I am a senior and have narrowed down my choices to these two schools. I am looking for input on where would be the most logical choice for me to go to school.
I was accepted to the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and accepted to University of Miami as a political science major. The schools cost the same to attend, so this is not a factor in my decision.
I am torn for several reasons. I like the idea of being at UMiami (warm weather, school spirit, beautiful campus and good work/play balance). However, considering that I am looking to study International Relations/Political Science I feel that it would be more logical for me be in Washington DC.
I am concerned about my overall college experience (both academic and social). However, I most care about peer quality and quality of education at both institutions. UM is ranked #53 and has a lower acceptance rate/higher statistic admitted student profile than George Washington #63. Yet the Elliott school at GW is selective and prestigious for IR. Where do you think I would be the most challenged by my peers and coursework? Also what is social life at GW like?
Thank you for reading this post and any input is greatly appreciated!
I can only speak to GW as my son goes there. He has really enjoyed his courses in the Elliott School and has found them challenging. Most of his profs have been excellent. He is completing a double major that compliments his IA degree.
I was concerned about the “no campus” aspect of GW but my son says that there is definantly a campus feel because so many students live so close together. He sees many of the same people and professors as he travels the campus. A bright spot is the internships that are available. He will spend this summer in DC working in a paid internship.
My advice is to compare the degree programs at the 2 universities very carefully. The GW International Afffirs degree requires many more hours than a traditional liberal arts degree. It is quite structured with required concentrations. Do any of these concentrations appeal to you? You also would have to complete or test out of 3 years of foreign language My son liked the requirements and its structure. You might feel differently.
You have 2 good choices. Don’t worry about rankings too much. The ranking differences between these school is of little consequence.
If you want to work in politics/IR and you got into Elliot - in my mind there would be no hesitation to accept this over Miami. Elliot is consistently ranked as one of the top ten undergrad IR programs - GW punches way above its overall weight in this field.
Not just the course, but the internship opportunities just don’t compare. A huge advantage of going to school in DC in a politics/IR related field is that you can intern all year long, not just summer.
Did you visit GWU yet? Our impression was that the social life is good. The biggest drawback seems to be for those who don’t like the idea of an urban “campus”. That’s a personal preference that only you can figure out. At the end of the day, you need to choose an environment you feel you can be happy in for 4 years. If DC just doesn’t work for you on that score, then Miami would be a better option for you.
@SJ2727 Thank you for your advice! I have not visited GW yet, but plan to in a couple weeks. After spending more time thinking about it, and frankly writing my thoughts down in this thread, GW seems like the best choice.
@txstella Thank you for your time and feedback on your son’s experience. I am now fairly certain I will pick GW, but my only drawback is the Foggy Bottom vs Mount Vernon Campus. I know that all the Elliott classes are at Foggy Bottom and most of the students live there. I understand that I can request which campus I want to dorm at. However it is not guaranteed. Is living on the Mount Vernon Campus isolating? Is there anything I can do to ensure I would be in Foggy Bottom?
GW is renovating the freshman dorm called Thurston. I don’t know what that means as far as where first years will live next year. My son had a single in Mitchell his first year. It wasn’t great but was OK.
Mount Vernon has nice dorms from what I know. Maybe check reddit for the student perspective. I wouldn’t rule out GW because you might get Vern housing for one year.
@juj129 , I really suggest you visit, and make sure to visit the mount Vernon campus too if you’re considering that for residence. Hopefully school will be in session when you visit and you can chat to some students there to see how they feel about living there. We didn’t get a dorm tour when we visited, but as an admitted student there’s a better chance you’ll be able to. I really think you’ll get a much better feel for whether it will work for you and where you’d be happier in residence. My daughter really liked the vibe at GWU a lot.