<p>I applied to many Ivy League schools, because I was convinced that I'd only get into one, and that my decision would be made for me. </p>
<p>But, as it turns out I was accepted to UPenn's Huntsman Program, Brown, Yale, Princeton, and Harvard and I'm left with a huge decision. I'm wondering if anyone can help me weigh the pros and cons of each, considering I plan to major in IR and pursue diplomacy?</p>
<p>In your case I would narrow down the choices to Penn and Harvard. Personally, I would go with Harvard. By far they have the best resources for International Relations. I am only a junior in high school but I’ve researched all the places. Also Boston provides many opportunities for internships, more so than Upenn or any other locations. Also, with Hunsmann you have to be extremely good at economics… I mean it’s truly intense… plus it’s a double major with a minor… So your choice should depend on how much free time you’d like to have. at Harvard you can take in the International Relations Council which hosts the college level and high school level Model UN conferences (by far some of the best in the country… my team has traveled to conferences at all the places you listed and Harvard deffinately beats them all). Also, Harvard will most likely havethe best financial aid package if it’s important in your context. I do have a question for you, if you don’t mind… when you applied to Huntsmann, in what language are you proficient… if your language is not offered on the SAT subject tests, how did they handle the exam?.. Hope my response helps, and I would appreciate an answer.</p>
<p>Good Luck! =]</p>
<p>I’m concentrating in Portuguese. I did not have to take any exams at all. There is no Portuguese SAT/AP, but I am a native speaker. However, I did take the Spanish (which is similar) and got a perfect score.</p>
<p>I have a similar problem: I was accepted to Penn, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Princeton and I plan on studying International Relations. I didn’t apply to the Hunstman Program because I wasn’t sure if IR is what I really want to do. I love intenational relations and political science but I’m interested in taking some film theory courses. Right now, I’m between Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia. I’m from NJ, 20 minutes from Princeton so I don’t kno if I want to be that close to home. Also, I love NYC. But the reputations of Harvard and Princeton are better, however mariginally, than Columbia </p>
<p>What should I do?</p>
<p>Oh and for adesa, I think that if you are committed to heavily studying economics along with IR, then you should go for the Huntsman Program. Congrats on all of your acceptances!</p>
<p>Check this out, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, 3 April 2009, afternoon update:</p>
<p>[Yale</a> U. Gets $50-Million Gift for Global-Affairs Institute - Chronicle.com](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/news/index.php?id=6249&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en]Yale”>http://chronicle.com/news/index.php?id=6249&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)</p>
<p>I have questions to go w/ adesa’s. I was also accepted at Harvard, and I’m also interested in pursuing Int’l Relations. What’s a good or common major/combination to choose for that? I’m asking mostly b/c Harvard doesn’t have any kind of “International” major, be it Studies or Relations or Affairs or anything . … </p>
<p>btw congrats adesa on the Huntsman! I was hoping for that too, but oh well.</p>
<p>@maricelag21: wow! are you going to any of the preview days? i’d love to meet you… maybe we could help each other with these tough decisions.</p>
<p>Congratulations on all of your acceptances. However, I forgot the important question which concerns the next generation of Ivy League applicants. What did you guys do in high school to truly distinguish yourselves?</p>
<p>@FLgirlie - Read the thread “2013 Decisions.”</p>
<p>Harvard doesn’t have an international relations major. They do, however, have a government major that seems to encompass IR. After taking a few classes in different required areas of government, it seems that you’re pretty free to concentrate your studies within the major toward any area you want, which could include IR. They also have a really extensive International Relations Council, which someone has already mentioned, that does 6 or 8 things, including publishing a journal and teaching IR in Boston public schools. There are also other clubs like MUN and a lot of other political organizations to participate in, as well as the internships that someone already mentioned.</p>
<p>I’ll be a freshman next year, and I think I’m doing IR, and I don’t feel like there’s any dearth of IR opportunities, even without its own major.</p>
<p>There is an IR track, which you can “concentrate” in, within the Gov department.</p>
<p>If you’re into international relations, Huntsman is a no-brainer. Harvard does not compare in terms of usefulness of curriculum.</p>
<p>what did you decide, adesa and maricelag?</p>