<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>I'm trying to decide which college would be good for me. I want to major in biology/neuroscience and minor in International Relations. So what do you think would be good for this uncommon mix:</p>
<p>Princeton
Wash U in St. Louis
Brown
Northwestern
UPenn
Dartmouth
UChicago
Harvard
Columbia
UVA</p>
<p>Thanks for your input!</p>
<p>Those are all some pretty competitive schools. I hope you’re considering some match and safety schools as well. I don’t know how many people actually have experience with combination your looking at. I think you need to look at each school and see how the programs differ from each other and which appeals to you.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is very popular for both neuroscience and public policy/government (there is no “IR” but you can concentrate a gov major in that area). Those are among the most common majors here. They’re all very excellent schools, of course, so I’m sure you’d have a solid education in those areas at any of them, but Dartmouth is the only one I’m familiar with.</p>
<p>Of your list Harvard would probably be the best for pre-med / IR.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, why not JHU? It’s one of the top schools in the country for both pre-med and IR, and those are two of the most most common "major"s (counting pre-med as a “major”) among JHU undergraduates.</p>
<p>I second Hopkins- well known for both Pre-Med and IR, and a phenomenal school overall.</p>
<p>I have grown up around the DC area. I just know I wouldnt feel safe at hopkins (plus it is a little close to home)</p>
<p>I third Hopkins. I do understand the “too close to home” part, but not the safety part. Chicago and Penn have similar (or worse) neighborhood issues (as does Yale, but you didn’t list Yale) and, based upon published statistics, Hopkins is safer than either one. And St. Louis is the most dangerous city in the country. But frankly, all of those schools are reasonably safe as long as you exercise some judgment.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input you guys. I’ll definitely consider JHU. Does JHU have merit aid?</p>
<p>Tufts has one of the top IR programs in the world…</p>
<p>Yes, but they are limited and highly competitive. There is a Hodson Trust scholarship that covers the bulk of tuition, but only about 20 students/year are awarded it. You don’t have to apply, all applicants are automatically considered. There is also a full-tuition Westgate scholarship but that is limited to the Whiting School of Engineering. Finally, had you gone to a public school in Baltimore, there is the Baltimore Scholars Program. All such students who are admitted to Hopkins get a free ride. Sweet deal, but it doesn’t sound like you qualify for that one.</p>
<p>nope, i live in north va</p>
<p>tommy, I think you should take a step backwards here. </p>
<p>“Pre-med” doesn’t exist as a major. Biology is very common. Neuro-science less so.
All academically rigorous colleges/universities send their graduates to medical school. </p>
<p>IR is also flexible. Some colleges offer an IR major. Others have interdisciplinary programs or related majors like developmental economics, government, political science etc. Any can lead to a place in an IR graduate program.</p>
<p>At some colleges, double majoring, even in disparate fields is common and easy. At others it is difficult, due to distribution or major requirements. It’s hard to generalize.</p>
<p>First and foremost, however, what is your financial situation? It appears you need aid. Do you qualify for NEED based aid OR will you need MERIT aid. If NEED based aid works for you then you can have a wide list of option. If you need MERIT, then many of your targetted schools are not appropriate.</p>
<p>Once you’ve determined your #1 choice you can develop a list that includes reach/match/safety in the same general environment and character. But you need to understand the finances first.</p>
<p>My family’s income is anywhere from 190,000-200,000 (parents wont give specs). I have used the calculators for some colleges and i get anywhere from 20,000 in need based aid to $0.</p>
<p>tommy, You need to have a heart-to-heart talk about money with your parents. If you must have $50,000 to $30,000 in order to attend then your list will be VERY different from the one above, as many of those schools don’t offer merit, period. </p>
<p>Many parents hate to give their children bad financial news (it hurts) but better now than down the road. You need to know so you can plan accordingly.</p>
<p>sadly, my parents refuse to tak about money. ive brought it up several times. the only things theyve said is:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I get into a school like Harvard or Princeton, etc. then they will do whatever they have to to pay</p></li>
<li><p>if i dont get into HYPS etc., then they will pay for UVA fully</p></li>
<li><p>If i get into a school in between HYPS and UVA (ie johns hopkins), then they would pay as if I was going to UVA and the remaining cost would be my burden</p></li>
</ol>
<p>(all assuming i get into UVA)</p>
<p>Tommy, perhaps you could enlist a counselor, clergy or family member to help you talk to your parents. Their vagueness is doing you a disservice. If you have the credentials to get into a selective, but need-only, university or college, you need to know in advance if you’ll be able to pay for it.</p>
<p>You’ll want to be careful about filling the financial gap between UVA and other, non-Ivy, privates. In the first place your parents would have to assume responsibility for the loans. In the second place you’ll need the money for graduate school.</p>
<p>If you’re not successful in getting your parents to help you strategize financially, then you should cast a wider net to include colleges and universities that are known for good MERIT aid. Don’t overlook small liberal arts colleges, especially those in the midwest and south. If you are female, you should definitely consider women’s colleges.</p>
<p>Why not Tufts? It has a highly regarded pre-med track and one of the top schools for international relations in the world…</p>
<p>Do Johns Hopkins. My major is International Relations, while on the Pre-Med track. Both are excellent programs at Hopkins, which is why I decided to apply. I also live in N. Virginia, but UVa okay for me, I don’t know about you though. Hopkins is way better in my opinion.</p>