in the city or in the area most accessible to BU (which would be Allston/Brighton, where many students live), you should try to find somewhere as soon as possible- people start reserving places in the early months of the year. There will always be some apartments available right up until the fall, but because these areas are comprised almost exclusively of students looking to move on September 1, it's important to put down a deposit on a place ASAP in order to get somewhere good. However, if you're looking to live with roommates, you can always find single rooms within apartments that are looking for someone to move in, so that's a legitimate back-up plan as well.

Decided to go to School 1, which is Brandeis. I spoke to the professor who I'll be working with, and we found a great project for me to get started on that will give me awesome experience, help me with my thesis, and is a great in-between for both of our interests. Turning down the other schools wasn't as horrible as I expected- it seems that I got all of my emotions out in the last few weeks, so by the time I had to make a decision, I already knew what the right choice was. No regrets or remaining worries at all- I'm extremely happy. Additionally, the program will only take me two or three semesters, so in all likelihood, I will be applying to Ph.D. programs this fall anyway. And this way, I'll have some great experience under my belt for not too high a cost.

For roommates, I would actually ask current students at your school/within your department what they did. I'm sure they'll have a million suggestions. In Boston, particularly in the city, everyone moves on September 1. It's a huge mess and if you can find a way to move slightly before then, in mid- to late-August, do it. I'm actually looking to do the same thing- I live right in the city and my lease ends on August 31, but it was a nightmare to move in at the same time as everyone else because the streets in my neighborhood are ridiculously narrow, so I'm hoping to find a place near my new school (Brandeis, which is slightly outside of the city) that will let me move in a week or two before then.

I just committed to completing my master's in psychology at Brandeis, and I might be doing my Ph.D. there as well starting in fall of 2013. Exciting!!

I took one supervised practice test with Kaplan because it was free at my college. I bought a book and went over the format of the tests and a few practice questions. I felt like there was no sense trying to learn the things that I didn't know already, particularly when no section of the test is particularly applicable to my career (psychology). I ended up doing REALLY well on the critical reading (which was always a strong point for me) and good, but not outstanding, in quantitative.

Here's my experience: I was accepted into three master's programs last month. All were equally good schools. One offered me full funding, but would require me to move very far away from my boyfriend and everyone else that I know. My boyfriend had initially said that he would move with me wherever I went, but as it turned out, there wasn't a single job in his area of expertise in the entire area surrounding the school. So I was essentially left to choose between a school that would do anything to get me to go there and which was a great fit for me, but which would require me to leave behind everyone that I know, including my boyfriend; and a school in my area that had everything that I was looking for, but which couldn't offer me full funding and wasn't as wonderful a fit- but it would allow me to maintain all of the important relationships that I gained in college. After a few weeks of intense emotional turmoil while I was trying to decide (read: me bursting into tears at the thought of having to turn down any of these schools), I realized that while my education and career are an enormously important part of my life, so are my relationships and friendships. I had to ask myself if I would really be happy if I gave up everything that I like about my life in order to attend a school just because they were giving me a full scholarship, and I think I'm realizing that I wouldn't be happy with that. I haven't committed 100% to any school, but I'm meeting with my potential advisor at the school in my area on Friday to make sure that I could adapt the program to my needs if I chose to attend, and it seems like they want me badly enough and believe in my rightness for the program enough that they'll be willing to accommodate my interests. It's all about priorities and being honest with yourself. If you won't be happy unless you pursue this particular opportunity, then you need to do that, and it is possible to make a long-distance relationship work if you and your boyfriend are both on the same page and are equally committed to making it work. However, not having him there will make a huge difference in your daily life, and in your relationship, and it's important to be realistic about that fact. It is possible that you could be sacrificing your relationship for this opportunity, because distance places so much strain on everything, and so you really need to figure out what is most essential to your happiness in the long run. I'm lucky to have several options to choose from, and I think I'm going to go with the one that involves the least amount of sacrifice, but which I can also customize to fit my needs. Maybe there's an in-between for you too.

