<p>Im going into my senior year and have narrowed down my college choices to 2, but am completely indecisive with regards to the two.</p>
<p>Up to now I was set on E.D. to Duke. My brother went to Duke, and I know some people there so Ive always imagined myself there. However, recently I've been questioning my E.D. to Duke. The reasoning behind this is that if i get accepted to Duke ED I have no choice but it i get into Georgetown EA i can still chose. Also, I've been examining the courses offered at Duke and Georgetown, the 2nd school Im interested in, and have found the offerings at Georgetown more interesting from the brief descriptions Ive read (Political Economy, American Govt., Finance, Int'l Relations) than those of Duke (Public Policy; Markets & Management Studies; "Philosophy, Politics, and Economics" Certificate, Economics).</p>
<p>The Georgetown classes seem more interesting and I would most likely try to double-major in Political Economy and Finance. At Duke Id probably try for PubPol and Eco. I prefer the Georgetown one because it appears to me that Political Economy really concretely fulfills my interests in both politics and economics in one major and I could double-major with my other interest, Finance. However, at Duke there is no major in Finance and, despite their exceptional economics program, I dont think my political interest would be fulfilled with pubpol which, to me, seemed like a more abstract major. </p>
<p>Of course Duke wins out in terms of campus life, something important to me, but Im wondering to what extent I would be missing out on what the city of Washington has to contribute to my education in both the political and economic fields. </p>
<p>1) To what extent are politics and government a part of the public policy major?
2) Which school is easier to get into as an international student? And how much easier?
3) To what extent will being in D.C. make a difference to the quality of courses at Georgetown compared to Duke?
4) Any general thoughts on my predicament/the classes Im looking at?</p>
<p>First of all, it sounds like your heart it set on Georgetown, so I would listen to yourself and go with your gut. Perhaps it makes sense to apply to both RD (or I guess Georgetown EA is fine) and see what happens. I will say that having a brother that attends Duke and applying ED is quite helpful for admittance, so you will be losing that boost if you choose not to do that. But if you’re really set on Georgetown, and there’s nothing wrong with that, then you should go with it.</p>
<p>Now to answer your questions as somebody who went to Duke and lived literally a 5 minute walk from the Georgetown campus:</p>
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<p>I can’t answer this question with particulars as I wasn’t a public policy major so I would making some guesses. But I can say that Duke has ramped up its public policy program even more in recent years and Sanford became its own endowed school just a few years ago. I believe the program in general is quite broad to begin with and students can cater the curriculum in upper level courses to their interests by choosing electives. “The curriculum provides students skills in political and economic analysis, knowledge about how to lead people and organizations, and a strong ethical foundation for decision-making,” is how the department puts it. [Undergraduate</a> Program - Sanford School of Public Policy](<a href=“http://sanford.duke.edu/undergraduate/]Undergraduate”>http://sanford.duke.edu/undergraduate/) If you’re super interested in politics, you might consider political science. Although pub pol is more government-oriented as I understand it.</p>
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<p>Will you require financial aid? I believe both schools are need-aware for international applicants. If you’re an international student requiring aid, I’d say the competition is pretty intense and both would be difficult to get into. Is political economy part of the SFS? If so, that school is also harder to get into than the rest of Georgetown.</p>
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<p>None. The courses at both universities are taught by great professors that are leaders in their fields. Where being in DC does help, though, is Georgetown gets more speakers from Washington on a consistent basis, etc. since it’s so convenient location-wise. Duke certainly gets a fair amount to, but Gtown has more. So, I’d say the courses aren’t really any different, but the “extracurriculars” at Georgetown related to politics are superior simply based on location. A concern many people also have is getting a job/internship in DC. DC is the #2 destination for Duke grads (behind NYC) so you’d have no problem getting a summer internship/job there. Duke grads go into politics in droves. However, Georgetown does have the leg up in that you can also have a during the year internship quite easily, while that’d be quite a commute doing it from Duke!</p>
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<p>I honestly think you’re looking at too much at the particulars and analyzing nuances that won’t mean all that much in the end. In my opinion, you should be looking at the broader picture - namely, where will you be happier? Both schools will offer about the same level of academic rigor and opportunities with various interesting course selections. What does differ is the campus life, location, etc. Do you enjoy outdoor activities and wide open spaces? Duke might be a better fit. Do you need to be in a major city with many shops and restaurants within walking distance? Perhaps Georgetown. Are big-time athletics important to you? Duke. (I realize Gtown’s basketball is also quite good historically, but having seen both sides of it, I can tell you that Gtown basketball intensity/interest PALES in comparison to that of at Duke. Although it’s hard to convince students and residents to fill up the whole Verizon Center. The only game they sell out for every year is against Duke! Plus, Duke is solid at all sports, while Gtown football is not even I-A and lacrosse is really the only other thing they’ve got). Can you control your spending? haha, somewhat being serious. Being in Georgetown can be REALLY pricey. In the end, visit both campuses and see what vibe you get and what simply feels more like home to you. Good luck!</p>
<p>I go to Duke but got into both schools so I think I can help you out a bit.</p>
<p>First off, I think the smartest thing to do would be to do Georgetown EA then apply to Duke for regular decision. That way you apply to both schools and if you get into both you can choose among two rather than just one college.</p>
<p>I am majoring in Political Science and took some Public Policy courses. Duke Public Policy is one of the best in the nation and I actually got a 4000 dollar grant to do research from the Sanford School. PolSci is great to and I worked in DC last summer for a congressman at the Capitol, so you definitely will have many internship opportunities at Duke if you look for them.</p>
<p>Anyway, again I want to suggest for you to apply to both. Being in DC, just for the social aspect even, is AWESOME. Apply to both, see if you get into both (Duke’s acceptance rate was 16 percent and Georgetowns is tough too I’m sure), and then visit both and make a decision.</p>
<p>I would guess, and it’s only a guess, is that Duke would be an easier admit for a full-pay arts and sciences major. However, Duke also gives an admissions bump to ED, so you would lose that plus factor.</p>