<p>I already have my safeties and matches, but I need help creating my final list of reaches. </p>
<p>I have 3 safety schools, 2 match schools, and I am looking for 5-6 reach schools. </p>
<p>I want to major in a strong international relations/ international studies program, so here is my list...</p>
<p>Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Johns Hopkins U
Claremont McKenna
Georgetown
George Washington
Tufts</p>
<p>Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Duke has a really strong Internation Relations program!</p>
<p>^Thanks, I had forgotten that! But I really can't "see" myself going to college at Duke. I don't know why, I just can't!</p>
<p>Columbia. I've heard that Tufts is pretty good as well.</p>
<p>There are lots of great LACs with fantastic political science and economics departments. Some that immediately come to mind, which also have an IR type offering, include:</p>
<p>o Haverford College (offers both peace and conflict studies program or international economic relations minor)</p>
<p>o Swarthmore College (offers a peace and conflict studies minor)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone...but could you help me choose out of my existing list?! Just to make sure it is clear, those are just reaches I am going to choose from. They are not safeties or matches!! Thanks...</p>
<p>Does it matter? With one exception, they are all fairly large private colleges in urban or semi-urban areas, all with good IR programs. I guess the only difference really is that at GW (and, to a lesser extent, Georgetown), you will be able to carry internships during the school year (which will also likely set you up for better summer internships/work).</p>
<p>Princeton
Johns Hopkins
Georgetown
George Washington
Tufts
Claremont McKenna</p>
<p>Reaches I'd personally choose given the need and weight of having to choose the top 6</p>
<p>Of all of these schools, I suggest to take out at least one of the HYP (mainly because they are crazy difficult to get into and the apps will likely give you a heart attack), and to keep at least 2 out of the 3 DC-MD area schools to apply to. If I were you I'd definitely keep GW on my list because it is least selective of these reach colleges but still has a very highly recommended program (plus, it's in DC. Multiple internships=normal for students there, especially with GW's prime location within walking distance of the White House and Capitol Hill)</p>
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<p>Duke is a community college anyways</p>
<p>Any college list that begins with "Harvard Yale Princeton" (in that order, no less) needs to be reevaluated.</p>
<p>That being said, I personally am familiar with grads from Columbia, Penn, and Brown doing very well in IR/IS fields.</p>
<p>^Very true. Thanks everybody for the good advice so far...</p>
<p>So based on the advice, here could be a tentative list:</p>
<p>Princeton
Georgetown
George Washington
Yale
Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>??????</p>
<p>Columbia SIPA is among the worlds best but among the undergraduates, Columbia doesn't offer an IR major.</p>
<p>Yale doesn't offer an IR major either. So if your interested in like creating your own major when you get to Yale/Harvard or doing political science instead with "significant IR courseload" that puts you on a IR subdiscipline track, then by all means, apply to HYSP, Columbia etc..</p>
<p>They have a separate IR major for a reason. Political science with significant courseload in IR is simply not as good or is not equivalent to a legitimate IR major experience.:)</p>
<p>^Thanks for the good advice. </p>
<p>Does anybody else have any input?</p>
<p>is there any IR schools I have overlooked?</p>
<p>"They have a separate IR major for a reason. Political science with significant courseload in IR is simply not as good or is not equivalent to a legitimate IR major experience."</p>
<p>It might actually be better, with more offerings, subspecialties, and a larger range of faculty experience on which to draw. Professionals and academics in the field know that, which is why, in such large numbers, they rate several schools without a pure IR major so highly.</p>
<p>
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is there any IR schools I have overlooked?
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</p>
<p>Like I said, you overlooked Brown and Penn.</p>
<p>Brown has a dedicated center for international relations (Watson) and churns out more Fulbright winners than you can shake a stick at.</p>
<p>Penn offers unparalleled breadth for IR majors, counting as part of its major numerous classes in the School of Arts & Sciences, the Wharton School, Penn Law, Annenberg, etc--all available to you as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Plus you are more likely to get into Penn or Brown than Harvard or Yale..well, marginally more likely...</p>
<p>^Thank you for expounding on your previous post; forgive me for overlooking it!!</p>
<p>Fear not, for though you overlooked it, I have the greatness to forgive :P</p>
<p>^lololol!!!</p>