heulwen Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thank you, czesc.. I like to think there is still hope there. Congratulations regalrenegade! I hope everybody in this forum who didn't hear any good news yet will hear something today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annieca Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I woke up to find an acceptance to St Andrews in my inbox!! Yay!! Though UK acceptances are bittersweet since now the hurdle is securing funding from scholarships. But hey, one down right?? Congrats to all the admits and hugs to the others...This board has been blowing up!! Happy Valentine's Day!! P.S. czesc I have a feeling this is your day~ Congrats! St Andrews is a great place, I've heard. It is, however, in the boonies. And when I say boonies, I don't mean like Iowa is where you need a car but... be prepared for lots of transportation hurdles. The nearest train station to St Andrews is in Fife I believe - 5-6 miles away. It's not feasible to commute from Edinburgh, unfortunately, and St Andrews itself is expensive to live in. Not to mention the horrors of the UK rail system. *shudders* Not to scare you off though! I'm sure that you have researched this all before you applied. One of our Grad Cafe bloggers is Scottish and knows about St Andrews if you wanted to ask specific questions about the city/housing/etc. But CONGRATS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thanks for the well wishes everyone! annieca - Yep, I've heard how inconvenient St Andrews can be in regards to expense and transportation. I'd have to live in the residence halls and deal with the extended distance to a train station. Though I have to say, when visiting the UK this summer the rail system was fantastic! But then I love ANY type of public transportation and we have none of that here in Vegas! The buses here are atrocious unless you live ON the strip...and nobody in their right mind would do such a thing. I have a car now, but I'd love to be able to ditch it for a few years I'll look into talking to our Scottish blogger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKACaz Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I don't have too much experience of St. Andrews, but a friend of mine goes there and I visited her there a few winters ago. I'd concur with your point, regalrenegade - even if the transport sounds inconvenient, it is MILES better than anything in the US! As I remember it it's about 50 minutes by train from Edinburgh to St. Andrews (plus a bus to then get you into town, but that runs pretty well), or taking a bus from Edinburgh instead takes about 90 minutes. The town is beautiful but the center is small; you'd be doing a lot of walking, but it's perfectly manageable, and a bike would make it even more so. Student housing (or at least the undergraduate housing I stayed in) is much nicer than any US dorm I've been in, or at least comparable to the best, and older students often share proper cottages/houses scattered around town. All in all, a 'small-town' experience, but certainly no worse than many out-of-the-way schools in the States - think Middlebury, perhaps, except you wouldn't need a car. Plus it's only 3-4 hours now from Edinburgh to London, so very easy to go down for a weekend! The only negative in my view: the weather. It's gorgeous, yes, but co-o-o-o-o-ld. And wet. I visited my friend in early December and it was jolly freezing, with water running everywhere (think damp grass, trickles along the road, etc), and sunset was at 3pm. 3pm! And it wasn't even really winter yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) I don't have too much experience of St. Andrews, but a friend of mine goes there and I visited her there a few winters ago. I'd concur with your point, regalrenegade - even if the transport sounds inconvenient, it is MILES better than anything in the US! As I remember it it's about 50 minutes by train from Edinburgh to St. Andrews (plus a bus to then get you into town, but that runs pretty well), or taking a bus from Edinburgh instead takes about 90 minutes. The town is beautiful but the center is small; you'd be doing a lot of walking, but it's perfectly manageable, and a bike would make it even more so. Student housing (or at least the undergraduate housing I stayed in) is much nicer than any US dorm I've been in, or at least comparable to the best, and older students often share proper cottages/houses scattered around town. All in all, a 'small-town' experience, but certainly no worse than many out-of-the-way schools in the States - think Middlebury, perhaps, except you wouldn't need a car. Plus it's only 3-4 hours now from Edinburgh to London, so very easy to go down for a weekend! The only negative in my view: the weather. It's gorgeous, yes, but co-o-o-o-o-ld. And wet. I visited my friend in early December and it was jolly freezing, with water running everywhere (think damp grass, trickles along the road, etc), and sunset was at 3pm. 3pm! And it wasn't even really winter yet! Wow! Thank you for such detailed information. This is extremely helpful. The weather will definitely test my fortitude, but I swear I'd live in a dirt hole if they pay me for my education. Besides, I need some wet to appreciate the dry I suffer through now! Edited February 14, 2013 by theregalrenegade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annieca Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Welp, my first rejection came in. Brown University doesn't want me. My phone notification light was blinking so I checked my email "Decision reached!". Only to have to go onto the application portal and then look at a PDF letter saying I was rejected. Ah well, Providence is an expensive town to live in anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lureynol Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thanks for the well wishes everyone! annieca - Yep, I've heard how inconvenient St Andrews can be in regards to expense and transportation. I'd have to live in the residence halls and deal with the extended distance to a train station. Though I have to say, when visiting the UK this summer the rail system was fantastic! But then I love ANY type of public transportation and we have none of that here in Vegas! The buses here are atrocious unless you live ON the strip...and nobody in their right mind would do such a thing. I have a car now, but I'd love to be able to ditch it for a few years I'll look into talking to our Scottish blogger! My current experiences are south of yours (Cambridge), but I'll go out on a limb that a few things are pretty similar. St. Andrews certainly has a reputation of being out of the way, but it's also a location that's been dealing with students for 600 years. It will have what you need day to day. I second akacentimetre in the bike suggestion; They come in very handy. Your biggest transportation challenge outside of the town will be when you run out of sources in St. Andrews itself. If you're working on something with a Scottish focus (or a Scottish location to the sources), you'll be fine, but if what you need is in London, that's when you'll curse St. Andrew's location. Get yourself a student railcard ASAP (actually that advice applies to wherever on that impressive list of UK applications you end up), they save you quite a bit of money. Sorry for the rather disjointed bits of advice - my head is too full of Scott's approach on Governmentality to think straight. Oh, and congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Providence IS pricey! My best friend lives in Newport and I don't know how she does it on a state attorney's salary. It is gorgeous, but you've got other offers that suit you better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtstevie Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 another day, another dearth of news...