Apill

I haven't heard from Columbia yet at all either.

Regarding all these cute animal videos...I've noticed as my undergraduate career progressed, as I become more into academia and went further down the intellectual path, I became more lighthearted and funny. Like to offset the heavy stuff in my brain that was making me sort of more serious. Anyone experience a similar phenomenon?

Its important to see beyond the simple dichotomy of dictatorship vs democracy and its correlation in the media (evil vs good) and realize that there are so many variant, alternative, and hybrid forms of government. Personally, it seems evident to me from daily observation and the study of history that the article is on to something. The main problem with democracy is that it leads to a general overall mediocracy of government, especially when you have the entire population vote from the least educated to the most education. Its true as Saltlake says that democracy prevents, due to its structure, the worst ideas and leaders from doing too much damage. But it also restrains the very best. As Tocqueville suggested, really smart people don't even bother participating in democractic politics. I also disagree with the "at least democracy allows new ideas to be implemented eventually" argument as well. Often democracy leads to bloated bureaucracies, interest groups, and entitlements that are really hard to change "through the system." Many of the ancients seem to have believed rightfully that a new phoenix can only emerge out of the ashes of an old one. In any case, ultimately liberalism is probably more important than democracy and its what people really want. By that, I mean classical liberalism which is really a system that allows for much individual freedom. Deep down inside, that's what the people of the Arab Spring want for example. To not be harassed and suppressed. Democracy hardly allows the individual much choice and change, since it is really a stand in for plutocracy. Liberal autocracy, as in the great 18th and 19th century European empires can probably ensure a better run system than a modern liberal democracy. But I do not seriously believe that people will outgrow the need to impose their views on society, whether conservative or liberal...humans seem to have an innate tendency to want to do so.

Thanks! Your enthusiasm makes me all the more eager to get a taste of NU, which is rapidly looking more and more like my future every day. I'll message you a couple of specific questions I have about the program. Thanks!

Hey, asking again: anyone else here going to NU's orientation this week?

Really at this point, from a practical lens, I'm mostly waiting on Georgetown and NYU.

Thanks! However, I'm probably going to decline GWU. Aubrey, I think I noted somewhere that you went to NU. As NU and GWU are my only two offers so far, I'd venture so say that NU is the stronger program overall and considering the fact that I got funding from NU, it seems like the better pick. If you know anything about the program at NU's strengths, that would also be helpful. Without funding, I'm wouldn't consider GWU as DC is an expensive city. I did my undergrad in GWU and I don't really feel justified paying them more. GWU is a pretty good program, up and coming, especially in IR as they managed to hire some new professors from better schools in the last few years. Still, overall, I believe NU is better though possibly not in IR. Having lived in DC for four years, it is an excellent city but a change of scenery (Chicago) might not be a bad idea. Though I'll probably think otherwise during the winter.

Not yet. I'm still waiting to hear from Chicago though I assume they're done too.

I got into GWU without funding too. Not the most exciting prospect though, since there was no funding offered.

Sorry to hear that. NU is so far the only one I got into so its my top choice . So, I haven't seen that many people on this forum who indicated that they were planning to attend NU or the orientation coming up in a few days. If there are any of you on these boards, please post here, it would be nice to establish contact with you guys!

I'm hoping they're still trying to decide...

I'm IR/Theory.

I am.

I'm not sure if they said "on Wednesday" or "by Wednesday," but I'm assuming they will send a mass e-mail, so Wednesday is plausible. She said that they're almost done with all admissions, so I guess maybe one or two more people might be accepted in the next few days.

I called Berkeley today, they said that rejection letters would be sent out on Wednesday

Johns Hopkins mailed me a rejection letter today. I wonder why they didn't just send an e-mail.

It was pretty specific actually. My focus in my statement was on the IR of India. I proposed to study India's foreign policy through a mostly constructivist lens, on the basis of how Indian philosophy and history influenced current Indian foreign policy, in the same manner in which some people study Chinese imperial history and Confucianism to understand the development of Chinese foreign policy thinking. It's IR but it has a big area studies component to it as well as a theoretical/philosophical/historical/religious component.That's why I focused places with strong theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches.

Yup, I was the one who applied to 21 schools. Which is why it would be sad if I ended up with an acceptance to rejection ratio of 1: 20. Well, I'm still waiting on 12 places....What gets to me is the possibility of the lack of choices I suppose. At least some other people have ratios of around 3: 8 or something.

I also woke up to a UPenn rejection letter . I'm wondering if its possible I'm going to get rejected from all the schools I applied to, save one, because that's how things are turning out so far.

Me too.

Congrats!

I did my undergrad at GWU. A couple of current PhD students and professors there told me that they were stingy with their stipends.

Congrats! People are being notified on Sunday though ?

You're right, there are almost no philosophy departs that study Asian philosophy. I was referring to Political Theorists in political science departments. I am aware of the facts that some specialists in the politics Japan, the Middle East, etc. for example study the political theory of those places. Non-Western Political Theory will (hopefully) in the future gain wider acceptance in Political Science departments. My argument is that Asian philosophy should be studied from a Political Science point of view in the same way that Plato can be studied as a philosopher, a semi religious mystic, or as a political theorist, as he will be for people who focus on his philosophy, his religion (neo platonic mysticism), or his political ideas in various different departments.

It was on Feb 9th. Thanks. Did they send out admissions for different subfields on different days?