Hello! I am a rising junior and was wondering about what good colleges are out there for me. I am a Florida resident with a 3.9 UW and 4.27 W. I wish to major in International Relations/ Affair or Political Science (some colleges consider them to be the same), and I am eventually going to head into law school. So, I am looking for a very strong International Relations program with great internship and study abroad opportunities. I would prefer a college perhaps near a city (seems to be where most internships are located). I am currently a dual enrollment student and will be receiving an AA degree by the time I graduate, so a college that accepts that would be nice, but not a priority. Colleges I have looked at and am very interested in are UChicago, Northwestern, Boston U, and Northeastern (I know, theyre pretty hard to get into). Last time I checked my rank, I had a 3.86 UW and a 4.1 W and I was ranked 4/172, so Im not sure if its changed or not. I have taken all honors classes possible so far and have taken two APs (Human Geo and French), and passed both exams and got a B in Geo and an A in French. I did miss out on taking AP Psych, but I am currently doing psychology at college. Other than that, I can say I have taken the most rigorous schedule possible. I plan on taking about three more APs (school doesnt offer alot of APs). I would also like a college with great financial aid and with alot of merit scholarships. Thank you in advanced!
As a resident in Fl, I’ve been considering going to UF (In state tuition), transfer my credits from my AA into a political science degree, and do a program where in three years I can get a bachelors in political science and a masters in political science - International relations. With that being said, should I take advantage of that opportunity and worry about going to a more prestigious college when I go to law school? It would be much cheaper, and it would be smart to save my money for law school.
The 20 Schools
Amherst
Brown
Claremont McKenna
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Georgetown
Hamilton
Harvard
Middlebury
Northwestern
Pomona
Stanford
UChicago
UMichigan
UPennsylvania
U of Southern California
Yale
Yeshiva
Source: College Transitions.
As a general approach, you might want to apply to both UF and any well-researched private or out-of-state public colleges that would be reasonably affordable. If law school is truly in your plans, however, it’s not clear what benefit a master’s degree would have over a bachelor’s, especially since the latter in your case might actually require more interest and effort.
This source will help you locate schools with well-funded financial aid programs:
Btw, some of the best internships can be found through colleges that offer Washington, D.C. semesters. You would not need to be in a city for all four years.
@merc81 so you think the Masters will not really have any significance if I am getting a JD? Or maybe it is a good thing to have just in case law school doesnt happen. Out of the colleges you have listed, do you have any idea on how their financial aid is as well as their International Relations programs?
@batman0309 : A master’s could be good of course, but ideally any degree should reflect the range and depth of your education. A master’s acquired in three post-HS years may not be regarded at full value by those fully reviewing your credentials under that scenario.
I’d say that nearly all of the colleges in post 2 would have strong IR programs. For additional options, look into George Washington and American.
@merc81 Oh yes I see what you’re saying. Being that I was able to get the masters quicker than others, it would not be “as valued.” Because the program is intended to be 5 years, but since I would be a transfer, I would be a junior so to say, so in reality, the program would be three years.
But, yes I have looked into GW and American, great IR programs in an excellent location, just the tuition is extremely high. Not to say the other colleges you listed arent, but I have heard that they can be quite generous with financial aid (some ivys and other top-notch schools give free tuition minus room & board if family’s salary is less than 120K). I would love to attend UChicago or Northwestern, but they are both extremely difficult to get into, and I havent even taken my SATs and ACTs so I cannot really predict my possibilities, although I do plan on doing well on both so that I have at least some sort of chance with top-notch colleges.
You can access the Net Price Calculators for individual colleges in order to better understand costs.
Since you seem do have some affinity for the Midwest, do not overlook Macalester.
@merc81 Yes I have heard of Macalester and have seen that it is a great college. Also I heard that they put alot of emphasis on studying abroad, which I find to be awesome. Studying abroad is something that I find very important when looking at colleges.