Seattle, WA

[euronymous_oystein]

12 hours ago, maengret said:

Not sure what you mean about taxes. Do you mean employment taxes? Washington State doesn't have state income tax. Seattle's sales tax rate is close to 10%, though. 

I  mean, let's say that my stipend is 30.5k$ per year. How much will I receive? Is this the real amount that  I will receive? 

[maengret]

@athan892 the stipend is most likely taxable income, like any other job. How much the school would withhold is in part determined by the IRS. Plus any fees, like if you have to pay a portion of your healthcare. The program should be able to give this information.

[hcho3]

@athan892 In a typical month of 2017, my paycheck at UW CSE was like this:

Graduate Student 50% Appointment: $ 2,749.00
Federal Income Tax withheld:      $   344.76
UAW Local 4121 union due          $    32.72
Workers' compensation insurance   $     8.78
Net income                        $ 2,362.74

Hope it helps!

A few things to keep in mind:

• Your base pay will differ depending on your academic department. See this page for a complete list.
• Your pay is subject to federal income tax (~12.5% effective rate for 30k) but exempt from Medicare and Social Security taxes.
• The state of Washington is one of 9 states that do not levy any income tax. In its stead, you will be subject to a fairly high sales tax (10.2%) and annual vehicle registration tax ($120 + 1.1% of valuation).
• UW is one of the few institutions where graduate students are unionized. Thus, you will be required to pay a union membership due (1.44% of pay). See UAW Local 4121.
• UW will pay 100% of health insurance premium on your behalf. The insurance also includes dental and vision benefits. You may also enroll dependents for a fee.
• You will be still be responsible for miscellaneous fees, including fees for athletic facilities and monthly bus pass (U-pass). This should run about 300 dollars each quarter.

Edited February 15, 2018 by hcho3

[euronymous_oystein]

This is  exactly what I was looking for, thank you very much, I  really appreciate it!

[Ishika]

Hello, does anyone have advice for international students moving to UW?

I am trying to get an idea of the kinds of neighborhoods where I can afford to live  (money- and distance/time-wise), and I was wondering how dependable the light rail is, and whether I can rent a place in maple leaf or downtown, without having to spend too much time commuting.

I'm also looking for roommates, but gradcafe seems to have a largely quiet UW community  Does UW have its own discussion threads elsewhere? I'm not entirely confident about contacting strangers on roommate search sites -- although I have done so -- and it'd be way more reassuring to meet other grad students via grad forums than craigslist.

 

[dataseis]

On 4/21/2018 at 11:18 PM, Ishika said:

Hello, does anyone have advice for international students moving to UW?

I am trying to get an idea of the kinds of neighborhoods where I can afford to live  (money- and distance/time-wise), and I was wondering how dependable the light rail is, and whether I can rent a place in maple leaf or downtown, without having to spend too much time commuting.

I'm also looking for roommates, but gradcafe seems to have a largely quiet UW community  Does UW have its own discussion threads elsewhere? I'm not entirely confident about contacting strangers on roommate search sites -- although I have done so -- and it'd be way more reassuring to meet other grad students via grad forums than craigslist.

 

Not going to UW for grad school, but was an undergrad there.

The light rails are dependable. Buses are dependable on the weekdays, but so-so on the weekends.  Depending on area, I'll choose a quieter neighbourhood as high density areas tend to be a little noisy, you get fire trucks blaring past your apartments early in the morning, or some homeless guy shouting in the middle of the night, etc, you get it. Dorms are the worst, fire trucks, random fire drills , fire-alarm-triggered-due-to-some-guy-cooking-popcorn-in-a-frying-pan are common things that will happen daily. I lived in U-District and it was alright, there was noise pollution but the convenience made up for it. If you're a heavy sleeper, ignore above.

Comparing Maple Leaf vs. Downtown, i think i will go for Maple Leaf. But my personal preference would be to share an apartment in U-District, as it is super accessible to everything on campus, from the IMA (sports facility) to classes. The Burke Gilman trail, something you will hear every now and then, also runs through campus, is a beautiful jogging and cycling trail. The restaurants by the campus also open till 9pm-12am so living close by is pretty nice.

[Ishika]

Thank you @dataseis! This is really helpful. I've found a bunch of places online, and this helps to narrow down my choices ?

[The Wordsworthian]

Was recently accepted to UW and offered a pretty good package.  I'm visiting Seattle in a few weeks to check out the school and the city.

