<p>So I applied to too many colleges. Anyway, these are the top places I got in. I dont know what I want to go into, it all depends on the college I pick (I think). Georgetown would be Foreign Service, NYU/UNC business, and the others IDK yet.
I want an education that can lead to a stable career but in which I could also travel and lead an active life. I dont want to slide into the suburban/picket fence/1.5 children lifestyle for a while. I do plan to get a masters, but dont want school to take up a huge chunk of my life.
I am also more of a humanities/non-sciences person, which is the thing that dissuades me from Duke (which would probably fulfill the previous requirement best). Its business program seemed really watered down when I visited, for example. At the same time, I am dissuaded from Berkeley because it seems too liberal arts and I dont want to have to become a professor or historian to get an income. I thrive off discussion and human interaction/being busy too much for that.
Incidentally academics is really all I see as a factor - couldnt care less about campus size, demographics, or sports/party scene, or location (unless it's really part of the college, like Georgetown/NYU).</p>
<p>In sum, I want a top-level academic experience without the school spirit "here we go!" attitude.
So that's my quandary. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>What’s your net cost (after aid, if any) to attend each one?
Is this a factor for you?</p>
<p>It’s hard to say which one offers the best “top-level academic experience” without a clearer idea of what you really want. It sounds like you do want a certain pre-professional orientation (not a strictly liberal arts program with a major in, say, English or History.) From that perspective, Georgetown (SFS) has the edge over Berkeley and Duke (arts & sciences). Does it also have the edge in “discussion and human interaction” over a conventional business degree program at UNC or NYU? That probably depends on your interests. It seems to me you could think of the SFS as a middle path between liberal arts and pre-professional.</p>
Not sure what you’re getting at here. Aside from business having nothing whatsoever to do with the humanities, the humanities (e.g. religion, classics, English, literature, etc.) are actually the strongest fields at Duke, many of them top 10 departments. They’re less popular than the sciences or social sciences, of course, but that’s the case at most colleges. </p>
<p>
Well, it depends. I think the OP might be interested in public policy at Duke, which is very much a pre-professional field. Like environmental science (Nicholas), public policy at Duke is an independent school (Sanford) that offers undergraduates degrees through Trinity; they are essentially pre-professional programs in a liberal arts context. This is very different from many other universities that cobble together undergraduate public policy programs from undergraduate offerings in political science and econ. </p>
<p>On the other hand, it’s true that Duke has no undergraduate major in business; the closest it has is econ (with a new finance concentration). While many, many Duke students go into business, Duke is not the place to go if you want to major in business. It’s also true that even public policy majors are required to meet curriculum requirements (taking courses in math, sciences, a foreign language, etc.).</p>
<p>I’m generally interested in international affairs, culture, history, but I’m also considering business because, again, I find myself enjoying management (right now of clubs) and bringing a lot to the table. I’m worried about Georgetown because it seems an SFS degree would limit my career opportunities to foreign service and government-based work, and maybe consulting, which I’m not sure I can commit to now. @warblersrule: The trouble is if I go to Duke I do see myself going into public policy, but then I think “what a fool I would be to go to Duke for public policy when I got into Georgetown SFS.” I also dont want to be part of a distanced minority at Duke (the dominating majority being science majors). Does anyone have any comments on that?
Thanks.</p>
<p>As for being outnumbered, that’s hardly a concern. The most popular majors at Duke are public policy and econ; slightly more than 20% of all Duke undergraduates are majoring in one of those subjects. </p>
<p>If you exclude Pratt, 26% of Trinity undergraduates are majoring in econ or public policy. Adding the other social sciences increases that percentage to 55%. Only 25% of Trinity students are science majors, which means you’re as likely to run into an econ or public policy major as a major in any of the sciences (biology, math, computer science, stats, chemistry, physics, environmental science, earth science).</p>
<p>IMO, since you are deciding between so many schools, I would get rid of Duke and Berkeley as you already said you’ve been dissuaded. Also, I think it would be wise to get rid of UNC, also, if you don’t want loud school spirit. Now (theoretically) you’ve got it down to NYU and Georgetown. From what I know, Georgetown is almost THE place to be for IR. However, the final decision should be your own because you know better than anyone what’s best for you.</p>
<p>the spirit thing really isnt that big a factor, actually. Every college has people dying to show you their frat/sports culture, I can probably avoid it especially in universities as big as UNC, Duke, etc. I’m also from NC, so I’m used to it.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any insight on whether Georgetown is the real deal, or is it just talked up because it’s in DC? By that I mean, will I really get an incomparable opportunity to study IR or international culture/politics/econ at Georgetown via its resources in DC, or is the location not really that much of a factor? I want a hands-on experience, not just classroom study and isolated, one-summer internships.
IDK if there’s a Georgetown forum for this or what, but any real insight is much appreciated.</p>
<p>According to Foreign Policy, Georgetown’s IR program is ranked 5th for undergraduates, after only Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Columbia. And I believe that naturally by being in DC, you’re already a good contender for receiving meaningful internships. I don’t know how comparable a Georgetown IR degree is or isn’t, though. While the experience of being in DC may be the big difference.
Best of luck!</p>
<p>I feel like Duke is almost on a different level than your other choices. I know that is the school I would choose was I in your situation and finances were relatively similar. Also, it isn’t a good idea to let the school you choose determine your major. If you are really uncertain about what you want to do, choose the school that provides the most flexibility and the most all around strength. Then you can decide what you want after you are there for a bit.</p>