University of Minnesota 2013

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Anyone else decided on Minnesota or on the verge of a making a decision? I thought we could start a fresh thread for this season to share thoughts, questions, information and concerns etc

 

[zabius]

I'm flying out to UMN for a recruiting event next week. I've never been to the Twin Cities before, so I'm pretty excited! I'll have two days to explore the area followed by the actual recruiting event for the next few days. 

 

I haven't been formally accepted, but have received a lot of good signs from the department. It sounds like a great fit, and it's my #1 choice at the moment. That could change, of course (my #2 is a strong #2), but right now Minnesota is where I'd really want to be.

Edited March 3, 2013 by zabius

[Sorawit]

I got accepted to UMN's MS-STEP program and it's definitely my top choice for a master's. However, I'm waiting for 3 PhD programs decision. We'll see how that turns out, but Minnesota excites me. It's gonna be so different from Bangkok weather-wise. 

[Cheminal]

I got in too. I think it will be my number one choice too! I am just concerned about housing for international students. Scared! 

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

The cities section has a long thread on housing. Lots of information! I was a bit worried about this but having talked to a lot of people it seems manageable. Departments also help incoming students figure out housing. 

[zabius]

So, I just got back yesterday from my recruiting event at UMN and have to say that I just completely fell in love with the school and my department in particular! I talked with my POI for about 5-6 hours over the two days, and she left me with the impression that I was basically in, even though official notices won't come out for about a week or two. So exciting! If UMN says yes, then I'll accept in a heartbeat. :-)

 

Is anyone else applying to a program that's based on the St. Paul campus? That's where entomology is. I'm debating whether I would prefer living in St. Paul (quieter, closer to work) or Minneapolis (a little further away, but a lot more going on).

Edited March 14, 2013 by zabius

[Cheminal]

I accepted my offer for admission to Minnesota two days back.

 

Super-excited! The place seems awesome.

 

Looking forward to seeing you. Best of luck!

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

It really does sound great for so many reasons! I've heard so many good things about life in the Twin cities - sounds like the perfect balance and like it offers something for everyone. 

 

@ Zabius Sounds like there is an offer in the pipeline - good luck! 

[ProfessorChaos]

Just accepted their offer in Germanic studies! I'm super excited; I love the twin cities. Their program has exactly what I'm looking for.

Ski U Mah!

Oh, and @Zabius, they're hard at work connecting the Minneapolis/St Paul campuses with a light rail line which will be free for students I think. I think it's supposed to be done within a few months or so.

Edited March 17, 2013 by ProfessorChaos

[Sadie_Bea]

I'll be entering the English PhD program!   So excited, I can hardly wait for fall. 

[rly242]

Hey everyone, I am not a new student. I am closing in on finishing up my PhD at the U.

I never heard about grad cafe until recently, I thought this is going to be a great place to get to know each other. Let me know if you need any suggestions!

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Hey everyone, I am not a new student. I am closing in on finishing up my PhD at the U.

I never heard about grad cafe until recently, I thought this is going to be a great place to get to know each other. Let me know if you need any suggestions!

 

Hello! I also heard of gradcafe recently - well after I submitted all my applications. Which is a pity because I think it would have been extremely helpful, clarified many questions I had and probably would have influenced some important decisions. Not that it matters now .. worked out well in the end and I'm extremely excited about the U of Minnesota. 

 

What's your advice on housing ? What's a realising rent budget? ( And my standard question for everyone from there - how do you get through the nasty winters?! ) 

[Cheminal]

 

Oh, and @Zabius, they're hard at work connecting the Minneapolis/St Paul campuses with a light rail line which will be free for students I think. I think it's supposed to be done within a few months or so.

If that's the case, I guess I can consider looking for housing around that place, if it allows for easy commutation.

 

Can you tell us exactly where is is this rail located?

[rly242]

What's your advice on housing ? What's a realising rent budget? ( And my standard question for everyone from there - how do you get through the nasty winters?! ) 

 

I live in the Highland neighbourhood of St. Paul. It's a little bit farther from your typical university housing (approx. 7 miles SE of the Minneapolis campus). However, there are buses that run to my area almost all the time (not so much on the weekends, but I typically either work remotely or drive to school). The reason is I, for one, do not want to live in the hustle and bustle of college (undergrad) life. But it's a matter of preference.

 

If you like the undergrad atmosphere, Dinkytown is your best bet. It is also closest to the campus. If you want to live a little bit farther but yet not too far away, try the Uptown area or the St. Anthony Park area (closer to St. Paul campus). You can try the CTC or the CSCC which are suited for grad student. Or rent an apartment in those areas. The Twin Cities is an awesome place to live with beautiful hidden gems that await you to find out. 

