badger Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 When you say "close-minded" and mention "social issues," I have to ask this question. From what you have heard, do you think it would be difficult to be in the program as one who is openly gay? I think you'll be fine and not have much trouble; generally Vanderbilt students are socially progressive/don't have a problem with sexuality. The gay community isn't very big in Nashville, although there is some presence. Of course there's the chance you'll encounter the occasional rude person, but I think that's almost everywhere. You'd probably want to avoid the redneck bars, but I think that would also apply to anyone who's not a redneck. In my experience, the closed-mindedness was more about economic status. Many of the students have never had to pay for a thing in their lives, and the sense of entitlement was kind of shocking. Being poor and/or ugly is a much bigger strike than any social issue. LOL I have some great memories from the place, but I also met some of the most childish people ever. This was undergrad, though, and I'd assume the Grad programs (especially SLP) would be a better calibre of students.
redheadedasian Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 This might be a stupid question, but how do we decline admission offers? Is there any etiquette/protocol for this? Do they just assume that you're not coming if you don't answer, or is writing an email/letter or making a call the decent thing to do? (I realize they can't do anything bad to you if you're not going there anyway, but still...?) In particular, I am curious about this for POIs at schools I am choosing not to attend. I really hit it off with one professor that interviewed me, and we corresponded via email afterward, but it looks like I am not going to accept the offer after all. Do I owe it to her to let her know (even though she is not one of the people I'd *have* to confirm or deny to)?
redheadedasian Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Having lived in Chicago, I would like to say that traffic there is pretty horrendous. I've never driven in Atlanta, to be fair, but it usually took my husband over an hour and a half to make the drive from Rush to our apartment (which, according to Google maps, is a 25 minute drive). It is possible to make it in Chicago without a vehicle, but relying on the CTA/eL makes things like grocery shopping difficult. I'd warn you about picking an apartment near the hospitals, but if you're familiar with Atlanta then I'm sure that you know how to stay safe. There is nothing, IMHO, that beats Chicago in the summers. Farmers' markets downtown, concerts, the lake breeze, it's all pretty amazing. Almost makes you forget about the -20 wind chills and crazy snowfalls in the winter. Reminds me that I need to plan a visit! I totally meant I wasn't going to drive in the WINTER in Chicago, since I'm not used to actual snow and ice. Don't know why I messed that up... And yes, the traffic was horrendous when I visited, hence my decision to take the train to school/clinic whenever possible. I realize it could be a long commute, but I think it would be a tossup time-wise compared to driving, and probably less stressful ultimately.
jkathleen Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) This might be a stupid question, but how do we decline admission offers? Is there any etiquette/protocol for this? Do they just assume that you're not coming if you don't answer, or is writing an email/letter or making a call the decent thing to do? (I realize they can't do anything bad to you if you're not going there anyway, but still...?) In particular, I am curious about this for POIs at schools I am choosing not to attend. I really hit it off with one professor that interviewed me, and we corresponded via email afterward, but it looks like I am not going to accept the offer after all. Do I owe it to her to let her know (even though she is not one of the people I'd *have* to confirm or deny to)? It is definitely proper protocol to notify each school you have been accepted at whether or not you will attend their program once you have made your final decision. Regarding your POI issue, if I were in your shoes, I think I would send the prof a "thank you" card to show gratitude for the person's time and consideration during and after the interview, and you can also mention in the card which school you have chosen to attend. This way, you're letting the person know of your decision but it doesn't have to be the main subject of the correspondence. P.S. It's not a stupid question. We're all new at this. Edited March 18, 2012 by jkathleen
pure titanium Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Congratulations Wannabeslp on Ohio State (and the others). Almost certain on GW, but waiting till after the open house to be sure.
MA-SLP FTW Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Congratulations Wannabeslp on Ohio State (and the others). Almost certain on GW, but waiting till after the open house to be sure. Thanks! I'm excited to stay in state. It's going to be difficult to tell some of the other programs that I won't be coming. I've developed a pretty good relationship with the head of ECU's program in particular. I applied to so many schools because I really didn't think I'd get in anywhere. I hope that all of the rest of you have the same problem! This might be a stupid question, but how do we decline admission offers? Is there any etiquette/protocol for this? Do they just assume that you're not coming if you don't answer, or is writing an email/letter or making a call the decent thing to do? (I realize they can't do anything bad to you if you're not going there anyway, but still...?) In particular, I am curious about this for POIs at schools I am choosing not to attend. I really hit it off with one professor that interviewed me, and we corresponded via email afterward, but it looks like I am not going to accept the offer after all. Do I owe it to her to let her know (even though she is not one of the people I'd *have* to confirm or deny to)? I'm going to send an official e-mail and a thank you notes to each program. I think it would be totally appropriate to reach out to a professor you met and liked at a school. There's always the possibility for collaborative research! Hope everyone had a wonderful St. Paddy's Day!
