Official MCW Class of 2009 Thread

[#41]

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Whoops, I see someone's already informed you of this.

 

[dbutz02]

Anyone choose a lender yet? I was probably going to go with T.H.E.
I'm completely new to this financial aid business so any advice would be great.

 

[Gimlet]

Anyone choose a lender yet? I was probably going to go with T.H.E.
I'm completely knew to this financial aid business so any advice would be great.

I'm with dbutz. I was fortunate enough to not have to take out loans during my undergrad education, so I'm pretty clueless as to the process now. I sent back my award letter the other day with the maximum amounts filled in for the Stafford loans. Now I have to choose a lender and sign their online Master Promissory Note, correct? What should I be looking for when I'm choosing a lender?

 

[YzIa]

I'm with dbutz. I was fortunate enough to not have to take out loans during my undergrad education, so I'm pretty clueless as to the process now. I sent back my award letter the other day with the maximum amounts filled in for the Stafford loans. Now I have to choose a lender and sign their online Master Promissory Note, correct? What should I be looking for when I'm choosing a lender?

Same thing, leaning towards T.H.E.
Also just got my physical for MCW, quite lovely. I was suprised that I didn't have to drop trow 🙂

 

[Gimlet]

Same thing, leaning towards T.H.E.
Also just got my physical for MCW, quite lovely. I was suprised that I didn't have to drop trow 🙂

Hahaha...I just scheduled my physical. Not looking forward to it too much, considering I haven't gotten one since high school. I can't wait to hear how out of shape and unhealthy I am. 😀 I tried to find a doctor who went to school at MCW so we would have something to talk about, but alas, there are none affiliated with my health plan in Madison.

I talked to my mom the other day about providing documentation of my vaccinations to Occupational Health Services. She says the only record she has is an informal list of dates and immunizations that she kept herself. I think that I can contact my former pediatrician's office to get their records, but I'm wondering if that will suffice for MCW's requirements. Also, a lot of the immunizations I received in high school were through the county health agency, and I doubt they keep records on everyone they immunize. Does anyone else know of ways to prove you were immunized, short of injecting yourself with Clostridium tetani? Personally, I'm surprised my parents never received some sort of official documentation when I was vaccinated.

I had to get a TB skin test at my job recently. I'm hoping the occupational health nurse here will give me a copy of the record so I can pass that line at orientation. 🙂

 

[pratik7]

I talked to my mom the other day about providing documentation of my vaccinations to Occupational Health Services. She says the only record she has is an informal list of dates and immunizations that she kept herself. I think that I can contact my former pediatrician's office to get their records, but I'm wondering if that will suffice for MCW's requirements. Also, a lot of the immunizations I received in high school were through the county health agency, and I doubt they keep records on everyone they immunize. Does anyone else know of ways to prove you were immunized, short of injecting yourself with Clostridium tetani? Personally, I'm surprised my parents never received some sort of official documentation when I was vaccinated.

Your county health dept should have all your records even if you didnt get vaccinated there. Most Peds report immunizations to the health dept so they have records. If not, try getting them from your high school.

I am also new to the financial aid thing, but when looking for a lender, be sure to compare origination fee rate and interest rates.

 

[Code Brown]

How is the coverage around Wisconsin, especially in and around Milwaukee and MCW, with the following cell phone companies?

Verizon
Cingular
Sprint

 

[GATORade]

I too am leaning with T.H.E. for the Stafford loans. They all seemed pretty similar. Xandi, #41 and Hawkeye, do any of you have any input on the Stafford or private lenders?

On a side note, has anyone looked into MEDLOANS? I guess they're affiliated with AAMC. As far as I was able to tell, they don't have any fees. I wonder why they aren't a recommended lender.

 

[Code Brown]

In regards to the immunization records, I couldn't find mine either, so I had to have titers run for the 4 that MCW requires immunization for.

As for TB, do not pay for it. I talked to the people at Occupational health and they said we can get it for free at MCW once you start there.

Anyone have any idea where I can get a cheap Varicella vacine done?

