CUNY Grad Center or NC Chapel Hill

[Butitwaslaundryday]

Hello, I have been accepted into several very competitive masters programs (with full funding). At the PhD level, however, CUNY Graduate Center and NC Chapel Hill are my only two chances. I was wondering if anyone could help me make my decision by letting me know what they think about these schools, any experiences they've had there, or what it's like to live in Brooklyn or NC Chapel Hill. Thanks.

[hopefulJ2010]

Hello, I have been accepted into several very competitive masters programs (with full funding). At the PhD level, however, CUNY Graduate Center and NC Chapel Hill are my only two chances. I was wondering if anyone could help me make my decision by letting me know what they think about these schools, any experiences they've had there, or what it's like to live in Brooklyn or NC Chapel Hill. Thanks.

I live in Brooklyn- but on the south side (more residential). You'd probably looking to live in north Brooklyn- closer to the city. Rents can be high but living around prospect heights/park slope/downtown brooklyn can be a 15-20 minute train ride into the city. The neighborhoods are all up and coming or already trendy and have a lot of culture going on (restaurants, fairs, museums etc etc). There's also access to the LIRR (long island railroad) close by. Idk where exactly the CUNY grad center is but it doesn't seem to be much of a commute from Brooklyn. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

Jenna

[samjones]

Hello, I have been accepted into several very competitive masters programs (with full funding). At the PhD level, however, CUNY Graduate Center and NC Chapel Hill are my only two chances. I was wondering if anyone could help me make my decision by letting me know what they think about these schools, any experiences they've had there, or what it's like to live in Brooklyn or NC Chapel Hill. Thanks.

Many of the train lines in Brooklyn have a stop that let's you off one block away (34th and Herald) from the CUNY Graduate Center.

In my humble opinion, Brooklyn is amazing! Some areas are all hipstered out and can be avoided (unless you like that sort thing/lifestyle). For example, East Flatbush is still pretty awesome and is right off of Prospect Park, which is a HUGE park with off-leash hours for dogs everyday (9pm until 9am). In East Flatbush (and this new neighborhood that developing companies/rental agents are calling Prospect-Lefferts Gardens) a lot of apartments are being gutted and renovated by a developing company that seems to value quality and space. I mean, when I moved here this past fall I was certain I was gonna be living in a matchbox but was pleasantly surprised that even by Brooklyn standards the apartment I found was equivalent in size to the one I left in my midwest state. The apartments are amazing and still fairly affordable (I promise I'm not a rental agent feeding you lines. lol.).

All in all, I've found Brooklyn to be great and there a lot of amazing gastro opportunities. I'm in the habit of walking around aimlessly while hungry until I find something interesting and it's never very hard around here (or anywhere in New York).

[greekdaph]

I spent the past two years living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan, and I second all the wonderful things people have to say about both. I've only spent a few days in Chapel Hill, but I loved that area as well. Something to think about that people haven't mentioned thus far is how the urban vs. college town setting changes the campus culture and students' relationship to campus. I'm engaging in some generalizations as I make the following statements, but these thoughts are based on direct observation. By and large, students at the New York schools are spread out all over the city in all directions, and thus, their grad school experience becomes more like any job: they commute to campus, often according to a particular schedule, and usually have a social life that exists largely outside the program and is often based on previous ties to the city. In a place like Chapel Hill, students are more likely to have moved to that location specifically to attend grad school (and so are looking for community), and people usually live in close enough range to campus to spend more time in its environs. In Chapel Hill, you're likely to run into your peers on the street, at the grocery store, etc.; in New York, such sightings will be rare.

When I was making my decision, I knew that even though I loved New York, there would be too many distractions--the food! the plays! the parks! the friends!--to make it productive for me as a student. Not to mention, I had nightmare visions of hauling a stack of library books and a gallon of milk up the stairs of what would inevitably be a fifth floor walk-up. I also need silence to do productive writing, and that's much harder to come by in the city. I chose to go to school in a college town because I wanted grad school to feel more like a lifestyle than a job. I know many, many people who have the opposite preference, though, and would thrive in the environments that I would find difficult to study in.

[Butitwaslaundryday]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I think you bring up an interesting point, greekdaph. I guess that's something I have to decide for myself--whether I want to live in a big city or a college town. I just visited a college which was located in a very small town and I really got the sense that all the grad students there knew each other really well and spent a lot of time together--somethingI would enjoy. I came from a commuter-type campus and did not particularly enjoy it. Additionally, I don't have any ties whatsoever to New York at the moment, so it would suck to not have a more welcoming social setting to work with at school. On the other hand, the slow rhythm of a small town did throw me off somewhat, since I grew up in LA. Actually, now that I am writing this, I have to say that I am leaning more towards big city. I just can't study for hours on end if, for example, I know that there won't be anything exciting to occupy my off time with. Hmm, thank you so much! I think I will make my decision within the next few days, but I'm leaning away from NC Chapel Hill at this point.

[Aquinaplatostotlestine]

Butitwaslaundryday,

Like you, I've been accepted into the PhD program in comp. lit. at Chapel Hill. Are you planning on attending the "long" visiting weekend March 25th-28th? I'm also trying to decide between UNC and another program (Penn State) and am hoping that visiting both campuses later this month will make that decision easier!

Best of luck with making your decision and congratulations on your acceptances!

Cheers.

[Butitwaslaundryday]

Butitwaslaundryday,

Like you, I've been accepted into the PhD program in comp. lit. at Chapel Hill. Are you planning on attending the "long" visiting weekend March 25th-28th? I'm also trying to decide between UNC and another program (Penn State) and am hoping that visiting both campuses later this month will make that decision easier!

Best of luck with making your decision and congratulations on your acceptances!

Cheers.

Hello, I hope I can visit, but I don't think I will since I haven't been invited! I am on the waitlist (there are only two others on the waitlist), and I was told that it's not unlikely I will ultimately be admitted. I hope to visit before I make my decision, but since I'm not sure that's a possibility until I'm formally accepted, I am just playing all the options out in my head first. Good luck with your decision! If you could, I'd love to know what you think of your visit when you get back. Congrats on your acceptances, too!