UGA or Georgia Tech for International Affairs?

College Search & Selection
1

I was accepted to both Georgia Tech and UGA early action and I’m having a really hard time choosing which to attend. I will have Zell Miller and I’m in state, so cost isn’t much of an issue even though I haven’t received any scholarships. At UGA I would pursue a double major in International Affairs and Russian and hopefully a minor in music (violin), which I’m auditioning for next week. At Tech, I would pursue an International Affairs and Modern Languages degree, still with Russian as my language. I hope to become fluent in Russian (and Spanish) and one day become a translator/interpreter.

I’m torn because I love the environment at UGA- it’s a happy place, it gives me the chance to study music, and the School of Public and International Affairs seems to be very strong. I applied to the Honors program and I’m hoping and praying that I get in because it would be an amazing opportunity. However, I worry that the academic rigor won’t be up to par with what I could experience at Tech.

Yet, Tech is a STEM focused school and I’m not certain of the quality of the INTA program there or if I would be happy surrounded by a school of 60% engineers. I know I wouldn’t be able to get the same experience with music there for sure, since the school lacks a music minor.

Which school has the better program for what I want to study? They both seem like they would be a good fit for me. Can anyone attest to the quality of education I will receive, specifically in Russian, at either of these schools?

2

You will probably receive much more attention at UGA, and there will be more classes for you to take. Tech students won’t take liberal arts classes seriously and therefore your classmates will not be passionate about the subject like you are. Go to UGA, Tech is only good for engineering/CS/science majors and is equal to or less to UGA in liberal arts subjects.

3

i don’t know a lot about UGA but my kid did pick Georgia Tech as an out-of-state student (and she had a lot of choices around the country) and has been very happy with the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs http://www.inta.gatech.edu/

4

I’d say go with UGA since you’d be surrounded with a variety of people and more chance to explore your major

5

@Crystalline17 @pallavijaniani
So, it would be better to be surrounded by others studying IA than to be surrounded by engineers with only a few IA people? Will I be able to get better instruction at UGA because the program is larger?

@SouthernHope
Has your child had any trouble fitting into Tech with the whole STEM focus?

6

Yes. Because you will have more exposure to your specific major. I suggest log onto both school’s websites and check what courses they offer for your major. Whichever one is more flexible and suitable to you and your requirements should get an upperhand

7

Thank you to everyone who commented! I’m choosing UGA:)