 

[Zman8602]

How is the coverage around Wisconsin, especially in and around Milwaukee and MCW, with the following cell phone companies?

Verizon
Cingular
Sprint

I have Verizon and it worked just fine when I was looking for housing up there. Also, does anyone know what the workout room is like at the medical college. I know it exists, but my tour guide failed to show my interview group where it was at.

 

[xSTALLiONx]

How is the coverage around Wisconsin, especially in and around Milwaukee and MCW, with the following cell phone companies?

Verizon
Cingular
Sprint

Look into US Cellular too. It's used more than Sprint in the Midwest area near Milwaukee. www.uscc.com

 

[Gimlet]

How is the coverage around Wisconsin, especially in and around Milwaukee and MCW, with the following cell phone companies?

Verizon
Cingular
Sprint

I have no complaints about my coverage with Verizon anywhere in southeastern Wisconsin. I can't say that I specifically checked how many bars I had, but a few weeks ago I was talking on my phone at MCW and had no problems with reception.

Can't say the same about Cingular. It might have been because I had an ancient phone, but my service was bad enough to impede conversations in many places.

 

[Gimlet]

Also, does anyone know what the workout room is like at the medical college. I know it exists, but my tour guide failed to show my interview group where it was at.

I thought the workout room was pretty nice. Certainly not big, but not too small. There were some treadmills, ellipticals,bikes, and other aerobic equipment, as well as some home-gym type weight stations and some free weight areas as well. At least, that's what I remember seeing in the minute or two our tour spent in there.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

a few things...

loans--i have THE, basically b/c they had the best deal three years ago and i haven't thought about it since.

cell phones--us cell has good reception, but in my two years of experience, their customer service leaves a little to be desired. also, they're largely midwest, so it's tough to go elsewhere and not be roaming (ie. $0.69/min). i switched to verizon and have been pretty happy. i do drop calls occasionally, but i can go anywhere in the US (residency interviews, away rotations if you're thinking ahead) and not pay an extra dime.

tonkens (the gym)--that's where i work out...er, that's where i work out when i work out, anyway. as far as i'm concerned, it has what you need to get a decent workout, the price is perfect and you can't beat the hours. plus, it's convenient if you're a school studier and like to work out before going home.

ok, that's my wisdom for the day. take care kids. peace.

 

[Zman8602]

a few things...

loans--i have THE, basically b/c they had the best deal three years ago and i haven't thought about it since.

cell phones--us cell has good reception, but in my two years of experience, their customer service leaves a little to be desired. also, they're largely midwest, so it's tough to go elsewhere and not be roaming (ie. $0.69/min). i switched to verizon and have been pretty happy. i do drop calls occasionally, but i can go anywhere in the US (residency interviews, away rotations if you're thinking ahead) and not pay an extra dime.

tonkens (the gym)--that's where i work out...er, that's where i work out when i work out, anyway. as far as i'm concerned, it has what you need to get a decent workout, the price is perfect and you can't beat the hours. plus, it's convenient if you're a school studier and like to work out before going home.

ok, that's my wisdom for the day. take care kids. peace.

How much is it to join Tonkens for the year??

 

[Xandie]

How much is it to join Tonkens for the year??

It's free. For everybody.

 

[ZappBrannigan]

It's free. For everybody.

Their website also mentions something about discounts to the Wisconsin Athletic Club and the Lutheran college nearby. Do you know anyone who has done this and how expensive it is? I would imagine that those gyms would be quite nicer, though they wouldn't be worth it if they were too much.

 

[Dr. J?]

Their website also mentions something about discounts to the Wisconsin Athletic Club and the Lutheran college nearby. Do you know anyone who has done this and how expensive it is? I would imagine that those gyms would be quite nicer, though they wouldn't be worth it if they were too much.

The WAC is a good deal if you can get it on the cheap. There are several locations (one right across the street from school, one downtown - couple of blocks from Firstar bldg, and one in West Allis - towards the SW side of MKE). I used to work at FMLH and they gave us a deal of $20/month. Otherwise, I believe, it was $45/month. I would imagine that MCW students would get it for closer to the lower amt.