yoquierocafe Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 I am crossing my fingers that CU Boulder sends out their decisions tomorrow! It is the last school that I am waiting to hear from and I am hoping for some good news :-)
MA-SLP FTW Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Does anyone out there have the contact information for MGH? I have misplaced my letter ( ) and need to tell them to take me off of the wait list. Thank you!
jkathleen Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Does anyone out there have the contact information for MGH? I have misplaced my letter ( ) and need to tell them to take me off of the wait list. Thank you! I'll PM it to you now
Hopeful SLP Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 I totally meant I wasn't going to drive in the WINTER in Chicago, since I'm not used to actual snow and ice. Don't know why I messed that up... And yes, the traffic was horrendous when I visited, hence my decision to take the train to school/clinic whenever possible. I realize it could be a long commute, but I think it would be a tossup time-wise compared to driving, and probably less stressful ultimately. my boyfriend and I currently live in the loop, and we lived up in Lakeview for a year before this apartment. In two years, I've only had one problem when the train was rerouted, and I took a cab so I wasn't late. We now have walkable commutes, but for the year in Lakeview I relied on two buses to get me to work -- I was never once late, and I was able to read on my commute. we do not plan on buying a car any time soon, and we really enjoy putting that extra gas, insurance, and car payment $$ towards rent instead. it allows us to rent in a much nicer location. I plan on going to Rush without a car at all. parking and driving in the city is a PITA, and we haven't had an option for a parking space at either apartment (unless we want to buy a spot for $35k).
SLP33 Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Forgive me for asking as I'm newer here. How do you all add that information below your posts that show your acceptances and rejections? I can't seem to figure it out! And for what it's worth, thank you all for your responses to my posts. I really appreciate them. I only wish I would have found this forum sooner!
SunnyWade Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 I am crossing my fingers that CU Boulder sends out their decisions tomorrow! It is the last school that I am waiting to hear from and I am hoping for some good news :-) Are they expected to? I'm so nervous...
AudioEnvy Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Forgive me for asking as I'm newer here. How do you all add that information below your posts that show your acceptances and rejections? I can't seem to figure it out! And for what it's worth, thank you all for your responses to my posts. I really appreciate them. I only wish I would have found this forum sooner! Click on your username at the very top right of the page, and from there click on "my settings"...from that page, there will be an option to the left that says "signature"...write what you want in that textbook and save it. I hope that helps!
SunnyWade Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Forgive me for asking as I'm newer here. How do you all add that information below your posts that show your acceptances and rejections? I can't seem to figure it out! And for what it's worth, thank you all for your responses to my posts. I really appreciate them. I only wish I would have found this forum sooner! You go to your account/edit your account...then on the side (I think left side) there's an option for you "signature". That's where you can fancy it up! Hope that helps! Also, good luck!
yoquierocafe Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Are they expected to? I'm so nervous... Looking back on previous years it seems that they have sent out decisions around the 18th to 22nd of March. Hope they do the same this year!!! Good luck to everyone :-)
Hopeful SLP Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) I second what Hopeful SLP says. I did my undergrad at Loyola Chicago downtown, and public transportation was easy, fast, and affordable (vs. the price of gas in the city and dealing with the traffic). Plus, a lot of schools downtown have shuttle systems, AND the UPass (a student-only CTA card) is often included in tuition at most of the city universities (I'm not positive about Rush, but Northwestern definitely has both shuttles and the UPass). I LOVED LOVED LOVED the UPass. It's about $100 per semester for unlimited rides on the El and buses, and I probably paid that amount back in the first two weeks I used it--so if the university offers it, definitely opt-in. And for cars, I only know of two people my entire undergraduate career that had a car at Loyola. One was my roommate who used it to visit friends out in the state universities every few months--but she paid $80 a night when she parked it downtown, which, in my situation, isn't that doable. The other person was my friend who only used his car to drive home at the end of the semester. He, unlike my roommate, was able to find street parking, but he ended up having to pay about 30 parking tickets off because street parking downtown is super strict. So basically, both of them loved the convenience of having a car to get out to the suburbs or wherever they wanted to go every once in awhile, but they paid a couple hundred dollars every semester to keep a car down there, AND they didn't use it all that much anyways. I'd say if you're going to be IN the city (i.e. Northwestern and Rush), look at parking options, because you're going to be spending a good amount of money on that. Otherwise, public transportation is the easiest and cheapest way to go. Especially if the school offers a Upass. I loved that thing so much, I pretty much cried when it was deactivated after my graduation. I hope some of this helps the Rush/Northwestern people!! And I'm sorry to go on and on and on about it. yes! I forgot about the horror of ticketing. like I said before, we never had a car but at our old apartment (street parking) cars were tickets ALL.THE.TIME. also, redheadedasian I'd definitely look into what area you'll be living in and whether or not you'd actually want a car there. I know in most places near the city, there's no such thing as "parking" your car for the winter. street parking is first come, first serve and you need to move your car for snow plowing days. some areas also have "no parking tow zones" between 11pm and 6am if there was more than 2" of snow fall. personally, I used public transit to get me anywhere (and the grocery store is 1 mile away so I walk in the summer). during the winter, I pay $7 to have groceries delivered via peapod. Edited March 18, 2012 by Hopeful SLP
AudioEnvy Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Just asking this now while it is part of the conversation...what about having a car in the St. Xavier area? I've seen people say that it is fairly necessary to have a car there, would you guys agree? (sorry if that discussion was on here and I am bringing it up again...but I post a few other places like this, and I feel like it was somewhere else that I was told that. Not sure, though!)
