<p>I've just started my junior year and am compiling an initial college list. My passion since being a young child is international studies. I have encyclopedic knowledge of foreign governments, their history and culture and love to study this. I haven't taken the SATs yet, but my practice scores put me at 2200-2300. I have a 99 gpa, taking all honors/AP, studied 4 languages and very strong in Latin and French. All my savings has gone to international travel and I'm deeply involved with Model UN and am president of my Academic Challenge team.</p>
<p>Georgetown has been my dream school since I was 12 visiting with my older brother. The internship opportunities, international programs and locations are a huge draw and getting in there has been my goal all this time.</p>
<p>I met with a college counselor, family friend, who's with a prestigious private school and knows my learning style. She believes that I'd find Georgetown too "Pre-professional" and careerist, not filled with students who love to learn. She's pushing Princeton and Stanford, neither of which I'd considered. I don't like a cutthroat atmosphere and I'm impressed with Vassar where my brother goes, but I really want a strong undergrad IS program.</p>
<p>I'd appreciate any suggestions or input on the schools I've mentioned.</p>
<p>So many of the schools mentioned so far are super-selective you may want to hunt for more target/safety schools.
And keep in mind what you can afford!</p>
<p>If you’re 100% set on focusing in IR, Georgetown (specifically, the School of Foreign Service, which you seem to have the stats for) is hard to beat. Besides, you’ve already visited and love the place. Have you interacted with many students during those visits? That’s, well, the best way to get a feel for the student body. I suggest you contact Georgetown and find out whether they have programs where you can stay overnight as a potential applicant. I did that for one of my colleges and trust me, it definitely helps to get an inside perspective of the school that campus tours and such can’t. If not, I still think you should apply. My humble opinion is that you have the profile to get in, after which you would have the chance the stay overnight during the actual admitted students weekend and decide then whether the school is truly your best fit. Can’t really comment on Stanford, but Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School is also definitely top notch (to me it seems to be a little bit more focused on policy and domestic issues, but I could be wildly off, I heavily suggest you try to contact an actual student from the program). Have you considered Columbia? They’re also very good at IR, with access to all IR-related opportunities in New York, and the atmosphere might be more to your liking.</p>
<p>You might want to explore the other schools in the Washington DC area besides Georgetown: </p>
<p>George Washington
American
Catholic University of America
University of Maryland (College Park has a metro station that provides easy access to the city)
George Mason (Virginia, but same thing with the metro)</p>
<p>The DC area can provide easy access to many IR related opportunities.</p>
<p>Thanks so much. I looked at the Foreign Policy list and, again, the recommended undergraduate international studies programs seem to be mostly limited to the really selective schools. I’ll make sure to visit American U and Gworge Washington U on my next trip to DC. Just worried that the other students might be too into partying and not into real scholarship.</p>
<p>Thanks for your helpful post, PMCM18. My brother’s close friend is in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and he’s made it clear that I should visit and shadow him for a day. I’ll also visit Princeton - another long shot. I live outside of NYC so Columbia feels too close plus our school has a terrible track record with them. The other concern is my school, small, respected, in Westchester, has hardly any admit history with Georgetown and none with Princeton. My guidance counselor says that’s because “our kids aren’t drawn to schools like that.” It’s true - kids from my town tend to go to schools like Oberlin, Skidmore, Kenyon, Wesleyan, Bard. But is that another obstacle to getting into Georgetown/Princeton, etc?
Thanks for your sage council!</p>