Hope that helps.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Last I knew it was $50 a month. Oh, wait, I forgot the $1 MCW discount...make that $49 a month. The WAC is really, really nice, but I wouldn't get $600/year difference between it and Tonkens.

 

[pratik7]

If you are interested, there is a YMCA nearby also. My parents have a family membership to the Y in Atlanta and my membership should work in Wauwatosa 👍

 

[stcathm]

No offense to everyone here...but I've done the roommate thing for five years...never again!!!!

Roommate 1: Beer bongs in the dorm room, used my scanner to make fake IDs. Wet the bed after he overhydrated to prevent a hangover.

Roommate 2: World's worst Body Odor...had to leave a window open in sub-zero temperatures. Very nosy.

Roommate 3: Actually not too bad, I'd live with him again if I had to.

Roommate 4: Quiet but nice, though he didn't wash hands after going to the bathroom, and then he would change my Brita pitcher's filter. Ick.

Roommate 5: Worst of all. Never talked, washed his dishes about 4 times the entire year, never left his bedroom or went to class.

yeah, I was randomly assigned a roommate every year.

This was just an excuse to vent. Sorry!

I must agree! NEVER AGAIN!!!! My parents have supported much of my undergraduate activities and my roommates took complete advantage!!! My mother was in the freaking ICU this year (almost died) and I have an angry landlord calling me telling me that my worthless roomate has not paid rent this month and it needs to be fed-exed asap!! I had to cover the worthless bum for that month and every electric and cable bill since!! I wanted to kill him. Anyway my parents asked if I wanted a roommate in med school.... ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Sorry about the venting...

 

[ZappBrannigan]

I feel like such an idiot filling out the forms they gave us. For life insurance, what percentage do you give the contigent beneficiary? And since we get life insurance through them do we waive whatever they're offering on the Humana form?

 

[Code Brown]

I feel like such an idiot filling out the forms they gave us. For life insurance, what percentage do you give the contigent beneficiary? And since we get life insurance through them do we waive whatever they're offering on the Humana form?

Did you get the second mailing already? It wasn't in the first one. If you only have one beneficiary, give them 100%. If you want to split it up, just make sure it all equals 100%.

Also, I just signed my Master Promisary Note. I went with T.H.E. for my loans (as well as for my undergrad consolidation loans). They seemed like the best bet for medical school loans.

 

[ZappBrannigan]

Did you get the second mailing already? It wasn't in the first one. If you only have one beneficiary, give them 100%. If you want to split it up, just make sure it all equals 100%.

Also, I just signed my Master Promisary Note. I went with T.H.E. for my loans (as well as for my undergrad consolidation loans). They seemed like the best bet for medical school loans.

I got the second mailing sometime in the middle of last week. I meant the contigent one (is that who gets it if the other two, or one if you just put one, are deceased?) so would you just put 100%? I guess if most haven't gotten the mailing yet then you might not know what I was referring to. I still have to decide on a lender. I've heard good things about T.H.E. I'm not good at these sorts of things. I usually hide under a pile of coats and hope everything works out for the best.

 

[pratik7]

For those still looking for a place to live...many of the duplexes around the school are listed for rent at: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/apa/

 

[Gimlet]

Got the e-mail today about the day-long orientation for parents and spouses of students and the White Coat ceremony. Would Xandie or Hawkeye (or another MCW student!) care to comment on how useful this is? I am trying to figure out if my dad should take a day off work to come to this. As of right now, I am thinking he can skip the morning stuff and maybe just come to the ceremony in the afternoon. Do most students have their parents participate in the whole day?

Unfortunately, my fiance will probably not be able to make it for anything because her new employer is being really anal about letting her have any time off for the first six months of her employment. 🙁

 

[Xandie]

Got the e-mail today about the day-long orientation for parents and spouses of students and the White Coat ceremony. Would Xandie or Hawkeye (or another MCW student!) care to comment on how useful this is? I am trying to figure out if my dad should take a day off work to come to this. As of right now, I am thinking he can skip the morning stuff and maybe just come to the ceremony in the afternoon. Do most students have their parents participate in the whole day?

