Hey,
So I’m starting to realize and accept that my chances of admission are not only slim to none, but that a rejection is inevitable. Out of either clarity of mind or minor resentment, I’ve realized that: I don’t care about Brown or a degree. I just care about this one department at Brown, and a theoretical field that seems rare despite its import (I relate this to my friends as: Imagine if the only university that taught Computer Science was nearly impossible for you to get into due to reasons not related to Computer Science at all). It almost feels unfair, but I’d like to eschew the emotional toll of rejection and be pragmatic for the time being, lol.
What would you advise, as students who have possibly enrolled, graduated, and/or re-enrolled? I can’t think of a field other than semiotics I’m as interested in—well, of course anyone can, but none that I’d like to dedicate as many years of study to—and it seems I’m stuck with Brown for now. I’m yet unaware of any other undergraduate program that teaches semiotics. Should I start working on my Estonian?
Would it be possible to replicate the program’s goals by determining its content, through whatever MCM divulges online (such as required textbooks and so on)? Do I find the professors’ published material? Should I at least attempt to contact professors (AFTER Ivy Day) in case one has the time to assist or advise?
Also, what does the program offer that a combination of lit, film, and critical theory courses at another school doesn’t? What I perceive, and I don’t know if this is accurate, is that the standardization of interdisciplinary approaches within the department is why it’s different. A “text” becomes a “cultural object” as opposed to, y’know, literature. Maybe Brown isn’t the only school that’s collapsed the divide between high/low art, sure, but it’s the only one to apply this to a range of mediums. To return to my question: is simply reading Of Grammatology enough, or is the classroom application somehow part of the process? If so, how?
Thanks in advance.