Hey, everyone! i know this is really last minute, but I’ve really been grappling with my college selection over the past month and I really can’t decide between my options. I’ve narrowed it down to UNC Chapel Hill and George Washington University, and I wanted to know what everyone’s opinions are. Here’s some background info about each of the schools.
UNC Chapel Hill:
- Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina (obviously)
- Lower cost of living
- I’m from North Carolina, so I get in-state tuition to UNC, which brings the cost down to <$25k per year
- I would pursue a dual degree with a B.A. in Political Science, a B.A. Public Policy, and a minor in Media and Journalism
- I was not admitted to “Honors Carolina” as a first year student, but I can probably get into the program after my first semester assuming that my GPA qualifies me for admission.
- Would take advantage of a semester-long program in Washington DC called “Honors Seminar in Public Policy,” where I would intern for four-days a week in a policy-related organization and then take a Policy and Honors Seminars during the remainder of the week.
- I would enter as a freshman with ~32 credits from AP exams
George Washington University:
- Location: Washington, DC
- High cost of living
- I was given a $22k Presidential Scholarship + $13k in need-based grants that is renewable for up to 5 years; however, the cost would still be $35k per year.
- Admitted to the University Honors Program as a first year student, so I will have priority selection for classes after my first semester.
- I would pursue a B.S. in Political Science, a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications, and a minor in Statistics.
- Has a wealth of internship opportunities available to undergraduate students (I think there are actually more internships that you can apply for than there are students in the undergraduate population).
- I would enter as a freshman with ~32 credits from AP exams
Other factors to consider:
- After my undergraduate, I plan on going to Law School or a Graduate Program relating to Political Science, Public Policy, or a related field of study.
- I have a twin sister that will be enrolling in East Carolina University, so there will be a lot of financial strain on my parents, especially if I chose to go to GW (I would have to take out loans, but they would help me out a little more if I went to George Washington).
I’m also on a waitlist for Georgetown University and the University of Chicago, so that’s really just added to the confusion for me. What would you do if you were in my situation? Does where you go for your undergraduate really matter if you’re planning on doing post-graduate studies as long as you have a High GPA/test scores?