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AROUND
THE QUADS
A history and philosophy double major, Immerwahr prepared his scholarship application while he was writing his philosophy thesis, which concerns the philosophy of history, or "what we do when we talk about the past." His goal is to be an historian, and although his primary interest lies in United States history, he told the Spectator that he "wants to try lots of different areas before focusing on one." He also aspires to teach, and has already gained valuable experience by serving as an Arthur Rose Teaching Fellow at Columbia, assisting with a class in Renaissance and Reformation history. Immerwahr shared his interests by co-founding the Undergraduate Philosophy Forum last year, which he describes as an informal setting "through which undergraduates can talk about philosophy." Immerwahr views himself not just as a teacher, philosopher and historian but as an activist, as well. History, for him, "is not just a scholarly activity but also a form of activism — capable of changing the present through inquiry into the past."
It is unclear what impact the World Trade Center tragedy had on these numbers. The increase in applications might indicate little or no impact; the lessening of the percentage of increase could be taken as an indication that some high school students and/or parents might be wary of New York City. According to the admissions office, approximately 29 percent of early decision applicants are accepted, and they will make up roughly 47 percent of the incoming class — a similar proportion as in recent years.
Only two other institutions in the top 10 posted gains (Yale and Princeton), and the Chronicle predicted that the 2001 fiscal year will most likely go down as higher education's worst ever. The financial situation for many institutions is expected to be even more difficult in light of the attacks of September 11. The Chronicle's survey this fall of 50 colleges — the 25 institutions with the largest endowments, as ranked by The National Association of College and University Business Officers, Washington, D.C., and 25 others — indicated that the funds of at least 37 institutions had posted negative return rates for the 2001 fiscal year. And Commonfund, which manages $30 billion on behalf of colleges and other nonprofits, indicated in the article that based on a survey it conducted, 39 of 53 respondents reported flat or negative returns for the fiscal year.
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MARSHALL: While preparing his application for a Marshall Scholarship,
Daniel Immerwahr '02 stayed focused by keeping a list of
forbidden activities that might distract him from the application.
His dedication paid off when, on November 17, he was one of 40 students
nationwide to be awarded Marshall Scholarships, which cover the
expenses of studying at any university in the United Kingdom for
two years. He is the sixth Columbia University student to be awarded
the scholarship in five years.
