Political Science Major?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi I am looking to major in political science with a possible minor in either international relations or journalism… I know kind of far apart but I’m not 100% sure yet so far I am looking into Truman State University as far as schools that are close to me

I’m looking for good schools in the Illinois/Missouri/Iowa/Indiana area that are either a reach or match my stats

GPA: 3.833
SAT: 1270 reading- 680 math- 590
ACT: 27
Sports: basketball - 2 years (varsity one year), softball- 4 years (starting varsity pitcher all years, team captain 3 years) volleyball- 2 years, golf-
2 years (varsity/ only girl both years), cheerleading- 4 years (varsity, captain senior year)

Extracurriculars: Illinois Girls State, National Honor Society- 2 years, Student Council- 4 years (stuco secretary this year), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois- 4 years, Scholastic Bowl- 3 years (varsity 2 years), yearbook- 3 years, Illinois Senate Page for Sam McCann, Church Youth Group- 4+ years

Jobs: Babysitting- 5 days per week 10 hours per day, Lenz Field Gate Worker on weekends- 5-8 hours per day Saturday and Sunday

2

Have you talked to your parents about how much they can afford? Going out of state can be very expensive.

3

One adventuresome option for an IR education that would bring you back close to home after two years abroad:
https://www.slu.edu/madrid/academics/degrees-and-programs/madrid-st-louis-majors.php

Truman State is an excellent school, and a phenomenal financial deal through MSEP. It’s going to be a more general education in communications and/or poli sci, though, vs. a full-blown journalism and/or IR program.

Mizzou is known as a journalism school, and this track looks like a best-of-both-worlds major for you: https://journalism.missouri.edu/programs/undergraduate/junior-senior/areas-study__trashed/international-journalism-interdisciplinary/

4

If you can get the cost to work, I would look at Beloit College. It is walking distance to Illinois. FYI, at some schools you cannot major/minor or double major in PS/IR. They are too close.

5

Agreed. In-state tuition at UIUC is $12K per year, compared to $11K at Truman State through MSEP.

Other participating schools like Kansas State ($13K), U Minnesota-Morris ($14K), U Nebraska ($11K), U Kansas ($14.7K), etc. are worth a look too.

6

Political science is a popular major offered at most four-year schools. Truman State is a fine school (I lived in MO for six years and aso know Mizzou very well), and it’s sad that more people don’t know about this excellent public LAC (its name tends to make people think that it’s a directional-like public school). If you’re from IL, most of the public choices should be in play, though UIUC is not an easy admit (you should be competitive, however).

If you’re open to private colleges, especially LACs, there is Lake Forest (just outside Chicago in one of its very wealthy north shore suburbs), Illinois Wesleyan, and Knox College. Just north of the border is Beloit College and Lawrence U.

7

My son is starting this fall as an IR major. We were very impressed with Truman State, a value that is hard to beat.
Ultimately my son chose another school, but Truman was his #2 choice.