<p>I was accepted to GWU as a president's scholar with a half tuition scholarship and Emory with no finaid or merit aid. (We met with finanical aid friday at Emory and they said if we fax them my GW/NYU scholarship letters, they will reconsider my package, but its unlikely to change.)</p>
<p>Before visiting Emory, I was almost certain that I liked GW enough to pass up Emory. I applied to Emory on a whim and did not give it much thought or serious consideration. However... my visit changed everything. I loved Emory so much... I definitely had that "gut" feeling people talk about (not that I don't like GW, but I don't like it as much).</p>
<p>How can I justify Emory to my parents? I want to study political science/IR and i don't know enough to convince them that Emory is worth the debt and distance (which is a factor b/c i have 3 young siblings) when I could be in DC at GW. While money is always a factor, its not a HUGE one in my case. Anyways, I keep telling myself that I can always go to DC/NYC, etc. in grad school... but are the possible undergrad internships and GW IR prestige worth me going to GW instead of Emory? How is the Emory rep for poli sci/IR and would I have any good internship opps in Atlanta?</p>
<p>Basically, I don't know what to do. I got that "feeling" at Emory but I don't know if i'm being a bit blinded by rank and the fact that GW was my safety school. I'm also afraid that i'll always wish i was at gtown if i go to GW (gtown was my first choice). FINALLY, I just loved the campus feel at Emory and the student body seemed like a good match.... how can I convince myself AND my parents that Emory is worth the debt and the distance? and is it?</p>
<p>THANKS!! any help is appreciated, i'm feeling really stressed/confused right now and i have so little time to decide.</p>
<p>If I were in your position, I would choose a school where they want YOU!! In this case George Washington University for considering you as a PRESIDENT'S SCHOLAR!! For political science: GWU>Emory. For medicine: Emory>GWU. There are plethora of opportunities for internship around DC area than ATL. DC is where everything, and by everything I mean politics, happens!! I also had that "feeling" when I first visited Emory but that "feeling" might not be the same as time passes? And you have mentioned that money is not a problem for your family but why not help out your parents, siblings, and yourself with some extra-cash money~! (from Yo-MAma with Wilmer's accent) and save it for your grad school? (I have realized that there are times when you have lots of money and when you don't have lots of money and you do not know when this "time" will come)
However, this is just my opinion. I hope you make the right decision.
GWU.</p>
<p>welll i go to emory and i know a LOT of people who are majoring in polysci..like after being pre-med and pre-business everyone is a polysci major. i also have a friend who is studying in DC as a semester "abroad" next semester for his polysci major. im not sure if that helps...but i would definitely reccommend emory over GWU just based on how much you liked emory when you visited.</p>
<p>i'm not an IS major..so i'm not quite sure...but i know a lot of people majoring in it. and also..they had this really amazing political science professor at emory last year and the year before (a visiting professor who could only stay for 2 years) and students absolutely LOVED him..people were paying each other to get into his classes..there were rallies at emory to keep him there and articles written in the Emory Wheel.</p>
<p>I agree with jtpeter2. If you want to major in PS, no need to discuss!!!
Definitely GWU! You will realize soon why DC is so important and why everybody wants to be there. I am so sad that my son has to giveup GWU because of no finaid or merit. There is no way for me to pay at least 50K/yr.
I envy you. You got a president's scholar with a half tuition scholarship from GWU. Feeling is a moment but Reputation last long.</p>
<p>In my opinion, better academics trump mutliple internship opportunities in DC at least at GWU. Georgetown might be another story.</p>
<p>Emory has plenty of internship opps. How many internships does the average student enroll in? You need well over 100 credits in academic courses on campus.</p>
<p>Emory is not exactly an isolated LAC, there are plenty of opportunities.</p>
<p>It is really tough to choose between a school where you have a scholarship and one where you don't. If your family has the means to swing the larger amount and feels comfortable doing it, then it sounds as if you'd like to go to Emory. If it's going to mean huge loans that you'll need to pay off or that will hurt them financially, then I would probably go to GW.</p>
<p>If you're a poli sci major at Emory, you can intern at CNN or at the Carter Center. (You could also do a semester internship in Washington DC on top of that.)</p>
<p>Another "argument" in favor of Emory is that it is ranked higher in USNWR (#20) than GWU (#53). Rank isn't everything, but it's one component in the big picture and can have an impact on grad/law school admissions. For example, 14 kids from Emory were admitted to the Harvard Law School class in 2005-2006, but only 8 from GW, even though the latter is a larger school.</p>
<p>Still, if your family really can't afford to lay out this much with three siblings coming right behind, then I would definitely opt for GW. You can get a great education either place.</p>
<p>thanks for everyones advice, although its kinda showing me that either side can be well argued.... so i'm still not sure how i'll decide :-/ its gonna have to come to me somehow</p>