<p>I've narrowed my college choices down to three colleges. I'm a prospective poli sci major who is looking for a school with solid internship opportunities and great student-faculty research relationships.</p>
<p>Duke offers an outstanding policy department (The Sanford Institute seems made for a person like me), great educational opportunities, and national name cachet. I think the lifetime relationships one can make at a top ten school are invaluable, especially for someone seeking to enter a field driven by money (politics).</p>
<p>Rice feels like the right "fit." I love the res. college system (one which is matched only by Yale and Oxford), the incredibly low student-to-faculty ratio (5-1), and the school's distinction as the only wet campus in Texas, which has led to a reduction in binge drinking on campus.</p>
<p>Finally, Brandeis offered me a full-tuition scholarship and a research stipend of $3,500. It also enjoys a close proximity to Boston, which is considered one of the best college towns in America.</p>
<p>I liked the intellectually curious and amiable Rice students, but I'm concerned the school's poli sci and policy studies departments can't come close to Duke's. While I liked all of the educational opportunities at Duke, I didn't much like the omnipresent wealthy, preppy crowd. Brandeis boasts a great location but its poli sci department isn't as strong than Rice or Duke's.</p>
<p>Duke is around 20k over budget and Rice is ~10k under budget. Is Duke worth 30k more than Rice? Should I take the money left over from Brandeis and apply it for law school, which would further reduce my total educational debt burden?</p>
<p>Any help with this very difficult would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Plenty of very successful political scientists from Rice.</p>
<p>Just… don’t pay attention to that Alberto Gonzalez part… (<em>sigh</em>)</p>
<p>Seriously, though, Rice will give you great options, and the Baker Institute is very highly respected. If you like it better than Duke, go for it!</p>
<p>(caveat: highly enthusiastic Rice alum speaking, but I’m enthusiastic for very good reasons… loved it there, and it gave my colleagues and me great opportunities)</p>
<p>kenf1234, Duke costs 30k more total than Rice. Rice gave me 20k in merit money; Duke offers 18k in grants + 3k annual Perkins loans and $1,800 work study. </p>
<p>My main concern is about connections. Will I meet similar minded individuals at Rice? While Rice does have some great social science departments, its strengths are mostly in the sciences.</p>
<p>Duke’s Public Policy Department is 2nd only to Harvard and the Political Science department is almost as good. Political internships are plentiful for Duke students, many of which who work in DC over the summer. Duke places extremely well into law school as well, only clearly behind HYPS. I think the money is worth it.</p>
<p>The alum network of Rice in the political world cannot even come close to Duke as Rice is known more for its sciences/engineering fields of study.</p>
<p>20K over budget isn’t a deal breaker, in my view. That is within the realm of reasonable, if you decide you really want to go to Duke over Rice.</p>
<p>Obviously, free tuition at Brandeis opens up all kinds of possibilities to you. I would spend a little time thinking about “what I could do with all of that money”. You might be surprised at some of the possibilities that open up.</p>
<p>No way is Duke worth $30K more than Rice. Rice is obviously a better fit for you. If you have the impression of Duke being full of wealthy, preppy kids NOW, it won’t get a whole lot better once you are there.</p>
<p>evil<em>asian</em>dictator, thanks for adding your views.. I’m really torn right now because I visited both schools and I likethe people at Rice, but I’m fully cognizant of how strong Duke is for poli sci and policy studies.</p>
<p>I think I’d be happier at Rice (the res. colleges are great and nerdy students abound), but I might be better prepared for my future career at Duke.</p>
<p>This is a tough choice and I really appreciate all of the input.</p>
<p>Doesn’t the alum network at Duke trump Rice’s in terms of national reach? I don’t intend in Texas and I worry that Rice doesn’t have much of a presence in the D.C area.</p>
<p>I’m leaning toward Rice, but Duke’s poli sci reach is making this a very difficult choice.</p>
<p>Take that 30K and establish your own presence in the DC area. Seriously, don’t sell yourself short. You can make opportunity for yourself at Rice, just as you can at Duke.</p>
<p>If Rice feels like a better fit, go for it! Don’t worry so much about the polisci department since it’s just undergrad and all the schools you mentioned are excellent.</p>
<p>First of all, go to the school that feels right. If you find yourself unhappy with your decision, it could have a negative effect on your entire collegiate experience - grades, social life, etc.</p>
<p>However, I am a little surprised at the comment about the preppy atmosphere and extremely perturbed by MomOfWildChild’s remark that if you think the school is overwrought with preppy and wealthy kids now, it will be worse when you get to Duke.</p>
<p>There are many other threads regarding the perception that Duke is a haven for preppy and wealthy students. I find this so interesting because I had this very conversation with one my S last night (both are at Duke). He had just returned from a weekend with a former high school friend who is at Chapel Hill. She commented that S would be laughed out of any party at UNC or club on Franklin Street because he doesn’t were pastel shirts, khakis and topsiders, but still dresses as he did in high school – Right from the Jersey shore.</p>
<p>Point being – please don’t generalize about students from any school. One of the best things about college is the variety of people you will meet. That’s why I’ll repeat myself – go where it feels right!</p>
<p>I’m sorry if you misunderstood my comment. I was really trying to say that if that is his impression, he should probably trust his instincts. Of course there are a variety of students at Duke, as there are anywhere else. I just believe that unless you can make multiple visits, you shouldn’t think “maybe it will be different when I am a student there”.</p>
<p>Wow, what a tough decision. It sounds to me like Rice would be the best fit for you, though. You thought it felt right, it’s well within your budget, and it’s an excellent school.</p>
<p>A lot of money can be really tempting - I’ve been there myself, UT Dallas offered me a full ride. But it didn’t feel like the right place for me, and I think that’s what matters most :)</p>
<p>And what you said about Duke and lifetime relationships - I wouldn’t worry too much about those. You can make excellent lifetime relationships no matter which of those schools you go to.</p>
<p>But I think you should focus on the Rice v. Brandeis question. Yes, you might mildly prefer Rice.</p>
<p>But you will be paying, what is it, $100k for that mild preference?</p>
<p>So try a little thought experiment: supposing you had that $100k in your pocket in addition to a Brandeis degree? What might you do with it, educationally, or in future plans? Pay for two full years of law school? Take a low-paying job at a political polling firm, and have $100k in your pocket to set up your own business? Pay for an MBA? Take 5 trips around the world, blogging as you go?</p>
<p>Educationally speaking, is Rice better than Brandeis plus $100k? I’d seriously doubt it.</p>
<p>It seems like planning a life in politics involves coattails (potentially roommates, students in your dept, on the debate team) and with half of Rice students from Texas, maybe they wouldn’t stretch to D.C. the same way Duke’s might. There are some real advantages to being part of the Sanford program at Duke. But those Rice res colleges sound great, too. </p>
<p>Does anyone know about political internship programs at Rice?</p>