Pitt 2012 Forum

[Dr. Foom]

We don't find out what our class schedules are until July, right?

[2009 Prospective]

Does anyone remember by any chance when the 2nd seat deposit is due? I'm feeling lazy to look through all my law school stuff to find out and can't seem to find it on the website.

[samsocks]

It's due by June 1st I believe and it's $300.

[Dr. Foom]

Yup, June 1st. I sent mine in a few days ago, and I'm gonna get my final transcript to them tomorrow just so there's nothing for me to forget about this summer.

[2009 Prospective]

Thanks everyone. I was hoping it could be just a tad bit later as I put down a deposit at one other school too. Oh well.

[faraway]

We don't find out what our class schedules are until July, right?

The c/o 2011 students were able to deduce their schedules once they found out their sections at the end of July. You could get a general idea by looking here: --LinkRemoved--, although I am sure these could change.

August can't come soon enough!

[Dr. Foom]

So did you guys hear about the G20 conference being held in Pittsburgh this fall?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09150/973856-53.stm

This had oughta make our first semester a bit more interesting.

[redsox8105]

The mypitt and e-mail pages are soooooo ugly. I'll just stick to gmail...

Am I the only one that just wants to move to Pittsburgh right now and get this thing started? I'm assuming that now that they have our 2nd deposit they'll start sending us the important stuff we need, like loan info. They still haven't sent that housing link, right?

[samsocks]

Yeah, I cannot figure out that website. I thought my schools page was bad, but this one takes the cake. I hate it.

My summer plans involve working ... so yes, I'd love to move to the Pitts and start now! It'd be much better than what I'm doing now. As well, if I don't get loan info soon I might die from not knowing if I can pay for school. I mean, I'll probably get all the loans, but unless I have a paper that says so, I don't feel comfortable.

[samsocks]

So I got that e-mail a couple of weeks ago from financial aid about loans and how info would start being sent out. Has anyone got any further notice from fin aid? Maybe an official aid package or loan information?

Are most law schools this slow with these things? I was originally going to go to Buffalo and I was given my official fin aid package before our deposits were even due! So I'm getting a little antsy with Pitt.

[redsox8105]

Weird, I was just about to bump this thread about the exact same thing. Shouldn't we be hearing something... or anything... from Pitt soon? I guess that housing website never materialized, but what about financial aid, loans, etc?

I did notice that if you go on your mypitt and click on Student Services -> Link to Student Center -> Self Service, there's a page for your financial aid award. Mine has my merit scholarship info (which I already knew) but nothing about the important stuff, like loans.

[jbug21]

Haven't heard anything in quite awhile either, glad I'm not the only one.

[James Bond]

If you're not looking at Shadyside (and it's a great place with a sweet giant eagle), as a native, check out http://www.alleghenycenter.com for some decent apartments. North shore, right by the stadiums (which are gorgeous regardless of if you like the teams or not, I don't) and sports bars, and ridiculously cheap.

Also, promise to check out south side on weekends and Hofbrauhaus down at South Side Works. http://www.hofbrauhauspittsburgh.com/ Amazing

[jbug21]

The allegheny center apartments are definitely nice and affordable, but it is a longer commute to oakland and the surrounding area can be a little shady after dark.

[James Bond]

The allegheny center apartments are definitely nice and affordable, but it is a longer commute to oakland and the surrounding area can be a little shady after dark.

It is a bit longer of a commute, no argument there, but it's a city...most areas are shady after dark

[redsox8105]

My girlfriend signed a lease for a place on Shady Ave. in Shadyside yesterday. It's a little further out in Shadyside (right on the border of Shadyside and Point Breeze) but on a nice, quiet street. It's nice to finally know that I have a home for next year.

[samsocks]

I'll be in Shadyside as well, but on the border with Friendship. I found Shadyside to be affordable, but maybe that's just because I'm used to the cost of living in Florida. I do find living in old houses to be odd - like dividing them up in to apartments. I had hoped to move into a stereotypical apartment building. However, what I found in the house style of apartment living was much cheaper.

Now it's time for a new laptop! Too bad I know nothing about them ... I have a Dell now and I was thinking I might just buy one of those Dell minis.

Also, a random question. Does anyone know if Pitt provides free gym access to students? Or do we have to get our own gym memberships?

