HELP: Georgetown SFS or Sciences Po?

College Search & Selection
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I am choosing between these colleges on a tight deadline and I’m struggling to find more information. I’m also looking to speak with some students from Sciences Po.

Georgetown pros:

  • strong academic program in the SFS with my particular major
  • pre professional opportunities
  • networking opportunities in DC

Georgetown cons:

  • full price
    I would like to attend grad school or law school in the future, so I’m really considering price as an issue

Sciences Po pros:

  • diversity of programs for the third year abroad & a potential dual degree with Columbia to apply for in my second year
  • much more affordable (one quarter the price of Georgetown)
  • extremely intl student body
  • more independence

Sciences Po cons:

  • administration
  • potentially overly stressful academics (9 classes per semester)
  • fewer academic and extracurricular opportunities
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Law school - where you go will matter less - and yes, you need to be able to afford it.

Law School where? US ? Elsewhere?

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Would you attend Science Po for

“ BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

At the undergraduate level, the Europe-Asia, Europe-North America] and Middle East and Mediterranean programmes are taught in English. The curriculum of these three-year programmes includes mandatory French language classes. Students also have the chance to take additional language classes in relation to their programme’s regional focus.”

@MYOS1634 ?

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Which campus of Sciences Po were you accepted?

The college experience in Europe is completely different from the US. Most of the students will live nearby in apartments. There is no rah-rah sports scene.

Also do you ultimately want to work in France or the US? While Sciences Po has an excellent reputation in Europe, I’m worried that not many hiring managers in US will have heard about it. The combined Columbia-Sciences Po program sounds like it might be worth investigating.

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Which Campus (Reims/Transatlantic, Le Havre/Asia, Menton/Middle East)?
Were you raised in the US or Europe?
Do you speak some French?
What AP/IB classes have you taken so far?

While Sciences Po is extremely prestigious in Europe and offers a MUCH more comfortable experience than would be typical, it’s a far cry from what you’d experience in the US.
SFS is more prestigious and has many more resources (support, career, networking, etc). It’s way more expensive but all that money goes somewhere.

How important is saving money for law school to your family?
How used to comfort are you?

The “9 classes” issue isn’t one - they’re equivalent to 4 classes in the US; more “contact” time but less homework than at a US college. Learning how to find efficient shortcuts will also be a skill.
The main difficulty is in the method, which Sciences Po will require you to master very quickly (rigid essay format) and the harsh grading scale (13/20=A). Half your classmates will already know this so your being psychologically prepared matters. It’ll be a little like being in grad school all of a sudden, with courses in your major(s) right away.
Another difficulty to plan for is the culture shock, both at the university level and in daily life.
Your cohort will be small and international, living near campus in apartments (you’ll need to learn how to cook before you go). You’ll become bi or trilingual, and make friends all over the place, which you’ll be able to visit on frequent breaks. Unlike typical French universities, there are clubs and some resources but it’s not like attending college in the US, with lots of support services, all-you-can-eat cafeterias, a gym, a pool, a library open in the evening (ie., when you need it), office hours, etc. You have to be very independent.

Are you sure you can join the Columbia double degree your 2nd year or can you just spend your 3rd year abroad (with no degree)?

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US law school admissions is almost all about GPA + LSAT scores; undergrad college is barely noticed. (I have read the Euro grading system is less generous than US and if true, attending a non-US college could hurt your GPA.)

SFS is an excellent program and if you were admitted there, you must have plenty of other more affordable options.

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Thank you for your reply!

I was accepted to Reims. I actually am very drawn to the independence of the college experience in Europe (and I’ve never been particularly interested in the sports scene or freshman experience of many US universities).

However, I do think I would like to work in the US. I only recently found out about the Columbia-Sciences Po program, and it’s not a guarantee that I’ll be accepted into it. I’m rather risk averse, and I think it would be better to go to a college where I am already in my ideal academic program/degree. At Georgetown, I have my program of choice.

So, I am leaning towards Georgetown despite the price tag, because I think it would be advantageous to have a stronger network within the US.

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Thank you for your insight.

To answer your question I took the equivalent of AP French (which is to say, not enough). I’m passionate about learning French and I would ideally like to become bilingual in the future, no matter which college I attend. I also took 12 AP classes, mostly in the social sciences, and a ton of community college classes.

I definitely think that the resources of the SFS are valuable and I would make the most of them. I went to an okay public school and I wouldn’t say that I am used to comfort (if you mean the hand-holding, guidance and opportunities that some prep schools provide).

