<p>I got into Penn CAS and Georgetown SFS and am planning on majoring in IR. I'm also planning to go to law school after undergrad. I know Georgetown SFS is the place to be for IR, but if I went there and ended up not liking IR Penn would have much better opportunities to change majors or look into different fields, while the options for that at Georgetown would be slimmer. Also I've been told that going to Penn would be a better choice for getting into top law schools. They are both giving me similar FA. So does anyone have any opinions or information that could help me with this choice?</p>
<p>Law schools don’t care about where you went to undergrad, they just care about your GPA. A 3.7 from Penn State or Rutgers is looked upon higher than a 3.5 from Georgetown or UPenn. (and with those two, law schools would probably group Georgetown and UPenn in the same type of school in terms of prestige, as does most of America that doesn’t care and five or ten spots on USNWR).</p>
<p>^ Actually, the top law schools DO distinguish among undergrad schools to some extent, and value a 3.7 from a top undergrad school more highly than they do a 3.7 from a significantly less eminent school. Just as top undergrad school admissions offices look at the relative reputations and competitiveness of high schools when they evaluate similar high school GPAs.</p>
<p>But between Georgetown SFS and Penn, I’d recommend that the OP choose based on personal preference and fit, and where he/she will be happiest and thrive. That will assure the best opportunities for law school, or any other future endeavors.</p>
<p>Penn - and yes law schools DO care about where you go to undergrad.</p>
<p>This is something only the op can answer.<br>
If it were Georgetown cas v. Penn cas this would be a lot tougher. But the sfs course can be easily distinguished from Penn cas. These are apples and oranges.</p>
<p>It is almost the equivalent of choosing between wharton and Georgetown cas. Again big differences here.</p>
<p>Ultimately, It depends what you want to study and the classes you want take. I would look at the requirements for both schools. You said you are interested in ir. Sfs is the Wharton of ir. At the same time students sometimes choose georgetown’s school of business over Wharton, based on campus life etc. So sometimes that happens. Similarly you may choose Penn cas over sfs.</p>
<p>A visit maybe necessary. They are only about two hours away from each other. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Penn - and yes law schools DO care about where you go to undergrad.</p>
<p>Not enough for it to decide where you go to college.</p>
<p>These are both good choices for students in any field of endeavor. </p>
<p>Also: Going to Georgetown for his undergraduate degree worked out okay for Bill Clinton.</p>
<p>If you think you can maintain a 3.8 GPA, Georgetown is the way to go: </p>
<p>[Georgetown</a> Law Early Assurance Program](<a href=“Cawley Career Education Center | Georgetown University”>Cawley Career Education Center | Georgetown University)</p>
<p>You don’t have take the LSAT to get into Georgetown law.</p>
<p>If I had known about this program, I would have chosen Georgetown over my other options!</p>
<p>SFS is, by far, the best undergraduate program at Georgetown which, IMHO, is the only thing making this a fairly close decision. Penn is, overall, a better school. So, my advice is, if the OP is certain that IR is their thing (I know, I know, how certain can a high school senior be?), then its a toss up. Otherwise, I’d recommend Penn.</p>
<p>BTW, it won’t make much difference for law school since both are considered good schools.</p>
<p>“but if I went there and ended up not liking IR Penn would have much better opportunities to change majors or look into different fields, while the options for that at Georgetown would be slimmer”</p>
<p>Penn has real strengths over Georgetown in the sciences and Wharton, neither of which would apply here. Why do think your “options” if you left SFS would be slimmer? Just don’t agree.</p>
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<p>Penn also has lots of top-10 and top-20 departments in the humanities and social sciences, such as Anthropology, English, History, Comp Lit, Art History, Religion, Economics, Linguistics, Music, Romance Languages, Classics, Psychology, Sociology, etc.</p>
<p>Georgetown is not nearly as eminent in most, if not all, of these fields.</p>
<p>But I still believe that at this level, it’s really a matter of personal preference and fit, and the OP can’t go wrong with either choice. He/she should pick the place where he/she thinks he/she will be happiest and thrive. Both schools offer excellent undergraduate educations.</p>
<p>for IR, GU is a no-brainer.</p>
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<p>And that would have been a bad decision. Anyone aiming for LS with a 3.8 should take the LSAT. A high score would make you competitive for HYS. Why ‘settle’ for GULC, just because you don’t have to take a test. Alternatively, if GULC was your number one choice, a 3.8 and high LSAT would earn you money there – they pay YOU to attend.</p>
<p>Actually Penn is more highly regarded and the cost is the same. It is also an Ivy League - Georgetown is overhyped and overrated say like Notre Dame. Is that enough?</p>
<p>Can you say a bit, fliqer, about the evidence behind your statement that Georgetown is “overhyped”? In less than a month on this site, you’ve posted an awful lot of definitive statements regarding this school versus that school, so I’m curious to know what your credentials are. Have you personally evaluated all of these schools? (Gone to any of them, evaluated them as part of a credentialing organization, taught at any of them–that sort of thing?)</p>
<p>Why do we always have to be reminded that Penn is in the ivy league? Are we afraid we will forget and be overshadowed by hyp. Penn needs to work on its own identity if this is the best we can do. Penn and Georgetown are essentially peers. Georgetown could join the iv league tomorrow and nobody would bat an eyelash.</p>
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Don’t conflate the statements of random anonymous posters with no Penn affiliation–e.g., fliquer–with the positions espoused by Penn students and alums, or by Penn itself. Posters on CC who cite Penn’s Ivy League membership as a reason to go there–or even a factor worth mentioning–are almost never actual Penn students or alums. And anyone who has attended a Penn admissions function or read its promotional literature knows that the words “Ivy League” are rarely, if ever, mentioned.</p>
<p>@bluebayou </p>
<p>Not everyone who maintains a high GPA can do well on the LSAT, for instance. </p>
<p>The program also allows one to apply in their junior year and is non-binding. It’s an excellent option and takes a lot of stress off of LS applications – as we all know, applying to law schools during senior year can be VERY stressful.</p>
<p>^^If someone can pull down a 3.8 at GU or NYU and NOT do well on the lsat, what does that say about their college education? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I know people who have had very high GPAs and not pulled off 165 or higher; I also know people with much lower GPAs who have pulled off much higher LSATs – Some people are good at academics but lack the more logical aspects of the LSAT. </p>
<p>Also, why did you include NYU in there? 
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