Decision: Macalester vs. Georgetown vs. WUSTL

<p>My niece is struggling to decide which of these three great colleges to go to. She grew up in Portland, Oregon but has lived in Boston for the past couple of years. This was a big transition, as she feels constricted by the preppy culture of her private high school in Boston, but also didn't want to return to the Northwest for college. She is very social, a track champion, writes and preforms spoken word poetry, and is interested in social justice in an international context. At Georgetown, she's been accepted into the school of arts and sciences, not foreign service. Any thoughts on which of the three colleges would be the the best fit?</p>

<p>Your niece has three wonderful schools to choose from. My daughter is a freshman at Mac and a good friend’s daughter is at Georgetown. I don’t have any current knowledge of Wash U. My sense is that Georgetown is more conservative/preppie than Mac. My daughter wants to major in international relations. She loves Mac for its intense academic climate and for its interesting students. She loves the fact that many Mac students have a strong sense of social justice and international awareness. She and her friends regularly get off campus to explore the Twin Cities which is easy to do by public transportation. But the neighborhood around campus is charming. With lots of small shops and restaurants, and an easy walk or bike ride to a park on the Mississippi, Mac is in a very livable urban neighborhood.</p>