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jjesco5
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Topic: Colleges with close whitewater
    Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 8:23pm
I am looking at going to college in the PNW/BC area and I really want to go to a place with good whitewater oppourtunities nearby. I live in the SW with the nearest run being 2 hrs away. I have competent III+ skills and am moving into some Iv's once it warms up (due to really gnarly cold in the canyons and Colorado sucking up all the water so nothing runs). I am probably going to have strong IV paddling abilities by the time I graduate, 2016.

Really I am just looking for strong Art History/Liberal Arts programs with good whitewater nearby, and some decent financial aid...

What schools should I take a look at?
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  Quote commander fun Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 8:33pm
Washington state university vancouver, if you want to be super close to some sick whitewater that people  all over the world dream about.  or some where in portland like PSU would be fine.  i chose WSUV specifically for the boating( and for engineering) and i have not been dissapointed.  the vancouver/portland area has a super strong boating scene.  i think any school from bc to southern oregon on the west side of the cascades would be fine.  theres no off season. 
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jjesco5
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 8:36pm
No off season would be great, any schools that are known for strong art history/liberal arts in that area? 
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  Quote commander fun Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 8:41pm
ah sorry, i dont know about that.  I assume every school is pretty musch the same though.  remember, kayaking is more important than school.  j/k   you can have the best of both worlds!
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jjesco5
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 8:55pm
Haha so true, just don't know if I can justify a school by the kayaking near it to my parents haha. 
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  Quote jerryclayross Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 10:07pm
Cant resist making a plug for university of Puget sound (small liberal arts school in Tacoma). we've got a good kayak club, tons of financial aid, an arts history major and the green (nearest run) is about 30 minutes away.

My wife works there and we help support the club. PM me if ya want more info.
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  Quote mokelumnekid Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 10:32pm
Fair or not, school "brand" absolutely does matter, esp in non-professional fields like history/liberal arts. Unless you want to end up driving a forklift at waterbed warehouse for a living, you had better pay keen attention to the placement and internship track records of all the west side schools. Not to be a Donald Downer but get your priorities flipped- you will only get one shot at school and it had better serve your long term career goals- such as you can understand them at this time.

School isn't cheap and that's a factor as well. You def need to look into matriculation rules and the cost of out-of-state tuition for the state schools on the west side (UW, Evergreen, Western WA, WSU-Vancouver, Portland State) and the privates UPS and Seattle Pacific.

But back to "brand" name. As someone who *cough* has some experience with this, if you plan to go on in those fields and want to enter graduate or professional programs of some distinction it makes a difference where you are coming from. A 4.0 GPA from Mossy Butt State may not be viewed as well as a 3.0 from Research Tech University. You get my drift.

But mostly I'm kind of surprised one would come to this forum for important life advice. We generally deal with lost gear, barking dogs and car alarms here...
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  Quote ENDO Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 10:35pm
Evergreen gives you could access to a ton of stuff. Small scene though. WWU has a ton of good stuff and skiing really close by plus a ton of BC stuff is right there as well. (Skooks, etc.) I am currently in Spokane for school and a couple times got the itch and considered transfering. Track down facebook pages related to the local paddling scenes and post there.
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 10:37pm
I have some strong connections into the art history scene and I know that I pretty much need a PHD to go anywhere with it. I came here because I really don't know a whole lot about schools in that area and wanted some info. The WUE is a huge factor into schools but also with Art History private schools seem to be the way to go, which are ineligible for WUE. Nothing is for certain right now, I am just trying to get some schools to put on my list to talk with my college counselor about. Total preliminary step here.
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  Quote commander fun Replybullet Posted: 20 Jan 2015 at 11:14pm
@mokelumnekid

i totally agree about coming to this forum for life advice!
  
i have said it before, so im actually going to quote myself from another thread on pp about computers:


"professor paddle is better for asking questions like  "how much beer can i drink out of my boot before i throw up?""



Edited by commander fun - 20 Jan 2015 at 11:15pm
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  Quote tiziak Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 7:06am
I think this is a great place to look for life advice (as long as you can handle some sh*t talking). Think about it. On any given day I get out on the water I get to interact with an Engineer, a doctor, a real estate agent, an EMT, a firefighter, a personal trainer, contractors, teachers... blah blah blah. I know a much more diverse crowd through the boating community than I know in my "other-than-boating" personal life. Probably because it doesn't exist.
There is a wealth of knowledge on the other side of the computer screen, obsessing over the same gages and lamenting the same lack of snowpack. I think this community is an amazing resource and should be used as often as possible.

Enough feely sh*t.

