Since I was accepted to ASU I have been working diligently to try and set myself up as best I can for my future. So far Kaiti and I have been able to avoid any debt. No school loans, no car loans; we've lived within our means. In fact, we've managed to scrounge away as much money as we possibly can while still paying for her undergraduate degree and all our living expenses. We've been fairly successful. But that is all about to change. Being a non-resident who's been smart with money is essentially like putting a big target on your back and giving your prospective grad school a gun. They think you should blow all of your savings and income in order to attend (financial responsibility is something they frown upon). Based off the last tax year Kaiti and I are expected to be able to contribute $18,000 toward grad school...Seriously? Forget that we're moving down there and both have to find new jobs. Forget that in order to establish residency we can't accept ANY help from our family. No, those aren't important factors. Besides, what's $18,000? Oh right, A LOT OF MONEY that no one except the wealthy could produce.
So I am going to have them review my financial needs once again (yay, another financial form to fill out) and pray that they decide to send a little more my way. Then Kaiti and I are going to have to take out loans (keep fingers crossed that they are subsidized) and hope that in a year I will have met the requirements to be classified as an in state resident so I can petition them to change my status. Because apparently registering to vote in Arizona, paying Arizona state taxes and making a home there doesn't qualify you for residency. You have to supply bank records to make sure that no one has been helping you in any possible way. What's that? Your parents want to make sure you don't go into debt? Too bad, unless you want to pay out of state tuition forever. It's a ridiculous system and it seems almost predatory. To top it off every time I try to call the financial aid office I am put on hold for nearly 30 minutes and honestly with the money I am going to pay in tuition you'd that think they could get more than one song to play. Then when I am finally put through to an "expert" it turns out to be an undergraduate work study that has no idea how the system works. Helpful.
Oh well. I'm jumping through all the hoops and come August 24th I'll be starting a Master's program. Who knows if we'll have the money for me to finish it...we'll see. College tuition is out of control.
Showing posts with label Grad School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grad School. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Arizona State Here I come!
Well, it's finally official. I logged on to check my status earlier today and found this waiting for me.
So, now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay tuition....yikes.
So, now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay tuition....yikes.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Statement of Intent for ASU
I thought I'd share my statement of intent for my graduate school application (note: it had to be 600 words maximum and cover certain topics, i.e. my interest in the program, what I hoped to do with it and my educational background).
I initially developed an interest in the field of Urban and Environmental Planning during my first year of undergraduate study at the University of San Francisco. I noticed striking contrasts between San Francisco and my hometown of Salt Lake City in terms of both efficiency and sustainability. The transit systems in the two cities provide some of the most noticeable differences. In San Francisco, subways, trolleys, and electric buses move people quickly and reliably across the Bay Area. The city relies heavily on its public transportation system and is able to do so because of outstanding urban planning. Conversely, in Salt Lake City it is difficult to rely on public transportation. The bus routes are constantly changing and many buses arrive only once an hour, making them relatively ineffective. Other transportation options are limited as well. During good weather I attempt to ride my bicycle as much as possible. But, again poor planning makes it difficult to do so quickly and safely.
Despite these problems, Salt Lake continues to improve its mass-transit system. The addition of a light rail system has transformed entire neighborhoods as well as the culture of the city. All along these rail lines, business and home developments have flourished creating a demand for further mass-transit development. Watching these changes take place in my community has inspired me. Having experienced a first-rate mass-transit system in San Francisco, I know how much of a difference well-planned transit can make in urban areas around the United States. They help advance the concept of self-reliance in an approach that improves both the community and the environment. They also create an opportunity for smart growth and mixed land use. It is my hope to build a career contributing to development projects that serve to make the community a better place by accommodating pedestrians, bicycles, and public and private forms of transportation.
My professional interest in sustainable urban planning has led me to seek out case studies and theoretical models, such as Peter Calthorpe’s “The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and American Dream.” I am particularly fascinated by Calthorpe’s work on transit-oriented communities and his investigation of the changes in population habits that arise in these areas. I believe that my background in history will be enormously helpful in my pursuit of a career in urban planning. As an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to research and develop a case study of the Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco. I examined the reasons for its development, its cultural significance to the city, and the effects that these factors have had on the more-recent development in the neighborhood. For my undergraduate thesis at Westminster College I investigated community and cultural shifts in San Francisco’s Japantown during the internment period of the 1940’s. I believe that only by looking back at cultural, political, and environmental factors can we truly understand current developmental patterns and how to shape future growth.
The MUEP program would provide me with an excellent opportunity to learn more about sustainable urban planning and give me access to leading educators in the field. I am a dedicated and diligent worker and I believe that my passion for the environment and building better communities will inspire me to exceed requirements and expectations. My goal is to be an active learner: a student who participates both in class and in research opportunities and internships. I hope to take the knowledge and experience that I gain from the program and apply it to a career in sustainable urban planning so that I can contribute to a better, more environmentally conscious, future.
I initially developed an interest in the field of Urban and Environmental Planning during my first year of undergraduate study at the University of San Francisco. I noticed striking contrasts between San Francisco and my hometown of Salt Lake City in terms of both efficiency and sustainability. The transit systems in the two cities provide some of the most noticeable differences. In San Francisco, subways, trolleys, and electric buses move people quickly and reliably across the Bay Area. The city relies heavily on its public transportation system and is able to do so because of outstanding urban planning. Conversely, in Salt Lake City it is difficult to rely on public transportation. The bus routes are constantly changing and many buses arrive only once an hour, making them relatively ineffective. Other transportation options are limited as well. During good weather I attempt to ride my bicycle as much as possible. But, again poor planning makes it difficult to do so quickly and safely.
Despite these problems, Salt Lake continues to improve its mass-transit system. The addition of a light rail system has transformed entire neighborhoods as well as the culture of the city. All along these rail lines, business and home developments have flourished creating a demand for further mass-transit development. Watching these changes take place in my community has inspired me. Having experienced a first-rate mass-transit system in San Francisco, I know how much of a difference well-planned transit can make in urban areas around the United States. They help advance the concept of self-reliance in an approach that improves both the community and the environment. They also create an opportunity for smart growth and mixed land use. It is my hope to build a career contributing to development projects that serve to make the community a better place by accommodating pedestrians, bicycles, and public and private forms of transportation.
My professional interest in sustainable urban planning has led me to seek out case studies and theoretical models, such as Peter Calthorpe’s “The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and American Dream.” I am particularly fascinated by Calthorpe’s work on transit-oriented communities and his investigation of the changes in population habits that arise in these areas. I believe that my background in history will be enormously helpful in my pursuit of a career in urban planning. As an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to research and develop a case study of the Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco. I examined the reasons for its development, its cultural significance to the city, and the effects that these factors have had on the more-recent development in the neighborhood. For my undergraduate thesis at Westminster College I investigated community and cultural shifts in San Francisco’s Japantown during the internment period of the 1940’s. I believe that only by looking back at cultural, political, and environmental factors can we truly understand current developmental patterns and how to shape future growth.
The MUEP program would provide me with an excellent opportunity to learn more about sustainable urban planning and give me access to leading educators in the field. I am a dedicated and diligent worker and I believe that my passion for the environment and building better communities will inspire me to exceed requirements and expectations. My goal is to be an active learner: a student who participates both in class and in research opportunities and internships. I hope to take the knowledge and experience that I gain from the program and apply it to a career in sustainable urban planning so that I can contribute to a better, more environmentally conscious, future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
