<p>My D (junior) is interested in international relations/foreign affairs and we're seeking colleges. She has a good background in it....she's been working in food issues in our state (as an intern with the state-wide organic food organization) for two years, attended Georgetown's international relations program last summer, and has an internship in Africa (would rather not reveal specific country) with the state department this summer.</p>
<p>Her grades are good but not CC-level :) She has a 4.0 and a 31 ACT and probably won't get much higher. As we cast a net for best schools, the usual suspects come up in this area (princeton, yale, harvard, georgetown, stanford, brown) but these schools are going to be insanely hard to get into it. Are there safeties out there? That is, schools with a strong foreign relations department that are outside the top 10 list. Thank you. </p>
<p>Not an expert in this area, and not quite sure she’s at this level, but a place to start might be a place like Middlebury. Not for the foreign relations part, but because they have such a strong foreign languages reputation, combining that with another program in a dual major might be a road worth investigating. There are plenty of LACs she would qualify for with her grades and test scores that would make her a strong candidate for an international affairs career, it just will require some research outside the obvious schools - perhaps something that combines public health or agriculture science with foreign languages.</p>
<p>Here’s another idea - look at job opportunities at a place like the Gates Foundation, who does a tremendous amount of work in foreign countries doing the sort of thing your daughter is interested in. Take a look at the skill sets they’re looking for, and work backwards to figure out how to get those skills. It’ll probably be years before she would qualify for any of those positions, but it probably outlines a clearer path than a generic international relations degree would.</p>
<p>MrMom,I really like the idea of looking at ideal jobs, if you will, and then backing your way into the careers and maors that will get you there. thank you! And ne12345, I had not thought of Tufts…though while surely not a Safety, it’s not a Harvard either…so I will take a closer look. </p>
<p>Schools on their lists that are on the less selective side (relatively speaking) include:
George Washington
American University
Syracuse
University of Denver
Maryland
University of California SD
Pittsburgh</p>
<p>You might want to visit a cluster of DC-area schools:
Georgetown, GW, American, Maryland</p>
<p>However, I don’t know why the OP thinks a 4.0 average is “not CC-level”. If that GPA is in a college preparatory program (ideally with at least a few AP/IB courses), her D should have a shot at Middlebury, Tufts, JHU, and Georgetown as “reach” possibilities.</p>
<p>Macalester, in St. Paul. From tk’s list, yes to George Washington U, American, UMaryland-CP for sure. I’ve never heard of Denver being mentioned as a standout for IR, but it’s always worth taking a look. Add USC. </p>
<p>Most important question: what can you afford? Try running a few net price calculators if you’ve not run any budget numbers yet. </p>
<p>D1 is at Tufts and it is indeed wonderful for IR. </p>
<p>Also, if your daughter has an interest in food issues, consider Cornell’s International Ag program and similar programs at other schools: <a href=“Global Development | CALS”>Global Development | CALS;
<p>If she has an interest in Africa, also consider the schools that have national resource centers in African area studies:
BU: African Studies Center
Bryn Mawr: African Studies Consortium
Harvard: Harvard Africa Center
Haverford: African Studies Consortium
Indiana: African Studies Program at Indiana University
Michigan State: African Studies Center, Michigan State University
Ohio U: African Studies Program
Swarthmore: African Studies Consortium
Berkeley: UC Berkeley Africa Center
Florida: Center for African Studies
Kansas: Kansas African Studies Center
North Carolina: African Studies Center
Penn: African Studies Consortium
Wisconsin: African Studies Program
Yale: Council on African Studies</p>
<p>I live overseas and though I worked in the private sector, I have had a lot of interaction with “official Americans,” foreign service employees, NGO workers and the vast army of interrelated development workers. My observation is that although these are a generally well educated bunch, their undergraduate representation covers a wide spectrum – from state university to LAC to Ivy League. Choice of majors is the same – IR, yes, but also a fair degree of history, political science, economics – even something farther afield like English or philosophy. </p>
<p>I surveyed the US ambassadors to my host country over the past 15 years who are all career diplomats. I found that though they all have distinguished graduate degrees, their undergraduate experience is varied and unpredictable.</p>
<p>So, my point is I wouldn’t worry so much about going to one of the IR magnets for undergrad. If your daughter is serious about IR she will ultimately get a masters, PhD or law degree, most likely at one of those institutions you list. In the mean time, she’s absolutely doing the right thing in pursuing internships, making contacts, building her resume. Along the way she can pick up a language that is predominate in her geographic area of interest.</p>
<p>For undergrad she should focus on the school with the best academics and the best fit (and best affordability, of course) even if it’s not an IR powerhouse. Her grades and accomplishments will get her into a top graduate program.</p>
<p>Having said that I would second Tufts and JHU for IR undergrad – still selective but not insanely so. Also any of the academically rigorous LACs that have good internship opportunities and alumni connections. For example, Williams which isn’t an obvious go-to for IR, has the Center for Development Economics and fields a lot of graduates into public sector and international development organizations.</p>
<p>Don’t overlook your land grant university in your state with ag programs, especially if interested in food issues.</p>
<p>Our state land grant has a Global Resources major. A major in agronomy with an emphasis is agroecology would open up lots of possibilities in the developing world. An Ag Econ major would be another great option. </p>
<p>My son is interested in food/ag issues and is currently a double major in Ag Econ and urban planning.</p>
<p>I believe SurvivorFan recommended Alabama to me for international relations. You might check with him. With your stats it might fit the bill as safety both financially and academically and still provide you with a good education.</p>
<p>What about Wellesley, after all, two secty of state. Not a safety, but not bad admit rate for the quality, but likely quite self selecting.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about it but this small unique college came up once and it has international studies and food systems studies, although it technically has no departments those are two areas among several as well as ecological policy it mentions. College of the Atlantic. May be worth looking into.</p>
<p>A safety with merit aid would be University of Redlands. I think the student designs their own IR program from it’s offerings in IR and Govt, in coordination with a faculty member, likely their semester in Washington DC program, and is expected to study abroad. I have a relative’s kid going there who will be going to University of Edinburgh for a semester as well as one of the ‘May term’ abroad programs. They also have the Johnson Center which is a living learning community where you completely live and work with faculty and design your own program.</p>
<p>“Named “One of Higher Ed’s Best Kept Secrets” in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 edition and recognized for congenial campus living, flexibility of academic programs, easy access to professors and generous financial aid.”</p>
<p>Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies is named after Madeleine Albright’s father (the school’s first Dean.) Condoleezza Rice is an alumna.</p>
<p>Boston University was hinted at by “zapfino” and is worthy of consideration for a couple of reasons. For one, it definitely should work as a “safety” school because it is not especially hard to get into. Plus, just by being in Boston it is more influenced by Harvard and MIT than any of those institutions would like to admit. Also, it has a lot of international students. Seems to me that it would be a little odd (but only a little) to study international relations at a school where almost all the students are Americans.</p>
<p>BU often gets overlooked outside of New England because Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and Williams, for example, get the most attention. However, if BU was in most other states it would probably be the best school in that state. It is a very good university.</p>
<p>Finally, do not get confused between Boston University and Boston College. BC is Catholic and more well known than BU. Boston University is in the city, while Boston College is basically suburban.</p>