Hi I am a student who is currently on the
-Admitted to Boston College
-Admitted to George Washington
-Admitted to American University
-Admitted to Michigan State University
-Admitted to Marquette University
I want to study Political Science and I was wondering if Boston College or George Washington was the better choice, Washington is in DC but Boston College is better rankings wise. Will consider all opinions. American University is off the table for now because George Washington is better and cheaper by a bit.
I am also looking for a college that has a good Indian population
They are all great options. Congratulations on a successful application season.
If finances matter and if the COA of these schools differs dramatically, that will be the first way to shorten your list. It seems you’ve already dropped AU because of this.
If all the other schools are affordable options, I honestly feel you should choose the one that you think is the place where you can be happiest. They are all very good universities and have pros/cons that will appeal to or be unwelcome by various students.
Yes, for a PolySci major, GW has the advantage of being in DC, but the other schools are all in well-populated areas that will allow you sufficient internship opportunities.
What do you like and dislike about each school? All other things being equal, what specific things do you want from your college experience - large or mid-size enrollment; huge city or big but not huge or smaller; do sports and frats matter; what else?
I suspect the Indian population at GW is much higher than BC, but to be sure, you could inquire with each admissions team. There is a large Indian population in DC and the surrounding area - and a lot of great Indian restaurants to boot!
If GWU is affordable without debt, then it’s your best choice. If you like AU better, perhaps showing them GWU’s financial aid offer might convince them to lower their own offer.
Are all these colleges affordable without debt beside the federal loans (5.5K for freshman year)?
GW for politics without a doubt, of that list. (And its politics ranking is way above BC, if rankings matter.)
How sure are you that won’t change your major, though? BC may be a better choice if you think you may change your mind, it’s a more beautiful campus sure but that’s not the most important thing to everyone and some people actually prefer the more urban campuses.
I am very familiar with GWU. As has been said, it is very strong in political science and international relations. It also has a diverse student body. There is no shortage of students of Indian origin on campus. And it’s in a very cosmopolitan city. Both the World Bank and IMF are within a quarter-mile radius so there is a very large international presence both on and off campus.
GW will have much less of a traditional campus feel than BC and it certainly is nowhere near as attractive a campus as BC. GWU is in the middle of the city, whereas BC is in a suburb and has a self-contained campus. GWU also doesn’t have traditional cafeterias.
I don’t know if you applied to GW’s Honors program (pretty sure you still can). Would recommend it highly if you decide to attend. Small classes and very talented students.
