<p>I am a rising junior attempting to plot out my 2010 summer. So far I've applied to NSLI-Y (A State Department Sponsored Study Abroad Program) which is great, if I get in....and my parents let me go (they're a touch worried about me spending 6-8 weeks in the Middle East...).</p>
<p>I am scouring the internet for programs for a girl interested in International Relations/Political Science. I looked as TASS, but it focuses on African-American Studies, and while I planned on applying for a while, I just don't have a passion for that subject matter, and well, to be honest, I'm white and it seemed as though they gave preference to African-American students (correct me if I'm wrong). If it is true then it would make it nearly impossible for me to get into the program.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any ideas on summer programs for a rising junior interested in Political Science/International Relations? I've found a pile of programs...for people interested in science and math..........</p>
<p>Should I start cold calling professors at a nearby university and trying to see if they perhaps need a (free) intern?</p>
<p>I'm planning to do some campaign volunteering as well, and the requisite community service.</p>
<p>If you know of anything, please let me know! :)</p>
<p>I don’t know much about this, but I saw Northwestern had some interesting humanities related seminars. I was interested until I noticed how short they are…</p>
<p>Thanks for the information! I think I might do one even though they are so short–they’ll give me a chance to really see Northwestern (a school that I will more than likely be applying to!). </p>
<p>I know someone who attended Georgetown’s IR summer program and loved it and said she learned a ton. I went to Summer@Brown last year, and they seriously have classes on EVERYTHING, so I would check out their course catalog.</p>
<p>How much can you afford? Johns Hopkins CTY, Duke TIP, and Northwestern CTD all offer very interesting coursework in the humanities. There are courses like International Politics, Law and Politics in the 21st Century, Macroeconomics and the Global Economy, and more that I don’t even remember. If you’ve taken the SAT or PSAT a sophomore will need a 66 or 660 to be eligible to apply. For the lower tiered CAA program you will need a 56 of 560. They offer classes like Great Cases: American Legal History and Race and Politics.</p>
<p>I’ve actually done a summer at Georgetown…it was great and it allowed me to check out the school, but I was trying to find something that would look good on a college application while still being enjoyable for me–it seems like all of the IR/poliSci type things cost oodles of money, which is doable, but it’s not going to do a whole lot for a college applicaiton.</p>
<p>Would I be better off just taking classes at a nearby college for the summer?</p>
<p>No one thing is going to do oodles for an app. You just need to get something out of the experience. For example, being a member of Math League won’t really help with college apps, but if you do something cool with it or can turn it into an interesting essay, it could end up being great. Just do what’s most interesting to you!</p>
<p>One more class CTY offers that I forgot about is Politics in the Middle East. Sounds like a class you would like based on your interests in the OP.</p>
<p>That class sounds fascinating! Thank you! I will have to look into that if only for that course…</p>
<p>I think I will just intern for a political campaign, do some more volunteer work (which I actually like to do…) and maybe take a few IR classes at a nearby university (am I a total dork for being excited for summer school…actually, scratch that, I am, but I’m okay with that )</p>
<p>You could look into Yale Ivy Scholars. It’s not like the other Ivy League summer programs designed to guzzle your money. It’s expensive, yes, but not nearly as much as the near ten grand charged by many programs in such universities. That and it is much more selective than such programs. It may be worth looking into.</p>
<p>I will definitely look into that program–I just worry that because I am only a rising Junior I won’t get in…</p>
<p>I will definitely keep it in mind though, I like that the application deadline isn’t until May which would give me a chance to see what my other options are…</p>
<p>I went to Ivy Scholars summer '09 as a rising junior with fine (but not super) PSAT scores, a great (but not awesome) GPA, and OK (but not fantastic) activities. I ended up doing super-well at the program and I got a lot out of it; it’s a very intense and demanding environment and you certainly reap what you sow. The number of rising juniors was not insignificant, so if you want to attend, I would definitely apply. </p>
<p>It’s a great experience. If you have any questions, PM me.</p>
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