<p>I originally decided to go to Georgetown and was very excited to attend. However, I was recently offered admission to Williams with a generous financial aid package that is almost $10,000 higher than that offered by Georgetown. Obviously, I am currently seriously considering attending Williams. However, I want to study political science and I am worried about the strength of Williams' program and possibility for internship. Does anyone have first hand experience with these two issues? Or can anyone help me decide with other factors?</p>
<p>I would not pay $10,000 a year more to go to Georgetown instead of Williams unless I had an incredibly persuasive personal reason. The quality of the political science departments would not be even a minor reason. That's a moot issue, Williams has a fine Poli Sci department.</p>
<p>Now, if you felt strongly about the whole urban/rural, Catholic/secular, or some other such big picture issue, then that's a different story. Those are personal considerations that nobody on this board can help you with. Overall, Williams is a much better school than Georgetown, but better academics isn't (and needn't be) the end all and be all for every decision.</p>
<p>Williams is very strong in poly sci and, in particular, in poly ec. </p>
<p>There are a ton of Williams alums in D.C. Not nearly as many alums as Georgetown has, but of course, there are a heck of a lot fewer Williams students looking to land in D.C. long-term, and hence you will have an easier time making, and exploiting, good contacts. </p>
<p>Williams has a great political economy program, which culminates in a week-long trip to D.C. senior year to meet with a variety of senior policy makers. </p>
<p>Finally, Williams has an extensive college-funded summer internship program for students interested in public policy:
<a href="http://www.williams.edu/go/careers/alumni_sponsored.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.williams.edu/go/careers/alumni_sponsored.php</a></p>
<p>Obviously, there are certain advantages to being in D.C. that Williams can not replicate. But in terms of post-grad opportunities, you certainly won't suffer in comparison. I'd agree with interested dad to choose Williams unless you really prefer the Georgetown environment / culture.</p>
<p>I lived in Washington for 30 years all of it in the political field, the political field not the policy, so take what I have to say with the grain of salt. If your interest is policy I am not the person to listen to.
I worked on Capital Hill, The White House, USDA, HHS, a trade assoc. and about 85 political campaigns. </p>
<p>Politicians don’t care where you went to school, they care about how well you can think and express what you think, but most of all they care about how others perceive you and your work product. </p>
<p>I think Williams is a better school for teaching young people to think, you will interact with your professors and fellow students much more and in a more productive way. Having said that, if you feel more “at home” with Georgetown and the money is not a consideration go there.</p>
<p>Once out of school sign up for a congressional campaign and really learn the business. What you learn after 6 months on a congressional campaign will teach how to deal with people, which is after all what politics is all about. Do not sign up for a presidential camping to start off with, you don’t learn anywhere near as much as you will in a congressional campaign. I never hired anyone who didn’t have campaign experience and that includes a lot of elite school grads who were passed over for a big 10 kid who understood people and how to motivate them.</p>
<p>If you want an "in-term" internships....(and hence leg up for a summer one...)</p>
<p>(But i would have said the same for American.)</p>
<p>The best way to get a summer internship (or job) on Capital Hill is to volunteer in your local congressional campaign. Even if the person you volunteer for doesn’t win the other congressional offices (of the same political party) will respect the fact that you have “put your time in.”</p>
<p>Both political parties have training courses for young people where they train you in campaign work and then help arrange for you to work on a campaign. Generally the pay is poor, the work conditions are bad, and you don’t have a life outside the campaign. Campaign work can also be a lot of fun, very interesting and greatly rewarding. For information on these campaign training courses Google, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), or the Republican National Campaign Committee (RNCC). </p>
<p>I guarantee working in a campaign is the best way for a young person who doesn’t have “an in” (no school, not Iowa State not Harvard gets you an in) to get a start on Capital Hill.</p>