<p>I'm currently a junior and starting to narrow down my college choices for this fall. I'm interested in international affairs/computer science/engineering so I'm looking into schools that are strong in these areas. So far my list includes:
Tufts
JHU
URochester
Rice
Northwestern
GA Tech
Brown
CMU
UMich</p>
<p>I'm looking for a laid back school with non-competitive students and chances for undergraduates to interact with their professors (research opportunities, etc). Less than 30 min from a major city is ideal. Additionally, I would like the school to have community service programs (volunteering is really important to me) and strong study abroad (even for engineers)</p>
<p>So with that, what colleges from the list above do you think is a best fit for me? I plan on going to graduate school a year or so after college so how much does prestige of an undergrad school matter? Are there any other colleges you would suggest? Thank you so much in advance!</p>
<p>Brown is a great fit for all the things you mention there, as well. We do have study abroad opportunities for engineers, which I believe is pretty rare to find.</p>
<p>How are you doing on safeties? Make sure that at least one of your schools is both an academic and a financial safety - i.e., you can definitely pay.</p>
<p>Doubt I’d categorize Hopkins as laid back and Michigan’s Ann Arbor is a great college town but a town. Detroit adds little given its financial misfortunes of late. </p>
<p>All your other options sound quite reasonable with Northwestern followed by Rice and GT offering the biggest city opportunities for diverse internships.</p>