Hi everyone. So, I wanna enroll in Undergraduate International Relations program this fall and following’s my list thus far?
George Washington: Due to the nature of my major, I wanna be in Washington DC. I called GW's undergraduate admissions office, shared my stats and got a generally positive response.
American University: This is my second choice for DC should I get rejected from GW. The lady at admissions said AU admits have an average GPA of 3.4, mine's 3.75. Should make it here if not GW.
NYU: However, if I'm rejected at AU for some reason, I'm probably not gonna enroll anywhere in or near DC. Though University of Maryland College Park doesn't seem to far but I'm not sure about the 9 miles drive at rush hours. So if I'm not in DC, NYC's probably the next best city for my major. And NYU's probably the best university for my stats.
Fordham: Again if I'm rejected at NYU too; Fordham's probably the next best thing and comparatively less selective with an acceptance rate of 44%
Boston University/Penn State/University of Delaware: If all fails, I'd still like to be at a large campus in Northeast and transfer the next semester to a more selective program.
Without your stats it is impossible to opine. Do you have a true safety? Are theses schools affordable?
Note that Fordham has non-binding EA which I believe would be a good option for you. If you get in early and Fordham is affordable then you don’t have to apply to schools further down on your list. Note that despite Fordham’s higher admission rate, the school’s academic stats for accepted students are pretty comparable with American.
@Dustyfeathers The thing is I wanna utilize my time the most in Washington for college activities and internships, a half an hour ride back and forth is something I’m not looking forward to. I would like to be in walking distance of campus, housing and internship places.
@MYOS1634 Well, I’ve an unweighted GPA of 3.75. Haven’t taken the SAT yet but for advisory purpose, assume a score of 1300-1400 out of 1600. Also note I’m not a traditional student, I’m 26 years of age.Though that shouldn’t be a problem at least at George Washington and American University according to their admission officers. As for budget, I can afford all these schools without any aid, I’m not dependent on my parents.
@happy1 I think Penn State and University of Delaware are good safety schools with an acceptance rate of 50% and 68% respectively. Affordability is a non-issue. I’ll definitely take advantage of Fordham’s Non-binding Early Action plan. Thanks for letting me know. Anything else you wanna add based on my GPA, financial status?
DC commute of 30 minutes is typically. I know a GW student who took 30 minutes to get to class that was held at a Smithsonian museum. Please don’t let the commute from U of Maryland stop you from giving it a series look.
Transferring is very difficult. Please don’t apply to likely schools with immediate thoughts of transferring. Be certain you’d be happy with being at any of your choices for 4 years.
I understand that you want to be right in DC, but many politicians, international business people, and related professionals have attended universities in a variety of geographic locations, and not all are in the center of a major city. University of Delaware, for instance, is the alma mater of Chris Christie, Joe Biden, and other prominent figures like Dominic Montanaro (NPR’s political editor). So while I understand that you want to be in the political center, don’t cut yourself short. If finances are a factor, and a master’s degree is in your future, I recommend expanding your considerations. As I have heard from many experienced people, you are going to create your own possibilities more than the location of your school.
Also, be careful about getting your hopes up when speaking to admissions officers. I called GW when denied admission and they were extremely vague about their process. Like other competitive universities, the admission board’s decisions can seem quite random when choosing from a highly qualified applicant pool.
Best wishes. I admire the fact that you have prioritized and given this much thought. My concern is that you are being so specific, and might need to be flexible at some point. Again, if cost is not a factor, then perhaps you won’t face an issue. But, GW, NYU, Fordham all carry a pretty high price tag. It doesn’t mean their programs are necessarily superior.