Stop waiting and start packing man! The PNW is the place to be if you're a boater, a lumberjack or even just a red-blooded 'Murican. We do not have a lot of class IV though, so bring your creekboat and buy some elbow pads. Contrary to popular belief, we do have amazing playboating, but the window is short where as the creeks almost never stop running.

Try and find a drysuit on the cheap before you move out here as well. This will save some time and pain.

What about the Bellingham scene? You're halfway between Robe and Callahan Creek. You've got Mt Baker less than an hour away and there happens to be a super sweet college in town. Maybe reach out to Ben Dan or Fred Norquist, as those guys recently graduated from that area.

All in all though, I'd say if you're near the Portland or Seattle area, you're set. Maybe Ashville or Boon, NC can compete (maybe?).
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

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  Quote mokelumnekid Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 7:59am
Okay I'll toss this out there wearing my univ perfesser's hat: if you truly think that a PhD is required for traction in your field, than you should go to a place (as an undergrad) that offers them. Not everyone would agree but just saying that if you are exposed to a vibrant community of scholars who are actually living/working and advancing their field you can better understand what is involved and your place and voice in all that. You will typically find a greater topical diversity and numbers of faculty in those schools as that is required for graduate accreditation. One can marinate in a richer stew of possibilities and test their mettle against a larger more diverse group of peers. Then when it is your time to go on to grad school (it is generally not considered good practice to stay at one's undergraduate institution), the people who are writing letters for you will likely be those who have national/international recognition and so they might be stronger advocates. Fair or not this kind of thing matters.

On the other hand the smaller 4-year schools have talented, devoted faculty, students and programs as well. But what one gains by having a very hand-crafted educational experience is perhaps traded-off by less breadth and number of peers in any discipline.

But one thing to remember about your chosen fields: many are called and few are chosen. Unlike say, the physical sciences and engineering where graduate students are often completely funded, in history/art history unless one makes their mark early and really strives to be a star, the going can be tough.
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  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 8:12am
RE: Life Advice.

I think that the people who frequent this forum are diverse, knowledgeable and capable enough to discuss serious topics. The issue is not that they can't be brought up here, the issue is that they are not frequently brought up here so no one either responds or thinks it is appropriate. Which could or could not confirm your point.

I am a good case example. When my family started growing (rapidly) I withdrew from the party / boating discussions and when I did go boating it was last minute and usually alone due to time. I view the forum quite a bit but don't post since I don't have much to contribute to the current threads. If there were others like this, I would.

About the school, mokelumnekid is dead on however, there is also an often forgotten fact. You change career paths multiple times in life but you don't start in your teens and 20's each time. I am glad I lived it up in my youth and got to burn that candle down to the nip. Now I live a different life and I am glad I was able to make that transition, some do, some don't.
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  Quote mokelumnekid Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 8:37am
I'm with James, I worked almost a decade of construction and mining before going to college, and finding my calling. The best part of that is when I finally did, those years of shoveling mud in the rain I understood how to work hard and was completely motivated to be as successful as my talents would allow. I let somebody else wear the party hat for awhile.


Then I discovered kayaking and my career and reputation went to s-t...

Edited by mokelumnekid - 21 Jan 2015 at 8:37am
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  Quote Ellingferd Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 9:57am
If you are into art/art history and liberal arts you should be prepared to teach whether that be K-12 or beyond in order to make a living. Sure you could curate some art museum or gallery, but the likelihood for that kind of result is not high. You could also plan on not using the degree but getting it anyway (not a bad decision at all, you will learn a lot regardless). But, if you are interested in teaching I would look no further than western Washington Univ. Their teaching program is superb and would give you the option to get a masters in 5 years next to some of the best boating, skiing, and climbing in the world. Whistler is 2.5 hrs. Skook is as close as you can get without actually living in Canada, and you can get a lap on any number of runs in the morning and make it to class with your hair still wet.
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 3:27pm
Teaching is something that I can vibe with but I don't want to go with an education specific education. My Uncle (who has an art history undergrad) told me that if I want to use my degree I basically need a PHD, and that's where I got that from, and I trust that since he has friends who are curators at the Morgan Library, the Met, Frick collection, Guggenheim, and a few other places...

Spring break I am gonna try and come out the PNW to visit schools and try and get a run in depending on if I drive or fly up.

