<p>I think it really depends upon what you are going to major in and what you want to do after graduation. And it sounds like you aren’t sure at this point (which, by the way, is pretty normal for a high school senior).</p>
<p>The Elliot School is a fine school for international studies and is one of the few professional schools of international affairs that admits undergraduates (Georgetown and AU being the others I can think of). If you are pretty sure that you are interested in the foreign service or similar type career–then the Elliot School is a good choice. But it is a professional school, not a liberal arts school, and international affairs is all it does. </p>
<p>If you go the Elliot School and later decide that you really are more interested in political science, or history, or English or biology–you would then have to transfer to the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at GWU. That’s not difficult to do (the reverse is harder) but now you are at a school which–while certainly not bad–is clearly inferior to Brandeis. It is also much larger than Brandeis, which is probably the smallest major research university and the most college like. Also, while Brandeis does not have a professional school of international affairs, it has a fine politics department and offers a number of interdisiplinary programs that would prepare you for the same type of career that the Elliot School does if you decide that’s what you want. But you will also get an excellent, broad liberal arts education. </p>
<p>And I don’t know how important a campus is to you, but Brandeis has a pretty spacious campus and lots of green areas (although some people don’t think the campus architecture fits in New England because it is too modern (except for the Usen Castle, which itself is a bit odd); if Brandeis were in Florida people would rave about the modern architecture). GW, on the other hand, is really a collection of building more than a campus–more similar to NYU or BU. Its obviously a personal preference, but I’d rather spend 4 years on a real campus than in what could easily pass for downtown office buildings.</p>
<p>So my advice would be to go to Brandeis unless you are pretty sure that you’re not going to change your mind and that international affairs is your thing. </p>
<p>As to the waiting list schools–Oberlin and Brandeis attract very similar types of students–smart, artsy and liberal. But Oberlin is a college (a very fine one) as opposed to a research university so there are differences in the opportunities available. And Oberlin is 40 minutes outside of Cleveland while Brandeis is 20 minutes outside of Boston. Enough said. </p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is also a very fine liberal arts school and a great choice if you really prefer a womens’ college. People are either really into that, or they are not.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee is an altogether different story. Again, a fine liberal arts college but it is VERY southern and VERY conservative. Its hard to imagine someone who loves Brandeis and/or Oberlin being very comfortable at W&L (and probably visa versa). They are very different cultures. I don’t think you’d find much overlap in applications between those places.</p>