ELM616

Well it might be a little more difficult for me. I have a dog, black lab. So that places a restriction on things. I've recently discovered the town of Willimantic and did find some reasonable one bedroom apts for around $750. Is that average for the area? I'm currently paying around $750 in my current city and its manageable. And I'm looking to commute 20-25 minutes or less. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

I'm finishing up my MA and on my way to a PhD program in the fall, and all of this information is very helpful! And yes I think most of it applies to an MA but maybe on a lesser scale. I'm a little intimidated going onto the next level, but I suppose everyone feels like that. One thing I wish I would've done in my MA is attend the graduate social mixers. I only became good friends with one person from my department, so I wish I would have made an effort to meet grads from other departments.

Hmm ok well 90's isn't cool but it would be a relief from the regular 115 degrees I've endured . I've been researching Knoxville and it seems like a very livable city with lots of parks and trails. I guess you guys call them greenways? Anyway I have a black lab that I think would love Knoxville, so we'll see!

Awesome! Yeah it looks like there are plenty of places available. Thank you for the suggestions!

Yeah don't invite them to your house for dinner. That can be a little intimidating for some people. Always go to a neutral location first. This goes for friends too, not just love interests. You may be putting too much pressure on the whole thing and that might be coming across in your invites. http://www.meetup.com/

For $2000 it would totally be worth it to just burn my crap before I leave and replace it all with second hand stuff for around $800

What is your definition of cross country??? I just got a quote for $1900

Great thread! I may be moving from Vegas all the way to UConn, so I've been thinking of a Pod but the websites I stumbled onto were much more expensive. I'll check out ABF U pack for sure. I'd be more than happy if they ship my crap across country for $500 I couldn't sell my furniture for more than $300 either, but replacing it all would be another story!

Join Meetup.com They have hiking meetups, snowboarding meetups, and age group specific meetups! Specifically you should join a 30's something Meetup. Even though you're in a small town, If you are near a university you are not alone as this is common in grad school so there should be meetups available. I moved to San Francisco by myself and Las Vegas by myself and I've had very positive experiences thru this website in both cities. This is especially good for people who don't care to drink.

Future huskies still around here? I'm considering an acceptance offer from UConn and I'm really excited, but housing seems like a challenge!

I could be wrong but in the past I applied to an M.S. program at UO and you are allowed to apply for graduate housing as soon as you apply for your specific program. If you decide not to accept their offer they will eventually just remove you from the wait list. So check it out to be sure, but I would apply right now, and hope to get graduate housing by the end of your first year if you attend. Its a long wait list! But once you get one, you wont give it up until you graduate. They have the best graduate housing I've seen anywhere. Actual homes with yards and porches in the campus area owned by UO, not just apartment complex's.

Hi. I've been admitted to UConn for next fall and considering the offer. Housing seems sparse in the area. Does anyone have current info on the area. I've been looking on Craiglist and I don't see a whole lot of options. Maybe more will be available in the spring and summer?

Bump! Considering an offer of admission to UNL Ag Econ! Ok so I've read all the past threads and I get it. I did my undergrad in Eugene, OR. Nothing but a college town, so I know how hard it can be to find a place in the late summer. OK so lets get past that stuff and talk specifics. I have a 6 year old Labrador. I've raised him since he was only 7 weeks old so please don't even bother recommending adoption. But after living in SF and now Las Vegas, I'm hoping I can find a YARD! A small 1-2 bedroom bungalow/house with a small fenced yard would be incredible. I'm guessing around $600-$700/month. So, am I dreaming here or is that a reasonable thing to find in Lincoln? I have a car so I don't need to be right on top of campus. I think my department is housed in the East Campus, so while I can commute to class, hopefully it wouldn't be more than 15 minutes commute. Any suggestions?

Bump! Considering an offer of admission to UTK. I'm leaving the excruciatingly hot and dry southwest. One thing I don't want a lot of is heat. I understand there will be humidity but it seems like the Knoxville area is fairly mild in the summers. Is this right? If it rained and stormed most of the year, I would be very pleased.

I lived in Eugene for four and a half years during my undergrad. You'll be fine living off 1400/month. I lived in the Whitaker neighborhood, Laurel Hill area, College Hill and RiverRoad. Each neighborhood had its own character and each was safe and fun. Eugene is known for its bicycle theft though. If you leave you bike locked up overnight, there is a good chance you'll wake in the morning to find it stripped of everything but the frame. But I'd say its cheap and fun and most of the town is accessible by bike within minutes once you learn the shortcuts.

I've been accepted to U Tennessee also and would like to see if anybody else around here is also sitting on an Admit.

I've been accepted to UNL PhD in Agricultural Economics and was hoping there might be somebody else around here too.

