I am torn both ways and do not which way to go. Both schools have given the same amount of money and I love both campuses. The dual degree program allows me to spend 2 years at William and Mary and 2 years in Scotland at St Andrews, recieving a degree from both schools. I care a lot about getting good internships and setting myself up well for a job/graduate school.
William and Mary:
Pros:
- undergrad IR think tank to do research
- traditional campus
- Undergrad IR journal to publish in
- very active and large club/model UN
- Washington summer program for internships in DC
- smaller classes
- Sports/school spirit is very big
- St Andrews considered one of the best colleges for IR in europe
- Love the UK
- Special treatment/resources by the school, Special speakers, seminars
- 2 years of foreign experience, which grad schools look for
- Allows me to travel
- forces me to be more independent
- Monroe scholarship: $3000 available for a research project
- Unique experience
Cons:
- Away from DC, not very interesting town
- Internships only good if in DC, London
- not home in either place, friendships seem hard to sustain
- Farther away from home
- academics slightly worse than gtown
Georgetown:
Pros:
- Very good program
- In DC, better city with many opportunities for research/internships
- Walsh scholars initiative for internships, but would have to apply
- basketball team is okay
- Campuses in Italy, Turkey, Qatar, London for study abroad
- Amazing speakers come to campus
- school has prestige
- respected, knowledgable professors
- alumni network is very strong
- Georgetown area is very nice
- Better chance of getting into masters program at gtown, which is the best in the world
- as a whole, student body is more intelligent
- might get some more money
- Safer Bet
Cons:
- DC is very expensive
- May not give opportunity for foreign development
- Could look cookie cutter, is not as unique
- less opportunity to travel
- did not like atmosphere on campus quite as much
thankfully no, both schools matched the expected financial contribution, which was low enough for me to afford.
Maybe consider the environments? I know you said that DC has better internship opportunities, which I agree is true, but the two schools are in vastly different in terms of their actual environment. I personally LOVE W&M: it’s quirky, the people in Williamsburg are older and calmer and the pace of life is slower, the old colonial and touristy parts of town are within walking distance, it’s like a quaint storybook setting, the air is just relaxed. I live in the DC metro and DC is a bustling city. Metro is packed with important people in business suits, the streets are full of young professionals working hard, everybody has somewhere to be at some time, it’s just very uptight sometimes (of course there’s Georgetown–I mean the waterfront–that’s beautiful).
For IR, I’d go Gtown.
I am a little suspicious of those 2/2 or 3/2 programs. Will it be difficult to leave W&M after two years?
Were you admitted to SFS? In that case, I’d go with that - for IR, it’s like being admitted to Harvard. If not, then it’s really a matter of choosing what environment you like best.
Some questions:
How is the W&M/StA program set up? Do you do 1 year at W&M/2 years at St1/1 year at W&M? or ir it 2 years at one, 2 years at the other?
I think the 1/2/1 structure would be easiest to handle because it’d allow you to maximize contacts in both countries but wouldn’t make you graduate in Europe.
If you finish at StA, it’d set you up for internships in Edinburgh (don’t discount this city) and London, but you’d need to email Career Services to see how they can help you get US internships between junior and senior years if you want to work in the US, and if they help you after graduation.
Second, StA is in a historical village at the end of the world. It’s dark and rainy most of the year, and although there’s a small cinema in town, you have to take a bus for 1 hour to get to any kind of city (“city” in the sense that Williamsburg would be a bustling city). The university itself offers some entertainment but it’s not like in the US, where universities are like a mini-student-town with facilities there for the taking and entertainment planned each weekend. There’s a student pub, for instance, and lots of student traditions, but you have to be autonomous and independent. Living abroad will change you, make you more independent and stronger, but due to its isolation St Andrews isn’t Sciences Po Reims or UCL or Heidelberg, living there for 2 years isn’t for everyone.
I can give my personal opinion as they are similar academically. I personally liked w&m significantly more. I felt the students were much nicer, happier, and willing to help. I felt like the students at Georgetown felt like they were better than others(not a lot but just got that vibe). I also thought WILLIAM and mary has a nicer campus but that is 100% preference. My mom hated driving in DC however being farther away from w&m may cause issues. I am in no way saying Georgetown is a bad place to go and the students seemed very happy there. They also had a really cool student center. Overall, go where you would be happy!