George Washington vs UNC Chapel Hill for International Relations

College Search & Selection
1

Hello all. I currently live in North Carolina about 30 minutes from UNC Chapel Hill. I am torn between these 3, so I am looking for some advice. I am an International Relations major, with plans to continue on to law school, and practice international law. I also plan to study abroad as much as possible. I have always wanted to live in a big city for college, and I believed I did not want to live in North Carolina for college.

George Washington
Degree Pursued: Bachelor of Science in International Affairs (May double major in economics)

Pros:

Concentration (Comparative Political, Economic, and Social Systems) is best suited for what I want to study, as I have a wide range of classes to suit my goals, covering economics, society, political science, geography, history, etc.
Extra regional focus.
Prime location in DC: higher access to internships, international firms/organizations, law firms, etc. Better food, shopping, entertainment, too :stuck_out_tongue:
Two good friends attending.
Cons:
$3,000 per month (More expensive)
Less prestigious than UNCCH
Lack of a traditional campus and school spirit

UNCCH
Degree Pursued: Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies (May double major in economics)

Pros:
High prestige, ranked very highly nationally
Very large alumni network
Large, traditional campus
Near parents
$1700 per month (Much cheaper)
Cons:
Very large student body, higher class sizes
Less focused on IR; concentrations of global studies are less applicable to what I’m looking for.
Location in Chapel Hill: far from major economic/political centers, fewer opportunities for internships/opportunities.

We would be able to pay for both, but GW would be the high limit for what we can afford, and we’d have to make some sacrifices/ go into debt. Costs listed are net costs after financial aid and scholarships. Any advice given would be great.

2

“International law” is not a thing. Most colleges have strong study-abroad programs, or at least they did pre-covid.

But if international is your goal, that is prestige-driven, so you need to aim for a top law school, which requires a high undergrad GPA and LSAT score. Law school is expensive, so save the money and stay instate.

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3

You want to go to UNC. Not only is elite - but the we have to make some sacrifices and go into debt for GW is all you need to know.

Why families strain themselves for the hopes that college will pay off - when any college can pay off - is beyond me. Do you want your parents freaked out every time the stock market goes up or down and their 401k is impacted?

Also, if you’re going to law school, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that could impact that is majoring in poli sci - law school wants diversity and everyone majors in poli sci / IR.

One other thing to consider - Chapel Hill is a campus. GW is the city…no campus. They don’t even have dining halls - which is nuts. So depending on that type of experience you want could be another factor.

To me, UNC is a no brainer - my daughter would be there for IR - except she got rejected (OOS).

Good luck.

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Thanks for your reply. I think you misunderstood what I wrote: I meant that in my career as a lawyer, I would want to work in the field of international law.

5

Thanks for your advice. I was just considering this. UNC is looking pretty good right now.

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no, I understand completely. Many high schoolers – and college prelaws – indicate an interest in “international law” and I’m just pointing out that such a thing does not exist.

Most “international law” is just standard corporate stuff, but cross-border. The stuff many claim to want is working for an NGO, or a major international agency. Those are unicorn jobs, where prestige matters, and require attending a top law school. (Top 5 is best.) But since they are unicorn jobs, they are not something that you should plan on as teh odd for everyone are really low. That said, if that is your true desire, consider the Peace Corps for some international experience.

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I work for a Germany company based in the southeast. Would you consider their corporate lawyers intl law?

Truth is, most have no idea what law is and many potential lawyers don’t pursue it or do and change their careers two years in. Get ready for lots of research…lots of library time.

8

Did you get into the Honors College at UNC? Granted it doesn’t add that much because the university is great and your peers will be excellent, but your first year being in honors does guarantee smaller classes and priority registration, which is big if you don’t want large classes.
Even if you didn’t, it sounds like UNC is your best value. If some classes are missing from your ideal major, you know you have space for electives that CAN be related to your major, right? Just add them in :slight_smile: and on your resume have a line for “Relevant coursework” (much more useful than the name of your major, anyway, since colleges can have any courses as part of a major).
All in all I’d say UNC :slight_smile:

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That adds up to a lot of money you could be saving for law school.

I would not go into debt for GW over UNC-CH. even for IR.

10

North Carolina will have competitive statewide elections in 2022 and 2024, so you would have a front row seat from a political science standpoint, although it is obviously not the international subarea of political science.

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