Help me crack at it, guys!
-Want to major in IR/Poli Sci
-I realize this is unfeasibly un-lucrative in the job market, so I will minor/double major in a marketable science as well, such as Econ or Computer Engineering or Finance. It is kind of important to have all those departments relatively well-rounded/reputed.
-Realizing that internships are important, those are also important for me, i.e. connections and networks the university has to offer.
-I do want to go to a good, probably Ivy grad school after this. So grad school (law, in particular) prospects are very important to me in this decision.
-I’m a self-admitted snob, so I guess an academic environment would be nice, but the idea of tailgates and huge party scenes doesn’t deter me from the perspective of exposing myself to something completely different.
-I like big cities (which I do not consider DC to be) with tons of things to do (beating heart cities, like NY - yes, Columbia rejected me), but I also realize that with so much to do on campus, there is less need for a big city than in other cases.
-Money being a semi-issue, GWU is offering me quite a bit of aid, making it my cheapest option of all 3. Followed by McGill, topped by W/M.
-I do want to practice my French, but I’ve been told McGill is kind of bad for that. The city, especially the university, are Anglo-centric.
-Coming from a small high school, I do need a bit of hand-holding, I’ll admit. Surely less than for some people. I know one or two of the schools I listed are known for throwing you to the wolves to fend for yourself, but I don’t think this will be a huge problem for me.
I hail from DC, growing up very close to GWU’s campus. I’ve had a lot of exposure to the university; it doesn’t even feel like a university to me, just an extension of everyday experiences. Elliott would be amazing if it wasn’t basically home for me. The other issue is the lack of an ability to take on coursework/double major from the sciences or economics, so graduating with just a degree in International Relations does worry me. GWU’s ranking does seem troublesome, but at the same time, Elliott is always distinguished in these rankings as being a premier IA program.
William and Mary seems to have the lowest academic repute of all three, but seems to be the “funnest.” it has the knowledge for knowledge’s sake sort of thing going on as with Reed or UChicago. I’ve heard it’s a pressure cooker and incredibly stressful, but hey, college is supposed to be tough, right? The only things I feel afraid of with W/M are the costs (though I haven’t received my final FA letter yet), the idea of cabin fever creeping up on me, and the small size. I’ve heard one (just one) person say that William and Mary tries to be a public LAC, but fails at doing so, due to the disorganization of the school. I also don’t know how well it is recognized on the job market/opportunities it provides. I also do not know the quality of its Government department (the closest thing they have to IA/Poli Sci).
McGill seems like an awesome school with an amazing opportunity to have an “interfaculty” degree bridged through arts faculty and the sciences faculty, allowing you to double major in Poli Sci and Comp Sci with relative ease. Montreal is also a huge, very vibrant city that seems to be loads fun. My only concern is that McGill seems to be: a) incredibly bureaucratic, with tons of Canadian loopholes and inefficiencies to climb over, which I hope does not interfere with education quality; b) too large - I’ve heard it is a perfect analogy of UMich, except a lot less organized; c) I have heard - at the same time - that it has GREAT repute in America and that it has AWFUL repute in America. This makes me a bit worried about grad school and hiring prospects, since I do intend to return to the states afterwards.
Thanks, guys!!!
