I got into all three schools for Political Science (and will be visiting all three campuses very soon).
But only thing is that even though American University is very well known for Poli Sci, I got into the mentorship program in fall with Spring 2020 admittance making yearly tuition approximately 66k, with limited aid. And plus, I’m not the only member in my family who will be going off to college this fall…
As of now, I’m highly considering Gettysburg College. Does anyone know what differentiates Gettysburg from other colleges/universities such as American Univ.? Is the school politically active? I got a good scholarship/aid from Gettysburg so cost wise wouldn’t be a significant issue. (I heard their poli sci program is very good as well!)
For UIUC, I’m not so sure. Are they known for its poli sci department?
Finally, it would be great if you can do comparison for all three schools, esp. for the poli sci department and opportunities I can get from each school (internships related to politics, etc,.)! Of course American Univ. is well known for politics,etc but I’m not so sure if I’m gonna be missing out on significant opportunity wise if I choose not to attend there.
American is in Washington DC with unrivaled access to internships, lectures and forums.
Gettysburg is great too. But a much smaller feel and different social culture.
Uiuc is excellent in all fields as a major research university. It’s a much larger school and all that offers and contrasts. Big time sports and big diverse student body. But you will have to navigate and advocate for yourself.
American is not worth $66K per year. You can get a good if not excellent education at any of the schools. If you want the access to DC, perhaps find whether Gettysburg or UIUC has a DC exchange program for a semester or a year – or spend summers there for internships at a fraction of the cost of American’s tuition. Often schools allow students to set up their own exchange programs if one in your interest area isn’t already established. Check with the less expensive schools to see if you can set up an exchange with Georgetown, GW, Catholic U, or American or if the school offers other alternatives.
Gettysburg is well known for its social sciences and it has good contacts in DC, being only 3-4hours away from it.
As for all smaller schools, you have to look at fit : Gettysburg has prominent Greek life. Is that something you’re interested in?
Have you been able to do an overnight?
All good choices. GBurg definitely has a strong poli sci program, and it’s always been one of their most popular majors. While smaller in size, students generally have plenty of stuff to do without leaving campus / town. Philly (~2 hours), Baltimore (75 minutes) and DC (<2 hours) are all within pretty easy driving distance if needed. Greek life is an option (~40% of students go Greek), but certainly not a necessity.
While I don’t think there is a right or wrong choice among your options, I think you are prudent to factor costs into the equation. I don’t think there’s any material difference academically among your options.
You have three great opportunities. That being said–you don’t have to go to college in DC to have access to programs/internships in DC. For example, UIUC has this program: https://washington.illinois.edu, while Gettsyburg has a leadership program that allows students to get involved in community service/social justice work. Gettsyburg also participates in a DC exchange program.
Honestly, you can get involved in politics on any campus. Candidates for political office love volunteers, especially enthusiastic college students. Is UIUC your in-state option? If so, it’s a good deal financially–much less than your other two options.
Having visited AU (two years ago) and Gettysburg (last week): Gettysburg has a semester in DC program (like study abroad) that is at American U. and includes an internship. So that could make it something of a compromise choice.
American is in a suburban part of DC, so opportunities are not right outside your door, but are a bus, subway or Uber away. Gettysburg is right next to a cute small town and near nothing else, really. Greek life is certainly a consideration there. I think the academics are pretty comparable between the two schools, though you should check all the course listings in political science and related fields. If you like the feeling at Gettysburg and could really be happy with three years on campus there plus maybe a semester in DC and a semester abroad, it could be a good choice. If you feel you’d prefer being in American’s environment and location, it may be a question of whether it is worth whatever additional cost it is.
Thank you for all the responses! I find that these responses will really help me making final decisions by the end of April. I will be visiting all three campuses very soon!
I agree with the above comments that you can get a great education and find great opportunities in political science at all of these schools. They are very different environments. AU is in a near-in urban/suburban neighborhood. It’s not an urban school in the same way that GWU is, nor a campus in an urban location, like Georgetown. UIUC is obviously an outstanding large state flagships. Sports will be a wholly different level than at the other schools. Maybe it’s just me, but I found the area around the campus to be fairly unappealing from a student perspective. Gettysburg is in an obviously historic small town, with lots of tourism. As noted, it has an LAC Greek kind of vibe. It’s an excellent school with strong students.
It looks like you could go to Gettysburg and study a semester at AU,
Bottom line: excellent choices, which is great, AND very different choices. I’d guess one will really leap out FOR YOU when you visit. Go with that! Good luck and have a great four years.