<p>At the end of the application process. It came down to Bowdoin,Notre Dame, George Washington, Vanderbilt and Syracuse. Bowdoin had been my number 1 choice forever so naturally I accepted the spot. I visited Bowdoin and unfortunately it did not meet my expectations although this is probably due to the fact that Bowdoin was on such a high pedestal in my imagination as this unreal dream world of euphoria. I got into Syracuse's honours program so I decided to visit when I found out that they were number 1 for public policy and good for IR. The experience went very well but that could be because I never really gave Syracuse much thought so I was pleasantly suprised. I plan to go to law school so I know that I would need to keep my GPA up as well as get good LSAT scores. I feel that the GPA part might be easier to achieve at Syracuse and I would not mind going there for four years. If I decided not to go to law school I know that econ and political science are my other interests to do public policy or something. If this is the case public policy=Syracuse right. I also get the impression that Syracuse would be better on the international frontier as International Relations as well as study abroad would interest me. Also Syracuse has a larger variety of areas of study and probably more course offerings than Bowdoin if I did not go down the whole pre-law part. As an international student with no aid(I found CC in April..unlucky) I had to do apps based on rankings and am ending up with two choices my parents have never heard of. My parents will be paying full tution as we dont qualify for financial aid so pay is almost equal or Bowdoin about 3k higher. However I still LOVE Bowdoin but with a grain of salt.I thrive better in a motivated intellectual environment so it seems Bowdoin will do that for me because I tend to slack if I am not motivated.However the seemingly homogenous(hope Im wrong) student body does not appeal to me.I do not know if it would be worth giving up for Syracuse due to the circumstances?</p>
<p>What exactly disappointed you about Bowdoin? Offhand, I'd say that Bowdoin is a finer school, intellectually, so you should go there. Having mostly very motivated students around you will keep you on track better so you're less likely to "slack" as you say. </p>
<p>At Syracuse you could get lost in the crowd and stop working hard, and who would care about you then? Nothing sounds wrong for you at Bowdoin except you had an unreal idea about it. Perhaps once you are there, you will settle in and find all the good reasons you always wanted it. If wrong, you can transfer out from Bowdoin as a sophomore to somewhere else (Syracuse or elsewhere), but it would be harder to go in the other direction.</p>
<p>As far as "pre-law" don't be concerned. Law schools don't favor pre-law programs, but prefer a good foundation in any liberal arts major, strong LSAT scores, the ability to write. </p>
<p>If your gut is telling you Syracuse, that's a good university, so you can't go wrong either way, I feel. I just find the smaller schools helpful when people are concerned they might slack off. Big universities can be killer if you get off-track and fall apart academically, get onto probation and so on. </p>
<p>This is less likely at Bowdoin, where professors would know you by name, welcome you to come see them during office hours, and you know the students taking the class because you bump into them on campus frequently. It's more of a community, with all the attention paid to undergraduate students. </p>
<p>You can get directly to your professors, as they're not also trying to deal with their graduate students. At Bowdoin, teaching the undergrads is the professors' priority.
