<p>I am a second year student at Mount Holyoke College but I got accepted at American University,School of Public Affairs with a decent financial aid package. I am majoring in political science and pursuing a minor in economics at MHC. I really want to go to AU as the location is perfect for my interests and opportunities. But I am little bit worried as MHC has great prestige academically. I am fully aware that the AU is also ranked very high for public affairs. I am very interested in pursuing internships that will build up resume and I know as a student at AU I will have that opportunity. I will welcome feedback from people about my options.I would like to know about the classes at AU and how helpful the professors are in general.</p>
<p>Hello! Any opinions ?</p>
<p>Plez help me to make a decision</p>
<p>Your focus should not be on academic prestige, but on the opportunities that each school provides in your area of interest. You are right that internships will play a big part in a successful job search, and AU wins hands down in that category. Also, it's just my perception and I could be way off base, but I don't think that Mt. Holyoke's "prestige" really goes far beyond New England.</p>
<p>If you really do want your BA to be from Mt. Holyoke, then consider AU for grad school.</p>
<p>Do you think if I want to work in DC after gradutation which I want to do as I really would love to work in the Capitol Hill then do you think it will be easier to secure a job if I graduate from AU with a bachelor's in political science than from Mount Holyoke?</p>
<p>Well_Confused, </p>
<p>If you want to work on the hill and try to gain some mobility on the hill then you need to start interning and networking as soon as possible. Whether you have a BA or you are still in college as an intern, you will always start off at the bottom of the totem pole in a politicians office. The only way you can move up is with valuable real world work experience, something that you may only be able to get at AU. Moho is a good school academically and if you like it socially, then that should also be taken into consideration. Also, you should heavily think about whether working on capital hill will be right for you. It is certainly not glamorous work at the lower levels.</p>
<p>As for securing a job, I doubt it would matter too much. However, there are a ton of connections in government work for AU students. I think what really makes the difference is your ability to gain experience before you graduate from college, which makes you more competitive against students from other universities.</p>
<p>Thanks ryan2288. I have couple of internship experiences and I am supposed to intern this summer in DC. But I would also like to work during the academic year as well which I assume I can do if I transfer to AU. I was wondering how are the professors, classes and the academic environment for the SPA at AU. I like Mount Holyoke College a lot but I do not like the town and the weather.</p>