which schools for international relations/latin american studies

College Search & Selection
1

<p>As a volunteer I'm assisting a Black/Hispanic girl with her college process and applications. She's a first generation college student on her mother's side but her father attended highly selective colleges. Her parents divorced when she was 8 and her mother is her custodial parent. Her father will pay for most of her college costs per divorce decree. I'd appreciate receiving suggestions for her college list. She'd prefer schools in the northeast and midwest. The only southern schools she's interested in are Tulane and Emory.</p>

<p>She'd like to major in International Relations and Latin American Studies. She from NY state. Her gpa is 3.576. Her ACT scores are: 29 composite, 30 English, 27 math, 32 reading, 28 science, 28 writing. 8 essay.</p>

<p>She's worked 17 hours/wk during the school year at McDonald's and full time during the summer.</p>

<p>She's paid for her own service trips to Nicaragua three times and has organized trips for her church and spearheaded fundraisers, the last of which raised $150,000. Her community service interest is genuine and was clearly not done for the sake of college admissions. Until 2 weeks ago when I began to help her, she had no clue about colleges or this process. She's also worked in soup kitchens since she was 9 with her mother through their church.</p>

<p>Through a science research class she taken at her high school, she's performed a social science research project concerning academic achievement and URMs w/ a professor at an Ivy League school.</p>

<p>Her goal is to one day lead a non-profit associated w/ a Latin American country.</p>

<p>Do you think that schools like Tufts or Johns Hopkins are out of her reach? What other schools would you suggest for her list, including reaches, matches and safeties? She doesn't seem to mind whether they're large or small, urban or rural.</p>

2

<p>i’d check this out [B.A.:&lt;/a&gt; Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Major - Undergraduate Academics - The Elliott School of International Affairs](<a href=“http://elliott.gwu.edu/academics/ugrad/lahs/]B.A.:”>http://elliott.gwu.edu/academics/ugrad/lahs/)</p>

3

<p>Wisconsin [Home</a> | LACIS](<a href=“LACIS – Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program – UW–Madison”>LACIS – Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program – UW–Madison)
[International</a> Studies Major - University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“http://ismajor.wisc.edu/]International”>http://ismajor.wisc.edu/)</p>

<p>Ohio State [Center</a> for Latin American Studies](<a href=“http://clas.osu.edu/degrees.php]Center”>http://clas.osu.edu/degrees.php)
[International</a> Studies Major - University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“http://ismajor.wisc.edu/]International”>http://ismajor.wisc.edu/)</p>

<p>Illinois [Undergraduate</a> | Academics | Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](<a href=“http://www.clacs.illinois.edu/academics/undergrad/default.aspx]Undergraduate”>http://www.clacs.illinois.edu/academics/undergrad/default.aspx)
[Academics</a> LAS Global Studies College of Liberal Arts & Sciences University of Illinois](<a href=“http://www.globalstudies.illinois.edu/academics/]Academics”>http://www.globalstudies.illinois.edu/academics/)</p>

<p>Michigan [Courses[/url</a>]
[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.ii.umich.edu/cics/academics/undergraduatestudents]Undergraduate”&gt;http://www.ii.umich.edu/cics/academics/undergraduatestudents]Undergraduate</a> Students](<a href=“http://www.ii.umich.edu/lacs/academics/courses]Courses[/url”>http://www.ii.umich.edu/lacs/academics/courses)</p>

<p>Indiana [Center</a> for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington](<a href=“Indiana University Bloomington”>Indiana University Bloomington)
[International</a> Studies Major: Indiana University](<a href=“Indiana University Bloomington”>Indiana University Bloomington)</p>

<p>Macalester [Latin</a> American Studies Department](<a href=“http://www.macalester.edu/las/]Latin”>Latin American Studies - Macalester College)
[International</a> Studies Department at Macalester College - St. Paul, Minnesota - USA](<a href=“http://www.macalester.edu/internationalstudies/]International”>International Studies - Macalester College)</p>

<p>Georgetown [Center</a> for Latin American Studies - Georgetown University](<a href=“http://clas.georgetown.edu/]Center”>http://clas.georgetown.edu/)</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much for these suggestions. A few of these schools are on her list – GW, Michigan and Macalester. </p>

<p>These schools are on her list:</p>

<p>Reaches:
Dartmouth (ED?)
Brown
Johns Hopkins
Tufts
Emory</p>

<p>Targets:
U of Michigan (low reach?)
Tulane
GW
Malcalester
American University </p>

<p>Safety:
Dickinson College
And if she doesn’t get into her ED, or Tulane and U of M early, she’ll need to find another safety or realign this list entirely.</p>

<p>Does this make any sense? I fear it may be too top heavy despite her URM background and her amazing ECs. Her grades could be better and her ACT score a bit higher. And although these are also reaches, we’re wondering about Middlebury and Barnard.</p>

5

<p>Middlebury has a wonderful international studies major, so she should consider it. Brown and Dartmouth seem like huge reaches with a 29 ACT even with such great ECs and being Black/hispanic. I’ve had the impression in several instances that ED at Hopkins really does help borderline kids get in, so I wonder if a slightly more realistic ED choice would make sense. Hopkins is almost as selective as Dartmouth and Brown but not quite. The Elliot School at George Washington is a great idea and would be slightly easier than Hopkins. You didn’t mention where she is a legacy but that’s obviously a factor to consider as well.</p>

6

<p>Check out the University of Pittsburgh.</p>

7

<p>I attended Elliot School at GW for my graduate degree, and my minor was in Latin American studies. I would highly recommend the program. you could also consider American University.</p>

<p>Any of the 3 in DC would be great: Georgetown, GW, American. Being in DC is a wonderful experience for anyone, especially to get exposure to what’s going on in global affairs.</p>

8

<p>Thanks everyone for your suggestions. </p>

<p>Hitch: I’ve told her the same thing re: EDing at Dartmouth vs. Hopkins. I too believe she’d have a much better chance of being accepted but when she visited both last weekend, she fell in love w/ Dartmouth, although JHU is a close second. I’m going to forward this thread to her so that she can give it another thought.</p>

<p>Her father, who is Hispanic and the first in his his family to attend college, went to UChicago undergrad and has a MBA from Northwestern. His daughter doesn’t believe she’d be a good fit for Chicago (she grew up hearing told that it was very hard for him) and I’m not sure if Northwestern would consider her legacy since her dad wasn’t an undergrad there. He isn’t involved in this process. She lives with her mom.</p>

<p>MWestMom: I love UPitt. My own son applied there last year b/c it has a terrific neuro program and great research opportunities. Since it has rolling admissions, he was in by mid October. Took the edge off a bit while he waited to hear back from his other schools. I’ll have to check to see if they offer Latin American studies. Most schools seem to offer the international studies but not as many have a major or minor in Latin A.S.</p>

<p>GW and American are definitely on her list. If she isn’t accepted by her other schools, I’m hoping these come through b/c without a doubt, their programs/locations will be wonderful for her. Unfortunately, she isn’t interested in Georgetown.</p>

<p>Any other thoughts about the list or suggestions would be much appreciated!</p>

9

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<p>Not to be a Debbie-downer, but this was my first thought when I read her list. With a 29 on her ACT paired with a 3.5 GPA, I think she might be really overshooting with the reaches. I do think, though, that her targets and safeties look good.</p>