Try this one... My whole family knows I've applied this year. A couple college graduates here and there, but first in my family to pursue graduate studies, so its a big deal for them. Well I go home over the holidays and my mom and sister-n-law are waiting at the airport for me holding a freaking sign that says "Welcome home Dr. Last Name" !! I was so embarrassed, flattered, and scared all at the same time. I said "What?! I've only applied to PhD programs guys, I'm not even IN yet!" God what if I don't even get in? In a way I appreciate the bode of confidence, but now I really feel the pressure. I guess I can only use it to steel my resolve because now I truly know how important it is to my family.

I've spent some time in Tucson and I've passed through Columbus. My vote would be for Tucson. More culture, better food, west coast liberals, and beautiful people (all the sunshine and time at the pool will do that). But...It will be extremely hot in the summer months June-September. I mean brutally hot, and the sun is very intense with a high UV index. So don't bring any furry pets, cause they will hate you for it. So give scruffy up for adoption and pack your sunscreen, shades and swimsuit.

First of all what is this POI business? Professor of Interest? Sorry for asking but I come from another discipline and we don't use this jargon. Second of all...Don't be scared of your professors. They were just like us once and they will understand that you NEED to know about funding. Just ask them the question you need the answer to so you can move on. If you have a question during lecture or office hours, would you squirm around in your seat and beat around the bush? No, you would just ask.

I'm not sure what schools you're looking at, but 2 years in Cairo and 2 in China at least give you significant experience living and working overseas. I would assume that to be relevant work experience. Just because you're not a foreign affairs analyst doesnt disqualify you. I've seen several programs state that time spent in the Peace Corps is highly desirable. And I've never been in the Peace Corps but from what I gather its at least similar to teaching english in a foreign country. In fact the Peace Corps has a Masters International program where you can attend school while you volunteer with the Peace Corps. I don't know all the details, but just google "masters international peace corps." There are over 80 member academic institutions that participate. American University in Washington is a member institution and has a program in their School of International Service, leading to an M.A. in international affairs. Also American University has a TESOL program where you can earn an M.A. in TESOL. To me this is further evidence that 4 years of teaching english in a foreign country is considered to be desirable by admission commitees and would make you competitive in the application process.

The Evans school is a member of naspaa (public affairs and administration). I think more of their focus is on policy analysis and managment in general, but graduate students can specialize in various fields to include international development. Its ranked 13th by US News and seems to be fairly selective. I plan on applying but thats about all I could tell ya. I'm glad you mentioned the Jackson school thought because I hadn't heard of that, but maybe now I'll apply there too.

I think you could definitely do a public policy phd program. Its just about finding the right program that matches your interests and qualifications. Not all public policy programs have quantitave requirements, but I think most of the top programs want you to have the basic stuff like one semester of calculus, statistics, and intermediate micro/macro economics. A phd in Econ might be a different story. I'm finishing up my MA in Economics, all coursework is complete and just have my thesis left and I can tell you that if you are lacking in a math background going for an Econ Phd would be nearly impossible. I only had Calc 2 going into my MA program and I had been out of school for a few years so my math was very rusty and It was a Huge challenge. I finished my MA with a 3.74 gpa, but I'm not evening considering a Phd in Econ. You really need Real Analysis to be well prepared for a Phd in Econ. I'll be applying to Phd programs in Public Policy this winter. But on the plus side classes like advanced statistical methods are very interesting ( in my opinion). Once you get into the more sophisticated areas of statistics like omitted variable bias, quantile regressions, etc. it gets really neat. Anyway so I think if you want the option of a MA or Phd in public policy you should just brush up on your math a little bit, and if you're serious about an Econ Phd, you might need to spend a significant amount of time taking math classes at the very least up to the Linear Algebra level.

Well the GRE has a new score select option. If I understand it correctly, you dont have to send the past five years of test results anymore unless you opt to. So if you have the time and money to retake the exam again, there is really no risk of receiving a lower score because you can choose which scores you want to send anyway. This is a copy/paste from the ETS/GRE website After test day, you can send Additional Score Reports for a fee by selecting from the following: ScoreSelect Most Recent option — Send your scores from your most recent test administration. ScoreSelect All option — Send your scores from all test administrations in the last five years. ScoreSelect Any option — Send your scores from one OR many test administrations in the last five years. On the test day you get to select four schools to receive your scores for free. Either the most recent or all past scores. So if you take it again, just dont select any schools for your four free reports. You'll have to pay a fee after the exam to have the scores sent out, but you'll only do this if you've significantly improved.

I'm new to this, but in the spirit of encouraging more evaluations from the forum, I'll chime in. I think you have an impressive profile. A solid GRE, and UVa is quite a good school. Plus you have work experience abroad and are multilingual so I would assume you will definitely be competitive, especially if you are looking for an international program with a focus on Asian studies.