NYCEP 2013!

[Allouette]

Hi guys!

Anybody else NYCEP-bound this fall? I know there are a few of us on the forums already, and I thought it'd be nice to introduce ourselves, and have a space to talk about stuff related to the program, moving to NYC, and whatever else we want to discuss!

On that note, is anyone else going crazy about housing? I don't even know where to start in terms of looking for a place! 

 

[mp429]

Yay I'm glad you started this thread!

 

I am a bit nervous about the housing situation though I'm trying not to be TOO pre-emptive and stress too soon, haha. NYU does offer a first-year housing program with reduced-rentals for exactly the reason of moving to a new city & not knowing where to begin. I think it seems like a good deal for living in Manhattan (especially since it is furnished & at least within walking distance from my department) but I'm still not 100% convinced it's the best place to live or even the most affordable option. I have a few contacts of students there who are currently in the housing, so I am going to try to get their input on if they like it. Does CUNY (or Columbia if anyone on here is going there) offer a similar program for housing??

 

I also have a friend who is planning to move to NYC at the same time as I plan to, and she is keen to live together, however she currently lives in London (& I live in South Africa), so I have no idea how we're going to find a place from outside of the city (or even country). My last option is one of my close friends is already living in NYC (currently in Brooklyn) and I am hoping she may be interested in moving out of her current living situation and in with me! That way, she can scope out in person places for us. It just seems next to impossible to find a decent/non-sketchy place without visiting.

 

Ok, that all being said - I'm very excited for next year! & can't wait to meet our cohort. I hope there are more of us on here who will come out of the woodworks

Edited March 22, 2013 by mp429

[Allouette]

Haha yeah, I know I'm being pre-emptive in my planning too, but I can't help it! I'm a neurotic planner and neurotic planning is what I do best!

CUNY also has a block of apartments for grad students that I'm considering, but it seems a little bit pricey. But, like you said, it is furnished and in a great location to get to my dept, and it might be nice to live in a building full of other grad students. 

 

Though in terms of being close to departments, I have been warned by everyone I've spoken to that getting a place near your dept is a bit misleading, especially in first year, because the core courses are across all the campuses and you'll be shuttling up and down manhattan regardless. At least I'm a veteran commuter (nearly two hours each way every day for the past four years!) so I'm not too bothered by the idea of long commutes. 

[mp429]

Yeah good point - I don't think many of the classes will be in each department. I guess I'm thinking in terms of my lab/office space as I am not the kind of person who can easily get work done at home! So proximity to where I will be doing most of my work would be a pro. However, I don't mind commuting. I think people also get used to living in places where commutes aren't *too* bad & so would consider 30 min - 1 hour commute long, whereas others think that's short (like you if you're currently commuting 2 hours!). So much to consider - brain explosion!

[Nervous]

Hey Guys! 

 

Congrats on getting in to NYCEP!

 

I'm a recent Canadian BioAnthro grad and I've been looking at different schools, and the NYCEP program definitely caught my eye. Would those of you who got in be willing to share a bit of your process of applying and your background broadly (i.e. Master's, Research experience). Any info is greatly appreciated!

 

Again, congrats!

[Allouette]

Hey Nervous - I'm a Canadian student too! I just sent you a PM

[mp429]

Hey! No problem. Ill send you a PM too. I had so much help from others along the way that I'd love to pay it forward

[mp429]

Ok just sent you a MASSIVE message, haha. Sorry for the length, I got carried away (& apparently I have too much time on my hands). Hope it helps!

[sje]

Just checking in and saying hi to fellow admits.

 

Regarding housing: I'm having issues as well, and I'm already a New Yorker! I'm struggling with whether I should continue to live on LI--where I pay next to nothing for rent--and endure the commute or move into the five boroughs...

 

Anyone received any info on the NSF fellowship beyond the initial acceptance letter--e.g., disbursement info, etc.?

 

Nervous, I'll send you a PM shortly!

[Allouette]

sje, have you looked into the CUNY apartments at all? I'm considering them, but they are damned expensive, and tiny! That being said, I'm still having trouble adjusting my brain to rent prices and sq-footages in New York apartment listings... What do you think of the grad apartments, as a New Yorker? 

[sje]

Allouette, the CUNY apartments are priced just a bit higher than what I'd call "average" for the space your getting. They are tiny, but I've heard they're nice places. The only thing is the waiting list, which I think is very long. The best advice I can give you as a New Yorker is to look in the outer boroughs for cheaper places. Most of the people I've talked to who are grad students quickly learned this by living in student housing for a year or so and then finding a cheaper, better place in, say, Brooklyn or Queens. Brooklyn--more specifically parts of Brooklyn, e.g. Park Slope, Williamsburg, etc.--is the 'hot' place to live right now and prices are likely to be competitive with Manhattan, but there are still some decent neighborhoods with cheap rents available. If you're going to look into living in an outer borough though, you need to make sure the subway and/or bus stops relatively close to where you live and that the commute wont be too hellish--you don't want to be stuck paying high rent AND making a >1 hour commute into Manhattan. Part of the reason neighborhoods like Park Slope are so popular is because of subway access.

