You're accepted...now what?

[EpiWin]

I always think of random questions to ask right after visit days, so I figure this could be a useful thread for people who might have miscellaneous questions about how to prepare for grad school now that some acceptances are in hand. My questions (to those who are current or graduated masters/doctoral students):

1) How far ahead of time did you personally find housing/sign a lease? When do you advise new students to do so? (e.g. I've been told from the admissions staff at Hopkins that I should start looking NOW for leases in August, which seems premature but might just be my naivete).

2) How much time do you think is necessary to get "settled" into a new city before you start a program? I'd like to have some time to familiarize myself, but also have time with family before heading off.

3) Is there anything you had to do that took much longer than you expected (e.g. health insurance/immunization stuff, student IDs, etc.) that looking back you would have started earlier?

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[Stories]

I always think of random questions to ask right after visit days, so I figure this could be a useful thread for people who might have miscellaneous questions about how to prepare for grad school now that some acceptances are in hand. My questions (to those who are current or graduated masters/doctoral students):

1) How far ahead of time did you personally find housing/sign a lease? When do you advise new students to do so? (e.g. I've been told from the admissions staff at Hopkins that I should start looking NOW for leases in August, which seems premature but might just be my naivete).

2) How much time do you think is necessary to get "settled" into a new city before you start a program? I'd like to have some time to familiarize myself, but also have time with family before heading off.

3) Is there anything you had to do that took much longer than you expected (e.g. health insurance/immunization stuff, student IDs, etc.) that looking back you would have started earlier?

1.) This depends entirely on the city. For a city like Boston, where 95% of leases begin in September, right now would be starting late.

2.) I honestly think "settling in" is overrated. You won't know people yet anyway, and I always suggest waiting till you meet up with classmates to truly explore a city. You won't get to know stuff really well until you start running into people who have been there a while and can show you a few of the ropes.

3.) For me, Boston, New Haven, and DC have all been pretty easy/no worries.

 

[EpiWin]

That's true, I think that's why I felt I was the exception since I found my August lease for Boston in July! Since Hopkins MPH program starts in June, I get the feeling most leases are geared towards them for now, so I thought waiting until that rush was over might be more reasonable to find it as an MSPH/MHS student starting in August?

 

[Stories]

That's true, I think that's why I felt I was the exception since I found my August lease for Boston in July! Since Hopkins MPH program starts in June, I get the feeling most leases are geared towards them for now, so I thought waiting until that rush was over might be more reasonable to find it as an MSPH/MHS student starting in August?

No idea if Baltimore is anything like DC's rental market, but DC apartment availability isn't even known until about 30-60 days before the units become available since so many people move in and out of buildings. DC doesn't seem to follow a singular lease signing date like Boston does. Probably because not every fourth person is a student like in Boston, haha.

 

[MsMPH12]

This is a good thread. I'll be taking a huge shift as a full time-banker to a full time student. I was thinking of taking a week off between work & school to move & get settled. Should I take off more time?

 

[Stories]

This is a good thread. I'll be taking a huge shift as a full time-banker to a full time student. I was thinking of taking a week off between work & school to move & get settled. Should I take off more time?

Take off as much time as you like Think of it as a vacation? Vacations are always really nice, aren't they?

 

[OneDay81]

Except when they make you really poor. Lol

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[littlefurrybugs]

Except when they make you really poor. Lol

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Agreed... If (and when ) I move to new york or chicago for MPH school, all my money is going to be spent on hot dogs and pizza. It's going to be awesome and horrible at the same time!

 

[OneDay81]

Chicago is awesome, but so are hot dogs... Hmmm, tough choice

 

[HSUReddie]

Hmm.... well I hope I don't need to have my contract into Deming already to move in at the end of May/beginning of June... because the guy who runs it still hasn't emailed me back yet...

 

[EpiWin]

Chicago is awesome, but so are hot dogs... Hmmm, tough choice

Those hot dogs are tasty and ridiculous, an entire pickle spear?!

Any ideas how quickly loans are dispersed to students to pay for things like room, board, personal expenses, etc.? Is it necessary to have a certain amount of savings beforehand to get through the initial move in?

 

[OneDay81]

Generally it isn't disbursed until a few weeks into the semester. The financial aid website for the school usually says what the disbursement dates will be.

 

[Etude]

Any ideas how quickly loans are dispersed to students to pay for things like room, board, personal expenses, etc.? Is it necessary to have a certain amount of savings beforehand to get through the initial move in?

I believe that the earliest possible disbursement date for federal loans is 10 days before the start of the term, and many schools do disburse aid as soon as possible. UNC's program, for example, begins on August 21st, and the scheduled disbursement date for their Stafford Loans is August 13th.

 

[OneDay81]

I've never known a school to disburse funds to the student prior to the beginning of the semester, and usually I have seen it split into two payments per semester.

Actually, I just checked UNC and it specifically says that refunds (that is, the portion of the financial aid given directly to you) will not be released until after school starts each term. They do say that if everything is in place prior to the start of the semester you should receive your money sometime during the first week of the semester.

It would be very risky for both you and the school to provide the money prior to you even showing up for class.

 

[Etude]

Just called up UNC's financial aid office, and wanted to post this in case anyone else finds it helpful: August 13th is the date on which the funds are disbursed to the university cashier, which then pays the student's bill. If, like me, you will be living on-campus, your rent is charged to your student account, and should therefore be paid automatically before your refund is issued to you.

Students who are living off-campus do have to wait for the refund in order to pay their rent, but the woman on the phone told me that financial aid does its best to issue refunds on the first or second day of class.

 

[EpiWin]

Interesting, it sounds like regardless of whether the refund comes days after or weeks after, students should come with a fair amount of savings to weather through the inital move in and orientations. I'm hoping to set up direct deposit so that the refund can be posted to my account as soon as it's available!