<p>Hey I'm a junior interested in international relations and politics and I love DC. What are the real differences between American, GW, and Georgetown academically? What area is GW the strongest in compared to the other two? What programs make it unique? How does GW view American and Georgetown? Is there any interaction between the schools? I'm trying to get a sense of each school regardless of ranking because each school does have a great IR program. I'm looking to figure out which one is best for me. Is each program equally strong but people choose one over the other for the atmosphere? Any insight would be appreciated. I posted this in each forum to get a broad range of opinions. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think you have to visit the schools to see. All are in excellent locations and offer good opportunities. Then you apply see where you get accepted/money and then that helps make the decision.</p>
<p>I would apply to all three. Then see where you get accepted. All offer excellent opportunities. I think GW has a slightly better location but lacks the “feel” of a traditional campus.</p>
<p>I visited all three over spring break and felt I got good sense about the feel of each school and I’m definitely going to apply to all of them. On each tour they talked about their great government and IR program, I’m just looking for a little bit more information on what makes GW stand out.</p>
<p>I spent a day at each. GW stood out for me in terms of the students. I really want a place where the students are intelligent but also down to earth, relaxed, and enjoy their school overall. GW stood out in this respect. I didn’t run into “rich snobby kids” but students that were involved and excited about their lives. Can’t wait for fall. Oh yeah- many more students talked about internship opportunities at GW than either of the others. When you need to make a decision, I would highly suggest spending a full day on all 3. You can learn so much more by talking to current students and you will get a good idea of the best fit.</p>
<p>dc- I don’t know what your parents are like, but my Dad couldn’t get over the money issue. He was always trying to see what he was getting for his money. In that regard, GW had a great reputation, the dorms are newer, cleaner, carpeted and air conditioned, and the internships were there for the asking. That impressed my Dad bc GU had old buildings, the dorms weren’t great or all air conditioned, the computer technology is still being updated and GU doesn’t give merit scholarships, and GW gave me an incredible one. My Dad is old school, you know, “its not what you know, it’s who you know…” and there is no doubt that you will KNOW people coming out of GW’s internships. Just another way to look at things, best of luck to you!</p>
<p>My H felt the same way as waveswatcher. A bit of advice, look for good schools that have what you are interested in. Do not fall in love with any one school. apply to them all see what happens. The admissions process is an interesting one and hard to predict. Do you homework def look at schools that give good merit aid. good programs, etc… and see what happens next year, good luck you sound like a great kid.</p>
<p>Most def. Georgetown is best… American is not even ranked that high! GTown has far better appeal to employers.</p>
<p>Not true!
Stop assuming AU is not ranked that high-- see link below!</p>
<p>[Foreign</a> Policy: Inside the Ivory Tower](<a href=“http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4685]Foreign”>http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4685)</p>
<p>Why did GWU drop of the list?</p>
<p>Basically dc, here’s my take AS A PARENT on the 3 IR schools in DC. My s investigated all 3.
Gtown is def an upper echelon school. They have a great program, but you’ll need the best grades, scores, ecs etc. to get in. Many great students who want to go to school in DC don’t even apply because they don’t want the Catholic Experience.
As far as IR goes, GW and AU are about the same. Recent IR rankings may have AU above GW, but GW may out weigh AU in over all rankings. Both have great internships and career centers.
I think, as many have said before, you need to investigate all 3 campuses. All are great! You just need to find the one where you feel the most comfortable. Good luck!</p>
<p>Also, applying to all 3 and seeing where you get the best merit/financial aid, isn’t a bad idea either!</p>
<p>well to be honest, if you really want to pursue a career in the Foreign Service, I would definitely try and get into Georgetown’s SFS. They have a great rep with the State Department and overall it is much more competitive and academic than GWU and AU.
Although I cannot say much about the AU program, I can tell you GWU IR students mainly succeed due to their ambition, not necessarily in the academic field, but much more in relations to internships and job opportunities in DC [since GWU is the only uni to have a metro stop]. I feel though, for the most part, that many GWU IR students aren’t well motivated in academics, if you’re really looking for that aspect.
In regards to the political science/government fields, I have to say GU’s program is pretty mediocre and I have to say in my honest opinion, that GWU may rival GU in this category</p>
<p>I visited AU and GW and thought about Georgetown/spoke with my half-sister about it. Another thing to consider is the atmosphere. Georgetown is… well first of all, there’s the Catholic experience. AU is pretty much a direct contrast to Georgetown here; it’s not only one of the most liberal schools in the country, you can also FEEL it (there’s a strong Republican presence there, which is great, but it’s definitely no “Catholic experience”). In terms of academic strength, Georgetown would win for IR, but I think that GW and GU would be close/tied for many other programs. The great thing about them is that their similar enough to be comparable. AU definitely has its weak spots, even though it’s a pretty good school overall. GW is literally integrated into the city whereas AU and (especially) GU are a little off the beaten path (no big deal, really). The students at Georgetown are characteristically well-off and preppy. The same is said of GW, and I’m probably biased here, but it couldn’t possibly be as bad as GU… which was really, really, really rich/preppy. AU and GW seemed about the same in that respect. Definitely not living up to their stereotypes, but they also seemed a little uncomfortable for someone like me (very low income). Overcome-able, though.</p>