A Chronicle of my Changing Times.

Getting with the program

After a full evening of web surfing and researching Graduate Programs after a series of long, albeit extraordinarily productive days; I find myself both excited and yet daunted by the information I’ve come across.  My “Fact Page” spreadsheet is quickly filling up with fun filled information like application deadlines, tuition costs, living expenses and size of programs.  I’ve just about gone cross eyed reading about what this school has to offer; who’s taught, spoken or attended that school (two current nominees for Secretary General of the UN went to the Fletcher School at Tufts, for example); what the goals and objectives of another program.

Don’t get me wrong, this is all wonderful information which should conceivably help me choose the right program(s) to apply.  The dichotomy is just rather interesting reading through these websites of highly selective and exclusive schools as they try to attract people to apply whilst also knowing that roughly only 10% will be accepted.  Some are blunt, others are plain condescending, and a few actually seem helpful and supportive.

What actually inspired me to blog this evening was stumbling across this group blog at Tufts. After elevating in my head what it would take to actually be accepted to one of these programs, this was a breath clean, crisp air.  I’m exceedingly jealous of where they are – it’s exactly what I want.  They talk about courses, workloads, lectures – but most of all about the people with whom they’re studying.  Debates about Iranian gender politics over drinks at a bar might sound strange if not horrible to some, but this is the stuff that winds my clock.

Some things are beginning to come into focus regarding my applications.  My dream program is SAIS at Johns Hopkins.  I know I want to apply to BSIS in Europe.  The Fletcher School and SIS at American University also rank very high.  Behind them would be SIPA at Columbia University, Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and The Elliot School at GW.  Apparently I won’t consider a program that isn’t an acronym or somehow pretentiously titled.

 

And whilst I’m thinking of it, let me be a bit shameless.  With my big 31^st birthday less than a month away now, if anyone is looking for gift ideas feel free to get me a subscription to either Foreign Affairs or Foreign Policy.  Both can be viewed online, which is a heck of a lot easier then trying to mail them to me.  If that fails, Open Democracy is a cheaper alternative.  If it helps, think of it as helping me get ready for that great big beyond after PC.

Posted by: mjmarble at September 29, 2006 00:26 | link | comments

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