[Advice for deciding between PoliSci and another discipline?]

Thank you all for all your considered and thoughtful advice. I'll be visiting both programs in the next few weeks, and that should reveal a lot about the nature of the programs, the environment, my peers, the advisors I'd study under, etc.

Have you looked at the Interdisciplinary Cluster initiative at Northwestern? That's one of the most appealing aspects of their program for me. One of the "clusters" is in Critical Theory, and you'd be able to work outside the Poli Sci department by pursuing that option.

Based on that, and the points above, I think you should only pick Minnesota if there are some faculty affiliated with the CSDS program who you know you would like to work with. Being able to design your own course of study is quite an attractive option, but if you end up working on a dissertation that is too difficult to find advisors for, the quality will surely suffer.

Both places have advisors who would be good fits for my interests, though I am sure my dissertation will take on very different forms depending on whether I write it with a political theorist, and a cultural studies theorist.

And yes! I am familiar with the Interdisciplinary Cluster - it's what attracted me there too - and is the thing that makes this decision even harder. The only difference is that there are more professors at Minnesota across disciplines whose work would inform mine, while the Cluster at Northwestern gives me access to an albeit great pool, but nevertheless smaller number of professors in my field (postcolonial studies).

I entirely agree with the sentiment that Political Science is the better option, but you may want to consider the fact that you are obtaining a biased sample. You may wish to solicit advice from applicants and current students who have a humanities focus (note that I haven't checked the other forums to see if you already did this).

Good point - I haven't asked humanities folks, but as you point out, I certainly should. Thanks!

I can't believe you didn't apply to the Committee on Social Thought at Chicago. They interface quite a bit between the disciplines you sketch.

I considered it, but there weren't faculty there whose interests were aligned with my own.

[Northwestern]

And if anyone else has been accepted to Political Science, I'd like to get in touch!

[University of Minnesota Twin Cities]

Me too! I'm accepted to the program in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society, but not sure if I will attend. Small stipend, though it's a great fit. I've heard it's one of the most nurturing and intellectually vibrant places to be, though.

Anyone else accepted to CSDS? I saw one other admit post on the results page. Please get in touch if so!

[Advice for deciding between PoliSci and another discipline?]

I'm not sure if anyone else shares this dilemma, but I have academic interests that are cross-disciplinary in nature and thus applied to three different departments: Political Science (theory), Inter-disciplinary programs, and English.

So far, I've been accepted to University of Minnesota's PhD in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society (CSDS), and into Northwestern for Political Science. They are both great programs, but I'm having trouble weighing my options! As you can imagine, choosing one over the other will certainly chart my academic career in very different ways. Here's how I see it so far:

CSDS at Minnesota: Tiny and selective program, really nurturing intellectual environment, close attention from faculty, I'll get to do whatever I want and choose how to design my course of study. Lots of independence. Full funding for 5 years, but a small stipend, and possibly no financial support for summer research. It's also a lesser known program, and interdisciplinary programs are notorious for not always being able to find jobs for their graduates in mainstream college departments.

Northwestern Poli Sci: Obviously, a top 25 program with some big names in critical theory. Encourages inter-disciplinary work, and should be a good place to move between political theory and english/cultural studies/history, but ultimately I am not a traditional political scientist and will perhaps fit better into a place where students and faculties' interests are more wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary. Great funding package (much more money than Minnesota), and graduates have usually found great placements across the country and internationally.

Overall, I think my gut and my heart are pulling me towards CSDS at Minnesota, but good sense is probably telling me that Political Science at Northwestern is the safer, more recognized, and not necessarily less intellectually fulfilling route to take. I might be taking too much of a risk with a program like CSDS.

Any thoughts? Anyone having to make a similar decision?

[campus visitation dates for admitted students?]

Would anyone be able to tell me what the campus visitation dates have been in past years for students admitted to humanities and political science programs? I am looking for visitation dates for the following schools: Stanford, Yale, UMinnesota, UChicago, Northwestern, and Wisconsin-Madison. Thanks!