cml471 Posted February 17, 2013 Posted February 17, 2013 Of all the programs I applied to, I could not find any acceptance/admissions statistics for Columbia's M.A. program. It's like a wild card that will be revealed in April!
karent Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 So.... who heard from Indiana? Tell us all about it. Did you check out petersons.com for stats, cml? I can feel the news is on its way. Will I have a future? I don't know. k
karent Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 What languages/regions are you guys planning to study? Other than Russian, I mean to study the Western Slavic group. I'm a heritage Polish speaker with a Slovak father. And I'd like to learn Czech also. I'm starting to get antsy. k
spicyartichoke Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I'm the guilty party... got an email from Mary Belding today and was beyond thrilled! I am really impressed by the Indiana program, and everyone there has been so patient with and attentive to my questions. I also heard that I got a fellowship from Ohio State (way sooner than I expected to hear about funding!). So, I couldn't ask for more from a Monday. Good luck to everyone! I am a little relieved, but definitely still antsy about the rest of my decisions.
spicyartichoke Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 What languages/regions are you guys planning to study? I'm interested in Russia and Russian (not very unique). I also want to study the Russian Far East, and to start picking up a second Slavic language (not entirely sure which yet).
karent Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I'm the guilty party... got an email from Mary Belding today and was beyond thrilled! I am really impressed by the Indiana program, and everyone there has been so patient with and attentive to my questions. I also heard that I got a fellowship from Ohio State (way sooner than I expected to hear about funding!). So, I couldn't ask for more from a Monday. Good luck to everyone! I am a little relieved, but definitely still antsy about the rest of my decisions. Super duper congratulations!
cml471 Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 In at Duke and waitlisted at Harvard! It's been a big day. )) Anyone planning on turning down Harvard? (though I can't imagine why).
spicyartichoke Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Ahh, congrats, that's great news! Did they give you any indication of your place on the waitlist?
cml471 Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 No idea. First I have to send in a form that says I accept a spot on the waitlist. Spicyartichoke- are you the other Duke acceptance? I'm curious what you think about the program...
bg13 Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 Awesome news! Duke is a pretty great program, in my opinion, because of the collaboration with UNC. If there's a course you want to take at Carolina, you can literally take a bus over to do so (they have a bus that is exactly for that purpose). A lot of times, try run their lesser studied language courses on separate cycles so one of the universities is always teaching intro and the other supplies upper level.
spicyartichoke Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 (edited) Yep, I also got an admit today. You know, I'm kind of undecided about the Duke program. It seems really small, which has both good and bad aspects. Their partnership with UNC is really interesting, and means access to tons of materials & people. In terms of research interests, it isn't the best fit for me -- the classes and faculty seem pretty focused on literature and film, which I'm not really into, but there was 1 professor I was definitely interested in working with and 1 that I might be interested in working with. I guess the main draws for me were: 1) the Philosophy Department there offers a graduate certificate in the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine, which I'm really interested in and need to look into further; and 2) they seem to have really good language instruction (particularly for Russian), including professional-oriented classes like "Scientific and Scholarly Russian” and “Legal Russian.” Haha, that became a lot longer than I expected. Anyway, what are your thoughts on the program? Edited February 20, 2013 by spicyartichoke
cml471 Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 I am also slightly worried about how small the department is. I really like the language offerings, especially the variety of advanced Russian courses. I also love that they include Turkey as part of the Slavic and Eurasian Studies field- most other programs don't, and I'm interested in learning Turkish. My primary concern is that this program doesn't seem to provide pre-professional training/opportunities, but seems mostly focused on the academic (read PhD) track. But that's just the sense that I'm getting.
spicyartichoke Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 My primary concern is that this program doesn't seem to provide pre-professional training/opportunities, but seems mostly focused on the academic (read PhD) track. But that's just the sense that I'm getting. Agreed -- it seems more focused on being a stepping stone, esp. for lit./film/culture studies students. Let me know if your opinion about this changes either way as you learn more.
Elipschu! Posted February 26, 2013 Posted February 26, 2013 If any of you guys end up doing SWSEEL and would like to sublet a cheap room from a fellow East Europe enthusiast (I'm about a 3 minute walk from classes), feel free to send me a message!
spicyartichoke Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 Sorry slavophile, I didn't apply to Stanford and don't know much about the program. Has anyone had any more luck with admissions/decisions? Now that actually attending school is becoming more of a reality, my worry is shifting from getting in to getting funded. What are all of your plans for financing these 2(+) years? It seems that TA opportunities are very limited for MA students, and I haven't really seen much info about funded RA positions. Of course, FLAS is the biggie. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether receiving FLAS for the first year decreases your chances of receiving it for the second year? The prospect of a funded first year, followed by a $20-40k+ price tag the second year, is kind of frightening. I know this all varies by school/department and I should really look there for answers, but I just wanted to hear all of your thoughts.
