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Grad school application

od Umlaŭto, 19. novembra 2007

Príspevky: 4

Jazyk: English

Umlaŭto (Zobraziť profil) 19. novembra 2007 16:18:07

So I'm applying to graduate schools, and all of them ask me what other languages I've studied.

Should I put down Esperanto? It's pretty much the only non-English language I can read and write competently, and yet with the wrong kind of reviewers I could imagine it being a point against my application.

Who I'd really like advice from are Esperantists who have in fact applied to grad school, whether they listed having studied Esperanto, and whether they feel it made a difference.

Miland (Zobraziť profil) 19. novembra 2007 19:59:20

Umlaŭto:So I'm applying to graduate schools, and all of them ask me what other languages I've studied.
Should I put down Esperanto? ...
IMHO it is a good idea to mention Esperanto. It is a proper human language with its own culture (which you can prepare yourself to explain), and it may work in your favour, if your study of it impresses people. You can always put it under hobbies or extracurricular interests to be on the safe side.

Good luck with your applications.

erinja (Zobraziť profil) 19. novembra 2007 20:42:36

I have always listed Esperanto in applications - undergrad, grad school, and jobs.

I never got a bad reaction about it, and no one ever laughed at me in an interview (though some people do laugh at it in my current job). Some people didn't know what it was (but thought it was interesting when I told them). In many cases it never even came up.

For something like grad school I would absolutely mention it. For something like searching for a job, maybe not, depending on the industry and on your personal history. In my case I would have to leave out significant information about my life (travel experience, volunteer experience, school club experience) if I were to leave Esperanto off of my language list. It seems like it's always been a good decision. As I said, any reactions I've gotten have always been either neutral or mildly positive.

T0dd (Zobraziť profil) 21. novembra 2007 1:17:50

What field are you applying to for grad school? I think the people in some fields might be less understanding than others.

Nahor