<p>arcadia, I think she applied because of the languages, but Midd was the only rural small liberal arts school she applied to. Mostly it was DC, NY and Boston with a couple of Ivies thrown in.</p>
<p>mathmom, that link to EPIIC looks great. how exciting. can’t imagine why they don’t give credit for it–but it still looks outstanding.</p>
<p>Does anyone on this thread know anything about the Global Scholars Program at American? She’s still expressing interest in checking that out more thoroughly.</p>
<p>I have a son-in-law who is a graduate of Tufts with a degree in International Relations. He’s continued to pursue that interest and got an MA degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies after Tufts. Both programs area considered very strong in international relations. My son-in-law had a number of job opportunities in DC when he finished. As an IR major, your D wouldn’t go wrong with Tufts. Plus, if she wants to continue with languages, she can still get that at Tufts, which requires two years of language study for a student to study abroad. </p>
<p>OP- I would strongly encourage your daughter to research the Global Scholars program at American. The location in the heart of D.C.and the opportunities to find summer internships and make embassy contacts would be significant. </p>
<p>fauve, do you know more about that program specifically? I just started another thread asking about Global Scholars. There’s so little info on the website about it.</p>
<p>I assume you read all the info on American’s Global Scholars here, clicking all the tabs in the left-hand column: <a href=“Global Scholars | School of International Service | American University, Washington, DC”>http://www.american.edu/sis/globalscholars/index.cfm</a></p>
<p>Will your D be attending the accepted students event at American? They may be offering a section on Global Scholars; if not, she may be able to arrange a meeting with whoever runs the program. I think one big issue with the program is its acceleration–no summers off!</p>
<p>thanks MommaJ, we’ve read everything on the website. I think arranging to see the people who run the program and maybe some of the students is an excellent idea. My daughter is hesitant about the acceleration–she’s graduating from high school at 17 already and isn’t sure she wants to rush her college experience.</p>
<p>I also would say Tufts.</p>
<p>One thing I would suggest is looking at what else the professors have done besides teach. In undergrad, I had a professor who had worked on nuclear nonproliferation issues with the government. In grad school I had a professor who had twice served as an ambassador. Both of them opened worlds to me that I didn’t know existed (what young person would) and that someone who is an outstanding academic might not know. The IR world is so difficult to break into that connections obviously help, and performing well for a professor who has her/his own links can help a great deal. You still want great teachers, of course, but it need not be either or. I generally agree with the above posters on particular schools, and Tufts of course is plugged into Fletcher, but if you are looking beyond that, I offer this thought. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, Celicbar. I’ll be sure to have my daughter read your post.</p>
<p>Absolutely would choose Tufts with financial aid over American. NE is also a great choice, but for IR Tufts probalby is better. American could be a good choice with the location in DC, but not worth “stretching” for. Tufts is also probably large enough for your daughter to find her people. Good luck with choosing, but she really has great choices. </p>
<p>Wow, what a spread of chices! Tufts as an overall top school, NE with the co-op opportunities and direct big city atmosphere, American in DC, Middlebury as top LAC with all of the advantages thereof. There’s a lot of material spread out there and it really depends upon what the priorities are in order to pick. The two kids I know who went to American who wanted DC locale for specific opportunities took off there. Both wanted GT and GW over A, but didn’t get into one and not enough money at the other, so it was an easy choice for them. But they have made DC their town, and will say unequivocally, that for those on the move that way, you just can’t beat being right there in DC. </p>
<p>Tufts is a great school My brother went there, and he went on to get his masters from the Kennedy program Did not like the atmosphere there. He did not switch gears, but, yes, Tufts offers the overall best options if one changes ones mind. And being right in Boston has its advantages.</p>
<p>NE has become very hot, as it has panned out in terms of JOBS after grad when many top name schools have not in these past years. </p>
<p>Middlebury is a highly selective school, and one of the best. What more does one have to say? </p>
<p>Your DD has to decide what highlights of each school means the most to here, and where she can shine. If she’s a true scrapper and go getter, DC is the place to be. The opportunies are unparalleled in the field but so is the competition for them. I know kids at Catholic who got such opportunities that truly they would not have gotten had they not been on site, right there. BUT, they were also quick on their feet and took advantage of being there. It’s not going to fall in your lap, even at the GT where I’ve seen kids and parents expect that it would. </p>
<p>Also one does have to live the everyday at these schools, so if the general feel and crowd at schools like Tufts or Middlebury, in particular, where you do get to know your fellow students well, as campus life can force the issue, if you intensely dislike the vibe, it can be an issue. </p>
<p>Congrats on some great choices. I’d love to find out what your DD picked and why. </p>
<p>I don’t see any down side to Tufts here.</p>
<p>cptoftheohouse, my daughter is leaning very strongly toward Tufts. She really prefers urban–Middlebury was the only rural school she applied to and it was because of her passion for languages. But now that she’s gotten in, she can’t see herself in such a small, cold place and so far from well…everything. I’ve had some trouble letting go of that school myself because their financial aid offer was so generous (50 K in grant money) and no loans for her, but she is the one who will be spending her young adulthood at the school, not me. We’re going to go visit the Global Scholars program in DC so she can learn more about it, but they offered her no need based aid, just the Presidential Scholarship–of course I’m glad she got it, but it leaves us financially in the lurch, and from what I read online, the chances of getting any more money at American is pretty much nil. My daughter loves the co-op aspect of Northeastern, but prefers the very strong IR cred of Tufts. Two summers ago, she did the Tufts-sponsored IR and French program in France for the summer, and she liked that very much. Also, her brother, whom she’s close to, is a junior at MIT and he’ll probably be staying at MIT for grad school and he idea of being close to him is a definite plus. And Tufts gave us just enough money to make it work for our family. I told her how much easier her life would be without debt after her undergrad (she’ll have to borrow for grad school)–but at 17, I don’t think she can understand how much a debt-free option is preferable when it’s being handed to you. So that’s where she’s leaning. We’re going to make a trip east this month for her to see in person, but I think Tufts will be her new home come fall.</p>
<p>Tufts is a great school. No argument from me on that. Congrats to your DD. She has excellent choices. She made quite the haul this admissions season.</p>
<p>The Coop program at Northeastern can be a phenomenal thing for Computer Science and related majors- less so in the humanities. She should kick the tires on that if the Coop program is the main draw for Northeastern.</p>
<p>blossom, thanks for that info about co-ops not being as strong at Northeastern in her areas of interest. That makes me think the internship opportunities at Tufts will be better for her. Not the same as being in DC though.</p>
<p>Government and International Relations isn’t just a DC function. The State of Massachusetts has trade delegations which worry about foreign companies putting subsidiaries in Massachusetts. There are Think Tanks in Boston which deal with terrorism and global security. The Governor of Massachusetts has staffers who monitor federal legislation on banking regulations and how it might impact global banks and corporations (and individuals) who have funds at Fidelity and John Hancock at the other big Boston financial institutions. International Relations is a big field which has ample opportunities for a young person in Boston.</p>
<p>There is an option for a semester at American University for Tufts students. I think it’s a course in the political science department.</p>