overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools Forum

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pixytree

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by pixytree » Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:35 pm

chrissyc wrote:
pixytree wrote:How many schools are you planning to visit?

As much as I would like to visit many of the schools I was accepted into, it's just not feasible. I've narrowed my schools down to 2 that I'm certain are a good fit (region, class sizes, school culture, clinics, weather, etc.)--the visits will allow me to decide between the two. It's not easy to narrow schools this early in the process, but it would be a good idea to seriously assess each school for the things you want before you visit. But....if you just threw 20 darts at the board to see where you'd land without any thought as to what you really wanted in a school, then narrowing your choices is going to be difficult.

Once you're ready to plan, it might help to calendar the dates so you can see when you need to be where. Then start with the earliest ASW, nailing down your transportation and lodging.

Thanks...this is what i was looking for. Which are you going to? I am thinking NYU, Northwestern, and Harvard...I want to drive to Duke with my fiance. If I get into Yale then there too.
I'm going to try to go to NYU, UMich, UVA and Berkeley. Good luck!!

Don't forget to check with schools to see if they offer travel stipends or reimbursements.

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Excellence = a Habit

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by Excellence = a Habit » Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:07 pm

I'm not sure whether you mentioned your height in part because of some fear about safety, but if that is indeed one of your concerns, let me alleviate that a little bit... New York is way safer than you might be thinking. You might have heard that crime rates are way down. It also just feels safe on the train. Yes, there are panhandlers and the occasional mentally infirm person rambling, but they are not going to bother you. There is safety in numbers and New York subways are usually crowded. Furthermore, lots of those people are friendly and will help you get where you need to go if you ask them.

Good luck!

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JG Hall

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by JG Hall » Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:51 pm

I'm still missing the part where height is relevant to any of this unless you have trouble reaching the gas pedals in cars or something...

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Justathought

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by Justathought » Mon Feb 21, 2011 6:42 pm

4'11 is going to be trouble in NYC, I think you should look elsewhere.


Kidding, my grandma is 4'10 (and shrinking), and she's a little dynamo.

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chrissyc

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by chrissyc » Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:20 pm

pixytree wrote:
chrissyc wrote:
pixytree wrote:How many schools are you planning to visit?

As much as I would like to visit many of the schools I was accepted into, it's just not feasible. I've narrowed my schools down to 2 that I'm certain are a good fit (region, class sizes, school culture, clinics, weather, etc.)--the visits will allow me to decide between the two. It's not easy to narrow schools this early in the process, but it would be a good idea to seriously assess each school for the things you want before you visit. But....if you just threw 20 darts at the board to see where you'd land without any thought as to what you really wanted in a school, then narrowing your choices is going to be difficult.

Once you're ready to plan, it might help to calendar the dates so you can see when you need to be where. Then start with the earliest ASW, nailing down your transportation and lodging.

Thanks...this is what i was looking for. Which are you going to? I am thinking NYU, Northwestern, and Harvard...I want to drive to Duke with my fiance. If I get into Yale then there too.
I'm going to try to go to NYU, UMich, UVA and Berkeley. Good luck!!

Don't forget to check with schools to see if they offer travel stipends or reimbursements.

thanks.
for all those who mentioned it..yes height was of concern because i am worried about safety. 100 pound 4'11 girl...not the most secure feeling.

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mst

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by mst » Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:40 pm

be careful not to overwhelm yourself. ive done a lot of traveling in my life and i can confidently say that the places i liked more were the places i felt comfortable because i planned it out and felt in control. the places i identify negatively with are places i didnt have control. and none of this has to do with the quality of the place. ex: i hated a wonderful place like naples because i had no idea where the fuck i was going. i loved staying in a sketchy place like the red light district because i felt prepared and knew the area and the customs very well prior to going. all i can suggest is making sure you have adequate time between each trip and school, or you're better off not forcing yourself to attend the ASW and just going at your own leisure.

for nyc: fly into jfk. its the most convenient with the subway straight into the city. if you definitely want a cab, LGA is good too. get there a night early perhaps if you can afford it so you aren't rushed or pressured. you'll feel safe I promise. I did the trip by myself for the first time recently just to visit NYU & Columbia and it was very simple/affordable if you use jetblue. take the airtrain to the jamaica subway station and then go into the city via subway. cab is easy but 20 times more expensive. pro of a cab is you get to see more of the city. con of the cab is you dont really get the feel for the subway, getting around, which is HUGE when you consider how you will tolerate 3 years of this city. stay at a hotel near NYU or midtown, but not too far towards the west or east side. youll feel more comfortable the closer you are to the center of the island. use your free time to check out things like times square, rockefeller, central park (not that great this time of year compared to others), walk around chinatown or the village during the day if you have time, use the asw for nyu to go out in the village at night. columbia and nyu are not more than 20 min via subway no matter where you stay so youll be ok.

for boston: don't know it very well. from what I know, cab is generally easier. i believe you still have to take a bus to the boston subway which is probably worth more than the hassle. Cambridge is NOT intimidating.

