<p>Hi I'm a high school student who's just started looking at colleges and I have a pretty good idea of what I would like to major in, namely economics but I'm interested in all of the social sciences. While I can see myself doing other things I'm currently thinking that I would like to end up an economics professor myself (my friends consider that I have an unhealthy obsession/passion (insert whichever fits) with the subject, I've read several books and am reading more on the subject and last year I did the homework of the students in the grade above me who were taking the class).
So I've been looking on various sites attempting to find schools with good economics programs but the problem is that I really don't have the qualifications to go to the best colleges for the subject and I can't find what schools still have solid economics programs without being ivy league quality, I can only find out that these schools indeed have economics programs, and often times it is hard to tell if these are real economics courses or more business/entrepreneurial based. so I'm hoping that I can get some advice. A strong political science program would also be preferred.
My average is about an 88
My SAT score is a 1540
I have strong AP scores, I have a 5 on the AP Euro and APUSH exams and a 4 on the AP Language and Composition Exam and I expect a 5 on my AP Macroeconomics Exam in May
I don't have any sports worth speaking of and I am in band and drama club, I have little achievement in the former and mild success in the latter.
I am white and without religious affiliation although I really wouldn't mind going to any sort of college.
Financing shouldn't be much of an issue although I would (of course) like to take on as little debt as possible and I start getting tentative when we start talking about more than 15K per year. If there was a SUNY school with a solid program I would like to here about that as I would get in-state tuition.
As for size I don't particularly care, a medium size college would be the best but I have no strong preference, although I have to say that a large college would be least favorite.
So I really don't have a strong preference in colleges except being accepted into one the one with the best economics/political science type of programs.
So any recommendations?</p>
<p>Could you give an SAT breakdown?</p>
<p>Ah sorry Misprint I meant 1340 if you just count the math and reading (I’ve heard alot of colleges don’t look at writing)
Math 600
Reading 740
Writing 680
Total 2020</p>
<p>The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is excellent in Economics and very strong in Political Science. Ohio State is also very good. Both would be matches. Wisconsin would be an ideal reach, as would the University of Rochester, both of which are excellent in Economics and Political Science.</p>
<p>You could try for Northeastern and University of Rochester and see how the financial aid package looks.</p>
<p>First, economics and political science are core liberal arts disciplines, so a wide range of colleges and universities are likely to have strong departments. I would suggest that you focus on finding the best school that is a match for you (in terms of selectivity, location, size, finances, etc.) rather than putting an over-emphasis on particular departments. If you are in-state in new York, the various SUNY campuses should be on your list.
Second, when you say you want to find schools with good programs in those areas, what do you mean by good programs? There really are no undergraduate rankings of departments. The graduate rankings give you an idea of which departments have strong faculty in terms of research, but that tells you little about the quality of undergraduate teaching in a department. If there are specific departments that interest you, you could post on CC asking person who have firsthand knowledge about the quality of the undergrad experience in those departments, but you may not receive many replies unless it they are some of the larger schools. Your best best is to ask about the quality of undergrad teaching in general at particular schools (size of lower-division and upper-division courses, access to desired courses, access to faculty/quality of advising, etc.). You also might look at where faculty in a department obtained their doctorates, whether they are actively publishing and/or consulting, whether any department members have teaching awards, research opportunities for undergrads, etc. Otherwise, the structure of undergrad majors in economics and political science is fairly similar across schools. One feature that does seem to distinguish some of the better departments is the availability of seminars for advanced majors.
Third, you might wish to become an economics professor, you will need to go to graduate school. You might want to inquire about graduate school placement of persons who majored in particular departments. You also should consider that preparation in mathematics is quite important for those planning on graduate school in economics.
[Econ</a> Grad School](<a href=“http://www.davidson.edu/academic/economics/foley/gradschool.htm]Econ”>http://www.davidson.edu/academic/economics/foley/gradschool.htm)
Fourth, economics, and to a lesser extent, political science, tends to be among the more popular undergrad majors. Whether you attend a medium-sized or large-sized university, your introductory classes will probably be fairly large. A smaller department in terms of the number of undergrad majors and grad students, in all likelihood will give you greater access to professors.
Fifth, a school without an undergrad business program, will probably have a fairly large number of closet business admin majors in its economics department. Since you are less interested in business economics, it might be a positive for you to attend a school with an undergrad business program, as this might siphon off some of the more business-oriented students from the economics dept. You should also consider whether the business school and the college of arts & sciences jointly share the econ department, as it is organized at some universities (i.e. whether students have the option to major in econ in either the business school or the college of arts & sciences). (While this one factor to consider, it probably shouldn’t be a major factor in choosing a school.)
Sixth, consider what areas of economics and political science interest you. If you want to combine studies in both areas, you might consider whether there is a joint major in political economy or politics/economics/philosophy, e.g., [IUB</a> Political Science](<a href=“http://www.indiana.edu/~iupolsci/undergraduate_interdepart_frame.shtml]IUB”>http://www.indiana.edu/~iupolsci/undergraduate_interdepart_frame.shtml) or [Ethics</a> and Public Policy](<a href=“The University of Iowa 2023-24 General Catalog < University of Iowa”>The University of Iowa 2023-24 General Catalog < University of Iowa). If youre interested in economic aspects of public policy, a school with an undergrad public policy program might appeal to you, e.g., [Undergraduate</a> Students | SPEA - School of Public and Environmental Affairs | Indiana University Bloomington](<a href=“http://www.indiana.edu/~spea/prospective_students/undergrad/index.shtml]Undergraduate”>http://www.indiana.edu/~spea/prospective_students/undergrad/index.shtml) or [Maxwell</a> School of Syracuse University](<a href=“http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/deans.aspx?id=348]Maxwell”>http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/deans.aspx?id=348). If youre interested in international economics and development, you might look for a school with an undergrad major in international relations that has a specialty track in international economics and/or development, e.g., [Global</a> Studies Major : Institute for Global Studies : University of Minnesota](<a href=“Undergraduate | Global Studies | College of Liberal Arts”>Undergraduate | Global Studies | College of Liberal Arts). Alternatively, you might consider a public land-grant university with an ag econ department in which you could minor in international or development aspects of economics, e.g., [Undergraduate</a> Program - Policy, International Trade, and Development, ACE, U of I](<a href=“http://www.ace.illinois.edu/AP/UnderGraduate/Post2006/PolIntTradeDev.html]Undergraduate”>http://www.ace.illinois.edu/AP/UnderGraduate/Post2006/PolIntTradeDev.html). If youre interested in a particular world region, e.g., China or Latin America, what are the course offerings in language and area studies for those regions. If youre interested in environmental policy and economics, a land-grant public university that has an ag econ department in which you could do a minor in that area, e.g., [EEP</a> Option - CED Major - Penn State University](<a href=“Community, Environment, and Development — Academics — Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences”>Community, Environment, and Development — Academics — Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences). If youre interested in urban economics, you might consider course offerings in urban studies and/or geography.</p>
<p>I would second the recommendations of Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.</p>
<p>Holy Cross (MA) has an excellent economics program.</p>
<p>[The</a> Economics Program](<a href=“http://academics.holycross.edu/economics-accounting/economics]The”>http://academics.holycross.edu/economics-accounting/economics)</p>