GRM/SLAgrad Posted February 16, 2011 Posted February 16, 2011 Anyone else accept yet to CMU? I'm from Pittsburgh originally and looking forward to being back home. If you have any questions about the city let me know.
ok29 Posted February 23, 2011 Posted February 23, 2011 Anyone else accept yet to CMU? I'm from Pittsburgh originally and looking forward to being back home. If you have any questions about the city let me know. Hi there, Ive been accepted for the M.S logic at CMU and am contemplating whether to accept. Ive been given a 50% fellowship with a ta-ship which gives around 8000 a year. I was wondering how much would housing and food cost. Ive been looking at other threads and squirrell hill, shady side, bloomfield seem to be good housing options. But I am wondering what was the min. monthly budget you would need to maintain a decent living. Ive lived by myself for about 4 years now so I'm used to living on a 'student' budget. Could you manage with say 800 bucks a month including housing, utilities, food, cell, misc. expenses? Thanks in advance
firefly28 Posted February 23, 2011 Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) Hi there, Ive been accepted for the M.S logic at CMU and am contemplating whether to accept. Ive been given a 50% fellowship with a ta-ship which gives around 8000 a year. I was wondering how much would housing and food cost. Ive been looking at other threads and squirrell hill, shady side, bloomfield seem to be good housing options. But I am wondering what was the min. monthly budget you would need to maintain a decent living. Ive lived by myself for about 4 years now so I'm used to living on a 'student' budget. Could you manage with say 800 bucks a month including housing, utilities, food, cell, misc. expenses? Thanks in advance Hmm...If you can find a few other people, you might be able to get a place in Sq Hill for around $300 a month each (that'd be a very good deal). I think you may want to consider living outside of the city. Your student ID functions as a bus pass so you could ride the bus in and out of town for free. There are cheap areas in Oakland, but you really don't want to live in them. And Bloomfield and (particularly) Shadyside is more expensive--again, if you're splitting an apartment with two or three other people, the cost comes down quite a bit and it can be manageable. For instance, you may be able to swing a place like this in Homestead, which is right by the very popular Waterfront shopping area: http://pittsburgh.cr...2186452062.html For food, there are places to buy in bulk. Check out the ethnic grocery stores, which often have bulk rate prices on rice. Load up on rice, wheat, etc. and use them for at least one meal a day. You can get a good lunch at the food trucks for $5; you can make that the main meal of the day and just have smaller home stuff for the other meals (ramen noodles ftw). If you find a roommate, that's $250 a month each for rent. Paying that little, I think you could live on $800 a month (get all the free food you can find at CMU and Pitt). Edited February 23, 2011 by firefly28 firefly28 1
mandelbrot89 Posted February 24, 2011 Posted February 24, 2011 I'm accepted into the Ph.D. in Logic, Computation, and Methodology at their Philosophy department. I went to the department's summer school last summer and absolutely loved Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, so this one is very high on my list right now.
anom217 Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 I got into the Software Engineering program for Fall '11. I was somewhat surprised, and I almost would have rather waited another year to save more money (loans suck). But I guess I'll be going now, I wouldn't want to risk rescinding the offer and not getting in the following year!
UrbanWonk Posted March 28, 2011 Posted March 28, 2011 98% sure I'm headed to CMU in the fall! For the poster who's from the Pitt area, any idea on when one should secure an apartment? In my undergrad city, most of the good places were gone by January of the year before...should I try to find a place during my campus visit next week or can I wait until summer? Congrats to everyone!
wayfaerer Posted April 6, 2011 Posted April 6, 2011 Guess I'm a bit late to this thread, anyway - I'm headed to the Entertainment Technology Center at CMU. Great that there's someone from Pittsburgh here, maybe you can help us with a few (possibly stupid) questions over the next few months
yeahgradschool! Posted April 21, 2011 Posted April 21, 2011 I'm headed to CMU in the fall for public policy! Unfortunately, I'm living abroad and won't be home until June. My plan is to visit Pittsburgh July fourth weekend to secure an apartment for August 1. Is that going to be way too late? I'm still not sure about bringing a car either. I've heard a lot of people have done fine without one but I think I'd feel better having it around just in case. Anyone else still deciding about a car? Congrats to everyone on getting in and making a decision!!
