<p>Im planning on majoring in International Relations
(foreign service)…
and my choices are SUNY Geneseo (middle of nowhere)
practically debt free. Or American U with close to 40,000
debt going into graduate school.
do you think its worth it…Geneseo is considered the
public ivy of Ny state…but AU is in DC…but the money,
im an independant with no parental contribution. hmmm…
Help!</p>
<p>tnx :-)</p>
<p>okay Ill respond here as well.. because i have personal experience with this issue...</p>
<p>Last year (i'm a frosh at AU btw) it was between SUNY bing or AU. Much like geneseo, Bing is in the middle of nowhere, but it is still a top public school. In the end i picked AU. The hill is just a metro ride away, embassy row is my backyard, and here people are excited & INVOLVED in politics. Just think of the internship possibilities. Unless you took a semester 2 come to AU... or a school in DC... the possibly are not the same. Next year I plan 2 work for a senator or a congressmen... just for the hell of it. At Geneseo can you do that? Can you just happen 2 be taking a stroll and find out that a massive peace protest, one that people come from miles away... happens to be going on? Can you take a quick metro ride into the city just to stop by at the president's inaugural speech... i think not. Even though u may be going into debt, think of the real world experience that you can't get @ a small SUNY school in the middle of nowhere. </p>
<p>In the end it doesn't really what undergrad school you go to. What matters is the people you know and the networks you have. Tonight i went to a networking conference. I chatted with Karen McCord who is an alumni of American University and is the Chief, Clearance Division at the Defense Intelligence Agency and Counterintelligence & Security Agency. Do you think that you can get this type of networking experience at a small school in the middle of nowhere??? </p>
<p>My opinion... no. I mean i'm sure geneseo & bing are great schools.. but AU gives students an opportunity that students at other schools just don't have. Last semester i took a class, politics in the US... every week we did something exciting an interesting downtown. We went to the supreme court, met with people from the BBC, went to congressional hearing, toured "think tanks" like these things only exist in DC. </p>
<p>Speakers as well are amazing at AU. We have panels and speakers (esp in the IR department) that people from other schools just don't have. We get interesting and experience people to come and speak to students at AU. This is the type of thing that just don't exist @ other schools: esp small ones...</p>
<p>anyway when i was at AU for an overnight stay, Jimmie carter came. Things like this is like a usual thing at AU. This type of thing just doesn't exist at other schools. I'd recommend that you come for an overnight stay. See AU for yourself, and see what it is worth the $$$$</p>
<p>good luck!!!</p>
<p>-alyssa</p>
<p>Lilly888, I'm making almost the exact same decision! However, I'm considering one or two additional schools. Geneseo seems tempting with its promise of a debt-free undergrad, while AU boasts so many opportunities in the capital of the country. Frankly, I'm torn between my options....sorry, I'm not much help to you, am I?</p>
<p>While Geneseo is a great school, however, an IR major would probably benefit a LOT more by attending school in DC. Your main decision lies in choosing whether you're willing to carry that extra debt or not.</p>
<p>Are you extremely fond of one college over the other?</p>
<p>i visited geneseo today and, of course, its beautiful.
BUT its still in the middle of nowhere. this will be the most difficult
decision ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im set on IR...but I'm not a rich person...
<em>sigh</em> i dont know how to decide.</p>