<p>Sorry about that title, I'm just getting sick of no one answering me because I don't have the most prestigious schools.</p>
<p>So I have what I think is my final list and I need to make a decision. I'm interested in politics and IR and I'd love to hear anything anyone has to say about my list or a school on my list. The one thing to note is that I'm not big on partying or having people get high around me, so that's kind of a consideration.</p>
<p>UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
UC Davis
Lewis and Clark College
Mills College
University of Puget Sound
Santa Clara University
Sweet Briar College</p>
<p>If you're not big on partying, definitely take UCSB off your list because it is known as a "party school". I would love to help but like spacemonkey, I'm not familiar with the non-UC schools. I'm sure ppl would love to help you, but their lack of familiarity w/ the skls is probably why you haven't been getting too many responses.</p>
<p>uc davis all the way man! i've heard it's a good atmosphere...not too much partying (but not boring) and a total college town. i think its ranked pretty high in politics but i'm not sure...(i might have mistaken it with something else). it's reaaallly good for science though in case you were wondering. i agree with the others when they said definately take ucsc and ucsb off the list if you don't like partying bothering your schoolwork. don't go to scu because it's really small and is kind of made up of the same type of people....not much fun. not sure about the others sry. plus i'm probably going to davis so it make its that much cooler =)</p>
<p>i know how it feels when ppl don't respond to your posts...been there. hope i helped</p>
<p>ucd or scu
my friend is fond of ups
i'd say no to mills-but i'm just biased after spending my whole life in a hell hole of private single sex education</p>
<p>UCD has a nice 'balanced' atmosphere, not a crazy party school but not totally severe/serious either. It isn't what you would call picturesque, though; it's pleasant in a somewhat plain and comfortable way. </p>
<p>Also, (just hearsay) a friend's daughter recently spent a weekend at Lewis and Clark and really loved it. </p>
<p>What I liked best about UCSB was the huge beautiful seashells on the beach... (I'm not the one going to college, though, I'm the mom!) Son found the surfing appealing, would like to learn. Those kind of lifestyle things might help if you have too many choices that are academically similar in your field. </p>
<p>Another criterion that matters to our son is the climate. (Similar situation to you--he's trying to decide between UCI, UCSB, UCSC and several other schools). I found that the average maximum daily temperature in Monterey (near Santa Cruz) is about 71-72 degrees in Sept, and that is the hottest month. So basically, it is pretty chilly there a lot of the time, with a lot of fog. For our son this is a big deal...he rejects UCSC because it is "too cold". I would like him to at least visit and check out their strong points but he is quite convinced about this point, so I'm deferring to his taste. (So, don't ask why we wasted the $60 to apply .....) </p>
<p>It would depend what sort of climate you are used to or prefer.....You could check the other campuses, too, if that factor matters to you.</p>
<p>Don't know anything about Poly Sci strengths/weaknesses by school, hopefully someone here does.</p>
<p>Sounds like you're from California. Sweet Briar might be a heck of a school, but I can't imagine the name would impress anybody out west...sounds too ah, "sweet." Isn't UCSC sort of known for the smoking of weed? Don't know much about Lewis & Clark of Puget Sound. Sounds like you couldn't go wrong with UCD or Santa Clara...or Mills if you like the location (are they still all female?).</p>
<p>For politics I'd choose UCD. It's right next door to Sacramento and all the state politics going on there. You could probably get interesting internships, etc. UCSB and UCSC have reputations as a party school and a hippie school, respectively, although I'm sure you can get a fine education as either. The rest I don't know enough about to say very much.</p>
<p>I would go to Lewis and Clark for international studies In fact, Lewis & Clark is one of only about 25 insti-tutions in the nation that has an international affairs department. Lewis & Clarks international affairs program is recognized as one of the top programs in the country, offering a number of courses unique to our curriculum.
<a href="http://www.lclark.edu/COLLEGE/DEPAR/INAF/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.lclark.edu/COLLEGE/DEPAR/INAF/index.html</a>
PLus Portland is a cool town
UPS is also a good school, but not in a great section of town</p>
<p>UPS is very "toney". It is in an area of high-hundred thousand/million dollar homes. You will need a car to go anywhere (preferably a beemer ;)). I hear good things about Lewis & Clark, especially regarding languages/study abroad.</p>
<p>Since someone brought up climate, it's a big plus for Sweet Briar in my book. That part of the country is nice because you definitely have four distinct seasons, but the winter isn't terribly cold and you don't get buried with snow. You're gone for the hottest/most humid part of the summer, too.</p>
<p>I'm sure that Sweet Briar is a beautiful and wonderful place, but if you aren't going to spend the rest of your life in the Southeast, you'd have to try hard to find a place that SOUNDS more ridiculous. Is there anybody from outside the Southeast that has a favorable reaction to even the sound of Sweet Briar? Certainly the name isn't everything, but it's not asking too much that the name not work AGAINST you when you put it on your resume.</p>
<p>have you received financial aid packages from the private schools on your list?
if you are a california resident, then UC Davis & UC Santa Barbara are phenomenal options that are relatively cheap too... they are strong across the board in academic disciplines, pretty diverse student bodies (yes, you can find VERY serious students even at UCSB) so you will be able to find your niche...</p>
<p>unless you get a great financial aid package from the privates (or unless your family is wealthy), I can't see choosing a very expensive, not so well-known (but solid/respectable) private over UCD or UCSB...</p>
<p>the one caveat I have about going to UCSB or UCD is if you have a very strong preference for a small liberal arts college... for some, that is a very important consideration, especially if you think you would not thrive/be happy at a large institution.</p>
<p>TourGuide, people who hire look for competent, well-qualified people and oughtn't let the unfamiliar name of an institution stand in the way of evaluating a person. </p>
<p>There are lots of names out there that could sound odd to someone not familiar with them. Kalamazoo. Gonzaga. Transylvania. Wabash. The list goes on. </p>
<p>Any company that wouldn't look at the resume or hire a person because of a knee-jerk reaction to the name of their college is not someone I'd necessarily be enthusiastic about working for anyway.</p>
<p>wholeperson - You have gotten some excellent responses thus far. My only comment is that your "demanding" type request for responses is borderline rude. (I didn't even see a "thanks in advance for responding" type note in your entire first post.) I am one of those that comments only on inquiries that are outside the most selective schools (except occasionally to those asking questions about my alma mater, the University of Chicago).</p>
<p>"For god's sake, sorry I didn't apply to the ivies, doesn't ANYONE have an opinion? </p>
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<p>Sorry about that title, I'm just getting sick of no one answering me because I don't have the most prestigious schools."</p>
<p>Ho, it's nice to think that everybody who hires has memorized Barrons' Guide to Colleges, but in the real world that simply isn't the case. I do a lot of hiring, and when I've got a stack of resumes on my desk, I have to rely on all sorts of shortcuts to filter out the better candidates. That doesn't mean I base it ALL of my evaluation on the name of the college an applicant attended, but it certainly HELPS if (1) I've heard of the college, and (2) I have a favorable impression of it. If the OP was from Atlanta, I'd say go for Sweet Briar. But she's apparently from California, and you're [California] dreamin' if you think a lot of hiring executives out there know Sweet Briar from Hee Haw. I just don't see it as a particularly wise use of 4 years and tens of thousands of dollars to get a lifelong attachment to an institution which brings to mind Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.</p>
<p>I thought Lewis & Clark was incredible when I visited it. It's beautiful, in a great city, and seems to have rigorous academics. Then again I'm a bit biased since I don't know anything about the other schools on your list.</p>