<p>Hey guys, I'm looking for some new ides about good schools for an International Relations major...
Any opinions, suggestions, let me know! :)</p>
<p>Right now I've got:
George Washington University
Georgetown<br>
Columbia
UC Berkeley
Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>These are a bit of a reach for me though, so I need some safeties!
Thanks!</p>
<p>NYU
Tufts</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>Hope2getrice: Thanks for the reply!
Tufts, campus-wise…big? small? medium?
I’m trying REALLY hard to get out of a small town in FL.</p>
<p>No prob!</p>
<p>I would say Tufts is middlish. The campus is large enough, not too large, and it’s very nature-esque and hilly with a good view of the Boston sky-line.</p>
<p>Syracuse has a great IR program, and would probably be more of a safety if you are looking at schools like UCB and Georgetown. I would have to second Tufts, too. And have you looked at American?</p>
<p>An important thing to remember, if you’re looking for IR, is NOT to ignore schools with a strong political science department but no International Relations major.
Relatively few schools have a dedicated IR Department, even if they offer the major. Professors “in” the IR department will typically be professors holding dual appointments, with their actual offices and research being conducted under the auspices of the political science department, economics department, foreign language department, etc. </p>
<p>When I was looking for IR programs as a high schooler, I considered Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Georgetown, GWU, Syracuse University, American University, and George Mason University, so I would say that the list you have and the suggestions made are pretty good.
I go to Tufts and am quite happy there. I got rejected from Columbia, didn’t like some other schools and didn’t get enough money at others, and basically ended up choosing between Tufts and a full scholarship at American. I probably would have been happy at American as well.
I would champion George Mason as a great safety. It’s a state school, so it’s cheap, at this point it’s really only looking for a strong B student, but its economics and political science programs are really top-notch. It’s also becoming more competitive and more reputable pretty rapidly, so over the next four years a GMU degree would appreciate in value considerably.</p>
<p>Snarf, thanks for all the great tips!
Actually I have considered American, I was there a few summers ago for a NSLC conference. Personally I love the campus and environment. My dad on the other hand is a different story. Somebody let it slip to him that AU is the place for all those people who didn’t get into G-town or GWU. So I guess he’s got it in his head now that it’s either those two or Howard lol</p>
<p>Cuse0507: Thanks for the input!
Though I was wondering about the campus??</p>
<p>Tufts’ campus is nice, but nothing amazing. I didn’t like Medford but Boston is very easily accessible. </p>
<p>Claremont McKenna has a really great government program, but I don’t know if they have IR as a major. Also, obviously check out the DC schools (GW, Georgetown, and American), and Columbia and Princeton.</p>
<p>Middlebury has one of the best foreign language programs in the world, and if you’re considering IR then you are probably into foreign languages as well. </p>
<p>Richmond also has a lot of study abroad opportunities and an excellent political science department. It’s not as hard to get into as some of the other schools I listed, but it’s still pretty difficult.</p>
<p>I would say that the best schools you are looking at here for International Relations would be:</p>
<p>NYU, Columbia, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and Tufts in no particular order.
This factors in academic quality, possibility for internship, student body strength, and faculty strength.</p>
<p>I think the BEST for pure International Relations would be Georgetown simply because of the combination of location and academics, with the second best being a tie between Columbia and Hopkins.</p>
<p>ca87 - you’re right I’ve always been intrigued about languages, specifically the Arabic language, and that’s probably the direction I’d be heading with the IR road
What’s the environment like at Middlebury?</p>
<p>Hope2getrice - I’m with you on Georgetown being on top. It’s my first choice for its in-depth programs and the location obviously. Thanks for the advice!
But Columbia is just too high for me. I know a senior at my school who had like a 4.6 WGPA, GREAT EC’s, and he got waitlisted. My stats aren’t nearly as good as his, so it’s a little daunting you know?</p>
<p>William and Mary has a strong IR program that treats IR as its own interdisciplinary major, not a subset of polisci.</p>
<p>Georgetown SFS is a realistic reach for most people, and it’s widely acknowledged as the best for IR.</p>
<p>Throw in Princeton Woody Woo, too.</p>
<p>Denver University is known for its IR department. That’s where Condoleeza Rice is from.</p>