PurpleProse

Yes. I am currently competing in BC, Canada.

Hello, To be candid, I find myself partial to the marshmallow-y kool aid of qualitative methods. In part, this owes to my undergraduate degree from Toronto -- I share the department's view that constructivism and qualitative methods are both valid and valuable approaches to political science research. I have noticed that several posters have made comments about the respective approaches adopted by a variety of American departments. However, this conventional wisdom essentially eludes me. In other words, I am appealing for some much-needed advice: 1. Which top departments in the United States are quant-heavy? Are there top departments with a core group of qualitative scholars? Should I just go to Oxford/LSE? (I am not interested in Canadian schools) 2. Given my "kumbaya" approach, should I even bother applying to quant heavy departments? What if they have a potential supervisor that I like, despite being quant heavy? 3. Will I be made a weaker candidate across the board in the United States due to my failure to conform to epistemological norms? Thank you for your insights! Mmm...