firefly28 Posted April 22, 2011 Posted April 22, 2011 I'm headed to CMU in the fall for public policy! Unfortunately, I'm living abroad and won't be home until June. My plan is to visit Pittsburgh July fourth weekend to secure an apartment for August 1. Is that going to be way too late? I'm still not sure about bringing a car either. I've heard a lot of people have done fine without one but I think I'd feel better having it around just in case. Anyone else still deciding about a car? Congrats to everyone on getting in and making a decision!! It depends on where you're living. You can do a lot through public transportation, but if you're living out of the city I'd definitely get a car. That being said, some of the best places (eg the Strip) are absolute nightmares for parking and actually easier to get to through buses. Just be aware that port authority buses are old, tend to smell, and often are populated by crazy people. In three years, I've seen a guy pee on the floor of a bus, a drug deal, semi-regularly people talking to themselves, and most recently, a guy bragging to his friend how he intimidated a witness into not testifying against him in a jewelry robbery case.
yeahgradschool! Posted April 22, 2011 Posted April 22, 2011 It depends on where you're living. You can do a lot through public transportation, but if you're living out of the city I'd definitely get a car. That being said, some of the best places (eg the Strip) are absolute nightmares for parking and actually easier to get to through buses. Just be aware that port authority buses are old, tend to smell, and often are populated by crazy people. In three years, I've seen a guy pee on the floor of a bus, a drug deal, semi-regularly people talking to themselves, and most recently, a guy bragging to his friend how he intimidated a witness into not testifying against him in a jewelry robbery case. bahaha thanks for the info! I lived in NYC for three years so I'm fairly used to the crazies on public transpo. I'm looking at shadyside or squirrel hill so in terms of getting to and from class I definitely plan on busing it but I guess I'm wondering about things like grocery shopping, late night activities, weekend trips outside of the city, or traveling to DC for interviews. I'm thinking I will try it without a car at first and see how it goes!
firefly28 Posted April 22, 2011 Posted April 22, 2011 bahaha thanks for the info! I lived in NYC for three years so I'm fairly used to the crazies on public transpo. I'm looking at shadyside or squirrel hill so in terms of getting to and from class I definitely plan on busing it but I guess I'm wondering about things like grocery shopping, late night activities, weekend trips outside of the city, or traveling to DC for interviews. I'm thinking I will try it without a car at first and see how it goes! With late night stuff it depends on where you live; some routes go very late into the night. Some areas aren't exactly the type that you want to be coming home from late at night though. There are a bunch of grocery stores around and several within bus range.
hbgrad Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 Hi! I got accepted into the PhD MechE this fall. I already accepted the offer for admission and I'm very excited. For the poster from the Pitt area, if I arrive to Pitt by August 1 will that leave me enough time to find a one bedroom in the squirell hill or shadyside areas? From what I have seen online you can find 1 bedrooms in these areas for 650-750 rent. Is it possible to still find these apartments August 1? Thanks a lot!
TheComeUp Posted May 3, 2011 Posted May 3, 2011 Anyone else accept yet to CMU? I'm from Pittsburgh originally and looking forward to being back home. If you have any questions about the city let me know. I am heading to Heinz College at CMU for fall 2011 for the MSPPM-DC Program...I had the opportunity to study at CMU two summers ago and looking forward to completing this master program there...I would like to start reaching out to students in the program perhaps begin a listserv for the incoming group.
yeahgradschool! Posted May 4, 2011 Posted May 4, 2011 I am heading to Heinz College at CMU for fall 2011 for the MSPPM-DC Program...I had the opportunity to study at CMU two summers ago and looking forward to completing this master program there...I would like to start reaching out to students in the program perhaps begin a listserv for the incoming group. Love this idea. Let me know if you set something up!
jcoliveros Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 I am going to CMU for my M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. I found an apartment in Squirrel Hill (alone unfortunately) but oh well. I'm really excited to go. I'm from New Jersey so I'm not familiar with the Pittsburgh area. Any advice on where to shop for food/furniture?
muhammadaffawn Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 Hi everyone! I have been accepted into the CMU Chemistry Graduate program, with funding. I am an international student, and it will be the first time for me to be in the US. Any guidance/suggestion regrading housing and living in pittsburgh, since CMU does not offer housing to graduate students. Which one is more preferable for an international student: homestay, or renting out an apartment/house.
wangchem Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 Hi everyone! I have been accepted into the CMU Chemistry Graduate program, with funding. I am an international student, and it will be the first time for me to be in the US. Any guidance/suggestion regrading housing and living in pittsburgh, since CMU does not offer housing to graduate students. Which one is more preferable for an international student: homestay, or renting out an apartment/house. Hi there! I am also a new student in chemisty, cmu, Fall 2012. And I just have the same concerns as yours. I guess maybe we can talk more, share some information.
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