 

I paid slightly more than $550 for a spacious studio apartment. Utilities and off street parking are included in the rent (no cap). The only thing that I pay extra every month is internet. Depending on where you rent and what kind of apartment (1 BR, 2 BR, etc) you are looking for, I think you could expect about $500-$600 for a decent studio or 1 BR apartment outside the 5 miles radius of the campus. The closer you get to the campus the more expensive it is. But you could expect to pay about $300 if you share.

 

Regarding the nasty winter... I am from a tropical country right on the equator and I thought I would never survive it. But here I am, loving this place more than ever. Invest on a good winter jacket (no, the fashion ones do not really work) and a pair of winter boots. You would be fine.

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

If you like the undergrad atmosphere, Dinkytown is your best bet. It is also closest to the campus. If you want to live a little bit farther but yet not too far away, try the Uptown area or the St. Anthony Park area (closer to St. Paul campus). You can try the CTC or the CSCC which are suited for grad student. Or rent an apartment in those areas. The Twin Cities is an awesome place to live with beautiful hidden gems that await you to find out. 

 

Regarding the nasty winter... I am from a tropical country right on the equator and I thought I would never survive it. But here I am, loving this place more than ever. Invest on a good winter jacket (no, the fashion ones do not really work) and a pair of winter boots. You would be fine.

 

Thanks for that. I would want to steer clear off the undergrad areas but also live close to the campus. I'm from a tropical country too so I'm glad to hear that you've adjusted to it well!

[Maggi]

Oops I just bumped this thread. HAd started another one on minnesota.. Didnt really search before I posted
@rly242
Thanks for your suggestions. I would be starting this fall. Any ideas on when I should start looking for houses? I live in India, half a world apart, so finalizing anything from here is scary. But it also seems like, the earlier I look for housing, the better off I would be. I am also looking to stay off-campus in a studio by myself. My classes would be in ECE building ( 200 Union Street, SE)
I read around here that Marcy-Holmes, Seward, Upton and Longfellow neighborhoods are close to the U. Do you agree with that ? I would ideally like something within walking distance or close to the bus lines within 5 mile radius 

 

[Maggi]

Also, people, if you are not already in Minnesota, have any of you decided as to when you would fly into Minnesota. I am thinking somewhere between 15 Aug- 25 Aug. 

[rly242]

Marcy-Holmes is a quite a nice neighborhood, a little bit farther away from the undergrad crowds but yet not too far from the campus. Seward, Longfellow, and Uptown are in the order of increasing distance to the campus. Uptown area is a more hip place to live. You would get a decent amount of entertainment there. But all these are not within walking distance to campus (at least not for me during the winter). Fret not, the bus system in the twin cities is great. You have access to the campus in all of these neighborhoods. So you don't need to worry about travelling.

 

If I were you, I would order the neighbourhood  as follows (descending order of preference): Uptown, Seward and Marcy-Holmes (tie), Longfellow. But of course Uptown can be more pricey.

[zabius]

Today I received an email from my POI at the U telling me that I've been accepted with a fellowship! :-) The official letter is on its way, but this is my first choice school and thus I'll definitely be accepting the offer.

 

I guess that means that I'll be in the Twin Cities later this year! Maybe I'll even see a few of you guys around? I'll be in the entomology department (based in St. Paul), but will also be doing the neuroscience minor as my lab of interest focuses on the intersection of neuroscience and insect behavior. Is anyone out there thinking of either of those programs?

 

Also, I've heard that Northeast is a nice area to live in (as opposed to North Minneapolis, which sounds a little shady). Does anyone know if there's some truth to that? Ideally I'd like to live in an area which strikes a nice balance between "enough stuff to do on the weekends" and "quiet enough to sleep peacefully on weeknights."

Edited April 3, 2013 by zabius

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

I'm right now obsessing about finding a roommate. Ideally I would want to want to share a place with private rooms. I think it would bring down living expenses considerably and it would be nice to have some company! If you guys have any suggestions about finding a roommate or know anyone looking for one OR are looking for a roommates yourselves let me know! 

 

 

Oops I just bumped this thread. HAd started another one on minnesota.. Didnt really search before I posted
@rly242
Thanks for your suggestions. I would be starting this fall. Any ideas on when I should start looking for houses? I live in India, half a world apart, so finalizing anything from here is scary. But it also seems like, the earlier I look for housing, the better off I would be. I am also looking to stay off-campus in a studio by myself. My classes would be in ECE building ( 200 Union Street, SE)
I read around here that Marcy-Holmes, Seward, Upton and Longfellow neighborhoods are close to the U. Do you agree with that ? I would ideally like something within walking distance or close to the bus lines within 5 mile radius 

 

 

I hear those are the right neighbourhoods to look at. I'm planning to get there around the 18th of August. 