That might help you perform better and ultimately get to law school in better shape.</p>
<p>Syracuse has the much larger menu of courses, as you've noticed. If you have tremendous confidence, a bigger university is a great place. If you tend to falter or go this way or that, then it's more supportive to have the community of the Liberal Arts College such as Bowdoin. Both are good but for different reasons.</p>
<p>
[quote]
the seemingly homogenous (hope Im wrong) student body
[/quote]
</p>
<p>According to College Board data, Bowdoin is 65% White/nonHispanic while Syracuse is 60% white/nonHispanic. Seemingly not a huge difference imo. </p>
<p>College</a> Search - Bowdoin College - At a Glance</p>
<p>College</a> Search - Syracuse University - SU - At a Glance</p>
<p>From ADad's links:</p>
<p>Regarding the 'motivated intellectual atmosphere', the honors program at SU will have better numbers, but overall there is a pretty wide gap:
Syracuse:
42% in top 10th of graduating class
70% in top quarter of graduating class
94% in top half of graduating class </p>
<p>Bowdoin:
89% in top 10th of graduating class
99% in top quarter of graduating class
100% in top half of graduating class </p>
<p>I agree with paying3tuitions assessment that if you tend to slack, it is better to be at small LAC than a larger university. </p>
<p>We visited Bowdoin when my son was college shopping - it was his number 1 for a LONG time, but he was wait-listed there (he declined the waitlist). The only downside I could see at Bowdoin was that it is a tad preppy. However, if you are interested in PP or IR, you may be more able to make good connections at Bowdoin. </p>
<p>Best wishes whatever your choice!</p>
<p>You have to be careful to include "unreported" race when you compare ethnicities. It is an alternative way of saying "white".</p>
<p>Syracuse is 31% US minority students and/or internationals, 69% US white students (inc. "unreported").</p>
<p>Bowdoin is 33% US minority and/or internationals; 67% white (inc. "unreported").</p>
<p>Unless there is some compelling individual reason to choose Syracuse, Bowdoin has a pretty clear edge here for undergrad -- one of the top undergrad colleges in the country, thanks in no small part to a signficant per student endowment. Its also only two hours or so from Boston, which would provide some nice opportunities for an international student to enjoy a unique part of America.</p>
<p>Spend a summer on the Maine coast if you get a chance. It's wonderful.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You have to be careful to include "unreported" race when you compare ethnicities. It is an alternative way of saying "white".
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Where I live, Asians are more likely to refuse to disclose, particularly if they have an ambiguous name, e.g. Lee.</p>
<p>Whatever. Many colleges lump "unreported" and "white" together in their Common Data Set reports. They must have some basis for that practice.</p>
<p>In any case, you have to pay attention to the "unreported" category when comparing diversity stats to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.</p>
<p>wow I should have found CC way earlier. everyone is very helpful.thanks for the PM's. ohio_mom why do you think IR or PP might be easier to do at Bowdoin as they do not have the courses? Its statistics like those that make me sure Bowdoin would be better even though that also means it would be harder for me to make a good impression because everyone will be so amazing which will have an amazing effect on me as I tend to react to my surroundings but I wont be top of the class anymore and might have a harder time with getting super recs but i like an intelectual challenge and if anything bowdoin will prepae me right??I guess I just want to know if and how I can tailor something according to my interests at Bowdoin</p>
<p>While I know nothing about Bowdoin, I have a couple of insights on Syracuse. You are correct about Maxwell's reputation - it is phenomenal. What you may not know is that Syracuse's study abroad program and opportunities is one of the best in the country. I don't know if this influences your decision, but I just wanted to point it out.</p>
<p>I wouldn't stick with Bowdoin just because it's a school you once loved, but if you still love Bowdoin, you can find courses to fit your interests by choosing the IR specialization within the Gov & Legal major. You could also choose a minor something like EEES or Asian Studies and focus on politics of your chosen area and study abroad there, or you could investigate the student-designed major option. That being said, Syracuse is probably still a better school for IR and PP (although if this is your concern, GW is probably the best on your list). </p>
<p>What was your impression of the honors program at Syracuse? I don't know anything about it, but sometimes honors programs can provide a smaller, more challenging, environment within a big school.</p>
<p>I also wanted to know if there would be internship opportunities as they are both relatively in the middle of nowhere bowdoin more so than syracuse though</p>
<p>Do you think you'll be here during the summers? Many students take internships in Washington, D.C. during the summer months in your field of interest. </p>