for durham, i just visited it last week on my own accord. cab will be expensive and its not a city you want to necessarily be stuck in w/o transport. car might be preferable unless you are a nervous driver or something. absolutely wonderful campus once you get to it from the airport. i suggest driving to the city instead of flying there if you live close enough, but i dont know how parking is. southwest into there is very cheap as well.

edit: saw you were concerned about money. nyu offers a travel stipend if you email their office and have you financial aid stuff submitted already. also, if you join the nyu class or 2014 fb group they can arrange for you to work something out to stay with someone, just make sure you convey its importance... but dont ask unless you plan to do both days of the nyu asw...

honestly, if harvards on the table i would limit it to that and the ny schools, unless duke is offering VERY significant money. i would have a hard time even going to the asw there if i was in at harvard... and i personally just wouldnt go if i had so many choices and schools to visit unless they were offering a LOT of money.

ashrh01

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by ashrh01 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:16 pm

chrissyc wrote:i'm asking because i don't have the MONEY to simply plan a trip without being aware of the expense. I can't just stay in a hotel in every city and rent cars.

Going alone DOES frighten me...I'm 4'11...and quite small in general so being in NYC on a subway or in Chicago alone when I don't know where I'm going is frightening.

Also, the sheer number of places to look at is just OVERWHELMING...it's not that I don't know HOW to book a trip...I just feel like I don't know where to begin. Sorry for being INEPT...although it was much more an emotional response as opposed to being truly incapable of planning.
If you're going to Chicago anytime soon a lot of hotels are having discounts due to nobody visiting there in the winter. I was just there the other day with a friend and we had a hotel room right off Michigan Ave for 75/night. Or look up B&B's (sometimes slightly cheaper, it depends). You don't have to rent a car if you fly in, you can take the El all the way from the airport (either Ohare or Midway) and Northwestern is downtown so stay somewhere near the school and you can walk there. It's in a good area, I am very petite as well and feel safe there as long as I pay attention to my surroundings. Ask at the school where they recommend for you to stay, maybe you can get a discount if they are referring a lot of people to the same place for an ASW or something. Oh, and if you have an iphone or similar there are apps for various cities which will tell you routes & times of buses/trains, which can help you get around if you don't want to pay for a cab.

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JG Hall

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by JG Hall » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:10 pm

chrissyc wrote:for all those who mentioned it..yes height was of concern because i am worried about safety. 100 pound 4'11 girl...not the most secure feeling.
I'm sorry, but you need to either man the fuck up or never move to a big city

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aaaaaah

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by aaaaaah » Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:06 pm

I'm 5'0. I ride the subway. I'm yet to die.

Seriously, NYC-- especially the area you're going-- has never felt unsafe to me. Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but check out hopstop.com or tripplanner.mta.info for detailed subway directions.

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aaaaaah

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by aaaaaah » Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:12 pm

Also- I'd recommend http://www.nyairportservice.com/ for transportation from JFK/LGA to Manhattan. Cabs from the airport are expensive and taking public transit from either is kind of a pain in the ass, IMO.

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JG Hall

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by JG Hall » Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:21 pm

aaaaaah wrote:Also- I'd recommend http://www.nyairportservice.com/ for transportation from JFK/LGA to Manhattan. Cabs from the airport are expensive and taking public transit from either is kind of a pain in the ass, IMO.
the m60 is a straight shot from LGA to Columbia. but public transit from JFK sucks.

mst

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by mst » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:05 pm

JG Hall wrote:
aaaaaah wrote:Also- I'd recommend http://www.nyairportservice.com/ for transportation from JFK/LGA to Manhattan. Cabs from the airport are expensive and taking public transit from either is kind of a pain in the ass, IMO.
the m60 is a straight shot from LGA to Columbia. but public transit from JFK sucks.
It's annoying but dirt cheap for JFK. (5 minute walk + 10 minute commute via airtrain + 30/40 minute subway ride) only like 7.50 though to get anywhere in the city!

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by bigkahuna2020 » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:10 pm

You're gonna be hugely overwhelmed when you graduate school and hit that real world if you can't figure this simple stuff out.

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swampthang

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Re: overwhelmed--admitted student days and visits to T14 schools

Post by swampthang » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:25 pm

JG Hall wrote:
chrissyc wrote:for all those who mentioned it..yes height was of concern because i am worried about safety. 100 pound 4'11 girl...not the most secure feeling.
I'm sorry, but you need to either man the fuck up or never move to a big city
Also confused because your profile suggests you are/were in LA and it doesn't get much bigger than that. Book a flight to destination city, Google map public transportation option to school, contact school/welcome committee for travel stipend and student host info. Like, seriously, that easy. Maybe you ought to just stick close with the Cali schools if plane travel and strange cities scare you that much.

I understand the anxiety that comes from being solely responsible for the decisions you're making, but that's just part of being an adult. Coming from a relaxed atmosphere, I would definitely make sure you check out schools like UVA, Duke, NW- I think the more rigorous options you have could well be too intense for you.

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