Unfortunately, my fiance will probably not be able to make it for anything because her new employer is being really anal about letting her have any time off for the first six months of her employment. 🙁

According to my husband, it's pretty useful because you get to see what's going on, in more detail than the student probably wants to go into. They also get to hear a panel of other parents, spouses and married students (including me!) talk about what the experience is like.

That sucks about your fiance... my husband had a good time and met some of the other spouses, which was nice.

 

[Code Brown]

I got the second mailing sometime in the middle of last week. I meant the contigent one (is that who gets it if the other two, or one if you just put one, are deceased?) so would you just put 100%? I guess if most haven't gotten the mailing yet then you might not know what I was referring to. I still have to decide on a lender. I've heard good things about T.H.E. I'm not good at these sorts of things. I usually hide under a pile of coats and hope everything works out for the best.

I just got the second mailing and there still wasn't anything in there about insurance. Did you request this separately?

 

[pratik7]

I just got the second mailing and there still wasn't anything in there about insurance. Did you request this separately?

We didnt request it seperatly. The packet contained an outline of the different plans, application and waiver forms, and the list of physicians.

What is in the mailing that you just received?

 

[ZappBrannigan]

Now I'm curious what the mailing was if it wasn't insurance. There's no way you could mistake it either. It came with two huge books on providers. So I signed my MPN today for THE and later I'm getting the physical done. Oh how I love my days off 🙄

 

[Code Brown]

Now I'm curious what the mailing was if it wasn't insurance. There's no way you could mistake it either. It came with two huge books on providers. So I signed my MPN today for THE and later I'm getting the physical done. Oh how I love my days off 🙄

I received a copy of my orientation calendar, some information on scrubs, t-shirts for parents, Wisconsin Medical Society, and some other fluff. Did they just forget to put in the medical stuff?

As for days off, no kidding. It feels good to have done very little for the past month. It's so stressful that we're off to Jamaica on Saturday for some R&R 😀

 

[ZappBrannigan]

I received a copy of my orientation calendar, some information on scrubs, t-shirts for parents, Wisconsin Medical Society, and some other fluff. Did they just forget to put in the medical stuff?

As for days off, no kidding. It feels good to have done very little for the past month. It's so stressful that we're off to Jamaica on Saturday for some R&R 😀

Wow, enjoy Jamaica. You should start med school with some corn rows. I haven't received any of that other stuff yet so they're two separate mailings. They want an insurance decision on hand by late July so I guess if it gets too much later and you still don't have the mailing you may want to call.

As for my physical - the doctor walked in yesterday, looked down at the paper and got really excited, saying how that's where she went to med school and did her residency. She seemed to enjoy her time there. We spent a lot of the time talking over where to live and what streets were fun.

 

[Rebecca121480]

Does anyone have any idea why there aren't any psychiatrists listed in the two books of providers under Humana? I'd think there would be plenty, considering the Behavioral Health hospital is renowned. Who at the school can I talk to about this?
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Becky

 

[samenewme]

Does anyone have any idea why there aren't any psychiatrists listed in the two books of providers under Humana? I'd think there would be plenty, considering the Behavioral Health hospital is renowned. Who at the school can I talk to about this?
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Becky

I'm not at MCW but I have Humana--the back of the insurance card will have a separate phone number for behavioral health services and you have to call to get a name.

 

[KiwiFruit]

Oh my goodness!! I'm so excited. I just got accepted off the waitlist on Friday!! yay!! Still letting it all sink in and trying to figure out how to move there from Seattle. Anyone have any tips as to apartment hunting...? Do I need to bring my car to live in WI? Should I fly out there to find an apartment first? I plan on moving there the last week of July....I'm soooooooo excited. I would appreciate any words of wisdom/advice. Thanks much!!! 😀 (**Happy Dance**I loved the school when I was there.)

