So as the title says, the University of Chicago, Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and University of California Berkeley are my top three choices right now (gotta make my decision in less than a month, AAAAHHH). I’m looking to major in poli sci or public policy, possibly go onto law school after undergrad.
I wouldn’t be considering UCBerkeley except that they’re giving me the Regents’ and Chancellors’ Scholarship and it would be in-state tuition, so much cheaper (my parents would prefer if I go to UCB).
In terms of school life/culture, I think I could fit in at either Georgetown or Chicago, but I am at least a bit concerned about the stereotypes about both places: that there are a lot of obnoxious preppy Georgetown kids and that there are a lot of weird maybe too nerdy Chicago kids. At this point in my life I would probably say I am more similar to a Chicago kid in that I enjoy intellectual discussion and am not terribly interested in sports, but I am definitely extroverted and am a social guy.
So far the indication I’ve gotten is that Georgetown, especially SFS, is a kind of pre-professional education, and getting internships and job offers is very important there. At Chicago, it seems like its very focussed on learning for the sake of learning, and that you are shunted more towards grad school or academia than a career.
I guess based on the limited info I’ve provided, does anyone have any opinions on which choice I should make? Leaning more towards Chicago and Georgetown over UCB at this point. My main concerns would be placement at law school, ability to get a job after graduating, having an enjoyable or at least bearable time (I’ve heard that some people actually hate Chicago, while I haven’t heard that about Georgetown). Thanks!
I can’t speak much to UChicago, but otherwise it seems to me that you have a pretty good handle on the differences between the schools.
The SFS (and Georgetown more generally) is definitely more pre-professional then academia-minded, and a lot of people are constantly on the lookout for what will get them ahead in their careers and lives. However, I definitely don’t think it’s “un-intellectual”–especially in the SFS, where people tend to have a pretty particular passion for what they are studying. We literally get bombarded with speaker opportunities, roundtable discussions, interest groups, etc. that revolve around real-world issues.
As for the “obnoxious preppy” stereotype, I suppose it depends on what you mean. Do a lot of people where J. Crew and Vineyard Vines and come from prep/boarding schools? Sure. Have I (as someone who is not from that background) found them to be “obnoxious”? Not really, though I definitely see that stereotype within certain social circles. With that being said, I would say the vast majority of Georgetown students are friendly, down-to-earth, and intellectually curious.
Overall, as a Georgetown student, I would tend to think that UChicago has a bit better academic reputation, though Georgetown certainly isn’t a slouch, and I can’t really imagine a situation when something about it as an institution would hold you back academically.
And we definitely have an adequate social scene, with most students going out on Friday and Saturday nights (sometimes Thursday, depending on the person), though it’s certainly nothing compared to say, a Big 10 school or something.
I would say you should go where you think you’ll be happiest or will be the best fit (academically and socially). I would think a large part of that will be deciding between the pre-professional/DC aspects of Georgetown and the intellectual/academia aspects of UChicago.
Congratulations! Georgetown and Chicago are two great schools.
In response to your question, neither school will provide a competitive advantage over the other in obtaining law school admission or successfully landing a job. If you do well, you will do just fine in these pursuits as a graduate of either university.
It may help to view intellectual engagement and fun as points along a continuum, rather than either/or categories. Georgetown may be more fun than Chicago just as Chicago may provide a better intellectual milieu than Georgetown. Nevertheless, you will have fun and find intellectual stimulation at both schools.
Both Georgetown and Chicago have comprehensive, but quite different, core requirements. As a result, you may wish to examine the curricular opportunities each school requires. Get a feel for the books you will read, the size of the classes you will attend, and the academic stress you may experience. Doing so should help clarify your choice.
Another factor to consider is the area immediately surrounding each campus. In my view, the town of Georgetown is far nicer than Hyde Park where the University of Chicago is located. Nevertheless, the area near the Chicago campus is perfectly fine so long as you don’t walk too far in the wrong direction.
On balance, Chicago has a nicer campus especially if you like neo-Gothic architecture. But Georgetown has an attractive campus as well. Whether you would rather be close to Washington DC or Chicago is a matter of personal preference. Both are wonderful cities that offer exciting opportunities.
Georgetown is nice but the campus itself is rather small. I was frankly surprised. Chicago also has far better libraries and research facilities. Georgetown, conversely, has the School of Foreign Service and if you are interested in IR, it’s the place to be.
Chicago has freezing winters. but late spring and summer are hellishly hot and humid in Washington. Truly unbearable. Someone once described it as a “hot oven with flies”.
If you aren’t going to SFS, go to Chicago. It’s new campus and dorms are also incredible.
First of all, congratulations I having three stellar choices! I have to say, I am very biased toward Georgetown. I love everything about it, so I will almost always advocate it over other schools. SFS is the school to which I applied. I am very passionate about history and public service. After touring and reading about it, I am wholeheartedly convinced that it is the school for me. If you share my sentiments about academics it may well be the school for you as well. That said, it would be very hard to make a bad decision in your case. I would go with my gut feeling in this one if it were me. Of course, my gut feeling would be to choose Georgetown.
My son agonized over a similar decision (vs Michigan) last year and flip-flopped quite a few times. Finally, he ended up at Georgetown and he is very happy now.
His interests are similar to yours - economics, poli-sci public policy leading to law school (his major is political economy). He is very happy because the vibe of the school is aligned with his interests. We know several kids and/or families who have kids at UC-Berkeley and the vibe is more along computer science and engineering…but you could probably find groups with similar interests since it is a big school. Chicago might have strong communities in economics and perhaps some in pure sciences.
[Just a note on what I mean by vibe…in Berkeley/silicon valley when walk around or when you go to a movie you will see ads for tech jobs from various high tech companies. While walking in Georgetown on M-street we saw an ad for yogurt which said “As smooth as a congressional lobbyist” :-)…gives you an idea of what the public at large is tuned into]
One thing my son finds interesting is that there are many lectures/talks/visits from prominent names in DC on a regular basis. He attended/watched on-campus livecast of Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Huckabee, etc…he was talking about an on stage debate between a Georgetown professor and someone from Obama’s administration taking sides on the Iran nuclear deal.
Academics are good, not easy…but that is true for all your choices. He tried out for a number of clubs and is happy with the choices he had. The club admission process did sound pretty serious - applications with essays, interviews and/or try-outs. The club admissions seem to be a sore point of many on the forums.
You have fantastic choices and can’t go wrong. Good luck with your decision.