[pears]

i'm not going to be an NYCEP student, but i call the neighborhood around CUNY hunter "home," so i have a semi-helpful tidbit of advice: many of my recent-grad and grad student friends who live in the area were able to find somewhat "affordable" -- quotes because, well, it's still manhattan -- apartments by moving further up into the 90s, and further east towards the river. many of these places are "railroad" walk-ups that have funky layouts (e.g., one bedroom is converted into a public space for parties, or walking through someone's bedroom to access the bathroom), but it's not totally impossible to find "affordable" housing uptown. chelsea also has a fair number of oddball-railroad-walk-ups, but i would avoid anything between the 40s and 70s. you just have to find one or two like-minded people who are okay with walk-ups, fan-only A/C, strange layouts, etc. a lot of the pricing in bk is just as bad as manhattan now.

[Allouette]

Thanks for the advice, pears, it really helps Not to turn this into a housing thread, but one last question to the NYC inclined; what's the deal with brokers? Is it really completely necessary to go through one, or do people actually legitimately find decent places by themselves?

[panda_bear]

Jumping in as a New Yorker. Completely agree with what everyone else has said. Re broker: it's very well possible to get a place without one, but by no means count on it. Assume you will need one (esp for any manhattan apt), and just be pleasantly surprised when you go to an apt that's actually being shown by management. My current apt is downtown in a super desirable area and I didn't have a broker but I know I basically won the NYC apt lottery with that one.

Some tips though:

Search nakedapartments.com...they pride themselves on least amount of scams (scam being when a broker posts as ad for an apt that no longer is on the market and gets you into their office by basically saying "sorry, that one JUST leased, but I have two other places over your budget and in areas you said you weren't interested in". Its a waste or time. They can especially smell out of towners right away so be on your toes about this. Additionally, look for broker agents whose fees are 8-12%. They exist but stay clear of citi habitats which charge 15% non negotiable. Some other ones are negotiable if you are good at negotiating. Apply to multiple apartments and use them against one another in negotiating that fee.

If this is all overwhelming for someone who isn't from NYC (understandable), look for a sublet on Craigslist, or ask friends of friends if they know of any sublet (this is even better...as someone who has subletter part of my apt in CL I dismissed non NYers bc it's a sellers market, so your "in" may very well have to be through personal channels). It's better to come to NYC knowing your living situation is somewhat trusted and solid, and then once you feel like you know the market better, search for a lease when you're here. It's a massive endeavor to get a place here that is desirable, in a safe neighborhood, and in your budget, etc.

Edited March 31, 2013 by panda_bear

[mp429]

Now that it is post-April 15th, I wonder if we'll get some information on our cohort. Do you think just our University will send through the info or will we receive a NYCEP list of the new first-years? I hope both.

[sje]

Has anyone heard anything from anyone (director, profs, etc.) since accepting and doing financial aid? It's been pretty much radio silent for me, and I'm wondering when we'll receive info on registration, how stipends will be disbursed, etc...

[Allouette]

sje, I was told we'd start receiving registration information around June/July, and that stipends are disbursed quarterly for the first year (it changes to more frequently when you start to teach in 2nd year). Are you in touch with the other grad student(s) in your lab? My supervisor's current students have been awesome in terms of helping me/answering my inane questions. 

[sje]

Thanks for this info, Allouette!

[mp429]

Are you both on IGERT? NYU only accepts one student on IGERT since they can fund the others through their MacCracken Fellowship program (which I'm on). I haven't heard any official information from anyone other than my POI's current student & a "I'm glad you accepted!" response e-mail from my POI. I suppose it is a bit early but hopefully we'll hear more soon I've just been lurking the department/ Fall '13 course registry pages of the three different uni's in the meantime, haha.

[sje]

Yes, I'm on IGERT funding.

[mp429]

woohooo with eric's e-mails coming in. course lists & names of people! surprised there's no one from columbia this year, though. i think i'll send out an e-mail to everyone soon.. might be a good idea to start a facebook group for the 9 of us (given everyone is on facebook). we had one last year in my master's course & it was so helpful before we started to sort out housing, and once we started to ask questions about assignments & swap papers/chapters for peer-review, etc etc.

[Allouette]

Ooh, I like the idea of a fb group! Looking forward to your email!

[monkeymarci]

Hey guys, congrats on getting into the NYCEP program! I am a recent UCLA grad and I am considering applying to this program for the fall of 2014. I realize that it is very competitive and I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share any prior experiences/ qualifications (i.e. field work experience, publications, undergraduate GPA).  I just want to know if I even have a chance of getting in. Also, does anyone have any advice on the application process?  Thanks so much!!  Good luck to you all!

[sje]

Hi, monkeymarci. My experience with applying to grad school has left me with the notion that fit (with a Professor and within the dept.) is chiefly important and conveying that 'good fit' through communicating with potential advisor(s) and in your SOP are the best chances you have as an applicant to get yourself an interview. I had a 3.89 GPA, no publications and no fieldwork. Though, I did research for a year in computational biology where I learned many desirable skills. Letters of recommendation are very important as well. You want them from Professors who know your work (in class and/or in a research/field setting) well enough to comment on the type of grad student you will be. It's a mistake to ask for letters from individuals who view you only as a bright student and who do not really have an understanding of your interests and goals. Basically, choose your recommenders wisely. The last thing I'll say is regarding interviews: be yourself. Don't try to put on a facade or seem in any way that you're faking. Ask questions that you genuinely want to know the answers to and talk forthrightly about your undergrad coursework, research/field work, skillset, and the type of work you hope to do as a grad student.

 

The application process itself was, for me, completely painless. I think I completed the entire thing with a weeks time; however, I gave plenty of notice to my recommenders ahead of time. Follow the instructions on the website(s) very carefully and you'll be fine.

 

Good luck!

[monkeymarci]

Thank you so much sje!