Wondering how I go about housing?  Anyone have any advice about moving here (I'm from the Northeast--New England)?  Anything I should know?

[Amelia75]

@The Wordsworthian I got accepted to UW as well! Congratulations! This may be a bit of the blind leading the blind as I am from the East Coast as well, but I spoke to a current student and someone in the admissions office and both said that UW students tend to use Craigslist for housing. 

[The Wordsworthian]

@Amelia75 Awesome, thank you so much!  Congratulations to you as well.  Which program did you get accepted to?  Maybe we will connect sometime if we both end up in the area.

[Amelia75]

@The Wordsworthian The Public Administration Master's Program in the Evans School! I'll be out in Seattle in April for their Admitted Students Day. 

[The Wordsworthian]

@Amelia75 That's awesome.  I unfortunately won't be able to make it in April so I'll be visiting in mid March. 

[DevoLevo]

On 2/25/2019 at 9:11 AM, The Wordsworthian said:

Was recently accepted to UW and offered a pretty good package.  I'm visiting Seattle in a few weeks to check out the school and the city.

Wondering how I go about housing?  Anyone have any advice about moving here (I'm from the Northeast--New England)?  Anything I should know?

 

On 2/25/2019 at 1:40 PM, Amelia75 said:

@The Wordsworthian I got accepted to UW as well! Congratulations! This may be a bit of the blind leading the blind as I am from the East Coast as well, but I spoke to a current student and someone in the admissions office and both said that UW students tend to use Craigslist for housing. 

Not going to UW for grad school, but I've been living in Seattle for 6 years now and have had great luck using Craigslist (most people do).

 

If any of you guys have specific questions on living in different Seattle neighborhoods, prices, public transit, etc., feel free to DM me.

[paulnguyen]

Hi, is 28K a year enough to live in Seattle?

That's my stipend for a phD program. I wonder how much per month should i spend on housing with that budget 

[serpentstone]

Resurrecting this topic for the 2022 application cycle. Hello, Seattle applicants!! ??

 

[crabgod]

Hey... Can anyone tell me what Seattle rent is like compared to Bay Area, CA rent? It's abysmal out here. Hoping to escape my $850 a month shared bedroom in a 3-person household in a tiny apartment. Also, what's the art scene like? 

[serpentstone]

I've been reading in other forums that cars can be useless in some places with public transport and actual liabilities in others. I know Seattle has a solid public transportation system but does anyone think it would be a liability to have my car there the way that it would in, say, NYC? ?

[mrvisser]

3 minutes ago, serpentstone said:

I've been reading in other forums that cars can be useless in some places with public transport and actual liabilities in others. I know Seattle has a solid public transportation system but does anyone think it would be a liability to have my car there the way that it would in, say, NYC? ?

If you live roughly along I5, you can totally get by via bus or lightrail. Otherwise it's going to be tough. Seattle transit has a very north-south orientation near Lake Washington, but the western parts of the city require a lot of transferring buses. I certainly wouldn't say having a car is a liability. I've had mine here for 8 years and am thankful to be able to conveniently get to the mountains or the Sound.

[serpentstone]

@mrvisser Thank you! That makes me feel much better. Other cities' car-related ultimatums were making me a bit uneasy lol

[Medinari]

I live Seattle-adjacent, and I find having a car helpful. If you are in the city proper, parking can be problematic and expensive (companies have learned they can charge you out the nose for garage spots in apartments), so it may depend on the area you actually settle down in. The places where having a car is more expensive happen to be the places with great public transportation. It's no NYC subway level, but it's pretty good.

[serpentstone]

10 hours ago, Medinari said:

I live Seattle-adjacent, and I find having a car helpful. If you are in the city proper, parking can be problematic and expensive (companies have learned they can charge you out the nose for garage spots in apartments), so it may depend on the area you actually settle down in. The places where having a car is more expensive happen to be the places with great public transportation. It's no NYC subway level, but it's pretty good.

Oh man, yes I have experienced Seattle parking garage prices lol they're quite painful. I guess I was wondering if it's basically guaranteed that my car will be a liability in the way that it'll be stolen or broken into at some point. If I choose UW, I'm *fairly* certain that there is parking at their residences, but if I don't drive everyday I don't want to go to my car three days later and find an empty spot with a pile of glass ?

[RH19v99]

I am considering UW for Grad program beginning Fall 2022. 

I have been told the weather in Seattle in depressing (gloomy weather). 

Like to hear from Seattle residents. 

I am from India (lived in Bangalore, Chennai).