IR Major

<p>Hi,
My S is interested in Int't Relations major. Can anyone shed light on the courses and how hard they are?</p>

<p>Also, please chance him?
750M
680W
640V
SATII: 760 Math2, 710 US Hist, 670 bio
3.94 gpa UW
soccer: JV 2 yrs. With Capt as soph, Var 2 yrs (hope capt sr yr)
NHS
Photography for nonprofit
Coached soccer
Tutored math
Poet and rapper in local competiton
Med amt of comm service, but consistent and constant
Worked throughout hs
National Youth Leadership Forum
No major awards, but teachers and counselor loves him; did not work thru professional advisor
Extensive overseas experiences; lived in HK and Beijing and traveled all over the world, but hs in US</p>

<p>THX!!</p>

<p>I have never attempted to chance anyone and I can’t even compare your son’s test scores to my daughter’s as she took the ACT.
As to the International Studies major, I can’t tell you a lot. My daughter took an introductory IS course (she thought of it as a possible major with her disciplinary focus in biology) and hated it. She is a proponent of George Orwell’s 5 Rules of Effective Writing [5</a> Rules of Effective Writing, by George Orwell](<a href=“http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/5-rules-of-effective-writing-by-george-orwell.html]5”>5 Rules of Effective Writing, by George Orwell - LifeHack), and found the readings too filled with jargon and “long words when short ones would do”. However, friends who are IS majors have told her that she took the wrong course-you choose one from five introductory courses for the major. Also, from what my daughter has said, students who are already fluent in another language (I am assuming that your son is fluent in Chinese)have a leg up in the major.</p>

<p>I wish current students would answer these questions, but I guess theyre busy. My daughter is seriously considering an IS major. At Mac, students have an opportunity to customize their IS majors so they may concentrate on political, medical or financial issues (to name a few). But students don’t have to major in IS to be involved in international studies and issues through the Institute for Global Citizenship on campus.</p>

<p>The IS website has lots of information: [International</a> Studies Department at Macalester College - St. Paul, Minnesota - USA](<a href=“http://www.macalester.edu/internationalstudies/]International”>International Studies - Macalester College)</p>