What are your goals while you're in the program? What are your ultimate career goals, and how can the program help you to get there? What are skills you will need to do what you want to do that you don't have yet, but which the program could potentially help you to gain? What are some particular interests of yours that you would love to learn more about? What is your thesis about, and what types of courses and research can help you to flesh it out more? I feel like these are things that you must already know by this point if you're getting your doctorate- you must be over thinking it.

I got full funding and a TA position at Wake Forest and 50% funding at both Brandeis (25% merit, 25% no-strings-attached financial aid) and the New School. I know that Boston College gives 50% funding to all admitted students. Apparently it's a big deal to get funded more than a marginal amount for your master's, so I really lucked out.

The Southern end, after South Station to the ends of the Braintree and Ashmont lines. While there are decent places in Quincy Center, for instance- especially if you're looking to live in a small house- it's just not the best area to live if you have any choice in the matter. I go to school at the JFK/UMass stop, and it's well-known that the lower red line is not a good place to be after dark, especially the Ashmont/Mattapan lines. Mattapan is known as being the worst area in Boston.

I've been doing the whole finding-an-apartment-in-Boston thing for the past two or three years now, and while it is definitely expensive, it is absolutely nothing compared to New York City (which is actually making me really want to pick a school here over another that I got accepted to in NYC). With Boston, particularly if you're willing to move out of the ritziest parts of town (anything labelled Back Bay, Copley, Beacon Hill, etc.), it is possible to find affordable housing if you're willing to find roommates and rent a three-bedroom place or above. This is honestly the best way to go. There are exceptions- I currently live in a studio in the most expensive part of Boston, and I was able to haggle the price down to a reasonable number. However, I paid much less when I lived in Allston/Brighton (slightly outside of the city, but filled with students and super easily accessible to the city via the green line) with two roommates. It's just what people do here. Beyond breaking down and finding a couple of roommates, I would definitely suggest living right outside of the city in Brookline, Newton, Allston, or Brighton. It's so unbelievably easy to get into the city just by jumping on the T (make sure to live in a place that specifies that it's near the B, C, or D lines), and it's relatively inexpensive ($1.70-2.00 per ride, or $59 for an unlimited monthly pass). If you find a cheap place right in the city, it's probably for good reason; I've seen my share of horrible places in Fenway and Back Bay that are not worth the location. Also, if you're going to live outside of the city, don't get tricked into living in a place that other students don't frequent- i.e. anywhere that isn't on the green line or in Cambridge itself. Don't live on the lower half of the red line just because it's cheap, for instance.

Don't get a car. Trust me. Parking is notoriously expensive and hard to find, and rush hour traffic is really horrendous if you live in the city or in the immediate vicinity. The public transportation system- especially the T, although there are many buses as well- are really quite comprehensive as long as you make sure to live within a 5-10 minute walk of a stop. For Boston, you would be on the green line, and Cambridge is on the red line; either will take you in and out of the city for a fair price and any time you want between 5 AM and 12:30 AM.

Look anywhere in Brighton or Brookline- both are very, very close to BC and are FULL of apartments (with potential roommates) that will be opening up on September 1 for one-year leases. You can take a short trip on the T to BC from anywhere in Allston (which has tons of college students, especially from BU, but is cheap, safe, and fun) or Brighton, and this is the easiest way to travel around the area. Chestnut Hill is also right around BC, as well as parts of Newton, but I would recommend Brighton above all else, and then Brookline.

It really depends on how much you're able/willing to spend, and how close to the city you want to be. I live downtown right now but am likely going to Brandeis for grad school this fall as well. Close to the city, Brookline and Newton (which is very close to Brandeis as well!) are excellent for families- they're large towns that are extremely accessible to the city and have everything you could possibly need as well. A little farther outside are Ashland (where my boyfriend's family lives, and it's a very nice place to be with fairly affordable houses these days), Weston (which is considered more ritzy and expensive), Wellesley (which is somewhat expensive but also quite nice), Lexington, Lincoln/Sudbury... These are all towns with known school systems in Massachusetts, and they're safe and have good reputations as nice places to live. Above all, I would recommend Newton- it's close to the city and Brandeis, has multiple methods of transportation, and was named one of the nicest places in America to live a few years ago.