 

[Gimlet]

Oh my goodness!! I'm so excited. I just got accepted off the waitlist on Friday!! yay!! Still letting it all sink in and trying to figure out how to move there from Seattle. Anyone have any tips as to apartment hunting...? Do I need to bring my car to live in WI? Should I fly out there to find an apartment first? I plan on moving there the last week of July....I'm soooooooo excited. I would appreciate any words of wisdom/advice. Thanks much!!! 😀 (**Happy Dance**I loved the school when I was there.)

Congratulations, Kiwi!

There are lots of nice places near school that you will still be able to find. I guess if I were in your situation, I would fly out here first to find an apartment, but that's just me. You are probably going to want your car here with you at school, so if you fly out and find an apartment early you could do a road trip out here when you actually move. (My fiance's cousin just did the opposite road trip from Milwaukee to Seattle to work for Boeing. 36 hours in the car!) There are links to some Milwaukee area apartment websites earlier in this thread. Personally, I had my best luck in finding nice apartments by looking at flyers on the bulletin boards at MCW. There are some really nice apartment complexes in the area, too. A few people posting on this thread have gotten places at Underwood Station or The Reserve. Best of luck!

I just picked up the keys for my place yesterday. The big move is July 2nd!

 

[ZappBrannigan]

Oh my goodness!! I'm so excited. I just got accepted off the waitlist on Friday!! yay!! Still letting it all sink in and trying to figure out how to move there from Seattle. Anyone have any tips as to apartment hunting...? Do I need to bring my car to live in WI? Should I fly out there to find an apartment first? I plan on moving there the last week of July....I'm soooooooo excited. I would appreciate any words of wisdom/advice. Thanks much!!! 😀 (**Happy Dance**I loved the school when I was there.)

Congrats! I'm moving from Seattle, too. I'm going to look at apartments at the end of the month and hopefully sign a lease then since I already have a trailer lined up for the move. I've lined up some places to look at off the internet. At least you have plenty of time. I hope other people on the waitlist are as lucky and aren't forced into planning a move within days of school starting. That's really exciting!

 

[Zman8602]

I think its about time to send out that contact list!!!! 😀

 

[Agent Splat]

I think its about time to send out that contact list!!!! 😀

Okay, here's another call for you folks...if you're new or just got accepted or are dragging your feet, send me a private message and give me your name and email address, and I'll put you on the contact list. I'll send it out at the end of this week (is that okay with everybody?)

I'll be moving into Normandy Village on August 1.

 

[godawgs39]

Congrats to all of you that have been accepted! I'll be applying to MCW in a couple of weeks for the class of 2010, but I'm debating whether or not I should do early decision. Did any of you do ED and if so, what are your stats? I'll give a brief description of mine so that maybe someone can give a recommendation, one way or the other.

MCAT= 30Q (8 PS, 11, 11)
GPA = 3.55 (3.47 BCPM)

IL resident, Marquette student
Currently hospice volunteer, shadowing in the OR at the VA now and Froedtert in the past, research at MCW last summer informally, this summer through SPUR. I should be able to get some great LOR, one from an MD/PhD at MCW.

At Marquette, I was a Biomedical Engineering student up until this past year, when I switched to Biomed Sciences. My gpa isn't steller, but I have had an upward trend (3.05 after Freshman year) and my BCPM would be 3.6 if it weren't for the two physics classes that I retook (C and BC to ABs).

I was happy with my overall MCAT, but disappointed with my PS given that I was an engineering student.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to do ED or should I just play it safe and apply to the 25-30 schools like I initially planned? Thanks in advance for any help and congrats again on getting into MCW, I love it there!

 

[Xandie]

I don't know a lot about EDP, but you could probably talk to Mike Itswan and he might be able to give you the average stats for people accepted through the EDP program.
If you're in SPUR, are you going to the ethics thing today? If so, I'll see you there! Come find me and I'll answer any of your questions about MCW in general. I'm 5'2", wearing a white shirt with flowers on it and brown pants. (I'm a woman, obviously.) And my name really is Xandie.
Hope to see you soon!

