Persistent Illumination

It looks like yet another sibling will be formally titled "master" soon. This will make three of five - and me the only one with "no good reason" not to be on the list.

Phil was the first to go. He's out in Edmonton at the University of Alberta, about halfway through a masters in linguistics, somehow earning a MSc in an arts-based program. Undergraduate: Bachelor of Mathematics in CS, from good old UW. He's one smart cookie.

Matt was the next to move towards grad school, heading for the School of Information at the University of Michigan. No news yet what program he's headed for in that school. Undergraduate: Accounting, from U of M's sworn rival (and my dad's first professorship), Michigan State University.

And now, Joanna. She'll be moving to Austin, Texas this summer, where she will be enrolling in a Hebrew Studies program at the University of Texas. Still not sure why she's so into Hebrew, but I think she should use her interest to write the Jewish "Da Vinci Code" and make a go-zillion dollars (not to mention have Tom Hanks star in the film version). Also I'm surprised that one would choose to study Hebrew in Texas, but apparently U of T is really good for that. Undergraduate: BA from Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Religious Studies and Jewish Studies.

Simon has a great excuse, as he's still finishing his undergrad out at Adams State College in Colorado. Like two of his older brothers, he'll be taking the "extended over time" approach to a bachelor's degree. Phil went to Japan for a year on co-op and I got a teensy bit involved in my school community. Simon, in turn, will be headed to Africa to put the "field" back in "field research." Undergraduate: BSc in Wildlife Biology (in order to become a better wildlife photographer).

Which leaves me. Undergraduate: BA in psychology from UW, minoring in management studies and peace and conflict studies. It's not that I'm not feeling out my choices: I've sat down and talked to business schools, psychology programs, schools in warmer climates as well as a few programs a bit closer to home. Still, it's my masters degree. I'm left with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after my UW education - despite the fact that I hold a degree in one of North America's top programs of its kind, people hear "psychology" and they think "left-wing theorist" or "someone who couldn't decide what to take" or "far too theoretical;" they hear "arts" and they think "can't hack the math, or the entrance requirements to a real program," "would make a good teacher," or "not logical enough for science;" they hear "University of Waterloo" and they think "engineering, math or computers, right?"

So, I have given myself a few choices for my grad program selection. Either:
• reputable and well-known nationally, if not internationally (e.g. Ivey MBA, Schulich law, Calgary I/O psych, maybe something Ivy League)
• extremely employable upon graduation
• really, really quick and easy (I'm thinking of thesis routes, here)
• something just weird, wild and cool (grad school in Australia, anyone?)