<p>I am a current high school juniour and interested in majoring in international relations in college</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone knows about the program at St. Andrews in Scotland. I have heard it is amazing but I don't know much about the school or experience. Currently im really interested in the Elliot School at GWU in Washington D.C. but I have also been looking into Johns Hopkins and if anyone could tell me about their program compared with the other two that would be great.</p>
<p>Also any other comments about Maxwell school at Syracuse or SIS at American would be good also.</p>
<p>Can't really compare programs, but I know a little about the Maxwell School(Syracuse). My son went through that program and had a great experience. You need to pick one particular area to specialize in as an international relation major ( Middle east, Eastern Europe, etc) he chose Russia and had to take language courses and studied in St. peterburg. Great experience. </p>
<p>Upon graduation, he got an intership on Capitol Hill and then a job. Most of his friends were able to get some sort of internships related to their fields. </p>
<p>Obviously GW would be a good choice becuse of the location. Othre excellent programs are Georgetown (SFS) and Tufts.</p>
<p>ive heard great things about st andrews, and syracuse. I know GW and american are great, and have a great location. And i also know that the overall best program on your list is Johns Hopkins. Why dont you check out other more competitive schools with great programs. If you are shooting for Hopkins (and you have good enough grades and test scores to get in) then i think for the most part, the other schools you are listing would not make sense to go to assuming that your academic ability is a notch above the rest of the students at those schools.</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins offers 5-year accelerated [BA/MA[/url</a>] programs with both SAIS (the School of Advanced International Studies in DC) and Sciences Po (Sciences Politique et Economique in Paris). Both are among the very best graduate schools of their kind in the world. There may not be any other undergraduate IR programs that can plug you straight into a top graduate school after three years of study. </p>
<p>I have looked at more competitive programs such as Georgetown, Tufts and the Ivys but I' am focusing in the schools in my range such as the ones I listed above.</p>
<p>I'm very familiar with the international relations programs in the UK, specifically St Andrews. To be honest, I think that St Andrews and Johns Hopkins are far and away the best options on your list. St Andrews is considered by many to be one of the two best IR programs in the UK and is more on par with Georgetown, Tufts, Ivies, etc. than the others you're considering. In fact, the School of International Relations at St Andrews has exchanges with Georgetown, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia and others if this gives any indication of comparative quality. Though the undergraduate program at Johns Hopkins isn't nearly as strong as SAIS, the opportunity for the accelerated option is very valuable. Plus you'd be closer to DC with greater opportunities for internships. Both programs are great, but offer different experiences.</p>
<p>Much of the decision will come down to your particular interests. What specific sub-field within IR interests you? Each school has its own strengths. What type of location, urban or rural, are you looking for? Washington DC is a big city, while St Andrews is tucked away in a small resort community. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>Don't know anything about St Andrews other than its great reputation (considered almost as good as Oxbridge), and that Prince William attended.</p>
<p>The best IR school for undergrad is Georgetown hands down, with Princeton a close second and USC third. </p>
<p>Tufts, JHU, Harvard, etc. have fantastic IR schools, but they focus on GRADUATE work, while Gtown's SFS and Princeton's WW school are all about the undergrads, and are therefore a fantastic college experience, academic and otherwise. Plus Gtown's location offers fantastic opportunities for networking, internships, etc.</p>
<p>USC also has a strong undergrad IR program, and there's just something to be said for a good school full of hot chicks in a city where you can wear shorts in January.</p>
<p>
[quote]
there's just something to be said for a good school full of hot chicks in a city where you can wear shorts in January
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Spoken like Robert Plant in a refined and critically acclaimed manner.</p>
<p>We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming! </p>
<p>On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.</p>
<p>Ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh HA
Ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh HA</p>
<p>Of the schools you listed Johns Hopkins is definitely the superior school for IR, though i know nothing about St. Andrews. If you have a shot it Hopkins you certainly have one at Tufts, while Georgetown may be just one level up in terms of competitive admissions to their SFS. </p>
<p>JHU aside I'd have to say the Eliot School at GWU is your next best bet, purely do to its location. If you can afford it, it's a better school overall than American is. Syracuse in my opinion is to removed from the IR scene to really be considered a powerhouse in that field, though its still a very well respected institution.</p>
<p>I think one of the reasons WHY Hopkins is known for having the top undergraduate IS (International Studies) program is because:</p>
<p>1) The faculty, the faculty, the faculty. They are outstanding and at the university campus, these faculty are all focused on the undergraduates.</p>
<p>2) The university encourages a liberal arts background so you don't have JUST students interested in International Studies there. You get the History majors, the Biology & Chemistry majors, and the Engineering population. It's a healthy mix of students. </p>
<p>3) The size of the school is a HUGE asset; only about 1200 in the freshman class which is AMAZINGLY small for a major research university.</p>
<p>4) Covered grades: meaning that you don't get grades your first semester, everything is PASS/FAIL which is nice since Hopkins is a tough place to be academically... nobody can really float through.</p>
<p>5) Flexibility: Hopkins is known as being the International Studies program with the most flexibility allowing students LOTS of study abroad options and no Gen. Ed. requirements (!) which is amazing. You'll never have to take, for example, a FRESHMAN ENGLISH or something like that - they just don't exist at Hopkins.</p>