So Columbia has been my dream school since I was seven and I was planning on doing ED there this fall. The problem is., they don’t have my major, International relations.
They have an International Affairs school for graduate but I really wanted to major in IR undergrad.
What do I do?? I really don’t want to take this amazing school off my list, and not applying to Columbia at all would break my heart. My other option would be to ED at Brown because they have IR for undergrad and it’s my second favorite school, but I’m not sure if I could really be as passionate about Brown as I am about columbia.
I would not worry so much about the name of the major. Take the time to look at the specific courses offered in each major in each school (should be online) and see if either or both schools would fit your academic needs. And keep in mind that for almost everyone admission to schools such as Columbia and Brown which have under 10% acceptance rates are longshots. You should spend time and energy seeking out safety and match schools that you can feel passionate about attending.
^This. It’s your coursework and what you want to study. One colleges offerings for an IR major are likely mirrored at Columbia. No hiring manager is going to care if your resume says IR or PoliSci or History or Econ or English Lit – if you can show you can get the job done.
You are overestimating the intrinsic value of the title “international relations”
Major in poli sci and you can take most of your courses in SIPA (School of International and Public Affairs). For real world jobs in international relations, nobody cares what the undergraduate major is called – at Harvard it’s called Government.