Congrats to all of you that have been accepted! I'll be applying to MCW in a couple of weeks for the class of 2010, but I'm debating whether or not I should do early decision. Did any of you do ED and if so, what are your stats? I'll give a brief description of mine so that maybe someone can give a recommendation, one way or the other.

MCAT= 30Q (8 PS, 11, 11)
GPA = 3.55 (3.47 BCPM)

IL resident, Marquette student
Currently hospice volunteer, shadowing in the OR at the VA now and Froedtert in the past, research at MCW last summer informally, this summer through SPUR. I should be able to get some great LOR, one from an MD/PhD at MCW.

At Marquette, I was a Biomedical Engineering student up until this past year, when I switched to Biomed Sciences. My gpa isn't steller, but I have had an upward trend (3.05 after Freshman year) and my BCPM would be 3.6 if it weren't for the two physics classes that I retook (C and BC to ABs).

I was happy with my overall MCAT, but disappointed with my PS given that I was an engineering student.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to do ED or should I just play it safe and apply to the 25-30 schools like I initially planned? Thanks in advance for any help and congrats again on getting into MCW, I love it there!

 

[Stank811]

I applied early decision with a 30N Mcat and a 3.8 GPA and I was accepted for class of 09. I would contact Mike Istwan who is the director of admissions and talked to him about your stats and he will be real honest with you about whether or not to apply. The stats you need for ED are no different than what you need for the regular applicant pool. If you have any other questions I can try to answer them. Good Luck

 

[ronch747]

Congrats to all of you that have been accepted! I'll be applying to MCW in a couple of weeks for the class of 2010, but I'm debating whether or not I should do early decision. Did any of you do ED and if so, what are your stats? I'll give a brief description of mine so that maybe someone can give a recommendation, one way or the other.

MCAT= 30Q (8 PS, 11, 11)
GPA = 3.55 (3.47 BCPM)

IL resident, Marquette student
Currently hospice volunteer, shadowing in the OR at the VA now and Froedtert in the past, research at MCW last summer informally, this summer through SPUR. I should be able to get some great LOR, one from an MD/PhD at MCW.

At Marquette, I was a Biomedical Engineering student up until this past year, when I switched to Biomed Sciences. My gpa isn't steller, but I have had an upward trend (3.05 after Freshman year) and my BCPM would be 3.6 if it weren't for the two physics classes that I retook (C and BC to ABs).

I was happy with my overall MCAT, but disappointed with my PS given that I was an engineering student.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to do ED or should I just play it safe and apply to the 25-30 schools like I initially planned? Thanks in advance for any help and congrats again on getting into MCW, I love it there!

godawgs APPLY ED! trust me... I was accepted to MCW c/o 2009 via the EDP with stats very similar to yours. I wish I would have applied ED my first time. Plus, do you have any idea how much $ and effort goes into applying to 25-30 schools, not to mention traveling to interviews? If you love MCW as much as you say you should be willing to apply ED. Also, you should be notified of the admissions decision by, I think it was Oct 1st, you can still apply elsewhere if it comes to that. If you have any specific questions send me a personal message.

 

[ronch747]

Congrats to all of you that have been accepted! I'll be applying to MCW in a couple of weeks for the class of 2010, but I'm debating whether or not I should do early decision. Did any of you do ED and if so, what are your stats? I'll give a brief description of mine so that maybe someone can give a recommendation, one way or the other.

MCAT= 30Q (8 PS, 11, 11)
GPA = 3.55 (3.47 BCPM)

IL resident, Marquette student
Currently hospice volunteer, shadowing in the OR at the VA now and Froedtert in the past, research at MCW last summer informally, this summer through SPUR. I should be able to get some great LOR, one from an MD/PhD at MCW.

At Marquette, I was a Biomedical Engineering student up until this past year, when I switched to Biomed Sciences. My gpa isn't steller, but I have had an upward trend (3.05 after Freshman year) and my BCPM would be 3.6 if it weren't for the two physics classes that I retook (C and BC to ABs).