I'm having literally the exact same problem as you. My first school has two professors with the same general interests as me, but not at all the same specific interests; they've been very sweet to me and are giving me the maximum funding, but it only covers half of my tuition. Additionally, the program is only two semesters long, so I worry that I'll be rushed into choosing a thesis because of its feasibility rather than my interests. However, it's in the city where I currently live, and this is giving this particular program so much weight in my mind, because I don't want to have to move away from my boyfriend and close friends. Additionally, they have a Ph.D. program that would give me a lot of flexibility, and it's fully funded for 5 years. My second school is in NYC, which is super intimidating to me as well as expensive. However, the professors who I would be working with are big names in the exact field that I want to go into. I got half funding, which will practically be nullified by how expensive rent will be in NYC. The good news is that my boyfriend could probably move with me, and I would be fairly close to my friends and family. This is my favorite program as far as classes and philosophy... however, their Ph.D. program isn't fully funded, so there's a good chance that I would accrue a good deal of debt, between tuition and living expenses. My third school is thirteen hours south of where I currently live. No professor shares my exact interests, but I fit into the department super well. I received full funding as well as an assistantship that would more than cover all of my living expenses for the two years that I would be there. Also, the head of the committee has been so sweet to me. However, it would be a huge move; my boyfriend wouldn't be able to come with me because there aren't any jobs there, so I would be leaving everyone I know; and there isn't a Ph.D. program, so I would be going to all of that trouble just to move back again. I literally burst into tears every time I think about turning any of these schools down. There are huge caveats to every choice, and I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have any answers for you, but I sympathize so much, and let me know what you're thinking so maybe we can help each other through it?!

Thank you so much for your responses, everyone. I feel incredibly conflicted, so it helps to hear what other people who have gone through this have to say. My friends and family are all pushing me toward School #3 because it really is the perfect offer, but someone who hasn't gone through the process of applying to grad school couldn't possibly understand how complex the decision really is. I'm leaning toward School #1 as well. While I'm less excited about it as compared to the other two, it's the one decision that doesn't require me to make any sacrifices (aside from having to turn down the other schools, which I will definitely cry about). My worry with School #1 is that because it's a two- or three-semester program, I feel like I could be rushed to devise a thesis on the basis of being able to get it done quickly. Meanwhile, I already have a great thesis in mind that the professors at Schools 1 and 3 wouldn't be able to help me much with- it just doesn't relate to what they do very much (as opposed to the professors at School 2, who are big names in the field that my thesis is in. However, I agree with you, PJ1987: I honestly don't think that I would like NYC either). I don't want to be pushed into coming up with a thesis based on my professors' previous research just because the program at School #1 is conducted at a more hurried pace- this seems like a waste. Looking back, if I had known that I was qualified for Ph.D. programs and had I been able to come up with my thesis last year, I would have applied to doctoral programs in a place where I would like to stay, rather than having to worry about moving again in two years. However, that's just not the case, so I'm thinking that it's best to attend the school that doesn't require me to move or give up the relationships that I care about so much, especially considering that there are tons of schools in the area that I could apply to for my Ph.D. in a year. School #1 has no downsides at all- I just wish that I were more excited about it.

That's a really difficult decision to make. I'm actually sort of in a similar position, where the school that matches my research interests most closely hasn't tried to connect with me at all beyond a short note written on my acceptance letter; meanwhile, the other two schools that I got accepted to are doing everything in their power to try to recruit me, and I've talked at length with professors at each school, but I don't feel like they fit my interests to the T like the first school does. For you, it seems like either choice would benefit you in a different way. For a school to be highly ranked, I would assume that you would have a relatively good experience that would more than prepare you for the next step in your career. The connections that you make at such a school could also benefit you- many big name schools have networks that can really help you get your foot in the door in the future. However, I would also be inclined to feel that at a big name school, your experience would be a lot less personalized; there is probably less wiggle room in terms of customizing the program to fit your needs and interests, and that can be a huge downside in terms of trying to make the experience your own (which is important, considering that the point of grad school is to hone your individual skills and interests). In contrast, a less highly-ranked school does have its downsides as well, because as you know, name recognition does matter in many circles. However, it's a truly great thing to find a professor who cares about you and shares your interests. This is surprisingly rare, and I would honestly feel inclined to go with this option if I were you. It sounds like you could establish a great partnership with this person, which might advance your career even further than getting a top-notch but standardized experience at the other school. To get individualized attention from someone who does what you want to do and cares about your outcome could really help you out in a huge way.