I’m interested in what you said about the 9 classes issue. Could I contact you to talk further about it? I talked to a few students who felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of classes because the workload does add up during midterms and finals.

Another issue I wanted to consider was the grading scale, as you mentioned. I am really not sure where my best work would fall on the grading scale, and I do worry that I would end up with grades that would not be appropriate for law school. In the US, I have a clearer idea of what I can reasonably accomplish.

The culture was actually one of the factors that attracted me most to Sciences Po. I love the international environment and I think I would prefer the independent lifestyle and travelling. On the other hand, I don’t think that I would sacrifice academic or pre-professional opportunities even if it meant having a favorable college experience.

For the Columbia dual degree, it’s not guaranteed, which is one of the main reasons for my hesitation. The third-years I’ve talked to have said that it’s less competitive than first-year entry to Columbia A&S, but it’s necessary to have good grades at SP to have a shot. If I end up doing the standalone 3 year degree, I worry that not having a US degree will make it too difficult to secure an internship.

After thinking a lot more about it, I’m pretty convinced that Georgetown would be a much better setup for my future plans, although I would feel guilty for financially burdening my parents.

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The Columbia-Sciences Po dual degree is typically done after high school. The Columbia portion is done at the School of General Studies (not Columbia College). And students spend the first two years at Sciences Po and the last 2 years at Columbia GS. There is less financial aid available for GS students, and the housing is different. But apart from that, there is little difference between GS and Columbia College students.

It sounds like you can apply for the dual program while at Sciences Po. I wasn’t aware of that. I don’t know how competitive it is, but it sounds like it is probably easier than applying from high school.

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Most people aren’t aware that there are 4 undergraduate colleges under the umbrella of Columbia University:

Columbia College
School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
Barnard College
School of General Studies

The GS program is geared towards students who have taken a gap in their education. So the students are typically older. Lots of military vets. The Sciences Po dual degree is through Columbia GS. Each of the undergrad colleges have their own set of core requirements, admissions standards and financial aid. GS students have far less financial aid available, so keep that in mind.

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Ok, your background is more than sufficient to let you handle SciencesPo and its “1st year but really major-level” classes :slight_smile: (Most French students will have taken advanced classes in Economics&Sociology or History&Geopolitics. if you want examples of the type of exams they had to take, I can give you links. Many international students will come from the IB Diploma program or from UK-Style A-Level studies.)

Yes, you’re right, having 9 classes is a problem when finals come around, because you have to study for 9 different subjects at the same time. However during the school year the amount of work is similar to 4 classes.
Feel free to contact me about Sciences Po if you wish.

Email Sciences Po Reims and ask how the “moyenne” is “translated” into a GPA - more specifically, what is their equivalent of a 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.75 and 3.8 GPA (those would be boundaries for law school) and if they know what % students reach them. (Ideally for you 10% or more reach the equivalent of 3.7 or 3.75).

With the number of AP+DE classes, the fact you reached AP French level, your wish for independence, the fact you’ve attended a public school would prepare you well for what Sciences Po requires. And you’re right, you wouldn’t sacrifice anything in terms of academic quality and ability to travel.

It would, however, be very different from living in the US.

BTW is it possible for a G’Town student to spend a YEAR abroad and for what majors? (In your case I imagine it’d be a combination of France+ a French speaking country either in Northern Africa or in Western Africa?)

The Columbia Dual Degree may cost 20K with financial aid, which Americans will jump at, whereas for French students whose middle class parents may make 45K a year, it’s completely impossible. That may be why there’s an option to be selected after your 1st year results. If you can afford Columbia then I’m quite sure it’d help.
(CGS students don’t have to take the “core” so you’d essentially have to pick one of Columbia’s majors that matches SP’s, and take the missing gen ed classes there in addition to some upper level classes in your major.)

If you do the 3-year program, you’d need to try and find internships in Europe (France has something called “convention de stage” that would make it possible even for Americans); you might want to spend your 3rd year at a university you may want to double-graduate from, ie., attending for your 3rd year then asking for admission as a transfer, using the 3rd year classes for the number of credits taken from their university that they require for graduation. Kind of risky.

All in all, I think Georgetown SFS is a safer choice for you. Before you feel guilty, talk with your parents: they may have saved their whole lives so you could have this kind of opportunity (such as G’Town) and not worry about paying for it.
How do they feel about your being in Europe for 2 years?
No matter what, do not make a decision before you’ve emailed SP and asked them about the way your “moyenne” would be translated into a GPA.

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