2010-2011 SUNY Downstate Application Thread

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FIREitUP said:
not worth worrying about parking and/or having to invest in a garage. leave your car at home.
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ouch, sorry to hear that man, hope it wasn't too bad. Though, I live like 30 mins away in Brooklyn and I know how stupid people drive here. But I was thinking about getting a spot in the garage on campus and drive to school from where ever in Bk.
 
FIREitUP said:
Either convenient or affordable, pick one. Actually probably even the non-convenient ones aren't affordable. Let me know if you guys find anything.
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Lol, I've lived in bklyn for 12 yrs and thats true. Though maybe the expensive parking will seem affordable next to your huge education bill.
 
dragon529 said:
I'm OOS but I'm shipping my car over. It's kinda hard to find an apt with a parking space available though.. Anyone know how much is a parking spot at DS for a semester or year?
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Hmm, maybe it's because I'm not from LA, but I would never imagine driving in Brooklyn, only because everyone I know that's familiar with the area has told me it's a lot easier to live without a car--a lot less risk, responsibility, and cost (insurance, maintenance, parking fees EVERYWHERE). I plan on using public transit, and if push comes to shove (like I need to buy furniture from Ikea), I'd just ZipCar my way around..or rent a U-haul mini-van for 20 bucks.

Good luck with your car! I would be scared to death of driving in the snow! I can barely walk in the snow, let alone drive! 😛

FIREitUP said:
Either convenient or affordable, pick one. Actually probably even the non-convenient ones aren't affordable. Let me know if you guys find anything.
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I feel like this statement is pretty accurate--you can't have both lol... because it won't be cheap if it's desirable..Supply and demand!

Xadorus said:
ouch, sorry to hear that man, hope it wasn't too bad. Though, I live like 30 mins away in Brooklyn and I know how stupid people drive here. But I was thinking about getting a spot in the garage on campus and drive to school from where ever in Bk.
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I could be wrong, so maybe we should double check, but I recall reading somewhere that parking is very limited at Downstate...

Maybe it was this link: http://www.downstate.edu/fsa/parking.html

Also this link says that there are parking spots only for M3s/M4s on rotations:
http://www.downstate.edu/police/parking.html

Maybe a current student can chime in? I'm kinda curious what the parking situation is at Downstate too...
 
I haven't done much research on this but from what I've seen online it may be possible to get a spot for around 140 or 150 a month near the medical center... which isn't bad for parking in nyc. I am leaning towards keeping my car at home though since I don't think this added expense will be worth it in the end
 
RuSkaya said:
I haven't done much research on this but from what I've seen online it may be possible to get a spot for around 140 or 150 a month near the medical center... which isn't bad for parking in nyc. I am leaning towards keeping my car at home though since I don't think this added expense will be worth it in the end
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Not worth it IMO. I'm either gonna sell my car or leave it at home, since that ends up being like $1500/yr * 4 years = $6,000 + interest (conservative estimate). I might actually sell my car.
 
RuSkaya said:
I haven't done much research on this but from what I've seen online it may be possible to get a spot for around 140 or 150 a month near the medical center... which isn't bad for parking in nyc. I am leaning towards keeping my car at home though since I don't think this added expense will be worth it in the end
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...and here I was complaining about the $73/month that it costs at my school...Out of curiosity though, how much does auto insurance cost in NYC? In Cali, for a $100k/300k/100k/1000 deductible policy, my parents are paying about 900 per year for my policy.
 
Hey everyone,

Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to all those still waiting.

I was wondering how many people are considering dorms vs. off campus housing. From talking to several current DS students it seems like the dorms are the best bet for M1.
 
GoBlue12 said:
Hey everyone,

Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to all those still waiting.

I was wondering how many people are considering dorms vs. off campus housing. From talking to several current DS students it seems like the dorms are the best bet for M1.
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I'm in state and I'm strongly considering living off campus. I just want to get away from the med school when I can and get a nice place in a nice neighborhood. That's just me though, others would prefer the convenience. Considering only labs and the like are mandatory, I think convenience is not that big of a deal, personally.
 
GoBlue12 said:
Hey everyone,

Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to all those still waiting.

I was wondering how many people are considering dorms vs. off campus housing. From talking to several current DS students it seems like the dorms are the best bet for M1.
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If I could, I'd stay on campus for the sense of "camaraderie" and the convenience of getting to class in like 5 minutes instead of 30 minutes...But since I'm OOS, not a possibility 🙁
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
If I could, I'd stay on campus for the sense of "camaraderie" and the convenience of getting to class in like 5 minutes instead of 30 minutes...But since I'm OOS, not a possibility 🙁
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i hear you get the comraderie in the carols so I wouldn't be so concerned about that. the less i have to be around medical students the better IMO.
 