I'm in the same position. I have three wonderful choices (which I elaborate upon in my post "Head vs. Heart," if you would like to help me out!!!) and I literally burst into tears at the thought of rejecting any of them because of how accommodating, sweet, and personally involved people from the program have been. I was expecting the grad school admissions process to make me cry, but not for this reason at all!

I'm facing a tough decision between three schools, and while I think I know what I'm going to do, I'm having trouble making a final commitment. I was accepted at three schools. They are all equally good, first- or second-tier schools. I'm looking to get my master's in general/experimental psychology in order to flesh out exactly what I want to do for my doctorate, but I am definitely going to be applying to Ph.D. programs in the next year or two. I currently live in a city in the northeast and have a serious boyfriend and several close friends who I would love to be near to. I have enough money set aside to cover my master's and living expenses unless it's somewhere completely outrageous, but would obviously like to save as much as possible. While I won't go into which specific schools I'm discussing just in case, I'll give you a quick profile of the pros and cons of each. -One school is right outside of the city where I currently live. If I went here, I would be able to live in a great area with my boyfriend and one of my best friends, which would be awesome. I was offered a $10,000 merit scholarship (the most that they give students) and $10,000 financial aid with no strings attached. This means that I would pay about $20,000 for tuition, on top of living expenses, including a car. The dean of the department wants to work with me, and we have the same general interest, but very different specific interests. He works in an active research lab with another professor who also has somewhat similar interests, and this seems like a good opportunity. The school seems like they are very supportive of grad students and provides resources for them, and the students and faculty are very close and have been extremely sweet to me. I think that I could fit in well here. The master's program is only two semesters long, which seems very stressful and like I could be forced into rushing my thesis (but I could stretch it out slightly longer if I needed to). In addition, their Ph.D. program is very well-suited to my interests if I decide that I do want to stay there, and it is fully funded. Essentially, I feel like I will end up going here because it makes the most sense; however, I'm just not excited about it, and I feel like I should be. -The second school is right in New York City, which is unbelievably expensive and very intimidating to me. I was offered a 50% scholarship, but with the cost of living in NYC, it's not really enough to offset the total cost; I would be out of money by the end. However, the school seems like a neat place (I haven't visited at this point) with a cool philosophy, and the professors that I would be working with are well-known in the exact area that I want to research. Additionally, they do have a Ph.D. program that would fit me as well. While I wouldn't be in my current city, I would be within a few hours; additionally, my boyfriend would likely be able to come with me. -The third school is in a small city down south; I would need to move all of my stuff thirteen hours away in order to attend. Meanwhile, they don't have a Ph.D. program, and only one school nearby has my program, so it seems irrational to move this far away for just two years. I worry that I would be breaking valuable connections by leaving and turning down two great schools that are much closer to my friends and family. However, they have offered me a full scholarship, free laptop, and an assistantship that pays $900 per month, which would more than cover all of my expenses because the area is super cheap, and would also give me valuable experience (neither of the other schools offers paid positions). Additionally, while the teacher that I would be working with doesn't 100% fit my research interests, my interests fit very well into the department as a whole. The school has been incredibly accommodating to me- it is clear that they really want me- and I would feel absolutely horrible turning them down. However, my boyfriend can't find a single job in the area, and I'm really scared to move so far away from everything and everyone that I know and to go through all of the hassle when I know that I'm going to have to move again in two years. As you can see, there's so much to consider. I feel like I'm going to end up going with option 1, simply because it makes the most sense. However, it would break my heart to have to turn down any of these schools (though I know that I inevitably have to disappoint two of them). My head says to go to school #1, but my heart wants me to give the other two (especially #3) a shot. What do I do?!?