<p>^^^^That could very well be the case. Obviously I am no expert on the subject.</p>
<p>NYU2013, I am not sure which Political Science departments are the most quantitative (I assume Colorado-Boulder, MIT and Chicago are up there), but it is important to note that any top department will provide an undergraduate student with all the quantitative classes desired. Only at the graduate level does one delve deeply into such a specific fied as Quantative Politics or Political Theory etc…</p>
<p>Just a few thoughts. Firstly, the ARWU is a REALLY creditable academic ranking; I would say it’s the most creditable. It’s not" ranking of research universities in the eyes of Chinese academics", but measures them by their research and academic qualities; I know it’s not that well known in the US (outside of the academic circles, of course), but this would not change the striking fact that ARWU is widely accepted all over the globe. The USNews uses the QS World Ranking as it’s world ranking, anyway.</p>
<p>I’m actually pretty much confused: the OP said that money is not an issue, because his parents would pay for his education via savings and loans. I don’t know, but in my eyes, taking loans means that money, in fact, is an issue. I understand they are happy to pay for any of these schools, but money is, indeed, a matter. Anyway, NYU is ranked lowest the USNews rankings from the mentioned three, with perhaps the best philosophy department, while Emory is ranked the highest, with the lower ranked department. But a thing to consider: are you sure you will continue to a grad school, and deal with politics/philosophy? Because if not, and you will work on other areas perhaps, I firmly believe that a degree from Emory worth more than one from NYU. Also, Emory is not really a southern school (not like Vanderbilt, for example), there are many students from the Northeast, so it’s not all about going to a southern school, and fearing that it’s prestige fades in the north. But if you will continue to a grad school, you can do it with an Emory degree in hands, that’s for sure. </p>
<p>I would choose Emory even if I have to pay same money all in these three schools; but as Emory is the cheapest, it makes the decision more simple.</p>
<p>“Just a few thoughts. Firstly, the ARWU is a REALLY creditable academic ranking; I would say it’s the most creditable. It’s not” ranking of research universities in the eyes of Chinese academics", but measures them by their research and academic qualities; I know it’s not that well known in the US (outside of the academic circles, of course), but this would not change the striking fact that ARWU is widely accepted all over the globe. The USNews uses the QS World Ranking as it’s world ranking, anyway."</p>
<p>So why isn’t Michigan at the top of your list? ;-)</p>
<p>“Also, Emory is not really a southern school (not like Vanderbilt, for example), there are many students from the Northeast, so it’s not all about going to a southern school, and fearing that it’s prestige fades in the north.”</p>
<p>Not too sure how prestigious Emory is in other parts of the country. It is pretty regional like Vanderbilt, Rice, or Tufts in my opinion.</p>
<p>Because, contrary to others, I know that nobody cares in the US with world rankings (again, outside of the academia, of course; for grad studies, one might consider world university rankings, but hardly for undergrad), and Emory is ranked higher than both NYU and Michigan. On the contrast, the Average Hans in Europe never heard about any of these schools, still, who cares; the average Joe in the US never heard about any other European university than Cambridge and Oxford :D</p>
<p>It depends on what you mean on “regional”. In case of Tufts, yes, it’s prestige probably more concentrated in New England, in case of Vanderbilt, that “regional” means the whole south, and maybe some parts of the Midwest too. But there are tons of students at Emory from the northeast, while the same can not be said about Vanderbilt. It’s certainly not the State University of New Jersey at Durham, but it’s not “just” a top southern school, like Atlanta is really not feels like a southern metropolis. </p>
<p>But of course, there are many regional differences; even the name of HYPSM cannot overshadow this fact, sot it’s certainly true for the other universities. Still, in overall, I’m sure it’s prestige is a way better than Michigan’s or NYU’s.</p>
<p>Finding it very hard to understand GeraldM tbh but I want to point out that most schools have regional reputations including Michigan and Emory and Vanderbilt. No school is truly National except maybe 5-6 schools tops (the usual suspects). Vandy does enroll a lot of southerners who prefer to stay in the south but there isnt really nay need to venture into the North anyways. Also reputation depends on who you talk to.</p>