 

@Zaibus - Great news! You must be relieved about having finally arrived at a decision. I've heard Seward is really nice. Personally, I would really want to live as close to the West Bank as possible since I won't be driving. Given that most grad students would want to, as you say, sleep peacefully on week nights, Dinkytown is a place we should steer clear off.  (Besides, I  dont think I could bring myself to stay at a place called Dinkytown )

 

Has anyone started looking at craigslist? 

 

Hope to see you all later this year! 

Edited April 3, 2013 by Ambigiousbuthopeful

[zabius]

@Zaibus - Great news! You must be relieved about having finally arrived at a decision.

 

Thanks! It's definitely a relief. My POI already emailed me back and said that she's "thrilled" that I'll be joining the lab.

 

I'm thinking that I'll probably try to move out there by mid-August at the latest. The Minnesota State Fair is from 22 August - 2 September, and the fairgrounds are right next to the St. Paul campus. I'm thinking that I'd rather avoid moving in during the fair season, as traffic/parking will likely be a hassle then [and I'd probably have a small UHaul truck with all of my stuff in it]. Also, it would probably be fun to check out the fair before school starts!

 

I looked on craigslist, but most of the apartments that I saw there are for May/June move-ins. I'm guessing that apartment listings for August move-in dates will start popping up around June or so. I am *not* looking forward to the apartment search! I'll be bringing two dogs with me and need to be near a bus route (as I won't have a car)... those two things alone really restrict the number of available apartments for me. But, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I might fly back out to Minneapolis for a few days around June to scope out possible places in person. I'm sure that if I look hard enough, I'll be able to find a reasonably-priced studio or 1-bedroom apartment. I collect scorpions as a hobby, so it's probably safe to assume that I won't be able to find a willing roommate, haha. 

 

Right now, I'm just happy to be in. Good luck to everyone else on the housing front!

Edited April 3, 2013 by zabius

[abeilles]

I'm leaning strongly towards U of M at this point, but I'm getting increasingly anxious about trying to find an apartment from out of state! 

 

It looks like classes start 9/3 -- do leases pretty much always start on the 1st of the month? would everyone recommend moving in a month early (8/1)? obviously I'd prefer to save money but I can see it being a bad idea to move in and start classes two days later.

 

I've been told that most grad students, at least in my program, live in Uptown. it's looking like my SO is going to be staying in New England, so I'm trying to figure out whether a 1 bed would be affordable... I'd really rather not deal with roommates anymore -- I spent six years of my life living with at least 3 other people and I'm over it. I've been cruising craigslist and it looks like I'd probably be paying around $900 for a decent 1-bed in Uptown -- does that seem reasonable?

[Maggi]

I'm right now obsessing about finding a roommate. Ideally I would want to want to share a place with private rooms. I think it would bring down living expenses considerably and it would be nice to have some company! If you guys have any suggestions about finding a roommate or know anyone looking for one OR are looking for a roommates yourselves let me know! 

 

 

 

I hear those are the right neighbourhoods to look at. I'm planning to get there around the 18th of August. 

 

@Zaibus - Great news! You must be relieved about having finally arrived at a decision. I've heard Seward is really nice. Personally, I would really want to live as close to the West Bank as possible since I won't be driving. Given that most grad students would want to, as you say, sleep peacefully on week nights, Dinkytown is a place we should steer clear off.  (Besides, I  dont think I could bring myself to stay at a place called Dinkytown )

 

Has anyone started looking at craigslist? 

 

Hope to see you all later this year! 

 

Right now, i am really debating whether to find a room-mate or live alone.. I do want to find a room-mate(eventually! or atleast get to know someone before we move in), to bring the costs down, but want to make sure its the right room-mate. I am married, but my husband would go to school in another city. So I would be looking for females only. Someone who would give me my own space, and would be ok with hanging out for movies or eating/drinkin once in a while. I am also Indian & vegetarian, and I plan to cook my dinner atleast 3-4 times a week, So people who dont like strong smell of spices are automatically ruled out ( Seriously I have known a lot of non-Asians, who just cant handle the smell of the spices). That said I am not particular about finding a vegetarian  & Indian room mates only. I am ok with others as well, but I just need my space thats all. I am not very fussy as well, and get around with people just fine.  If any females  here are ok with this, then do let me know! 