FIREitUP said:
i hear you get the comraderie in the carols so I wouldn't be so concerned about that. the less i have to be around medical students the better IMO.
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You bring up a good point; "getting away from the stress of it all" would be important. It's ultimately up to the personality of the student. I'm pretty happy with my upcoming living situation off campus.

Good luck GoBlue12 with your decision! I'd say you'll have to just make your decision based on cost and what you're looking for--would you rather be surrounded by med students or live in a place that provides your a break away from school?
 
There are definitely pros to both living on and off campus as you guys already mentioned.. I'm waiting for my room assignment from the school and then maybe I'll start looking for off campus housing to compare prices, etc. and make a decision
 
RuSkaya said:
There are definitely pros to both living on and off campus as you guys already mentioned.. I'm waiting for my room assignment from the school and then maybe I'll start looking for off campus housing to compare prices, etc. and make a decision
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hmm, that's not a bad idea just to have a backup plan. I might do that.
 
GoBlue12 said:
Hey everyone,

Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to all those still waiting.

I was wondering how many people are considering dorms vs. off campus housing. From talking to several current DS students it seems like the dorms are the best bet for M1.
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Dude go dorms...I'll see ya there we'll hang out 😀
 
Vulcan said:
Dude go dorms...I'll see ya there we'll hang out 😀
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How do you like the dorms, btw? I'm probably gonna live off campus with a friend goin to law school, but just curious 🙂
 
FIREitUP said:
How do you like the dorms, btw? I'm probably gonna live off campus with a friend goin to law school, but just curious 🙂
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Dorms are cool for location. Nothing like rolling out of bed and into class. Also going to the anatomy lab at 2AM (and youll need to at some point) is easier without the trek through East Flatbush.

The buildings are a bit old and there are occasional breakdowns, but theyre pretty good about repairing things fast.

Also there are a lot of dorm-only events, like chocolate tasting, wine tasting, karaoke nights, free dinners, Halo tourneys, and so on. The events at the student center are more easily accessible too. They have coffeehouses, thanksgiving dinner, and the gym itself plus intramural sports.

Not to mention youll have some awesome people to chill with! I'm gonna be back on the 8th floor of 825 and all visitors are always welcome. I would regularly have first yrs knocking on my door during their exam weeks for study advice. Y'all are welcome to just say hi as well 😛

Not to mention once I return to the dorms, I'll definitely be trying to set up some wiffleball games during my easier rotations if i can!
 
Vulcan said:
Dorms are cool for location. Nothing like rolling out of bed and into class. Also going to the anatomy lab at 2AM (and youll need to at some point) is easier without the trek through East Flatbush.

The buildings are a bit old and there are occasional breakdowns, but theyre pretty good about repairing things fast.

Also there are a lot of dorm-only events, like chocolate tasting, wine tasting, karaoke nights, free dinners, Halo tourneys, and so on. The events at the student center are more easily accessible too. They have coffeehouses, thanksgiving dinner, and the gym itself plus intramural sports.

Not to mention youll have some awesome people to chill with! I'm gonna be back on the 8th floor of 825 and all visitors are always welcome. I would regularly have first yrs knocking on my door during their exam weeks for study advice. Y'all are welcome to just say hi as well 😛

Not to mention once I return to the dorms, I'll definitely be trying to set up some wiffleball games during my easier rotations if i can!
Click to expand...

Sounds pretty cool, actually. Thanks for the insight, Vulcan.
 
FIREitUP said:
Sounds pretty cool, actually. Thanks for the insight, Vulcan.
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Np anytime...I actually meant to be on this board more this yr but things got pretty rough pretty fast with MS2 @_@

Any other questions you guys have?
 
Vulcan said:
Np anytime...I actually meant to be on this board more this yr but things got pretty rough pretty fast with MS2 @_@

Any other questions you guys have?
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Hey Vulcan,
Where or how do students usually eat? Is there a good cafeteria or do students eat out and cook? Or microwave frozen meals?

Thanks!
 
silverwyvern4 said:
Hey Vulcan,
Where or how do students usually eat? Is there a good cafeteria or do students eat out and cook? Or microwave frozen meals?

Thanks!
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There's a cafeteria in the hospital which students usually use for lunch, although I tend to go to the deli or the pizza/burger/subway place down the street for some variety.

Dinner is your own cooking/microwaving/ordering in.