I was happy with my overall MCAT, but disappointed with my PS given that I was an engineering student.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to do ED or should I just play it safe and apply to the 25-30 schools like I initially planned? Thanks in advance for any help and congrats again on getting into MCW, I love it there!

Oh, and Mike Istwan is a great guy, talk to him.

 

[godawgs39]

Thanks for your replies! I just e-mailed Istwan so hopefully he'll be able to help me out. I definitely am not looking forward to dropping $2000-2500 just so that I can maybe get an interview, so we'll see. Thanks again!

 

[Agent Splat]

Thanks for your replies! I just e-mailed Istwan so hopefully he'll be able to help me out. I definitely am not looking forward to dropping $2000-2500 just so that I can maybe get an interview, so we'll see. Thanks again!

good luck! go get'em, tiger!

 

[pratik7]

Hey yall,

I am thinking about moving into Normandy Village. However, I am not going to be able to go and see the place before I move in due to work and living in Atlanta (my roommate will be going).

For those of you have seen the complex, what were your thoughts? About how much is the gas bill a month at most complexes?

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

godawgs--

first off, istwan is a solid guy and, in my experience as head of applicant host, a pretty straight-shooter. he'll likley give you advice that's good for you (as opposed to being good for MCW). Still, though, remember that you need to critically evaluate his position since he has a job to do and ultimately he doesn't answer to you (this is good to do any time you get advice from anyone with whom you don't have a personal connection).

That said, think long and hard before applying ED. Keep in mind that if you get accepted it's basically a binding contract. And, if you don't get in ED, you're behind the field everywhere else you apply. There a lot of schools and, while I love MCW, it may not be the best fit for you. The only way you really know is to apply to and visit several schools. This is a more expensive and arduous process, but in the end may benefit you more than saving money and ending up where you're not going to be happy and thus not optimizing your chances of being successful (I'm not suggesting that this is necessarily the case, but it's something to think about). Anecdotally, I was set to apply ED to a non-MCW school, and now am VERY HAPPY that I received advice not to do so (based solely on "exploring what's out there"--thanks Dad!). Just something to toss around in your head. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do. T

 

[Agent Splat]

Hey yall,

I am thinking about moving into Normandy Village. However, I am not going to be able to go and see the place before I move in due to work and living in Atlanta (my roommate will be going).

For those of you have seen the complex, what were your thoughts? About how much is the gas bill a month at most complexes?

I'll be living in the Normandy Village; I was pleased with it. I only saw 1 bedroom apartments, so I don't know about the 2 bedrooms or otherwise; but mine is a pretty good size, with the exception of the kitchen. If I recall, the only extra bill you pay is for electricity and Air Conditioning. Heat and gas are included in the monthly rent. If you sign a 12 month lease your first month is free. Any more specific questions, feel free to ask me. It's a relatively new complex. In midday traffic it took me about 8 minutes to drive to the Medical Center. I suspect mornings will take a tad longer.

The complex itself is set back in some nice tree-ful area, almost looks like a college campus with the grassy areas and trees. Nice spots to play catch or frisbee if anybody is game for that. You get a nice 12'x5' storage thingy in addition to your apartment. Washing machines and dryers are a dollar per load. There's a ready supply of oxygen in the environment, and no wild predators roam the grounds.

Actually, the only reason I like it is because I get a dishwasher.

But seriously, ask away.

 

[Agent Splat]

Hawkeye makes some good points about applying ED. At the beginning of the application process I was pretty much set on MCW and wanted to avoid UW Madison because I just didn't really like the Madison area. However, when I interviewed at UW a few weeks before my visit to MCW, I fell in love with UW's building and school and made it my first choice at that point. Obviously I still picked MCW over UW, but the moral of my story is that you should get a close look at some other good potential schools, because they might surprise you with what they have to offer.

Unless you're 100% deadset on MCW, I'd look at some other schools before throwing all your eggs into the MCW basket just yet.

Either way, all my best.