Hi everyone! I am a current HS junior creating my college list. I am planning on studying political science, pre-law. I am having trouble finding good safety/match schools with a good poli sci program, any thoughts or recommendations? (bonus points if the schools give good merit aid and/or are on the east coast)
My stats:
-GPA: 4.3 weighted as of now
-I have not taken the ACT yet but I will in April
-All the APs taken (including senior year): AP European History, APUSH, AP English Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Gov, AP Microeconomics, AP English Lit, & other honors classes
ECS:
-Founder of a student organization focused on empowering and educating young women interested in politics
-National Honors Society
-National Project Director for a National Activist Society
-My school’s Model UN logistics officer
-Apart of my town’s philanthropy program where I created my own service project
-Tutor for middle schoolers
-internship with my local congressman
-political researcher for my county’s democratic party
-political/activism writer & project manager for student magazine
American, GW, and Fordham are awesome safeties but make sure to show demonstrated interest since GW and American yield protect. A solid match might be the American University Honors Program (I can’t recommend too many matches because I don’t know the type of schools you’re looking for which is why I hesitated to put Fordham on a possible safety list because it depends on the type of location and school you’d like to be at)
I’m aware of that. However, given her solid GPA and extracurriculars I decided to throw schools out there. Even if they aren’t safeties I could imagine they’re at least matches or possibly GW is a low reach.
Clark University in Worcester, MA is worth a look. I feel like it is a real hidden gem. It was on D20’s short list and she had a great experience with some members of MUN while there for her interview.
What is your unweighted GPA? What final cost are you looking for? Getting $30k merit at GWU isn’t helpful if you can’t pay the remaining $50k.
The one nice thing about Fordham is that it ha EA. If you don’t get in (or get enough money), you can quickly pivot your list before the RD deadline.
Also GW is need-aware and fin aid switches every year starting with the class of 2025 (this year’s incoming freshmen) Fordham is also not too generous but moreso than GW at least.
Not a popular opinion, but PoliSci has been a core major for decades, and irl there are few schools that don’t have a decent department. If you are seriously headed to law school, then $$ is your big metric: can (and will) your parents pay for UG and Law school with no debt to you? if so, great! you are away in a hack. If not, then follow the money. If your parents will pay UG but not Grad, see if you can negotiate - if you go to a less expensive school will they put the difference into a grad school fund for you?
Internships are the name of the game in polisci-type fields- and they are typically terribly stipended. I have seen internships that want PG students for bus fare. Every bit of UG debt you accumulate limits what internships & entry level jobs you can afford to take.