Plus, if you look carefully enough, you'll find a free dinner SOMEWHERE on campus.
 
hey all, congrats are getting into downstate!!

For anyone that is looking to live off campus (esp those coming from out of state) me and my two roommates are looking for one more roommate for our apt on grand army plaza. we have lived here for two years and couldn't of asked for a better location. its about a 20-25 min commute to school. i was out of state and was easily able to get in state tuition after living here for a year. It's a great location near the park, the Brooklyn public library, museum, and botanical gardens. Additionally, we live within 2 blocks of the 2,3,Q, and B trains. The neighborhood is safe and commuting to school is quick and easy.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=50+pl...rooklyn,+Kings,+New+York+11238&gl=us&t=h&z=16

The room for rent is large, with two walk in closets, and it's own bathroom. The living room, kitchen, and dining room are also big and wonderful. The building itself is great, with laundry machines and a bike-rack in the basement.

The room will be ready starting August 1st.

let me know if interested!
 
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Vulcan said:
Whoops haha thought he meant the class schedule calendar...my bad!
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Lol! Well, I just gave him whatever would give him the holidays off...having a class schedule would be nice though, but I'd imagine it won't be too different from last year's calendar...

Also, don't apologize....you're doing us such a great service by providing us with your insight/input! It's a great help! 🙂
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Lol! Well, I just gave him whatever would give him the holidays off...having a class schedule would be nice though, but I'd imagine it won't be too different from last year's calendar...

Also, don't apologize....you're doing us such a great service by providing us with your insight/input! It's a great help! 🙂
Click to expand...


Actually you would be surprised how much changed between my MS1 calendar and this years...they are pretty good about taking our evaluations to heart.
 
Vulcan said:
Actually you would be surprised how much changed between my MS1 calendar and this years...they are pretty good about taking our evaluations to heart.
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Oh wow, what kind of changes, if you don't mind me asking?
 
Has anyone else had difficulty logging in to their checklist page for the past two days?
 
Vulcan said:
Dorms are cool for location. Nothing like rolling out of bed and into class. Also going to the anatomy lab at 2AM (and youll need to at some point) is easier without the trek through East Flatbush.

The buildings are a bit old and there are occasional breakdowns, but theyre pretty good about repairing things fast.

Also there are a lot of dorm-only events, like chocolate tasting, wine tasting, karaoke nights, free dinners, Halo tourneys, and so on. The events at the student center are more easily accessible too. They have coffeehouses, thanksgiving dinner, and the gym itself plus intramural sports.

Not to mention youll have some awesome people to chill with! I'm gonna be back on the 8th floor of 825 and all visitors are always welcome. I would regularly have first yrs knocking on my door during their exam weeks for study advice. Y'all are welcome to just say hi as well 😛

Not to mention once I return to the dorms, I'll definitely be trying to set up some wiffleball games during my easier rotations if i can!
Click to expand...


Thanks Vulcan, I believe I will be so lost the moment the classes start, and I really need your help.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Oh wow, what kind of changes, if you don't mind me asking?
Click to expand...

Mostly it was scheduling things...there was a 5 week period in my first yr where we had 6 exams...not ok...so we wrote that on the evals and they spread em out better this yr

They also have been trying to add some physical diagnosis in to the first yr curriculum now, as well as lots and lots of intro to radiology (this is a big selling point for us), so you guys will get that benefit.
 
crazyboy123 said:
Thanks Vulcan, I believe I will be so lost the moment the classes start, and I really need your help.
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You are always welcome to drop by, but you will not need my help. Everyone will be freaking out, but have some faith in our admissions team😛

They picked you b/c they know you can handle the work. And so you will.

Everyone always comes to my room freaking out about exams and asking for advice and such...and i think at least 80% of them end up honoring things consistently...no that's not because of me...it's because you guys will underestimate yourselves...its normal and i always say the same thing:

YOU WILL ADAPT. Say it and repeat til the end of med school.

You will be SWAMPED with studying at first. You're gonna cover all of college bio in about 4 weeks to kick off the year. It sounds insane. But you will adapt. Then you'll hit anatomy...and its even more work...but you will adapt. Then comes MS2, where all that work is doubled. But guess what? YOU WILL ADAPT!

Also you will still end up getting that speech from me at least once this year most likely...and I'm always happy to remind people that they will adapt. Med school is hard, no doubt, but it doesn't have to be miserable. I am firmly of this belief, and I try to make it so for others.

Here's to a good year yea?