Hopeful SLP Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Just asking this now while it is part of the conversation...what about having a car in the St. Xavier area? I've seen people say that it is fairly necessary to have a car there, would you guys agree? (sorry if that discussion was on here and I am bringing it up again...but I post a few other places like this, and I feel like it was somewhere else that I was told that. Not sure, though!) I am not personally familiar with the area, but a student I spoke to said that a car makes it easier.
smsingh Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 Anyone here apply to Texas A&M- Kingsville?? Any news?..This wait is KILLLING me..
MA-SLP FTW Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) yes! I forgot about the horror of ticketing. like I said before, we never had a car but at our old apartment (street parking) cars were tickets ALL.THE.TIME. also, redheadedasian I'd definitely look into what area you'll be living in and whether or not you'd actually want a car there. I know in most places near the city, there's no such thing as "parking" your car for the winter. street parking is first come, first serve and you need to move your car for snow plowing days. some areas also have "no parking tow zones" between 11pm and 6am if there was more than 2" of snow fall. personally, I used public transit to get me anywhere (and the grocery store is 1 mile away so I walk in the summer). during the winter, I pay $7 to have groceries delivered via peapod. You can always get a Zipcar! Not sure about the price, but it'd make shopping easier. You can rent a car for just a little bit to go to, say, Sam's Club, Target, Ikea, etc. Many companies like Zipcar have designated parking spots throughout the city which also helps. I haven't used them personally but the Zipcar parking spots were always the only ones open when I'd go places! Just thinking about how easy it was to get around almost makes me miss the Red Line. Almost. Edited March 19, 2012 by WannabeSLP
aapple50 Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 Anyone here apply to Texas A&M- Kingsville?? Any news?..This wait is KILLLING me.. Hello! I applied to Texas A&M-Kingsville and a couple other schools in Texas. I called them and the woman i spoke to said they probably wont make their final decisions until the end of march or first week of April. They also do rolling admissions.
Hopeful SLP Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 I do actually want to get a zipcar to visit Ikea once! I just never get around to it. Does anyone know when Rush or Northwestern gave info on funding last year? Has anyone heard anything about this yet?
smsingh Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 Hello! I applied to Texas A&M-Kingsville and a couple other schools in Texas. I called them and the woman i spoke to said they probably wont make their final decisions until the end of march or first week of April. They also do rolling admissions. Ahhh I have been checking my app status every day...Do you know how many they accept?
lnbee Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) You can always get a Zipcar! Not sure about the price, but it'd make shopping easier. You can rent a car for just a little bit to go to, say, Sam's Club, Target, Ikea, etc. Many companies like Zipcar have designated parking spots throughout the city which also helps. I haven't used them personally but the Zipcar parking spots were always the only ones open when I'd go places! Just thinking about how easy it was to get around almost makes me miss the Red Line. Almost. This is slightly off-topic, but I've been thinking about Zipcar, and I have no idea how it works...do you have to pay for the service, and is there a schedule or something? I'm most likely going to leave my car at home, but then if I do get accepted to a city school and I have to make it out to the suburbs for externals, getting out there is going to suck. Edited March 19, 2012 by lnbee
lnbee Posted March 19, 2012 Posted March 19, 2012 Just asking this now while it is part of the conversation...what about having a car in the St. Xavier area? I've seen people say that it is fairly necessary to have a car there, would you guys agree? (sorry if that discussion was on here and I am bringing it up again...but I post a few other places like this, and I feel like it was somewhere else that I was told that. Not sure, though!) I'd say bring a car to St. Xavier's. Public transportation is doable out there, but the school is technically out in the suburbs, and public transportation takes a lot longer and is harder to use than further into the city.
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