Most Important Qualities For Undergrad IR??

College Majors
1

<p>I'm planning on majoring/concentrating in international relations, and would like to do my graduate studies in IR afterwards. I was wondering, what sorts of qualities do grad schools look for when admitting applicants? Some specific questions:</p>

<p>Will it really hurt you if you don't major in IR specifically, as in majoring in poli sci w/ a concentration in IR?
Do things like research, study abroad and internships/work experience matter more than the school/major?
And would the undergrad school's IR reputation weigh heavily in my favor, or could going to a good IR school hurt my chances b/c there's more competition for spots at top grad schools? </p>

<p>Sorry I'm asking so many questions! And sorry if some of them have already been answered on other forums, I looked and found some partial answers but wanted clear replies.</p>

<p>Thanks!!!</p>

2

<p>See my post in this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/902677-political-science-vs-interhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/902677-political-science-vs-international-relations.htmlnational-relations.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/902677-political-science-vs-interhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/902677-political-science-vs-international-relations.htmlnational-relations.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It won’t hurt you if you don’t have a specific undergrad IR major.</p>

<p>Yes, work experience, internships, etc. do seem to count for a lot.
The undergrad school’s IR reputation might help some, but I don’t think it will count for more than the overall quality of your undergrad school. I think qualified persons from other diverse and relevant backgrounds would have just as much of an edge, if not more so.</p>