<p>How is the undergrad polisci program at FSU? I've heard that it's better at FSU that it is at UF. Is that true? I don't want to go into the political science field, I just want to go to law school afterwards. So which do you think would be the better option for me? Is there more of an opportunity for internships and jobs since it's only a mile from the capital building?</p>
<p>Well... forgive me if I'm mistaken, but the USNews graduate school ranking for FSU pol. sci is higher than UF's. That might suggest that the undergraduate program would be better. In my opinion it's kind of hard to quantify which undergraduate program would be better because both schools will have respectable faculty and resources. Of course if you really want to intern at the capital, then go to FSU. Otherwise, don't choose your school based on 'how the political science program' in this case, it really doesn't matter, especially since you're going to law school anyway. If you wanted to do meteorology or engineering, the distinctions between UF and FSU would make a difference, in this case, not at all.</p>
<p>Florida State. The university is in the (political) Capital of Florida and has exploited that advantage. I even worked in the Capitol Building when I was enrolled at FSU during a Legislative Session and I was not a polisci major.</p>
<p>Florida State's polisci program was rated #24 in the world for scholarly production. UF's program came in second in Florida at #153. The study was conducted in 2004 by Simon Hix at the London School of Economics.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://personal.lse.ac.uk/HIX/Working_Papers/Hix-PolStudiesReview-2004.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://personal.lse.ac.uk/HIX/Working_Papers/Hix-PolStudiesReview-2004.pdf</a></p>
<p>and: fsu.edu</a> | News</p>
<p>Our Department is a Top Ranked Political Science Program</p>
<p>Simon Hix at the London School of Economics and Political Science recently published a world-wide ranking of political science departments in the Political Studies Review. Based on publications in 63 political science journals, the ranking incorporates the quantity of publications, journal prestige and size of the department faculty. Over the five year period from 1998 to 2002 (the most recent data available), the Department of Political Science at Florida State ranks 9th among American public universities, 17th among all US universities (public and private) and 24th in the world.</p>
<p>Our Department is Top Ranked in Placing Ph.D. Students in Academic Positions</p>
<p>FSU's department has been ranked 22nd among all U.S. universities and 8th among public universities based on the success of its Ph.D. graduates in the academic job market. The study by Schmidt and Chingos was published in the July 2007 issue of PS, Political Science & Politics. The rankings looked at the overall percentage of new Ph.D.s who hold tenure-track positions in political science as well as the influence of the universities where they were employed.</p>
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I don't want to go into the political science field, I just want to go to law school afterwards.
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<p>I'm cross-posting my response from another thread:</p>
<p>You should know that the law school admissions process is primarily a numbers game, and your LSAT score and GPA will be the only truly significant admission factors at virtually every law school - only a select few place any real emphasis on "soft" factors like undergraduate major, undergraduate school, extracurriculars, work experience, and so forth. As far as they're concerned, if you can score a 170+ on the LSAT, then it doesn't really matter what you majored in or where you went to school - you're obviously competent (the basic purpose of the LSAT is to greatly simplify the selection process). With this in mind, if law school is the ultimate goal then you will be best served by choosing a major that leads you to a very high GPA (i.e. something you find very easy and/or very interesting), and then helps you succeed after you're admitted. The more time you spend reading and writing, the better.</p>
<p>Political science remains a common undergraduate major for eventual law school students, both because it continues to be widely perceived as a "good" choice for law school hopefuls and because it's relatively easy (I mean no offense by that) - a high GPA isn't hard to come by. It has nothing to do with the major curriculum.</p>
<p>If you don't have a genuine interest in PoliSci, then I suggest you reconsider your choice of majors. I speak from experience when I tell you that it's much harder to do well in something you care little for than something that really captures your interest - even if the latter is more difficult on paper (well, to a point).</p>
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Is there more of an opportunity for internships and jobs since it's only a mile from the capital building?
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You probably won't have any real opportunities for a law internship as an undergraduate. Law firms want law students, unless you are willing to work as a courier or basic administrative assistant - which will familiarize you with the law firm environment and little else. You may have opportunities to work in the state legislature, but again consider what those are worth within the context of your ultimate goal: if you can't produce the numbers, you aren't going to get into your chosen law school regardless of what your resume says or who writes your LoRs. If you do it, do it because the experience means something to you, not because you think it looks good on a resume. That's another one I learned the hard way when I hit the job market after earning my first bachelors.</p>
<p>Paraphrasing: "I see that you poached wild boar in the Congo. We like that, but your GPA sucks."</p>
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So which do you think would be the better option for me?
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The better option is simply the one that feels more comfortable to you. Your law school prospects are no better or worse at FSU than they are at UF. The student bodies at both schools have noticeably different attitudes (or at least they did some years ago), so whichever feels like the more natural fit is probably the better choice.</p>
<p>I can see that you're already considering "secondary" factors (e.g. internship opportunities), and that's a good thing, because that's where these schools ultimately differ. I can almost guarantee you that in most majors you will have the same basic classroom experience at most any medium to large state school. You'll start off in the generic intro classes which will more than likely be large lectures or smaller classroom sections run by a graduate TA. You will then eventually work your way into the core classes as a junior and senior, where you will have more opportunities to interact directly with the department faculty. As far as your instructors are concerned, you'll get your mix of good and bad, with most somewhere in between. That's just how it works.</p>
<p>That said: having lived in both places, I prefer Tallahassee to Gainesville by a country mile, but that's me. You may feel differently.</p>
<p>^ Thanks for your responses, everyone. I want to major in political science both because I am really interested in politics, and I kind of want to enter the political arena some day. That's also part of the reason I want to get a law degree. I think a J.D. and a B.S. in political science would be a good background for that. But hey, if I end up never running for even the local school board, so be it. I really enjoy studying the law as well. So the reason I ask about internships at the capital is that I think it would be a good way to get my foot in the door and get a firsthand look at the political system. </p>
<p>I'm extremely confident that I can maintain a great GPA wherever I go... it's the LSAT that worries me. </p>
<p>And I guess I'll just have to take a lengthy tour of both campuses (if I get accepted at those places) and see which is a better fit for me.</p>
<p>If you want to be a politician you have to have guts plain and simple. </p>
<p>It's also who you know, and not necessarily what you know.</p>
<p>Some aspiring politicans have the right stuff, whereas some see the all angles but can't sell it.</p>