Many of you reading this blog are my friends and family, and so likely are familiar with my graduate school search. I applied to lots of schools and programs, got accepted to most, and have recently been weighing the benefits and costs (literally) of each to try to determine which is the best school for me next year. Well, the search is done and the game decided. After an admitted student visit day this last weekend, I have made my final decision to attend the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University-Bloomington!
I originally became interested in SPEA when the father of a Lawrence colleague and SPEA professor visited campus last fall and attended a poster presentation I did on research I conducted last summer in the Philippines. Professor Jeff White asked me what my interests were after undergrad and upon hearing that I was interested in working with communities and organizations making the transition to sustainability and “green” practices, suggested that I look at the Bloomington SPEA program, that it might be something I was interested in. After perusing their website, reading program and course descriptions, and learning that their Master’s of Public Affairs program was ranked # 2 in the country by U.S. News and World Report, I was definitely interested.
The program I will be entering next fall will allow me to get both a Master’s of Public Affairs and a Master’s of Science in Environmental Science in only two and a half years of coursework. The program emphasizes flexibility and community while you’re there, and has great job placement within government agencies and some of the top consulting firms in the country. Not to mention that they offered me a financial/merit age package that – well, let’s just say that as far as paying for professional school programs goes, this is about as good as it gets. I’ll have to take out minimal loans for tuition and living expenses, but given that I am fortunate enough to get out of undergrad with no loans and I’ll have a much better job upon completion, I think it’s worth it.
Bloomington, Indiana was called one of the top 10 student-friendly college towns in the nation by USA Today. According to Bloomingpedia, Bloomington’s Wikipedia knock-off website, it’s a medium-sized city with about 70,000 year round residents and a larger metro area of about 175,000. Indiana University has about 40,000 students to add to this population, so the town, though possessing roughly the same year-round population as my hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin, actually feels larger. Because it’s a college town, the downtown district really has a lot going on. There are tons of ethnic restaurants, diners, pizza places, coffee houses, shops and plenty of things to do always. Some things I’m personally really excited about: a co-op grocery store called BloomingFoods that sells organic, local products, a downtown farmer’s market from April – September, a killer Thai restaurant called Siam House, and the hills, ridges and forests surrounding the town. Compared to totally flat Appleton, with it’s limited mile-long downtown strip, Bloomington will definitely be a nice change.
I’ve visited Bloomington twice now (once back in February for a SPEA interview, and once just last weekend for an admitted students day), and I enjoyed myself both times. This past weekend the weather was beautiful and springy; because they are so far south, Bloomington’s about 6 weeks ahead of Appleton and so has green grass, flowers and leaves on the trees, where up here, all the snow is just barely melted. I enjoyed walking around the city and the beautiful campus in 65-70 degree weather. (Granted, my viewpoint may be skewed on the whole experience due to the fact that the nice weather caused me to view the entire experience with rose-colored glasses.) Still, I think Bloomington is a place I could see myself living for a few years.
I just sent in my initial deposit to SPEA, making myself an official student for next fall. Now, the next step in this whole adventure is to find an apartment, sign a lease, and start acquiring furniture. Yikes! Let the games begin…
Adventures in Sustainability 