2018 Applications Thread

[whitmanifesto]

@GreenEyedTrombonist My parents would have if they had had the money. I live with them now, and they've been living in one state and working in another for over 10 years now so I can continue my education, but I still have to pay them rent because they just can't do it without me. When I leave for PhD they will probably move to north Michigan now. I already drive 45 minutes to an hour a day on way for work/school, I have to move closer to Chicago. 

Edited February 8, 2018 by whitmanifesto

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@whitmanifestoI'll be moving to another state and far away from my family so definitely a worry in the back of my mind. :/ 

[Prosecco_dreams]

Was anyone else accepted for UM College Park? Unfortunately can't go for the open house owing to work commitments, but would love to talk to anyone else accepted into the program!  

[surprise_quiche]

@GreenEyedTrombonist  I can't even imagine the thought of having to pay for a wedding at this point. I bought a car this spring after my parents' old car died, and boy has it been a strain on my expenses. A couple hundred extra dollars a month on top of rent and gas does not do well for my bank account.

I won't start paying off my loans for awhile, but I have increasing anxiety about it.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@surprise_quiche I had a wedding, it was a ton of fun, except for the groom. Divorce was a process, but much happier at the end of it.  

Edited February 8, 2018 by GreenEyedTrombonist

[deshypothequiez]

I'm inspired by how my friend did her wedding (city hall wedding, then a potluck in the park with whoever was in town). My SO and I are both Chinese Americans and our extended families in China are all unaware that we're queer, so luckily we wouldn't be pressured to have an expensive, high profile, traditional wedding. So at least I have that going for me.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

Nice @deshypothequiez ! I really liked my sis's wedding. She made it semi-destination (Oregon from California) so that they could keep it small (under 40, including the wedding party). My Dad was the minister, we did it all on an estate called Moonstruck Manor (absolutely gorgeous-ceremony by a creek and parking by a barn) and the wedding party and family all stayed in the main house. Their reception was good food and, instead of dancing, game and chill time. They brought a bunch of tabletop games and the estate had things like an air hockey table (great pic of my sis and her husband playing air hockey in their wedding clothes). Overall, something that super fit them and everyone loved.

Although my parents didn't pay for my wedding, my mother was an event planner so some things she ended up paying for so they would be "right". Like, I didn't see a need to get the expensive appetizers, but she did so she bought them. I didn't see the need for an aisle runner so she bought one (and is still pissed people forgot to put it out), etc. I'll probably never get married again (seriously, divorce is a process and relationships tend to make me exhausted), but if I did, I'd probably do something similar to my sis in that I'll escape to a place in the middle of nowhere and bring tabletop games. I'd have dancing though. I really enjoy dancing.

[E-P]

@GreenEyedTrombonist I can +1 on the PITA of divorce piece.  My former spouse and I were great friends, but shouldn't've ever gotten married.  I felt much the same way after my divorce, but I found another divorcee, and we have much better and more realistic expectations of one another and our partnership.  We got married, flash-mob-style, at the Shedd Aquarium.  Granddad was our witness, and we were briefly famous in Australia when he died.

 

Life is strange sometimes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[Cago UChi]

Got an email from UW-Madison saying that I was in and had to make my decision by May 1st.  99% sure that I am not going, 'cause really don't think I could survive winter in Madison. Good luck to those accepted. 

[Shay825]

2 hours ago, Prosecco_dreams said:

Was anyone else accepted for UM College Park? Unfortunately can't go for the open house owing to work commitments, but would love to talk to anyone else accepted into the program!  

I applied to UM College Park, but haven’t heard anything yet.

What track did you apply to and who did you list as POI?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

Congrats though @Dan_Xu ! I'll be visiting the campus in March and investing in some quality lotion/moisturizer this month (my skin is still dry from CT).

[Cago UChi]

12 minutes ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

Congrats though @Dan_Xu ! I'll be visiting the campus in March and investing in some quality lotion/moisturizer this month (my skin is still dry from CT).

? totally understand! 

[Prosecco_dreams]

13 hours ago, Shay825 said:

I applied to UM College Park, but haven’t heard anything yet.

What track did you apply to and who did you list as POI?

I applied to the Communication Science track, with Anita Atwell Seate. I also had an interview with Dr Nan in late January - she wanted to ask about my research interests and planned methodology.

[deshypothequiez]

19 hours ago, whitmanifesto said:

@deshypothequiez Oh it is so bomb! $30,000 a year! for 5 years! My partner takes home over $2,000 a month post taxes. I'm so jealous.

BTW, meant to ask this earlier--so they take taxes out of the monthly stipend check? (I'd honestly prefer that rather than figuring out what I owe come tax season!)

[whitmanifesto]

@deshypothequiez yes, they take it out. They do for mine as well at Purdue. I used a tax calculator to figure out what mine would be at UIC, but my partner just told me what his is. Since he lives in Indiana, he will get a lot of it back in tax returns, but there's paperwork he didn't fill out to that they take the taxes for the state you live in not the state you work in. Illinois taxes are very high.

[surprise_quiche]

Doing my taxes right now. Yikes.

[Matt Minich]

Just accepted (learned in the interview) to University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sounds like they'll be making funding decisions in the next week. 

Anyone heard a from Annenberg East? I know USC has sent out some notifications already but have seen no news from UPenn. 

[whitmanifesto]

1 hour ago, Matt Minich said:

Just accepted (learned in the interview) to University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sounds like they'll be making funding decisions in the next week. 

Anyone heard a from Annenberg East? I know USC has sent out some notifications already but have seen no news from UPenn. 

Congrats! But it's the funding thatakes the final decision.

 

There's a big snow storm in Chicagoland today so I don't think Northwestern will be sending out notifications. NWI unis all closed down because we get heavier snow with the lake effect.

Edited February 9, 2018 by whitmanifesto

[deshypothequiez]

@whitmanifesto Last year, the DGS of NYU AmSt apparently called people to tell them they were accepted even in the middle of a blizzard  but I'm sure NYC blizzards don't compare to Chicagoland!

[surprise_quiche]

@Matt Minich Congrats! @whitmanifesto  I can confirm I scraped 4 inches off my car this morning. Ugh another weekend of waiting for Northwestern.

[whitmanifesto]

We're expected 12inch still tonight. And it's going to continue all weekend. But it's actually really warm feeling. 29F. For people who don't know this kind of weather, when it snows it feels SO much better in Chicagoland. The wind is what kills you.

Outside my house. I'm going to loose all that I've gained in the morning. 

[surprise_quiche]

Crossing fingers this week for  Northwestern decisions....

[deshypothequiez]

Fingers crossed for you @surprise_quiche @whitmanifesto

[whitmanifesto]

3 hours ago, deshypothequiez said:

Fingers crossed for you @surprise_quiche @whitmanifesto

you as well! i hope you get info too.

i just got done with a 6 hour skype meeting session with UIC and im almost positive im going to accept, even if NU offers me something. they are SO GREAT and NU would just be ego at this point.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

So I had orientation for my new job today (also first shift right after) and on the way to orientation I got an email from Temple requesting an interview and at the start of my shift got an email from WSU with my acceptance. In short, it's been a good day.