Good safe colleges for political science major?

<p>I'm a transfer student set to graduate (from a local) by fall of this year and was looking to apply to a few colleges on the east coast for spring 2013 semester. I know that most of the best colleges for political science/international relations are over on that side, but I don't have the GPA to even get looked at by those schools. Which colleges have a nice political science department for a 3.1-3.5 GPA student?</p>

<p>What can your family afford?</p>

<p>Not much. My mom doesn’t make that much (below a year $30,000) but I wanted to go to a decent school. Barnard college is my first choice school, but it doesn’t offer financial aid to spring transfers. I was leaning towards liberal arts schools and women’s colleges since I don’t like the idea of going to a huge party school with a big greek life (I like small quiet schools focused on school work). I also want to go to school either in or near a big city. I could go to a SUNY college, but a lot seem like party schools and too far away from NYC. I heard a few were good though.</p>