After a long day of engaging in enthralling conversations with professors, current students and other potential incoming student I was sold. Throughout the day politely, but repeatedly various employees of the university reminded us if we pay or have paid our deposit we can get first priority in the registration process. Trying to be responsible I shunned their tantalizing offer and put off a commitment until visiting George Washington University on Friday.
I figured this second visit day would be primarily a formality and told myself unless GW really impressed me, I would drop my 400 dollars to American and begin to plan the next two years in the far northwest of Washington DC. Well surprise surprise, GW managed to do just that. While American still had my heart, GW enticed my brain with their emphasis on job skills and more robust career services.
Torn between these choices I did the only rational thing I could… ran to the Trader Joe’s near the GW campus, stocked up on snacks and proceeded to locked myself in my room with a quarter. With George’s head gracing one side of the coin and an eagle, American’s mascot on the other… it was easy to know which side indicated which school. I was tired on Friday and it was late by the time I got home so I only managed to flip the coin 37 times with 21 of those in favor of GW. Despite work on Saturday and Sunday I was able to squeeze in far more flips per day: 163 on Saturday with 90 for American and 147 on Sunday with 80 toward GW. After a short work day yesterday I ended up with a grand total of 562 with a spot on 281 for each school. I perhaps definitively proved the 50-50 probably of getting heads and tails with a quarter, but obviously some higher being was telling me I had to make up my mind in a less irrational way.
If you’re reading this the suspense might be killing you as it has me for the past few days, so I’ll get serious and let anyone who might impatiently want to know already: I have decided to go to the School of International Service at American University enrolling fall 2010 and probably graduating sometime in 2012 or 2013.
In the end how did I come to this decision? Well after consulting everyone I could and make an elaborate comparison chart ranging from curriculum to professors (including whether or not they’re foodies) to location to my thoughts on the mascots and girls of both schools. As mentioned above the choice came down to a program I liked far better, but didn’t give me overwhelming confidence about the job hunt versus a program that was acceptable, but did far more to reassure me my lovely degree in international development would produce some type of income. For my lovely chart, American was the clear winner and almost everyone who was kind enough to look at it knew I had made my decision already, but of course I continued to agonize for a few more days.
Finally after speaking to a few DC contacts who work in the fields I am interested in, I was comforted that there was no significant difference of job prospects and both programs are highly respected. After sleeping on it a few nights and all this input, I decided that regardless of the resources available the onus will be on me to find a job and if I’m going to be investing in a graduate program I want it to intellectually fulfill me as well as providing me important practical skills and contacts.
I’m going to follow-up with a post about all those people I want and have to thank for this process, but I wanted to express why I made my decision more for my own benefit, but also for those who were curious. There is definitely much more to, but I’ll spare you for now.
The new School of International Service building. This is where I will be living for the next two years
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