<p>Has anyone heard of the National Name Exchange program?</p>
<p>Had never heard of it before, but it sounds like a good idea. Here’s a linlk to it from google:</p>
<pre><code> National Name Exchange program
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship – UW Graduate School
</code></pre>
<p>At first glance, I thought this was a program for URMs. But, I now see that Asians are part of the program and make up a vast majority in it. The URM participation in the program was in decline in each of the reports I’ve read, while Asian participation continued to rise. Also, seeing the list of participating schools is misleading. The report shows that the vast majority of participants come from only 2-3 schools (UCs and U Washington).</p>
<p>What I would like to see is a summary of the grad school matriculation numbers (%) for each group (overall-outside of the program). If Asians aren’t underrepresentedin grad schools, then I wonder if their particiaption in the program is deterring URMs.</p>
<p>Well, I received information from the University of Minnesota about the National Name Exchange program. I just find it weird that I got something from them when other schools, such as Harvard, Yale, Penn, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, etc. are also members of the program. I just hope Minnesota is not the school they gave me for graduate assistance for the rest of my time at Northwestern. I find it insulting, especially when I believe it would value me more if the University of Michigan was my graduate mentor since I’m from the Detroit, not Minnesota.</p>
<p>I don’t think that you have reason to be insulted if Univerity of Minn. is your graduate mentor. U Minn. has some excellent graduate programs. I imagine that mentors are selected for students based both on the mentor’s desires and on the students’ backgrounds and desires. </p>
<p>I have been involved in matching students for a program that had some similarities to the one that you have mentioned. Particularly when it comes to the top students (and I imagine that you are in this group), the organization running the program has to spread the students around. The mentoring has to meet both the student’s needs and the needs of the sponsoring university (which probably paid money to participate in the program).</p>
<p>I’ve had some personal experience with University of Minn. since my older son went there, and I also know some faculty there. They tend to highly value URMs, and to have a relatively difficult time getting them. Since they have a harder time attracting URMs than does U Mich., I think that U Minn. might actually value you more than does U Mich. Don’t be insulted or give up on them without giving them a chance.</p>
<p>Minneapolis also is a great city with a lot going for it, so don’t write it off.</p>
<p>But Northstarmom, I remember exactly that I wrote down African-American Studies as one of several fields I’m interested in for graduate study.</p>
<p>Since when did the University of Minnesota offer an African-American Studies program???</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/grad/programs/g165.html[/url]”>http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/grad/programs/g165.html</a>
According to this link, the University of Minnesota offers a graduate minor in the field. You have to figure that they have to go through quite a process to match students to programs. I would guess that since you listed several fields, they chose Minnesota because it matched most of your fields, and at least they have a presence in this one through the minor. I would also guess that other students with several areas of interest were matched to programs in which at least one area of interest is in a minor field. At least the University of Minnesota offers something related to this field.</p>
<p>Harvard, Northwestern, Penn, Yale, Michigan…offer more well-known and better African-American Studies graduate programs.</p>
<p>those are undoubtably very competitive.
My niece who just graduated from Colgate magnacumlaude, wanted to attend Michigan for grad school, but she also needed monetary assistance, she is taking a year off to work as the aid offered was not what she expected.
If you need to work as a TA or other finaid, you are better off not setting your sights quite so high- particulary when the other choices are still very good.
Don’t you already have about $50,000 in loans? Grad school is going to be even more expensive. Many students find that getting even a years worth of work experience gives them a boost in applying to grad school as well as a better idea of what they want out of it</p>
<p>Emerald, they might be <em>competitive</em>, but they are the only universities that I know that offer GRADUATE fields in African-American Studies. And you want to attend those schools if you want to get a job. Unfortunately, the prestige and reputation of a graduate department is important for future job prospects. I know just from looking at the African-American Studies professors’ schools in their bios: all Ivies and top-50 universities.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in Harvard, etc., nothing prevents you from calling or e-mailing people at their departments. I’m sure that the National Name Exchange exists not just to help students, but to also help colleges diversify their graduate programs. Colleges are also probably paying for the service, so all of the colleges in the mix have to get referrals, which means that students are not necessarily going to get their best matches.</p>
<p>You, though, have the power to get mentors, etc. by contacting the colleges directly and should do so. See the Name Project as simply icing on the cake. Do the bulk of the work for your grad school admissions yourself.</p>