I am currently a high school student with roughly a 3.4 GPA, I have a few college credits done but have decided to attend my local community college for the next two years instead of going straight into a university. I know I can do very well in CC if I genuinely try, I slacked off mostly in high school due to personal issues. If after two years of CC and receiving a good GPA what schools would I be able to transfer to with a good international relations program that would also allow me to have opportunities such as internships? I’m aware a lot of the top schools are very difficult but i know I have the ability to do it.
Thank you in advance!
Don’t be so fixated on the major “International Relations” Many schools don’t even have it. But it’s not a detriment. Look at this similar thread:
So I am also looking for schools that have the “International Relations” Major. Here are some that I have found (and btw, sometimes the IR major has a different name at the school but its the same thing, like Diplomacy & World Affairs at Oxy): Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Occidental College, Stanford, Middlebury, Brown, Lewis & Clark, Scripps (its called Politics there), Vassar, Dickinson
…other schools that are known for IR are William & Mary (VA, so not easy if you are OOS), Tufts, JHU, Macalaster. Stanford is super strong in IR but from here I wouldn’t bet on you doing enough in CC to get in as a transfer.
George Washington University
eeps- yes @rosedancer1! I meant to put that in. American also, but GWU (if you work hard and put yourself out there) can’t be beat for internships.
Are you interested in UCs? I know CCs have a TAG program that ensures that you get a spot as a transfer to the UC of your choice. UCSB has a great Global & International Studies program,
Middlebury prides itself on being a small school with a global reach. Their major in International Politics & Economics (IPE) is very strong. They’re one of the best LACs for anything international.
University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies is very strong. They accept about 200 transfers a year. Their average GPA is 3.7, so if you got yours up you could probably have a strong chance. Many of the above mentioned colleges are extremely difficult to get into, even for students with 4.0 GPAs and such.
Wharton (UPENN) has the “Huntsman Program”. With this program you can do business and international relations. Also LSE (London School of Economics) has a pretty nice international relations program.
Have you thought of going abroad? It’s appropriate to the subject. I did IR at Sciences Po i n Paris (Institutes d’Etudes Politiques), a grande ecole that you have to take an exam to enter. It is an exceptional program (It had an admin cost of $60 per year for tuition when I did it in the early 80s, now it is more like $13K.) You would have to master French and pass the exam to enter, but even if you didn’t get in, the prep is a great way to focus. http://www.sciencespo.fr/en/admissions-financial-aid/fees-financial-aid
What’s your home state?
With a 3.4, I’d advise you attend a 4-year university, because the top universities for IR tend to mostly accept “lateral” transfers, ie., from other 4-year colleges that don’t offer something you’re interested in (language, area of the world…)
Indeed, only 15-20% students who intend to transfer to a 4-year college eventually do - and it’s much lower at some CC’s. Your odds of graduating are much higher if you can get into a 4-year college. This will also position you better for internships.
With a 3.4, I’d recommend applying to Ithaca (you could take one class per semester at Cornell, especially in a rare language), Goucher (same deal at JHU), St Mary’s Indiana if you’re a girl (partnership with Notre Dame, look into the details though).
If you are looking to actually go into the field (as opposed to academia) then these schools are generally regarded as having the top programs. All are very difficult to get into.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/01/03/the-best-international-relations-masters-programs/
Here is a list of schools (one per region) where the US Government assigns Diplomats in Residence:
@Mastadon Those are all masters programs. OP is looking for an undergraduate school. There is some correlation, but not that much.
And the Diplomats in Residence link is not correlated to quality of international studies at all. It just happens to be the school where a particular regional contact person is right now.
At super selective schools like Stanford and Pomona, transfer admission rates tend to be as low as or even lower than freshman admission rates. Not too many students leave before graduating, so there just aren’t too many openings.
Here’s a summary of Foreign Policy magazine rankings of top college & grad school IR programs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower
Consider Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Ohio State, the University of Denver, George Washington, and American University. Be aware that some of these schools are very expensive and may not have too much financial aid for transfer students. Your own state flagship may be more affordable, and may have an articulation agreement with your CC.
Has anyone mentioned Georgetown SFS?