This is totally preliminary because I don't even know if I will like studying Art History, but that's where I am at now. I do know, and have known for a while, that the PNW is a place I'd like to be.
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  Quote SOPBOATER Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 5:59pm
I went to school in Bellingham. There's whitewater, some good stuff too and BC is close. There was just a couple kayakers then, like half a dozen to a dozen. Seems there are more boaters there these days which is good if you are a boater. However, of you really want gluttonous variety and never having to cancel a trip due to participation then you need access to the Columbia gorge and the year round bounty it provides. I came down a couple times from Bellingham and ran the truss, farmlands ect. Then I ran the little white. Two weeks later I had a Vancouver address and spent several years in the Portland area. Those years were filled with an amount and quality is boating I have not had since. Seek the gorge my friend, endless season, endless variety, the little white, and hundreds of new friends to accompany you any day you wish.
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 7:43pm
I would love to live near the gorge, that seems amazing. WWU looks pretty cool, right now I have Univ. Puget Sound, WWU, UBC, UW, Evergreen, WSU-Vancouver, Portland State, and Louis and Clark Univ which is a (reach with my grades).
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  Quote BrianP Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 8:45pm
To continue with what George said, if your field requires a PhD, you'd better think damn hard. I completed my doctorate in music last year at UW (thanks for being 3 of 4 people that were on time George!). Now that I have the credentials, I just joined a club of hundreds of other people in my specific field that are applying for MAYBE 5 open jobs per year.

When I started that path over 10 years ago I was single and 150% dedicated to pursuing that goal (also hadn't started kayaking yet). Well in the mean time, throw in getting married and having a couple kids, the prospects of jumping around the country 6 months at a time for temporary professorships doesn't sound so good.

I never thought I'd be that guy. It's impossible to know the future, but you have to be aware that these fields are incredibly difficult to find gainful employment these days. I could start on about the loss of tenure tracks and adjuncts but that's another story.
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 8:57pm
@BrianP I know how small the field is, and again I am Junior in high school, I have no idea if what I want to study is the same as what I end up doing. I am just trying to get some school names to think about and talk with my cc about.



Edited by jjesco5 - 21 Jan 2015 at 9:23pm
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  Quote phil Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 10:32pm
You should put UO on the list too. If you're looking at UBC, check out Simon Fraser as well.

Also if you're looking at public schools, make sure and learn about the in-state requirements. If you can swing it, you might be able to take some time, live in state, work and paddle your brains out, then go off to college and pay way less in tuition. Your guidance counselor and parents are sure to love this idea!
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 21 Jan 2015 at 10:44pm
Dude I would love to do that, the only problem is that I lose out on some scholarships by taking a gap year. It's hard with my Mom being my only real working/providing parent and my brother is in College as well.

UO and Simon Fraser will go on there.

I wonder if I can find a decent job working as an instructor or at a kayak shop for a year to save up to make up for lost scholarship money?
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  Quote Ellingferd Replybullet Posted: 22 Jan 2015 at 8:18am
You seem to have a good perspective on what you want to do, but as the husband of an academic I will reiterate what has been said about the PhD. It is a giant commitment that will likely require you to forego a lot of shred time in your prime. The best thing I ever did was to take a few years after undergrad to do whatever I wanted before I went back. Very glad I did.
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  Quote Alicia Lycan Replybullet Posted: 22 Jan 2015 at 11:08am
Hey! I'm a senior at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA and I absolutely love it here. Both the University and Bellingham are very committed to the Arts, there are many different art programs, including Western's Fairhaven College where you work with professors and make your own major, this is a fairly unique program Western offers that would be worth checking out.
As for the white water, it's incredible. If your looking for class IV/IV+ creeking specifically there's the N. Fork Nooksack which is 40 minutes away located on Mt. Baker Hwy (the ski area is just over an hr away). There's the Middle Fork Nooksack which is a step up from the NF and my favorite run, it starts in a gorged in canyon and is absolutely incredible. The Chilliwack and Norrish are Class IV runs close by just across the border in BC. Squamish and Whistler have a ton of quality white water too about 2-3 hours away, and just south of Bellingham are several more quality creek runs too. There's an awesome boating community here, quite a few other students kayak as well, lots of locals too who charge, it's pretty easy to rally us and the Canadians to rally to local or runs further away on the weekends. Let me know if you decide to come check out Western or want to paddle while you're visiting, it's the best way to check out this area. No matter where you decide to go to school in the PNW there's definitely going to be awesome paddling all over. Cheers!

Edited by Alicia Lycan - 22 Jan 2015 at 11:11am
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  Quote jjesco5 Replybullet Posted: 22 Jan 2015 at 5:41pm
@Ellingferd that would probably be what I would be looking at doing, undergrad, work for a few years, then just slam out grad school.

@Alicia Im hoping to try and visit schools this summer o spring break and if I cn get my boat out I would love to try a local run.
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