Hi, I am a junior looking to apply for a top Political Science school. I need several suggestions for Safety, Match, and Reach schools.
I have a 3.9 GPA with a rigorous honors course load, and a 30 ACT composite.
At school, I’m involved in performing arts, and am on the leadership team of several clubs. I also am part of National Honors Society and rank in the top 5% of my class.
Any geographic preferences? Size of school? Urban vs. suburban vs. rural?
American University and The George Washington University come to mind, and are probably admissions matches for you.
Claremont McKenna
St. Anslem would be a safety for you
I don’t think the OP has the stats for CMC. Dickinson would be a school to consider. They have an especially nice semester in DC program, too (better than most colleges, I think).
@intparent
Yes, the Dickinson DC program is well done. College of the Holy Cross also has a very good Washington DC semester that combines an internship with academics and research.
Dickinson uses the Washington Center, which is a really nice setup. My kid had the most amazing apartment she has ever had through them (has been in DC for several years since graduation, and did summer internships – it was really nicer than anything she has had since!). They have interesting speakers, and she did an independent project with a prof at Dickinson, and had a great internship. And got a full semester’s worth of credits for it.
Most LACs and universities with strong academics will have excellent political science departments. Depending on your area of interest-- for example, American politics, international relations, comparative politics, etc.–some schools might have more emphasis on one area. Tufts University, for example, has a separate international relations major. If you want to use your political science degree to get involved in politics, look for schools that have a Washington DC semester or have internships with political organizations like lobbying firms or nonprofits that try to influence political policy, etc. If you’re interested in political polling or political opinion research, the University of Michigan has Institute for Social Research that focuses on this type of research. There are opportunities for students (even at the undergraduate level to get involved in the research). If you are interested in working in government, a school with a public administration or public policy classes might be an option–although many PA classes are part of an MPA program. University of North Caroline (Chapel Hill) has a strong MPA program. It’s undergraduate political science program is excellent as well.
Johns Hopkins is also excellent for poli sci and IR! I was kind of blown away by the number of people in those majors when I went there. Good program plus proximity to DC for internships and such.
HWS
Dickinson
Lewis & Clark
George Washington
Holy Cross
Villanova
Kenyon
Pitzer
NYU
Bates
Macalester
Hamilton
Safeties, matches and reaches should be apparent from SAT/ACT scores and acceptance rates.
If your interest in performing arts is particularly strong, consider Bard as well.
Do you have a budget?