Keep the questions coming folks I like this way more than step 1 studying!😀
 
Vulcan said:
You are always welcome to drop by, but you will not need my help. Everyone will be freaking out, but have some faith in our admissions team😛

They picked you b/c they know you can handle the work. And so you will.

Everyone always comes to my room freaking out about exams and asking for advice and such...and i think at least 80% of them end up honoring things consistently...no that's not because of me...it's because you guys will underestimate yourselves...its normal and i always say the same thing:

YOU WILL ADAPT. Say it and repeat til the end of med school.

You will be SWAMPED with studying at first. You're gonna cover all of college bio in about 4 weeks to kick off the year. It sounds insane. But you will adapt. Then you'll hit anatomy...and its even more work...but you will adapt. Then comes MS2, where all that work is doubled. But guess what? YOU WILL ADAPT!

Also you will still end up getting that speech from me at least once this year most likely...and I'm always happy to remind people that they will adapt. Med school is hard, no doubt, but it doesn't have to be miserable. I am firmly of this belief, and I try to make it so for others.

Here's to a good year yea?

Keep the questions coming folks I like this way more than step 1 studying!😀
Click to expand...

Thanks for the wise words! Oooo...I guess my random question will be:

Does orientation really last from like 9-5 each day Mon-Thurs like the 1st year medicine calendar says? That sounds so painful lol...(but I "will adapt" 😛)
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Thanks for the wise words! Oooo...I guess my random question will be:

Does orientation really last from like 9-5 each day Mon-Thurs like the 1st year medicine calendar says? That sounds so painful lol...(but I "will adapt" 😛)
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Well yes and no. The days are long and usually its a bunch of lectures in the morning...yknow the usual stuff like financial aid, a bazillion ppl telling you to study alot, panels with profs and doctors and such...

Then they usually give you lunch in the courtyard so you can actually go MEET each other, which is usually nice.

Afternoon is reserved for interactive stuff. Ice breakers are all over. At one point, you'll learn about doing CBL in a small group up in the carrels to see what it feels like. It might be too early now, but the orientation crew will be emailing you guys for preferences on at least 2 events: Dinner in Park Slope and the trip to either the botanical gardens or coney island.

Don't forget the White Coat ceremony is during that week so your parents can come and snap pictures of you 6 ways from sunday and you can finally feel like doctors in training! Then the circle line cruise that night, which is awesome.

Also there are bar nights EVERY NIGHT! If I happen to be back in the dorms by then (depends on what rotation im on) I will try to come to a few of em. You will have soooo much fun that week. I loved orientation!
 
Vulcan said:
Well yes and no. The days are long and usually its a bunch of lectures in the morning...yknow the usual stuff like financial aid, a bazillion ppl telling you to study alot, panels with profs and doctors and such...

Then they usually give you lunch in the courtyard so you can actually go MEET each other, which is usually nice.

Afternoon is reserved for interactive stuff. Ice breakers are all over. At one point, you'll learn about doing CBL in a small group up in the carrels to see what it feels like. It might be too early now, but the orientation crew will be emailing you guys for preferences on at least 2 events: Dinner in Park Slope and the trip to either the botanical gardens or coney island.

Don't forget the White Coat ceremony is during that week so your parents can come and snap pictures of you 6 ways from sunday and you can finally feel like doctors in training! Then the circle line cruise that night, which is awesome.

Also there are bar nights EVERY NIGHT! If I happen to be back in the dorms by then (depends on what rotation im on) I will try to come to a few of em. You will have soooo much fun that week. I loved orientation!
Click to expand...

Wow, how exciting! Thanks for all the details! 🙂 Can't wait for August now!
 
Vulcan said:
Well yes and no. The days are long and usually its a bunch of lectures in the morning...yknow the usual stuff like financial aid, a bazillion ppl telling you to study alot, panels with profs and doctors and such...

Then they usually give you lunch in the courtyard so you can actually go MEET each other, which is usually nice.

Afternoon is reserved for interactive stuff. Ice breakers are all over. At one point, you'll learn about doing CBL in a small group up in the carrels to see what it feels like. It might be too early now, but the orientation crew will be emailing you guys for preferences on at least 2 events: Dinner in Park Slope and the trip to either the botanical gardens or coney island.

Don't forget the White Coat ceremony is during that week so your parents can come and snap pictures of you 6 ways from sunday and you can finally feel like doctors in training! Then the circle line cruise that night, which is awesome.