[redsox8105]

Yeah, we pretty much limited ourselves to Shadyside since it seemed to be the best combination of price, proximity, and not-scary-ness. We're in a small apartment complex (I think like 10 apartments) but there are a ton of those split-house things. When I visited over the winter we stayed in the bottom apartment of a family friend's house (which she rents out) and it was really nice and private, so I think you'll be fine.

I'm almost positive that we get free gym access, but don't quote me on that. The free transportation thing is reaaaally nice, too. Thanks Pitt!

[jbug21]

You have access to any of the gyms on Pitt's campus with your ID card I am almost positive.

[Setarkos]

For people wondering about gym facilities... I know the school:
Two main gyms, both up on the hill.
The big one is in the Petersen Events Center. It's brand new, beautiful, has treadmills plus circuit plus ab area plus free weights and squat racks. Bad news is that thing is CROWDED if you are in at a peak time (4-7 pm).

Trees Hall is the spot where people play basketball. Bring your A game. But hidden in the bowels of the Hall is a smaller, grittier but quite useful gym. Some freeweights and treadmills, and it is rarely crowded the way the new gym gets at the Pete.

You'll have to excuse me. I've been drinking wine while creeping the board and felt a surge of alcoholic altruism.

[Dr. Foom]

The more I poke around Shadyside on Google Earth, the more I think I made the right decision finding a place there. The only slight worry is that I'm on the top floor of an apartment building that sorta reminds me of the one in "Ghostbusters". I don't want to spend a long night outlining and then find Zuul in my fridge.

And hooray free gym memberships! It's nice to hear about ways to keep costs down after reading that the state cut Pitt's funding by 13%.

Speaking cheap stuff, student tickets for football are so much cheaper compared to my undergrad school. Penn State season tickets are about $250, Pitt tickets are about $25. I mean, I probably won't go to any games (except maybe the Notre Dame one), but man that's cheap.

[samsocks]

I did notice that if you go on your mypitt and click on Student Services -> Link to Student Center -> Self Service, there's a page for your financial aid award. Mine has my merit scholarship info (which I already knew) but nothing about the important stuff, like loans.

So I did this and I seem to have an award notice with the sub/unsub Staffords, but I haven't been e-mailed or anything to let me know. Now I need to know about grad plus and signing promissory notes or whatever it is you have to do to get your loans. It also says disbursement would be 8/14, which is much earlier than I thought and if it's true, I am grateful - working in a restaurant [esp now with everyone being so stingy] is barely paying the bills, let alone financing a move from Florida!

[steindle]

I'm heading to the Midwest this Fall, but as a native Pittsburgher I just want to say congrats to everyone in the Pitt Class of 2012 and have fun here! I spent four years of undergrad in New York and came back because I enjoyed it so much -- I've spent four years post-undergrad here and I'm really going to miss it.

If anyone has questions about Pittsburgh, feel free to ask me. I grew up in the city and spent much of my teen years in the South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, and especially Squirrel Hill. Currently I live in Lawrenceville but I've also served stints in Bloomfield and Friendship.

[redsox8105]

So I did this and I seem to have an award notice with the sub/unsub Staffords, but I haven't been e-mailed or anything to let me know. Now I need to know about grad plus and signing promissory notes or whatever it is you have to do to get your loans. It also says disbursement would be 8/14, which is much earlier than I thought and if it's true, I am grateful - working in a restaurant [esp now with everyone being so stingy] is barely paying the bills, let alone financing a move from Florida!

Yeah, my Stafford loan stuff showed up today too, and in my spam filter I found an e-mail from Meme Jeffries about financial aid, received today. I'm guessing yours is on the way if you don't already have it.

The 8/14 date would be amazing if it's the case, but it might just be for the Stafford loans (which aren't enough to cover cost of living, since you have to pay for tuition and fees first [edit: I just ran the math and I might actually have some money left over, which would be awesome]), I'm not sure.

One thing... the e-mail tells us to fill out our MPN and then do the entrance counseling... but when I tried to fill out the MPN it told me I had to complete entrance counseling first. Either I'm doing something wrong or the e-mail has the steps reversed.

[redsox8105]

Our schedules are up! I'm in Section C apparently, but it doesn't show my LR&W class yet. Looks like a pretty solid schedule - out by 3:45 every day at the latest, done by 12:50 (or 11:45 depending on my writing class) on Friday, lots of time in between classes during the day for lunch and reading.

My Torts professor looks kinda scary in the Professor Kingsfield sort of way.