IvanBezdomnii Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 I decided to enroll at MA RUES at UNC. Anyone else going or considering going? Or anyone know the area or program well and have any advice? If anyone is curious my specialization is 20th Century Russian/Soviet History with an emphasis on the periphery (Siberia, Far East, Kavkaz). Very satisfied with program and faculty. One of the best in the country, imho.
cml471 Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 I was recently accepted to UNC's MA RUES program. I am seriously considering it, and will be visiting in the next couple of weeks. IvanBezdomnii, do you have any more thoughts about the program? I'm curious, since I don't know a lot about it. Hoping to learn more when I visit!
IvanBezdomnii Posted March 7, 2013 Posted March 7, 2013 Hey cml, Congrats. I haven't actually been down to visit but I am planning on doing so. My undergraduate professors recommended the program to me. Apparently, it has a great reputation (right up there with Indiana, Georgetown, etc.). But what really excited me about it was the faculty. It depends on what you're interested in studying I guess, but for example Dr. Donlad Raleigh is one of the best contemporary scholars of Russian history and various other faculty members had a lot of intriguing research interests and backgrounds in various facets of RUES. Additionally, I looked at the thesis projects current student are researching. One or two were pretty bland (for example "State Building in Chechnya" - hasn't that been done to death?). But quite a few were really innovative and interesting (one that's stuck in my mind is "A comparison of the funeral trains of Alexander III and Abraham Lincoln" or something like that). So that gave me confidence that I could develop a fresh and innovative thesis at UNC, and not merely find myself wading through a field of stale and unoriginal topics and approaches. Also, the area has a good reputation. I didn't really want to spend two more years in the northeast, no matter how good the programs at Harvard, Colombia, etc. are (which is not to knock those programs at all, simply not for me is all). So I'm looking forward to the pleasant climate and friendly atmosphere, hopefully they will be more conducive to my studies then the NE's eternally grey Novembers and snowy winters (ironic given the field of study, I know). And while I admit that I'm not really an expert on either program, UNC's seems to be significantly better than Duke's. Anyway, I recommend trying to correspond with professors at all your acceptances with whom you are interested in working. Could help you eliminate some possibilities and get more excited about others. Good luck! P.S. I'm not quite in grad school mode yet, so forgive any typos, spelling mistakes, bad grammar, etc.
ReallyNiceGuy Posted March 11, 2013 Posted March 11, 2013 Who else is attending SWSEEL for Russian this summer? I will be attending (I'd be stunned if I entered less than level 7), FLAS or not- though I'm crossing my fingers! Congratulations to everyone with good news this cycle!
bg13 Posted March 11, 2013 Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) I decided to enroll at MA RUES at UNC. Anyone else going or considering going? Or anyone know the area or program well and have any advice? If anyone is curious my specialization is 20th Century Russian/Soviet History with an emphasis on the periphery (Siberia, Far East, Kavkaz). Very satisfied with program and faculty. One of the best in the country, imho. I'm 90% sure I'm going to enroll at UNC. I did my undergrad there and I feel like it's a good fit for my interests. Mainly just waiting to hear about funding. And I really love Chapel Hill, so that makes my decision a lot easier. Edited March 11, 2013 by bg13
IvanBezdomnii Posted March 11, 2013 Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) I'm 90% sure I'm going to enroll at UNC. I did my undergrad there and I feel like it's a good fit for my interests. Mainly just waiting to hear about funding. And I really love Chapel Hill, so that makes my decision a lot easier. Since you did your undergrad at Chapel Hill do you have any need to know insights on the program/faculty at UNC or the Chapel Hill area? I've been really impressed with the program but haven't been able to visit yet (bad time to get jury duty). My dad actually was a graduate student at UNC in the early 80s and really like the area, but I imagine it's changed a lot since then. Pretty excited to check it out. I won't miss the weather in the NE. BTW out of curiosity, what are your specific interests in the field? Edited March 11, 2013 by IvanBezdomnii
bg13 Posted March 12, 2013 Posted March 12, 2013 I don't have much to give in terms of the faculty. I've only recently begun to study the region (in fact, just started in my senior year). Most of my interactions have been within the literature side of the Slavic department, which is mainly where my interests lie. Like most programs, there is a heavier emphasis on Russian studies, but luckily there are a few professors who specialize elsewhere. My interests are in post-1989 Poland and the effects on literature after the shift (pretty vague at the moment). One main draw for myself is the ability to take courses at Duke if there isn't something you're looking for in the current semester at Carolina. The two schools do a pretty good job of combining resources where needed. Chapel Hill is definitely a college town. It's kind of its on bubble between Raleigh and Durham, which is nice. The practically always warm weather is great, too. haha.
IvanBezdomnii Posted March 12, 2013 Posted March 12, 2013 Thanks for that. I got placed as an alternate for FLAS at UNC. I have no idea how many people are on the waiting list for an FLAS there or what order people will get off. I'm hoping someone will decide they are a better fit at a different school or recieve alternative funding and a spot will open up. Not the worse thing in the world, but a little disapointing.
ReallyNiceGuy Posted March 13, 2013 Posted March 13, 2013 Ivan- you were wait listed for a FLAS from which school? UNC or Duke? Did you apply for a FLAS from Indiana?
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