Taking Stock of the Left: The Nation’s “Reimagining Socialism” Series

While there has been much speculation in the “mainstream media” (I’m referring to cable news) about the fate of the GOP and the Conservative Movement in the U.S., these institutions have said little about the debate among leftists about the state of the “Left” in the U.S. This could be attributed to Obama’s presidency overshadowing the rest of the left, this belief that the left, like the right, can be collapsed into a large monolith, especially when America’s head of state “represents” that political tendency. This is also due the right’s demonization of various leftist tendencies.

Anyways, as I’m am working on my take of what’s going on among Leftists, I will post some of the pieces that I’ve read. The first piece is the lead article (written by Barbara Ehrenreich and Bill Fletcher, Jr.) of The Nation’s “Reimagining Socialism” series. I’m late, because The Nation began running this series in March. It includes twenty articles.

Filed under: Taking Stock of the Left

Applying to Graduate School in the Midwest?

One aim that I also had for this site was to help other interested undergrads enter and pursue graduate studies. While I cannot claim to know everything about getting into Law, Medicine, or even Science and Math-based graduate programs, I have gone through this process enough to have learned how to construct personal statements and devise an overall strategy for putting someone in the best position to create their own good luck.

I have also stumbled upon a way to avoid application fees (sometimes) while applying for Phd programs last year. I enrolled into a program called FreeApp. It was simple. I filled out the application (on the last night that I was able) and was accepted. As a member I was able to mark that I was a member of the program on a few of my online applications.

This worked for my applications to The Ohio State University and Illinois without a hitch. I had problems, though, with using it to apply to University of Illinois at Chicago and Purdue. Purdue wanted students to send them some information about something (I forget what and why this was a problem. I remember that it had something to do with being a resident in the state) and there seemed to be a glitch in UIC’s online application.

Warning: This program is for schools in the Big Ten/Midwest. Doing this won’t ensure your admittance into any program and you should make sure that you hound the graduate schools that you apply to about all of your supplemental materials (letters of recommendations, portfolios, writing samples, GRE and other test scores, etc.) and whether or not your fee issues are resolved. While you shouldn’t have to request such information, make sure the Graduate School notifies you in writing about your fee waiver. Also try writing particular Graduate Schools, or whomever takes the applications and fees, to see if you can obtain a fee waiver.  Good Luck! Add me on Facebook (Austin McCoy) or email me:  a1mccoy@gmail.com, if you have any more questions about the application process. I hope to be of some help…

Link:

FreeApp

Filed under: Education