I want to double major in Physics and Russian or Russian Studies (preferably Russian studies), however I do not have many extracurriculars regarding them. I know Russia’s history very well (I read about it every day) and I know Russian, however I don’t have any specific activity to appear on college apps. How will this reflect to AOs? Are there any suggestions for extracurriculars I can possibly pick up?
Also, what are some notable schools with Russian and Russian Studies majors, especially Russian studies? I have found some, but due to how obscure the major is, I would like some expertise on it from this knowledgeable community.
There are a few universities in the U.S. designated as Russian Flagship programs. I can’t recall offhand all of them, but I will try to find the list and post. Or just try Googling. I know University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of them.
Extracurriculars, well, that could encompass many things; for starters, Russian film has a brilliant history – Dovzhenko, Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, Tarkovsky, Mira Kuratova, Sokurov, the current, talented Andrey Zvyagintsev, all have contributed major works and developments to the form.
@anhydrite Thanks, however what would I do with film, give film reviews? I am more interested in Russian history, and with the current geopolitics of Russia. What could I do with that?
You are trying to create something to put on an application to give you a boost? Well, the geopolitics is something you’d study while you are in college. I would say that is already somewhat impressive, if you could somehow work it into an official activity. Knowing that depth of film history could also be very impressive, if you were earnest about it. It depends on you. For the history, politics, etc., maybe think of something like a mock UN, or trying to find a Russian community, a historical society, some extracurricular you could participate in with meaning I suppose. There’s a fine line between massaging your application, and having a genuine interest with excellent grades. Maybe some other posters have other ideas, but the flagship programs are a great start for Russian Studies programs, as you asked for.
Perhaps some kind of media outlet, on the internet – blogging, reporting, finding a global radio channel where you submitted a story on historical or contemporary subjects… even interviewing family or others you may know could be start, if you’re coming up short for established activities.
@anhydrite Oh no, it’s a genuine interest, I waste too much time reading about Russia, when I should be doing my homework. I just want that passion to be displayed. I do Model UN but I feel like it’s not exclusively to Russia.
Also, I found on Cornell’s website that they offer a Russian Studies major (http://registrar.sas.cornell.edu/cosarchive/Courses97/AS63.html), however when I look at the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and the majors they offer, its not listed. Can anyone explain this discrepancy please?
Barnard and Columbia are terrific for Russian and Russian Studies. Disclaimer: I majored in Russian at Barnard and did graduate work in Soviet Studies at Columbia. At many colleges, Russian Studies will be interdisciplinary, and might not appear as a listed major.
@woogzmama That’s interesting, so how would I let a college know I want to major in Russian studies, if they appear to offer it but don’t list it? And why don’t colleges list all the majors they offer?
At most undergraduate colleges, you would not have to declare a major, because Russian and Russian Studies would fall within the liberal arts category. Georgetown is an exception, because the School of Foreign Service is separate, if that’s the field that interests you. You can express your interest in your application essay, or by asking about the department/program if you meet with an admissions representative. See what sort of undergraduate classes are available by perusing an on-line course catalog. That will let you know how advanced the language program is, how varied in breadth and depth the curriculum is, and what departmental requirements are. Also, see whether a college has flexibility in allowing students to design their own majors if none officially exists. A number of colleges will accommodate that.
Most colleges that have strong Russian language departments will also offer a Russian studies major or something similar – (the exact name of the major could be different) - you should also expand your search to include “Slavic Studies” or “Slavic languages” because you may find Russian studies subsumed under that. Since you are also interested in studying Russian history, it’s probably worthwhile to check out the history departments at those colleges too.
Bard has an affiliated campus in Smolny (St. Petersburg), Russia-- and they offer a study abroad program open to students from other schools. So a semester or academic year abroad is another option you can explore. (My daughter attended Barnard and studied Russia there, but it was not her major.)
Several top research schools will still offer a discreet Russian / Slavic studies program, and for your interests, I’d recommend going with a school that still has a separate, well-established department, or one of the officially designated Russian flagships. Reason being that some universities have been forced to pare down their humanities and language offerings in recent years, which represents a sordid, yet ongoing state of affairs. The last thing you’d want is to attend a school where Russian is mixed in with other liberal arts, only to find it may be further squeezed out as the years transpire.
As for Cornell, I don’t know how Russian / Slavic is categorized, but it is not likely to disappear there. Plus, Nabokov taught for more years at Cornell than Wellesley or Harvard, for what that’s worth.
I think it is positive that you’re participating in Model UN – I wouldn’t discount that, and I don’t mean to imply your Russian interests are not genuine. Remember, geopolitics is just that: in involves the globe, and you need to be proficient in the balance of powers, their interplay and diplomacy. Having a specialized area, such as Russia, Baltic countries, etc. is certainly a plus, and to be expected the further you progress in your studies. It is frankly more important to do your homework and get stellar grades and scores if you want to be eligible for the top rank of universities iterated here.
Brown has a dept of Slavic Studies (Cultures, literatures and languages of Russian, Czech Poland) for both grad and undergrad degrees. They also have physics, of course. They also have a study abroad in St. Petersberg with classes taught by Brown Professors.
Well, that is interesting for Cornell – thanks for the links. As it says near bottom of article, if Cornell lost its Russian program, it would have the distinction of the only ivy to lack one. And from the other link, it appears to still be active, with good placement. Other humanities faced cuts at Cornell in recent years, but I sincerely hope Russian remains intact.
Also, being potentially housed in Comparative Literature diminishes the program’s identification, but is not entirely a bad thing – Comparative Literature has a very close relationship with language programs, such that most Comp. Lit. PhD’s go on the market with an affiliated language as a specialty, and are hired as the latter. It is more rare to be hired into a Comp. Lit. department directly, as Comp. Lit. positions are not plentiful; rather, one is hired as a language specialist, and then also teaches courses in Comp. Lit. and interdisciplinary pools.