Political Science Major

College Search & Selection
1

Hi I live in central Illinois and I am currently looking for reccomendations for colleges with strong political science programs

ACT: 27 plan to retake
SAT: 1270 680- Reading/English 590- Math
UW GPA: 3.833 (my school does not weight gpa’s)

Dual Credit Classes:
CEO
Advanced Biology
Calculus
Statistics

Extracurriculars (Sports)
Softball: 4 year varsity starter, 3 year varsity captain, 3 year academic all conference
Cheerleading: 4 year varsity, senior captain, UCA all-American
Golf: 2 year varsity, only girl, Zoe O’neil award (school award), academic all conference
Basketball: Freshamn year- JV, Senior year- Varsity, academic all conference
Volleyball- 2 year JV

Extracurriculars:
Scholastic Bowl- 1 year JV, 2 year Varsity
Yearbook- 3 years
Student Council- 4 years, student council secretary
National Honor Soceity- Junior & Senior Year
Big Brothers Big Sisters- 4 years
Art Club- 1 year
Cornfield Olympic Committee (field day volunteer basically)- 4 years
Youth Group (church)- 4+ years
Illinois Senate Page- Sam McCann

Work Experience:
Babysitting/Nanny- 5 days per week/ 10hr days
Lenz Field & Sports Complex- 5-8 hr days Saturday & Sunday

So far I’ve visited:
Truman State University
University of Georgia
University of Florida
University of Alabama

I live in central Illinois but I would like to go to college somewhere warmer but no west coast schools please, schools in the Midwest are welcome too I just prefer warmer locations

I understand political science programs are almost everywhere but I am really looking for one with strong internship opportunities as well as the opportunity to study in Washington D.C. at some point

2

Financial constraints? Truman state with the MSEP discount is a great school for an unbeatable price - even cheaper than UIUC in-state. Would you be eligible for need-based aid at more expensive schools that meet full need? If not, could you afford to full-pay for private “reach” schools where you’re competitive enough to get in but wouldn’t get much merit aid? Are you competitive enough in your sports/cheer that D3 teams would want you?

It’s a little tricky to “chance” you without GPA weighting, given that your GPA is stronger than your test scores, so a lot can hinge on exactly how strong it is. But guessing based on the unweighted and the DE classes…

If private U prices work for you, U of Miami could be a good realistic reach for you. (Your SAT is right at their 25th percentile, but your unweighted GPA is comfortably above their weighted median so that could balance out.) It meets the “warmer” guideline! http://www.as.miami.edu/politicalscience/about/

Eckerd College is pretty much the pinnacle of ideal-warm-weather liberal arts campus. You’d get merit aid there, and they have both domestic and IR focused poli sci programs. (And D3 softball/etc.)
https://www.eckerd.edu/political-science/why-political-science-at-eckerd/

Miami of OH, the so-called “Original Public Ivy,” is a solid match and a great student experience, with a majority out-of-state student population, lovely campus, and excellent programs. http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/political-science/academics/Inside-Washington/ Pretty similar climate to your baseline, I think.

You might look at some test-optional schools.
Wake Forest could be a good realistic reach in this category http://college.wfu.edu/politics/program-of-study/majors/
Also Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson in PA - both D3 schools, so athletics might give you an admissions/merit edge.
https://www.fandm.edu/government https://www.fandm.edu/public-policy
https://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/132/political_science
Sewanee is also test-optional (though your SAT is within the middle 50%), at least a little warmer, and D3. This is one of the campuses that is frequently compared to Hogwarts. They offer a DC semester through American U http://www.sewanee.edu/academics/politics/programs/major-in-politics.php
Juniata would be a safety (test-optional but you don’t need it to be) where you could expect merit aid, even more so if they wanted you for D3 sports. They offer a PPE major (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which is unusual outside of the elite LAC’s. https://www.juniata.edu/academics/departments/politics/areas-of-study/ppe.php

If you were to pick up Truman State and put it in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, you would get UNC Asheville. Like Truman State it would be an affordable LAC education where you could be assured of admission with your stats, but not overqualified to the point where you wouldn’t be challenged. Similar sports and cheer opportunities to Truman State as well. https://politicalscience.unca.edu/

Hope that helps!

3

Drake is good in poli sci. In a state capital.