<p>Hey everyone, yet another “help my lazy butt decide” question. 
I got into a few colleges, but my big players are Duke, Brown, and Georgetown SFS. Duke’s kind of out, though. I’m planning on getting a degree in polisci or IR, so naturally i’m leaning heavily toward G’town. But can anyone give me any reasons that I should take Brown more seriously? I guess part of me feels guilty that I am choosing somewhere else over an ivy, and part of me is afraid that if I wanted to change my major, it would be impossible at SFS. Thanks all!</p>
<p>as you’ve pointed out, brown would give your more academic flexibility as well as exposure to other ideas and experiences</p>
<p>georgetown SFS is great, particularly if you want to join the CIA or actual foreign service. however, the watson institute at brown is also world class. your professors will be former prime ministers, presidents, chancellors, senators, and other heads of state and diplomats. it’s an amazing place.</p>
<p>[The</a> Watson Institute for International Studies](<a href=“http://www.watsoninstitute.org%5DThe”>http://www.watsoninstitute.org)</p>
<p>randomzm, I am in your same dilemna! (minus the Duke, I didn’t apply there because of its reputation for being too large, drinking, party school)</p>
<p>I also want to major in IR or polisci… </p>
<p>Gtown’s SFS has a class of 315, if that helps.</p>
<p>Have you visited? DC vs. Providence? Have you checked out the course catalogs at both schools? Have you read the student newspapers to see what students are most interested in/concerned about lately? Check the campus calendars to see whats going on. Check out the career center-what kind of job placement assistance do they offer -and overseas study offerings. How sure of your major are you? (If its IR or polisci, then its Georgetown because of the contacts, internships, research opportunities).</p>
<p>Sounds like this is about fit and both schools are excellent. However, most people have no idea that Brown is an ‘Ivy’ or why they should care if it is, so don’t let that drive the decision.</p>
<p>I’ve actually been spending a lot of time helping a friend decide almost the same question (he’s split between Dartmouth and Georgetown). I figure a lot of the same arguments apply.
If you go to SFS, you’ve essentially locked yourself in to an internationally oriented major. And while that may seem entirely palatable to you know, you may wake up one day sophomore year and realize you want to do something entirely different. Going to Brown can facilitate such a switch in interests, going to Georgetown can’t, or atleast will hinder it significantly.<br>
If you don’t put any credence into that argument, however, Georgetown provides you the benefit of being one of the two cities on the east coast (NYC being the other) that in my opinion provide you ample opportunity for jobs/internships during the school year in your desired field, a fact that is immensely beneficial when you enter the job market or grad school applicant field post-graduation.
Both schools have very good study abroad programs, so I wouldn’t use that as a distinguishing factor between the two schools.
Georgetown, because it is so focused on preparing you for a career in foreign affairs, is not the ideal school to branch out your interests, as getting a major through SFS is significantly more involved of a process than getting a concentration in IR from Brown.<br>
I also know from friends at SFS that you’ll need to take a decent about of econ there to get any sort of international degree–something to think about if that is or is not another interest of yours.
I know that doesn’t give a defininite answer one way or the other, but atleast it’s some food for thought.</p>
<p>DC or Providence?
Georgetown has great international diversity, less so on economic and racial diversity
The impact of Georgetown’s Jesuit roots?
How set are you on an IR career?
Note that Gtown is somewhat cut off from DC [unlike GW for ex]</p>
<p>I knew a GTown transfer to Brown who called GT far too conservative - I didn’t get that sense myself but ymmv</p>