<p>No matter where you live, including in Maine or upstate NY, during the school year you should also reach out to explore working at the local level of government in the surrounding towns. Sometimes you can see government well from a small town or small city government office. They don't often get asked and might welcome your proposal (don't wait for them to ask you or create the internship, in other words).</p>
<p>From September to November, you can help as a volunteer in some of the campaign offices of the presidential candidates, too, just to get some starting experience at a very entry level of public political life.</p>
<p>youngn,</p>
<p>GW is the strongest of your choices for policy and IR. It is in DC and the students take lots of internships. There is a lot of diversity-- not just in the school, but in the city-- and lots of opportunities to start networking while still in college. I really think it's hands-down your best option.</p>
<p>That said, between Bowdoin and Syracuse, I would opt for Bowdoin. It's a beautiful school and boasts a top government department but you won't have the international flavor, the internships or the contacts that you would with GW.</p>
<p>When my son visited his schools, he got distinct feelings as to whether he wanted to live at a particular place and make it his home. Some places just did not make the grade. He loved other schools. Since he does not have specific academic plans, he felt that the best overall atmosphere was important to him.</p>
<p>My older son had very specific curriculum requirements he wanted that superceded all other issues. He turned down some fine schools that he really preferred to a state school, because he could not get want he wanted curriculum wise. I think now three years later, he realizes that those specifics were not so important. And this is a kid who has stuck to his major, unlike the vast majority of kids who change majors and programs. Fortunately, he likes his school too, but had he picked the school solely for those program opportunities, he might have ended up very unhappy there since they did not loom so largely in importance after he got there. </p>
<p>I knew a brilliant young woman who was so sure she wanted to be a doctor. She went to a combined MD/Ba program at university that was primarily a commuter school because of the offering, turning down some colleges that would have been a better life style choice. With a year left to go, she decided medicine was not for her. She hated the college, and really was unhappy the entire time which may even have contributed to her aversion to continuing her studies. </p>
<p>Having seen a number of such situations, I have to say that the feel of the school can be important to a student. Of course it also happens that kids get the wrong impression of a school, especially if the visit on a day when the school in in courtin' mode. Nothing is 100% in this decision making. But if you really think Syracuse is a better fit for you, do reconsider the Bowdoin choice. This is going to be your home, your life for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice so far.any more opinions?verdicts? BUMP</p>
<p>Even if you turned down GWU, considering it's not yet May 1, they may be willing to allow you to reconsider. For the courses of study that you're considering, GWU really is the strongest. I'd rank Syracuse next after that.</p>
<p>if the cost is roughly equal at these places, i say choose bowdoin, hands down. their government department is one of the best in the country and, notwithstanding the opportunities available from syracuse and gwu, bowdoin offers its own opportunities. if you're interested in law school, bowdoin would be a better undergrad than the other two.</p>
<p>thank you everyone. I have decided to view future plans in the future and go where I will have the best undergraduate experience and well you only get to go to Bowdoin once and this past week thinking about it I love Bowdoin and not to go would be crazy. Also my interests change too much and the Bowdoin environment will help me find myself. Im therefore going to go back to being the solid Bowdoin supporter Ive always been.Bowdoin is a 95% fit and well you cant have everything! I think I had a case of buyers remorse!</p>
<p>hey.</p>
<p>im a transfer student. i got accepted to AU as well as Syracuse University. I am in my 2nd semester rt now. In SU, 72 credits got transfered including from my high school, so if i go there, i'll graduate in 3 semesters. I'll have to pay around 60K for that.
I'll have to pay the same amount in AU but for 3 years.
I am plannin to major in Political Science/International Relations. I want to make the best out of the college life and earn experiences through internships and more.</p>
<p>I am having difficulty in choosing between the 2 colleges..in 1 i'll graduate in less time and hav more opportunities for internships. in another theres more to offer for the major.</p>
<p>i need ur help guys.</p>
<p>One thing about the statistics that have been mentioned re: minorities at Bowdoin and Syracuse:</p>
<p>At face value, they're roughly the same (I believe they were 65% and 60% white, respectively?). But consider that the student body is significantly larger at Syracuse. This means that, while there will be more white people, there will also be more minorities/international students, simply based on the fact that it's a bigger school (and 40% of a larger population > 40% of a smaller population).</p>
<p>I'm not sure how important that is to you, so I just thought I'd mention it. :)</p>