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Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans are teeming with unique culture. Any of these cities would be great-although if you like beaches, Charleston or Savannah should take precedence.
There are no exchange links with Savannah or Charleston, though
So I take it maybe you don't want to try Auburn because Alabama is religious? I'd try University of North Carolina-Chapel Hil of all the places you listed.
So I take it maybe you don't want to try Auburn because Alabama is religious? I'd try University of North Carolina-Chapel Hil of all the places you listed.
Sorry, forgot to reply to your PM. I can't go to Auburn because it's not a partner university...
I am studying BA (Hons) History at a university in the United Kingdom. Before Christmas I managed to successfully transfer from the 3-year programme to the 4-year programme, enabling me to complete an international exchange in the United States/Canada for my third year. It's a fantastic opportunity and I have begun to research destinations for my international exchange. I am not interested in going to Canada, so I would like to go to the US. I can choose from the following institutions in the US:
University of Alaska, Anchorage University of Arizona
Binghamton University - State University of New York University of California University of Colorado, Boulder
Florida International University
Framingham State University
George Mason University
Georgetown University
Goucher College
University of Hawai'i
Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Kansas
Louisiana State University
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts
Middlebury College University of Minnesota University of Mississippi (The Center for Civil War Research) University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Missouri, St Louis
University of New Mexico University of North Carolina
University of Notre Dame
Occidental College
University of Oklahoma University of Oregon
State University of New York: Plattsburgh
University of Redlands
Reed College
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
Roanoke College
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey
San Francisco State University
Stetson University
St Olaf College
Temple University
Tulane University
University of Utah
Westminster College
I am a History student, so I would like to go to a state that has an interesting history. I am interested in the following historical topics (in order of interest):
- Frontier
- Civil War
- Revolutionary War
- Civil Rights
- Cold War
Now, I have a budget. I cannot afford to study at an institution that costs over $15k. (Please note: As an international student I pay for everything apart from tuition.) I know for a fact that: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah are within my budget range, but I have left my list of costs in my room back at university (home for Christmas at the moment) so I don't know the costs exactly. All I remember money-wise is that California was expensive, same for the Northeastern universities and Florida. The rest is ok for me.
I am set on avoiding the Northeast of the US. I know it is the cost that has the most history but I feel that a) it would be too familiar for me (certainly New England); I am looking for a new experience, and b) I couldn't afford to study there. I am also not too fond of California or Florida, also because of expense and because I am not a beach kind of guy.
I have a criteria that I would like to try and meet. The university I apply to must...
- be located in a state rich in history. This is very vague, but I'd like to be in a state that has a substantial amount of research opportunities and enough history to write my final year dissertation on.
- have good academics. I am not looking for Harvard-style academics, but I'd like the university to be well-known nationally and not a party school.
- in/near (under an 1hr away from) a major US city.
- have good public transport and an Amtrak and Greyhound station.
- be in a region that gets dry heat NOT humid.
I know this is specific, and not all of my criteria will be met, but I want most of it to be.
I need to put down 5 choices, in order of preference, and "the study abroad team will try and make it possible for [me] to be able to attend one of [my] top 3 choices". If I pick 5 institutions I want them to be similar in respects to region and history. For example, I don't want to put Oregon down as one of my choices and then put down UNC. I want to stick to the same location so I know what to expect and if I don't get my top choice, then my other choices will be similar.
I am thinking of the following choices (based on historical topic/region). NB: $ = over budget.
Civil War
1. University of Richmond
2. UNC
3. Roanoke College
4. Goucher College
5. Rhode Island
Revolutionary War
1. Rhode Island
2. UMass $
3. Richmond
4. Roanoke
5. Goucher
What are your opinions/advice?
Thank you in advance
Since you are placing a very strong emphasis on the quality of education, stick to AAU schools* (they are in bold) or schools that have a center of research based on a time period (underlined). Don't pay too much attention to the climate of a location. Instead of obsessing over geographic location, research the faculty of each school and the research they have done on the time periods you are interested in. If possible talk to professors at the schools you like that have similar interest as yours. You will want and need people to write LoR for you down the line.
