<p>Hey guys,
I'm a transfer student, and have narrowed it down to Carleton and Georgetown. I am interested in pursuing a major in Political Science and/or History. I know that Carleton has an amazing rate of acceptances to law school, and also a great reputation for graduate/PhD programs. When I visited, I loved the small classroom discussions, the student camaraderie and the accessibility of the professors...
Now for Georgetown! The government program there is top notch, amazing professors, and the access to internships is unparalleled. I know they also have a great pre-law program, and I absolutely loved the campus.<br>
Are there any Carleton students here that have any advice? I'd appreciate any additional knowledge of the programs offered at Carleton, words of wisdom on the whole Carleton experience--pretty much anything! Thanks so much :)</p>
<p>My daughter intends to be a political science/international relations major (she doesn't officially declare until next year). Both the poli sci and history departments have awesome classes and faculty. But also look at the off-campus study programs Carleton offers. For political science, there is political economy in Maastricht (The Netherlands), another one in China, and a term in Washington, which includes an internship. The beauty of the term system is that you could do two off campus study programs.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>My son is a poli sci major at Carleton, and he works in Washington DC in the summer. (We live in Texas) He is going abroad in the fall to Croatia. So far he has pleased with the depth and availability of courses, the quality of the professors, and the ability to find internships.</p>
<p>That being said, your two final schools are quite different in size and location. Perhaps you should concentrate more on where you would feel most comfortable. Georgetown is larger, and metropolitan. It is a very different feel. </p>
<p>Good luck, you have two great choices!</p>
<p>I really wouldn't worry about any kind of "pre-law" program. The law school admissions process is really not that complicated and it won't matter where you go. As mentioned, one of Carleton's off-campus programs takes place in DC and includes an internship. Many people continue working at that internship or another one during the summer after the program is over.</p>
<p>If you want to go to law school, DO NOT TAKE a "pre-law" program, if that has any independent meaning other than as a label. A student should never choose a school based on its "pre-law" program, but rather on the quality of the departments one studies in.</p>
<p>Admissions committees at good law schools want students who studied a real academic discipline--and (for different reasons) economics, history, or English would usually be as good to take as Poli Sci.</p>
<p>Steven Schier, who runs the Washington program at Carleton, is an interesting, extraordinarily committed professor. </p>
<p>Carleton's poli-sci faculty is more politically diverse than Georgetown's (though of course still predominately liberal/radical), so you are likely to be exposed to more different points of view in the classroom at Carleton than at Georgetown.</p>
<p>A funny example of just how PC Georgetown is: When Africa's most eminent bishop (who was discussed as a possible Pope the last time around) gave the Georgetown graduation address a couple of years ago, he included a couple of sentences that reiterated the Church's (IMO backward) view of the immorality of gay sex. Although the language was pretty tame, not surprisingly some people were somewhat offended. </p>
<p>(In college at Yale years ago, I had to listen to many ideas that I found offensive--and even dangerous--such as socialism. Intellectual discourse should often be upsetting.)</p>
<p>Not only did the Georgetown administration issue a groveling apology for having a Catholic bishop express standard Catholic doctrine at a Catholic university, but (incredibly) the university also publicly offered special psychological counseling to anyone who was traumatized by the statements! It would appear that Georgetown students are not supposed to even hear ideas that offend them or with which they strongly disagree. </p>
<p>I'd choose between Georgetown and Carleton on feel; they are very different schools.</p>