Good luck with the negotiations, meara!

I'm at school now, cranky as shit and preparing to take a mid-term. Blech!

Ask for an amount for a reason--like hotel while you apaprtment hunt or something.

Heh. See, that's why I can't ask for more--it's already included! The moving stuff is great--they pay for a trip out there to house hunt, a hotel and rental car while you do that, and someone to help you. They pay to pack your stuff and move it. And they pay for a month in a temporary housing place after you get there, but before you move in to your new house.

I must remember to ask for a couple days in October off, when I talk to them tomorrow, for my drag king conference. I'd *rather* unpaid days, because I don't want to use the precious little vacation I'll have for the rest of hte year!

Susan, is it true there's no state income tax? Do you end up paying awfully in other parts of life to make up for that, or what?

No income tax. I think property taxes are high, but we're still renters, so I'm not sure how it compares to elsewhere. Sales tax is 6.5% for the state, and I'm pretty sure the county and city tack on a bit more for a total around 8 or 9%.

ETA it'll be great to have you out here!

How did the school know who got accepted where? Were they just passing on the info that they got from the students? Because that would be a huge invasion of privacy if they were just announcing them willy-nilly.

Our school kept a record of all of our applications (we had to give them the packet, and they added the recommendation and mailed it). I remember trying to protest because I didn't want my essays (which were critical of the school) to affect my recommendations.

How did the school know who got accepted where? Were they just passing on the info that they got from the students? Because that would be a huge invasion of privacy if they were just announcing them willy-nilly.

Oh, it was announced by one of your friends. Let me sum up lunch at my prep school: Chime. Faculty leave the lounge and go to their regular tables. Chime. 350 students file in to their assigned tables (which changed every two weeks). Chime. Grace. Students waiters bring out food. Eat. Waiters clear and bring dessert. Chime. Announcements (if you wanted to make an announcement you stood up by your seat until acknowledged by Mr. Compton at one of the front tables--these could get very interesting). Dismissal.

It was all very Dead Poets Society.

Yay job offer, meara! I hope it all works out, money-wise.

I applied to one college (a very good local, private school...but only because I was dating a guy there...@@), got in early decision, realized I couldn't afford it in late April (and had broken up with the guy), and so applied last second to the state university. I hated the state university even though I got a lot for my money.

I hate that I had such a suck-ass college application experience, but my parents separated the summer before my senior year and were going through a divorce for the entire year. So, um. Yeah. Not a lot of help there, and I was a wreck myself. I will always wonder what would have happened and where I might have gone had I had a little support.

And wow. That comes off as really bitter and pathetic. Sorry. You'd think that 13 years later I'd be over it.

Our school kept a record of all of our applications (we had to give them the packet, and they added the recommendation and mailed it). I remember trying to protest because I didn't want my essays (which were critical of the school) to affect my recommendations.

Also, speaking of privacy... My school sent out unsolicited (that is, unsolicited by you) references along with your chosen ones. In other words, at a faculty meeting they might say "By the way, megan walker is applying to XYZ University, if you want to say something about it, go ahead and we'll send it).

I always feel so sorry for folks who had disappointing college experiences.

My school wound up being a great match for me. It really pushed me and I got more out of my education than I could've possibly expected. I really had the ideal small, liberal arts college experience. Small classes - almost all seminars after Freshman year. Full professors always - no graduate school, so no TAs. Lots of office hours by Profs that you learned to exploit. Beautiful old campus. Close friendships. Beer pong.

David is me. Except I didn't drink beer.

I loved college, too. Of course, my small town high school experience was so stifling that almost any college probably would've been an improvement, but going to a fairly big college in a great big city was heavenly for me--a whole new world at my fingertips.

Of course, if I had it to do over again, I would've majored in history rather than marketing, taken French instead of Spanish for my language requirement, and spent a bit less time in my Christian fellowship group and instead done something like band or an a cappella group, but I can't blame Penn for the fact I didn't know I was going to grow up to be a mainline rather than a fundamentalist Christian or an aspiring historical novelist who'd find proficiency in French handy for research.