Since you are placing a very strong emphasis on the quality of education, stick to AAU schools* (they are in bold) or schools that have a center of research based on a time period (underlined). Don't pay too much attention to the climate of a location. Instead of obsessing over geographic location, research the faculty of each school and the research they have done on the time periods you are interested in. If possible talk to professors at the schools you like that have similar interest as yours. You will want and need people to write LoR for you down the line.
Then why obsess over this stuff at all? The user mentioned he would like to stay away from the generic anytown usa which a lot of those have. I don't see why geographic location and culture wouldn't play a huge influence.
You know, lately there have been a bunch of kids from overseas posting similar questions about the same universities - you should scroll though the general US forum and look at similar threads, then arrange to get together with the other kids. I feel as though I've been saying the same things several times.
Anyway, in short:
Marquette is a Catholic University in Milwaukee, which is a large poorer city with all of the negatives and positives associated with that. I did an internship there 100 years ago (1983!). I enjoyed it, but wouldn't really recommend it - too much urban decay and racial disharmony at the time I lived there, anyway. You should know that I have an anti-urban bias, though. Marquette has a wonderful academic reputation.
I grew up in Bloomington, where IU is. It is a beautiful town which is similar to Lawrence, KS. IU is best known for it's music school and basketball. The history department at IU is also excellent (Hi, Hugh!) and you will be able to study every aspect of American history there. However, Bloomington is not close to any major Revolutionary or Civil War or "Westward Expansion" historic sites. Regional settlement was "early frontier" - post Revolution (1780) to pre Civil War (1860). Vincennes is a nearish town which was significant in White/Native American conflict, eg slaughter and forced displacment of Native Americans. New Harmony is an interesting nearby town, formed by a Utopian community.
So, read and post in the Milwaukee forum and in the Indiana forum. Keep thinking!
You might want to decide whethser you want to live in a large city or in a university town - very different sorts of places in the U.S.
You know, lately there have been a bunch of kids from overseas posting similar questions about the same universities - you should scroll though the general US forum and look at similar threads, then arrange to get together with the other kids. I feel as though I've been saying the same things several times.
Anyway, in short:
Marquette is a Catholic University in Milwaukee, which is a large poorer city with all of the negatives and positives associated with that. I did an internship there 100 years ago (1983!). I enjoyed it, but wouldn't really recommend it - too much urban decay and racial disharmony at the time I lived there, anyway. You should know that I have an anti-urban bias, though. Marquette has a wonderful academic reputation.
I grew up in Bloomington, where IU is. It is a beautiful town which is similar to Lawrence, KS. IU is best known for it's music school and basketball. The history department at IU is also excellent (Hi, Hugh!) and you will be able to study every aspect of American history there. However, Bloomington is not close to any major Revolutionary or Civil War or "Westward Expansion" historic sites. Regional settlement was "early frontier" - post Revolution (1780) to pre Civil War (1860). Vincennes is a nearish town which was significant in White/Native American conflict, eg slaughter and forced displacment of Native Americans. New Harmony is an interesting nearby town, formed by a Utopian community.
So, read and post in the Milwaukee forum and in the Indiana forum. Keep thinking!
You might want to decide whethser you want to live in a large city or in a university town - very different sorts of places in the U.S.
You'll probably have lots of fun wherever you go.
Thanks for the info. Two of my coursemates used this site
I think I am overthinking everything. But I am investing a lot in this experience, so it's understandable.
reynoldster - I'd just like to chime in that the midwest is known for it's anywhere usa generic vibe which you say you want to stay away from. It doesn't have as long as history as the north east which is where I'm from. I for one don't think it gets anymore boring than the midwest. I would like Eric said visit the south before I would there. To me the midwest is terribly generic. It doesn't have the long history that the northeast and south have nor do I think it's that's interesting of a place. Again, that's jut my opinion as someone that is from Pennsylvania.
You're going to find a more similar climate to the UK in the Pacific Northwest ... say, from San Francisco, northward.
Either of the Oregon schools is a good choice. Reed's going to be more expensive, but is in Portland, where transportation is very good. The University of Oregon, at Eugene, is a smaller city, not as extensive public transportation, but does have Amtrak service.
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