<p>I’m planning on majoring in International Relations with a minor in Latin American Studies. I’ve been accepted into Duke, Brown and Penn. I can’t decide which would be best academically. I personally don’t like Duke, just because. I like Brown because it’s smaller, there’s better advising, and the people seem a lot more chill than Penn. I like Penn because there’s a lot more diversity, it’s in the city and I could take classes at Wharton. Penn and Brown are pretty much even at this point, so it just comes down to which school has the better program for what I’m interested in. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Suggestions? Yep!</p>
<p>I graduated from Brown in 2008. Originally, I thought I was going to do complete a “pre-medical” program (probably concentrate in Biology). When I got to Brown and took a few Neuroscience and Math classes, I decided that academic path was not for me. </p>
<p>I guess (long story short) you need to go to a school where you are going to do well academically. Here is what I mean: You might like IR now, but say it’s second term of sophomore year and your take this really amazing English class or Science class and then you want to double in IR and (X) concentration - perhaps you want to do something other than IR.</p>
<p>(Again, long story short) Pick a place where all departments are pretty strong and the focus lies within the undergraduate advising/experience. I honestly believe that Brown is a place that offers amazing academics/advising and first class sense of community.</p>
<p>posted on another thread, but you can check out the brown IR program here.
<a href=“http://www.watsoninsitute.org%5B/url%5D”>www.watsoninsitute.org</a></p>
<p>it’s really amazing, i think one of brown’s strongest areas. where else to prime ministers and famous historical figures teach undergrad courses?</p>
<p>brown08, you’re totally right. I do know that my perspective could change as time wears on, but I do have a general idea of what I’m bad at and what I’m good at. I’ve heard a lot about Brown’s science and medical programs and research but not so much about the humanities, and that’s what I’m good at. Are Brown’s humanities programs as strong as the science?</p>
<p>And dcircle, I’ve been looking at the Watson Institute. It does sound amazing but I can’t help but wonder how often those esteemed figures actually teach classes. </p>
<p>Thanks for your answers!</p>
<p>one of the great things about brown is that every member of the faculty is required to teach undergrads, no matter how important they are 
my undergrad thesis advisor at Brown was a nobel prize winner in physics.</p>
<p>humanities at Brown are also very strong - in addition to all the individual departments Brown has the Cogut Humanities Center, which hosts a lot of great research initiatives, conferences, and events (most recently hosted Salman Rushdie). it’s also housed in the newly renovated Pembroke Hall, which is just gorgeous
[Cogut</a> Center for the Humanities](<a href=“Cogut | Brown University”>Cogut | Brown University)</p>
<p>dcircle, do you know how difficult it would be to research with a professor at Brown? And does Brown fund undergraduate research?</p>
<p>All Sc.Bs require research. Research is not “accessible” at Brown, it’s MANDATED for most students. Every professor has a course code in the books to do independent research and/or study with them.</p>
<p>It’s as easy as sneezing.</p>
<p>As for funding, we offer course credit during the year and funding in the summers. There are many ways this can work and is different based on professors and field. The most common funding is receiving an UTRA for the summers and taking course credit during the year.</p>
<p>In IR specifically, I know that the Watson Center has a ton of money to pay undergraduates to work as research assistants. Since the people associated with Watson are not faculty members, they don’t have graduate students attached to the school to help them out. Their research lives and dies with the support they receive from Brown undergrads.</p>
<p>brown is very undergraduate focussed - doing research is as easy as emailing the person you want to do research with</p>
<p>there is also a ton of funding
the most common source is the UTRA (undergraduate teaching and research awards)
[Undergraduate</a> Teaching and Research Awards (UTRAs)](<a href=“Home | Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards”>Home | Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards)</p>
<p>but there are also all of these
[Research</a> Awards](<a href=“Home | Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards”>Home | Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards)
including a bunch of fellowships and international research awards that give students $5000 and up to do research abroad over the summer
[International</a> Scholars Program](<a href=“Office of Global Engagement | Brown University”>Office of Global Engagement | Brown University)</p>
<p>I currently go to Duke. If you want international relations, pick Columbia or Brown. They’re by far the 2 top in the nation for IR. IR is very obscure at Duke.</p>
<p>Do you have any stats to prove this?</p>
<p>lovelydaysx3, it appears as though you ultimately chose Penn - how did you decide? Are you still set on IR?</p>