*sigh* heulwen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 St. Andrews certainly has a reputation of being out of the way, but it's also a location that's been dealing with students for 600 years. It will have what you need day to day. I second akacentimetre in the bike suggestion; They come in very handy. Your biggest transportation challenge outside of the town will be when you run out of sources in St. Andrews itself. If you're working on something with a Scottish focus (or a Scottish location to the sources), you'll be fine, but if what you need is in London, that's when you'll curse St. Andrew's location. Get yourself a student railcard ASAP (actually that advice applies to wherever on that impressive list of UK applications you end up), they save you quite a bit of money. Sorry for the rather disjointed bits of advice - my head is too full of Scott's approach on Governmentality to think straight. Oh, and congratulations! Thank you for the advice. I'll take any I can get, especially from those so close! I'm sure I'll have business outside of Scotland, but I'll make sure to curse in a thick Scottish brogue... (this led to looking up how-to-curse-in-Scottish videos on you tube: Hilarious!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unchien Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Stanford update for folks who are still waiting: I just got in, via an e-mail from the graduate administrator, and not my POI. I don't know if that means that all the acceptances have been sent out, but just thought I'd drop by with that intel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heulwen Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Stanford update for folks who are still waiting: I just got in, via an e-mail from the graduate administrator, and not my POI. I don't know if that means that all the acceptances have been sent out, but just thought I'd drop by with that intel. Thank you for sharing and congratulations, unchien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czesc Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Congrats, unchien! Now I have to keep an eye on my email and not try to get my hopes up at the same time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annieca Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 @thegalrenegade- Both you and my advisor made my me smile when I told the bad news. He said "I got rejected loads of places and I turned out okay." To which he amended to "Stupendous" to which he said "Brown is an idiot and they don't deserve you." Maybe that's not true but yes, you're right- I have an offer that better suits me! Also, I through this out to anyone and everyone considering UK degrees. I've been here for the past school year and while I can't tell you all about locations (other than Aberystwyth), I do know way more than I should about adjusting to the UK, visas and why UK bacon is really ham (but don't tell them that! I can't tell you the number of arguments I've gotten into over bacon). Feel free to PM or ask away here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sio68 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Or is American ham really bacon?... schlesinger1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katzenmusik Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) Haha! I remember being really surprised when I ordered "Canadian bacon" for the first time and received a piece of ham. It was a shocking disappointment. In other news, no news today! My mind unravels; my body is paralyzed. I can neither sleep nor work. Food has no taste. Edited February 14, 2013 by Katzenmusik czesc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czesc Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) I guess Stanford is just going to stand the rest of us up today. It's Valentine's Day, Stanford. At least drop us a line and tell us how you really feel. Edited February 14, 2013 by czesc heulwen, aec09g and CarrieLe5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heulwen Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I guess Stanford is just going to stand the rest of us up today. It's Valentine's Day, Stanford. At least drop us a line and tell us how you really feel. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annieca Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 So I wasn't expecting anything this week and then Brown...now I am paranoid. I'm a paranoid noodgenick. And of course it doesn't help I'm at a Model UN conference this weekend so I have to be all professional and that jazz during committee sessions and not check my email or this site. Leave that for unmoderated caucus. Rethinking the staying in the UK bit but that really depends on if I can get funding from Maryland or South Carolina. Anyone want anything from London? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czesc Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) Anyone want anything from London? Some of that steadfast, stiff upper lip, "keep calm and carry on" spirit would be great right about now. Edited February 14, 2013 by czesc theregalrenegade and Katzenmusik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abetheh Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Did anyone else get rejected by Vanderbilt today, or was it just me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikmoorelaw Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Did anyone else get rejected by Vanderbilt today, or was it just me? No, you are not the only one. Vanderbilt rejected me as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Anyone want anything from London? Tea, please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abetheh Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 No, you are not the only one. Vanderbilt rejected me as well. Ah well. Congrats on Oklahoma though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theregalrenegade Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Also, I through this out to anyone and everyone considering UK degrees. I've been here for the past school year and while I can't tell you all about locations (other than Aberystwyth), I do know way more than I should about adjusting to the UK, visas and why UK bacon is really ham (but don't tell them that! I can't tell you the number of arguments I've gotten into over bacon). Feel free to PM or ask away here! I will definitely be PMing you in the near future about all this UK business - thankfully I won't have to jump into the bacon debate since I'm a vegetarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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