ali.kinsella

Hey, everyone, I feel like I'm always taking, never giving, but I need some more advice. I took all opinions into consideration (from this forum and elsewhere) and I made my choice: IU. Ultimately, I decided that this really would be the best fit for me and I didn't feel like I was allowing people to dissuade me from doing what I wanted. So, I was really starting to look forward to becoming a Hoosier. I sat down to check my e-mail and actually was contemplating sending my official acceptance to IU when I saw that I had been offered a full FLAS to Columbia. So now what? The two offers I must weigh are the FLAS at IU and the FLAS at Columbia. The money would certainly go farther in Bloomington, but is that enough to make my decision? What do you know about the two programs? I must admit that I started my application process somewhat late and concentrated on the applications themself, not so much the programs I was applying to. I was initially drawn to Columbia because of its strong Ukrainian program. This is still my main interest. As far as I understand Indiana, they're still a strong Slavic powerhouse with innumerable connections, though their commitment to Ukraine may be waning (thanks to the Slavic languages dept.). Columbia is Columbia, but how do they stack up against IU? I get the feeling that I'd get more support and attention at Indiana, things that I should definitely take into account. Hopefully soon I'll be able to give one of you some good advice!

Hey, everyone. I need some advice from people who probably know more about this than I do. My main interest is Ukraine, so when I sent out applications, I looked specifically for universities that offered concentrations in Ukrainian studies. I have been accepted into a handful of places, but the two offers I currently need to choose between are full funding from IU or full funding from KU. IU has offered me the FLAS for the academic year and nothing for the summer (so far). KU has offered me the FMSO research assistantship, which amounts to full funding and a stipend for the year plus tuition and 5k for their summer program in L'viv. The assistantship would require 20 hours of Ukrainian-language research a week--work, but work that I'd benefit from. So, the offers are practically identical. I've asked some of my undergrad professors and they all said to go to IU, but they didn't really give reasons beyond its "superior reputation." I'm torn because I can't decide how much I should let that influence my decision. Reputations are meaningless except to the degree that they attract stronger students, better professors, and more funding. I don't particularly care which institution's seal is on my diploma, but if it means a richer experience, I think it's certainly something to consider. It's hard for me to get a feel for all of this without (unfortunately) being able to visit the schools. Things to think about: IU has told me they might be cutting their Ukrainian language program. As far as language goes, this isn't a really big deal because I'm at the level where I'd be studying individually with a professor/native speaker and I was considering switching to Polish anyway. My concern, however, is that this is indicative of a larger institutional change. It's quite possible that I won't find enough Ukraine-specific courses/instruction/support. The director of the program recently told me he thought I'd be a good candidate for their joint public health program given my professed interest in food study. If that would be funded, it's another element to consider. KU has two Ukrainian professors who aren't going anywhere. I've spoken to both of them and I think I'd do well with them. One teaches language and the other teaches courses for the program. I know that there's enough attention being paid to Ukraine at KU, but my concern is that the program is too small and perhaps not challenging enough. I've been given a March 30 deadline. Допоможіть будь ласка!