<p>As for the ARWU its a load of crap- the methodology is heavily suspect. Especially the publications (Only Nature and Science??? and alumni (Nobel and Field Medalist-are they for real??) and the fact that its not broken down into fields. Terrible methodology. My favorite is seeing research institutes or graduate schools that are not even universities lol. You could just change some research institutes into a graduate school and voila, harvard has competition.</p>
<p>I could even delve further into fallacious use of citation index and point out that quantity is not a substitute for quality but I think I would leave that for another day. Its a poor academic ranking even at the graduate level. Its not as bad though as the QS and THE whose methodology is even more suspect. Its poor research and lop-sided application of statistics at best.</p>
<p>Alexandre… I didn’t say that undergrads at NYU specialize in any singular field. However, NYU teaches quantitative politics in essentially almost all of its’ undergrad politics classes. Which differentiates it from other undergraduate institutions where the heavy focus of quantitative analysis is in quantitative classes. Here, all classes teach the game theory/math relevant to their respective topics.</p>
<p>NYU, I am sure Michigan’s approach to Political Science is designed to prepare undergrads for PhD programs, which in this day and age, is highly statistical and quantitative. I was not a Political Science major at Michigan, so I cannot speak to that point personally, but I doubt any program in the nation provides a more robust education in Political Science than Michigan. This said, I am sure NYU provides an equally robust undergraduate program in Political Science. Like I said above, the OP has three excellent universities to choose from and they are each sufficiently different from the other two to make the decision relatively easy…should he go for fit.</p>
<p>By the way, the USNWR ranks graduate programs and specialities. In Political Methodology (the quantative arm of Political Science), Michigan is ranked #3 in the nation and NYU is ranked #6 in the nation. Obviously, both are considered excellent in this respect. Whether or not both emphasize Methodology in their undergraduate curriculum, I do not know.</p>
<p>If you’re an aspiring Political Science major, the strength of your peers is a lot more important than minute differences in the quality of the overall department at the undergraduate level. If Emory is cheaper, this is an absolute no-brainer. It has the strongest student body of the three and the most resources for its undergrads.</p>
<p>Prestige of universities is mainly regional in the US outside of HYPSM, Columbia and Duke from my personal experiences. Michigan will be thought of as “just another state school” by most Southerners while most Midwesterners will have never heard of Emory. NYU’s name will be associated more with its location in The Big Apple than academic prestige. Outside of Stern and Tisch, a NYU undergraduate degree won’t have the same weight as an Emory or even a Michigan degree.</p>
<p>LDB, if you think from your personal experiences that most Southerners think of Michigan as just another state school, then apparently you are not personally very experienced.</p>
<p>Emory is cheaper for the OP and it is a fine school, but Michigan and NYU offer the OP the programs that he is looking for. If OP is looking to study quantitative political science, peers may not be most important factor. Even so, I think OP would find his peers at Michigan or NYU to hold their own against peers from Emory.</p>
<p>Where did the OP choose to go?</p>
<p>Cute how LDP included Duke in his list of non-regional schools. Hate to break it to you pal, but if the Duke boys couldn’t drop 3-pointers, no one would know it was a school…but nice try. Explain how student body equates with a better poli. sci. education. Are you even a poli. sci. major? Last time I checked, the students don’t teach the classes (at least at UMich they don’t – maybe Duke is different).</p>
<p>lesdiablesbleus - Philosophy was my main area of interest. Therefore, Emory makes no sense to attend. </p>
<p>I chose NYU. Emory may have been the cheapest and regarded as the “best” option it’s overall undergraduate education quality; but for those who read through my interests, Emory did not offer the program or type of study I was looking for - Analytical philosophy. Emory only does continental philosophy and even for that, they are not well regarded. A large portion of modern philosophy comes from NYU and ultimately, that is why I chose NYU.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your choice! I’m glad you listened to yourself.</p>