<p>I am currently a junior, and I am already planning which universities to apply to. I know I want to major in International Relations, and that I will have to attend a public university (US or Canada), the private ones are just too expensive.</p>
<p>So I did my homework :p, and I checked the list of "Public Ivys" in "The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities" with the USNews.com list of American schools for International Relations and Affairs, and this is what I got so far (in order from the USNews.com ranking of National universities):</p>
<h1>24 University of Virginia</h1>
<h1>31 College of William and Mary</h1>
<h1>47 University of California - Davis</h1>
<h1>47 Pennsylvania State University - University Park</h1>
<h1>57 Ohio State University - Colombus</h1>
<h1>60 Miami University - Oxford</h1>
<h1>60 University of Georgia</h1>
<h1>67 University of Delaware</h1>
<h1>67 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities</h1>
<h1>70 Michigan State University</h1>
<p>What do you think? Any other to add? What about Canada?</p>
<p>If you can get into an Ivy, the financial aid could make it less expensive than any public. Princeton would be an excellent choice and Cornell has a very strong on-site program in Washington. D.C. Harvard and Yale send lots of students to the diplomatic corps. Aim high, and don't let concerns over costs derail you before you really know what they will be. For example, Harvard is totally free if your parents make less than $60,000. and financial aid is given to many students whose families have six figure incomes.</p>
<p>I don?t know if I could get into any of those Ivy League universities, but thanks to your responses I will definitely be looking at private universities.</p>
<p>Sorry for reviving this thread, but I really need it this time.
I have found out that universities don't give aid to internationals unless you're like some freakin genius (which I am not), so I have been looking again into the public university "business".
Which public university in the East Coast would you recommend for IR?</p>
<p>public universities give even less aid for international students -- and as was said before, cost for out-of-state students (which I assume you are since you are international) is also high -- sometimes equal to private schools.</p>
<p>for example --
cost for Harvard (tuition, room and board, etc) = $46,450
cost for UC- Berkeley = $42,956</p>
<p>Another consideration -- if, as you say, you are not a freakin' genius -- do you understand that competition for admissions into colleges and universities in the US is extreme for international students?</p>
<p>It is possible for some international students to recieve aid - especially if you actually need it.</p>
<p>Tufts University is private, but has a fabulous IR program. You should also consider American University as a chance to perhaps recieve more in the way of merit aid (not entirely sure if they offer it, but I believe so)</p>
<p>Xeneise -- while it is true that financial aid is available for international students, the competition for both admissions and aid is very difficult. Alot will depend on the OP's stats -- and it is good to have strong back-up plans in place.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Xeneise -- while it is true that financial aid is available for international students, the competition for both admissions and aid is very difficult. Alot will depend on the OP's stats -- and it is good to have strong back-up plans in place.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is precisely why I mentioned American. Easier to get in, (and most likely to get aid from) than other top schools for IR.</p>
<p>I'm assuming the OP has impressive stats. It would be helpful if he/she would post them, I'd say.</p>
<p>Have you looked at University of Pittsburgh (#57 in US News)? It is a college that puts great emphasis on international education and has one of the best study abroad programs in the country. Also, their World Politics/International Relations program is highly regarded. Out of the schools you listed, I would only place the University of Virginia and College of William and Mary ahead of Pitt, and OSU would be on about the same level (I don't know too much about UC-Davis.)</p>
<p>I really would not use the Public Ivies guide as a resource. There have been several prominent essays published detailing the bias in that list.</p>
<p>I don't think my stats are impressive, but here they come:</p>
<p>Nationality: Spanish, Italian
Languages: Fluently spanish, italian, french, english, some russian
I have lived in 4 different countries, my dad is a successful diplomat working for the spanish government (I am now living in Pakistan)</p>
<p>Cumulative GPA (counting only 10th grade, and 11th grade so far): ~3.5
PSAT Score: 56 + 58 + 55 = 169
Predicted SAT Reasoning Score: 1850
SAT Subject Tests (predicted scores):
French: 800
Spanish: 800
World History: 700</p>
<p>AP's:
Sophomore year:
French Language: 5</p>
<p>Junior year:
Spanish Language: predicting a 5
Italian Language & Culture: predicting a 5
European History: predicting a 5
World History: predicting a 4-5</p>
<p>Senior year:
Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Statistics, English Language, Comparative Government and Politics</p>
<p>EC's: some community service for 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, fundraising activies, swimming team, MUN-Qatar, band trips (I play the bass, and a little piano as well)</p>
<p>P.S: Going to the US is just a secondary option for me, I'll probably go to the UK where I pay the home fee (3.000 GBP) only for 3 years, but I'd just like to have some options.</p>
<p>you make a highly interesting and unusual applicant, but that may be pulled down by your average ECs and your SAT scores. The SAT I score is the biggest damper here - i think you're capable of much more. try retaking it?</p>
<p>I haven't taken it, that's just a predicted score. I'm taking it in June 2nd, I'll tell you what I got then.</p>
<p>However, I can only go to the US if I get a SUBSTANTIAL amount of financial aid at a good university (I know, unlikely), because if I don't then I'd better focus on the UK, where I only pay what would be the equivalent of 6.000 U$ (being EU citizen), it's closer to home, and I know I can get into some good universities like Aberystwyth or St Andrews (in the UK they focus mostly on AP's, and as you can see I will have quite a few).</p>
<p>oops, i missed the word predicted :P alright, i'm sure you're gonna get a good score.</p>
<p>you need quite a lot of financial aid, and you stand some chance at the richer universities because of your uniqueness (I don't know anyone who can speak more than four languages fluently!) Rich universities would actually be more willing and able to fork out more for you if you're an outstanding applicant, so you may actually end up spending less at a private university. UK universities would definitely be cheaper, as you said, and the ones you mentioned are pretty good. in general, UK unis place slightly less emphasis on ECs and more on the traditional academics and APs. you're pretty good academically and linguistically, so perhaps you could try Oxbridge too?</p>
<p>I was thinking of applying to Oxford, the History & Politics program. These are their requirements:</p>
<p>US qualifications
SAT: 2100
or ACT: 32
AP: 2+ at grades 4 or 5
or SAT II: 3-4 with 700</p>
<p>I am taking the SAT in June 2nd, and the ACT in october (the only date it's offered at our school), but I'm afraid I won't get the scores they're asking for. However, I have far more AP's and SAT II's than they require, so I hope that can make up for it.
If you are curious, this is my current list of universities for the UK:
University of St Andrews
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Oxford
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Edinburgh
University of Essex</p>
<p>Which do you think is more prestigious, a degree in International Relations from Georgetown (US' top), or from St Andrews (UK's, and probably Europe's as well, top)?</p>
<p>Whoa, St Andrews undergraduate prospectus just made my day. I found out that, being a non-English/Welsh EU citizen, I DON'T HAVE TO PAY TUITION FEES in Scotland!</p>
<pre><code>Students domiciled in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, or in other EU countries outside the UK, starting a first degree or equivalent course in a Scottish university or college will not be required to make a personal contribution towards the cost of their annual tuition if they are studying it for the first time. All such "tuition fees" will be paid by the Scottish Executive through the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
</code></pre>