The Case
Sally applied last fall for MPP programps for next fall, and over the past month we found out she got in everywhere. Or rather, almost everywhere. (9/10).
The choice is down to three, Harvard, Berkeley, and Michigan, though Georgetown, Duke, and NYU peak through every now and again. Somehow I thought the big choice was going to be Harvard/Berkeley (and the Boston - Berkeley choice is a tough one for me indeed), but Michigan is hanging tough, and on Sally’s assessment of the curriculum she’s most interested, it’s a front runner.
I’ve chosen not to go to Michigan twice already. There is no question as to its academic strength. Being in Michigan is the question.
Yes, I’ve been. Ann Arbor is a great city. Anyhow, Michigan being Michigan is not the point, it’s that Michigan 1) isn’t Berkeley 2) doesn’t put me closer to my family in a real sense.
Starting backwards: sure it’s closer, but am I going to go to NY any more often? Are my parents going to want to shelp there? Is anyone? San Francisco is a serious fringe benefit to enticing folks out here. Food/Wine add some allure. I hear Michigan has cherries.
See what happened there? I started talking about how Michigan wasn’t closer, and I ended up making the case that Michigan isn’t Berkeley. And the problem is that I love Berkeley.
The reasons are for it are easy, but what’s amazing is that I love it in spite of itself. When you spend any siginificant time off campus you’re going to go from cookie-cutter pre-professionals to folks that are just nuts. Something’s missing.
Walk around and you’ll dig my rap. Just tonight, as I was making my whiny, inertia ridden case to Sally, we heard:
“I’ve just got to get out of here. I need to get a job. I have post traumatic stress disorder” “Isn’t that what people claim when they don’t want to do any work?” “Sometimes, but I’ve got it. This town is making me too flakey.”
Or, the classic:
Stoned Guy Rattles the door Owner: “Closed.” SG: “What?” OW: “CLOSED.” SG: “I’ve got something for your boss, man” OW: Serious Grumble “CLOSED” SG: “You come outside and say that.” OW: “CLOSED.” Old Man in the closet: “Is everything ok?” OW: to the old man“Yes, go back to sleep” to the guy “CLOSED.”
And so on. Maybe it’s time to go. Maybe that these interactions don’t scare me but somehow endear Berkeley to me are signs enough, opportunity notwithstanding.
Blah.