Also there are bar nights EVERY NIGHT! If I happen to be back in the dorms by then (depends on what rotation im on) I will try to come to a few of em. You will have soooo much fun that week. I loved orientation!
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ME too!!! CAN't wait!!! By the way, when exactly is the white coat ceremony? I want to invite my parents, but i need to tell them the dates in advance.
 
crazyboy123 said:
ME too!!! CAN't wait!!! By the way, when exactly is the white coat ceremony? I want to invite my parents, but i need to tell them the dates in advance.
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I don't know when it is this year...it's probably too early. When they send out the orientation materials (something like a month or 2 before you get there) it will be on the calendar.

I'm just getting confused b/c i think its the end of June and not the end of May, since last year we got out in June 😛
 
Vulcan said:
I don't know when it is this year...it's probably too early. When they send out the orientation materials (something like a month or 2 before you get there) it will be on the calendar.

I'm just getting confused b/c i think its the end of June and not the end of May, since last year we got out in June 😛
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Lolol...I can't wait til M2 (only bc we get out early)...only problem is the Step 1 that follows! hehe.

Hmm, I wonder if I'll get it since I'm likely moving there by the 1st of July...meh, either way, it'll arrive "somewhere". Can't wait to meet all of you! 🙂
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Lolol...I can't wait til M2 (only bc we get out early)...only problem is the Step 1 that follows! hehe.

Hmm, I wonder if I'll get it since I'm likely moving there by the 1st of July...meh, either way, it'll arrive "somewhere". Can't wait to meet all of you! 🙂
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Be careful what you wish for 😛 MS2 is waaay tougher than MS1...I was consistently studying well into the night each day just to keep up. "Enjoy" MS1!

And I doubt there'll be a problem getting the papers and such. They'll find a way to get it to you. At the very worst just take a run over to DS and pick up a copy.
 
Vulcan said:
Be careful what you wish for 😛 MS2 is waaay tougher than MS1...I was consistently studying well into the night each day just to keep up. "Enjoy" MS1!

And I doubt there'll be a problem getting the papers and such. They'll find a way to get it to you. At the very worst just take a run over to DS and pick up a copy.
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Yeah, it'll either go to my current address (parent's) or my new one, when I get it starting in July. Also, yikes, I'm not the biggest fan of "studying all the time"--then again, who is? Hopefully I can do it during M1 (if necessary)--although I like to mix up my day with class, gym, studying, and "entertainment" time...hopefully I can do that! *wishful thinking, much?*

By the way, just a financial aid question for you (and everyone else here), after we complete our Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling online, is there anything else we have to do? I emailed them but they never got back to me, lol.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Yeah, it'll either go to my current address (parent's) or my new one, when I get it starting in July. Also, yikes, I'm not the biggest fan of "studying all the time"--then again, who is? Hopefully I can do it during M1 (if necessary)--although I like to mix up my day with class, gym, studying, and "entertainment" time...hopefully I can do that! *wishful thinking, much?*

By the way, just a financial aid question for you (and everyone else here), after we complete our Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling online, is there anything else we have to do? I emailed them but they never got back to me, lol.
Click to expand...

Don't worry you'll still be able to get gym and entertainment time in there. It's only really 2nd semester of MS2 where I stopped doing a lot of stuff, and even then I still saw people outside of an academic environment pretty regularly. In fact, I'm usually the one convincing people not to study 😛

As for financial aid.....well you picked one of the few subjects I can't provide much advice on, sorry! If you're really stuck, give a call in to the FinAid office and they should be able to help you out.
 
Vulcan said:
Don't worry you'll still be able to get gym and entertainment time in there. It's only really 2nd semester of MS2 where I stopped doing a lot of stuff, and even then I still saw people outside of an academic environment pretty regularly. In fact, I'm usually the one convincing people not to study 😛

As for financial aid.....well you picked one of the few subjects I can't provide much advice on, sorry! If you're really stuck, give a call in to the FinAid office and they should be able to help you out.
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That's good to know! I get the "we get to see each other outside of the med school environment" vibe from a lot of med students at other schools, so I assume it's like that at most med schools! 🙂
 
Me too. Pretty uninformative email, considering I haven't heard a thing from them since being put on hold in Jan. 🙁
 
anbuitachi said:
How do they send out the financial aid? Email? or Snail? And how do you prove CPR certification? I have a first aid license, does that count?
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financial aid is sent through snail mail.. and for CPR certification you send them a copy of both sides of your CPR card you get after the class. They want a specific class - BLS for healthcare providers from american heart association
 
I recently met with a broker to look for an apartment for an August 1st move in that is right around the school. I am certain that I will be able to find a 2 bedroom for a max of $700/person, and probably less. I am looking for a roommate who is interest in sharing the apartment I find with me for at least about 1 year. PM me if interested.
 
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