As to the craiglist, yes, I havebeen looking at craiglist, just put the keyword "campus" in your search and it will show a lot of apartments( !/2/3/4/5 BR) & some studios in all those neighborhood mentioned in the posts above, and they all are open for 1/9 onwards. Uptown would be a bit pricey for me, but if I find the right room-mate, then I would be ok with it. If not, I would be looking at something around Seward, Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.I might just finalise something sitting, sign a 3/6 month lease and see how that goes, 

 

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Thanks! It's definitely a relief. My POI already emailed me back and said that she's "thrilled" that I'll be joining the lab.

 

I'm thinking that I'll probably try to move out there by mid-August at the latest. The Minnesota State Fair is from 22 August - 2 September, and the fairgrounds are right next to the St. Paul campus. I'm thinking that I'd rather avoid moving in during the fair season, as traffic/parking will likely be a hassle then [and I'd probably have a small UHaul truck with all of my stuff in it]. Also, it would probably be fun to check out the fair before school starts!

 

I looked on craigslist, but most of the apartments that I saw there are for May/June move-ins. I'm guessing that apartment listings for August move-in dates will start popping up around June or so. I am *not* looking forward to the apartment search! I'll be bringing two dogs with me and need to be near a bus route (as I won't have a car)... those two things alone really restrict the number of available apartments for me. But, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I might fly back out to Minneapolis for a few days around June to scope out possible places in person. I'm sure that if I look hard enough, I'll be able to find a reasonably-priced studio or 1-bedroom apartment. I collect scorpions as a hobby, so it's probably safe to assume that I won't be able to find a willing roommate, haha. 

 

Right now, I'm just happy to be in. Good luck to everyone else on the housing front!

 

You are going to be at the East Bank campus? I wonder how much of the difference that make when choosing neighbourhoods. I'm going to be on the West Bank and I'm not going to be driving as well. What's the state fair about? Another thing to keep in mind is the distance from one's place to a bus stop. We are not going to want to trudge across several blocks in the middle of winter! You are really lucky to have the option to fly in and out to figure out housing before your final move. I'm worried about have to make this major decision with only the internet at my disposal. 

 

@Maggi, check your messages for some interesting information

Edited April 6, 2013 by Ambigiousbuthopeful

[zabius]

My lab and home department (Entomology) are actually on the St. Paul campus, so that's where I'll be spending most of my time. However, I am also doing the neuroscience minor, so I'll probably be on the East Bank campus for a good deal of my early coursework (as that's where the Neuroscience Department is). I probably won't be on the West Bank much at all. Fortunately, there's a campus connector bus that goes between the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses every five minutes, traveling among the different campuses won't be too much of a hassle.

I hear that the bus system is really good, so the campus where you base your work (East Bank vs. West Bank vs. St. Paul) probably doesn't matter too much when it comes to which neighborhoods you could live in. As long as you're near a bus line, you'll probably be okay. Of course, if you can manage it, it's always nice to live close to your workplace!

Many of the current graduate students in my program live somewhere in Minneapolis and just drive or ride the bus to the St. Paul campus. It's a little far, but it seems very doable. They do this instead of living in St. Paul because they like the atmosphere of Minneapolis better, and so the slightly longer commute is worth it to them. I think that I'll probably try something like this too-- I'd prefer to live in Minneapolis as it seems like it has more stuff for young people to do on the weekends (I'm a 24-year old single guy, so that's appealing to me). The neighborhoods of Northeast and Uptown seem like they'd be great places to live, but I haven't really looked around yet.

Making housing decisions using only the internet can be stressful… I did that when I started my master's program. Fortunately, I lucked out and was able to find a good place online back then. But if you're worried about it, you can always ask current students in your department for advice. If you find a place on craigslist that you're interested in, why not email one of the current students and say, "Hey, is this a good neighborhood to live in? Is the commute from here to our department building manageable?" I'm sure that they'd be happy to help (just introduce yourself beforehand if you've never emailed them before)! You can also Google the landlord/rental company to see if any bad reviews pop up… if they do, you may want to steer clear.

The state fair sounds like it's a great time. The postdoc in my future lab at UMN tells me that it's actually the largest state fair in the US. I think it would be a really fun thing to do right before classes and research start up (why not enjoy ourselves a bit before things get stressful and busy?). There's more info on the fair website: http://www.mnstatefair.org/

I'm not too worried about walking to the bus stop in winter… I did my undergrad in central NY, which is another place that's well known for being cold and snowy. There I walked from my apartment to campus and back every day, even when it was snowing, so I'm used to it (it's all about having good boots, a hat, and a warm coat). That said, my undergrad college town was a lot smaller (my apartment was only ~1 mile from my undergrad lab) than the Twin Cities. I still want to be close to a bus stop, but if being a few blocks away from the stop will save me some rent, I'm okay with that.

Edited April 6, 2013 by zabius