<p>Alright, I was accepted by Chicago EA, and then accepted regular decision by Johns Hopkins, Bowdoin, including some other schools I'm not considering. After getting rejected by half the Ivy League (including my ED school Dartmouth via deferral) I'm left with a fairly difficult choice. </p>
<p>I'm a History/International Studies Major who is very involved in Music and Theater, maybe even pursuing a minor in one of the two. I'm a very social person, so basically I want to be somewhere I can have fun.</p>
<p>Chicago: Haven't visited yet, which probably isn't good. Visiting on the 24th-25th. I was kind of impartial to the school when I applied, but they've done a great job of selling themselves, to the point where I felt an attachment to it. I'm fine with the core, and do think of myself as fitting into the Chicago eccentric humor. </p>
<p>Johns Hopkins: I visited and really loved the campus. If I were to attend, I would definitely major in their International Studies program and try and get into the 5 year MA program. Two of my best friends are attending, but I worry about the (lackof?) campus life. Theater and music programs seemed decent.</p>
<p>Bowdoin: I haven't visited, but I feel it matches what I originally wanted in Dartmouth. Strong PoliSci program, beautiful rural campus. I would most likely apply for a 5 year program, graduating with a J.D from Columbia. Don't know much about music and theater here, but I hear it's also a very fun school.</p>
<p>Chicago has the edge is two of the fields your mentioned. Slightly of JHU in History and significantly in Poli Sci. If you see yourself fitting in at Chicago then you will definitely know one way or the other when you visit. Personally, I would decide between Bowdoin and Chicago based on LAC vs Big City Campus (although Chicago does have somewhat of an LAC feel to it). If your friends (people you know and trust) are ambivalent towards campus life then if might not be the place for you. </p>
<p>Personally, this would be a pretty easy decision-Chicago</p>
<p>History is top 10 at Hopkins and International Relations has been ranked as high as #1 and as low as #5. Hopkins is fantastic for IR and right by DC. Somethign Chicago doesn’t have.</p>
<p>and ar eyou kidding me? JHU’s acting group is led by famous actor Sean Astin and the Music Group is affiliated with Peabody Conservatory (which Hopkins OWNS), which is the third best music conservatory in the country after Julliard and Curtiss.</p>
<p>I would be choosing between Bowdoin and Chicago, although that is really a tough choice. </p>
<p>I think Bowdoin would best serve you in terms of PoliSci/IR, because the professors at LAC’s focus more on the students than maintaining the department’s reputation as being on the “cutting edge,” which has its merits, but only if you yourself are a cutting edge student.</p>
<p>Hopkins wins in MUSIC (Peabody institute… world renown music conservatory, peers of Oberlin, Juillard, NEMC, Indiana, Curtis, Rochester, Eastman, etc…). </p>
<p>For* international studies*, bar none, among the top best. Peers if not better than Harvard’s KSG, Columbia’s SIPA, Princeton’s WWS, Georgetown Walsh, Tuft’s Fletcher… etc…</p>
<p>Hopkins SAIS 5 year MA program… If you get into SAIS, you have no problem finding a job. Throughout its august and storied history, Hopkins SAIS earned a reputation as one of the prestigious IR graduate schools in the world. Today, a resume with a Hopkins SAIS is virtually certain to be well received by recruiters in many different fields. Further, the school’s alumni pool is among the largest, successful, and best connected of any IR graduate schools, making the all-important job search easier for students. Most SAIS students experience relatively little difficulty in finding a job.</p>
<p>i think visiting will clear this up. they’re each very different from the others and i think you should go on gut reaction. i do agree with others that bowdoin has a very good reputation in government. it is also very similar (albeit much smaller) than dartmouth. further, (and this said not in comparison to Chicago or JHU) it has a fully self-actualized identity as a school, which can make the experience seem treasured and unique. </p>
<p>but again, the visits, i think will help a lot.</p>
<p>Okay…This is very helpful. Thank you everyone for contributing. This is going to be a really really really tough decision. Any more input would be helpful. Thanks so much, this is giving me a lot to think about.</p>