I will have time after to travel as well as weekends, holidays, etc.
I am hoping to research U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy so being near D.C. is convenient. I am very interested in politics and living near D.C. for the 2016 election would be a once in a lifetime chance. I would like a residential experience rather than a commuter school as it will be easier to make friends. I am not religious at all and come from a non-religious background. I am not one to look down on religious people but I think I would find it alien to be in a really religious atmosphere. I would prefer the university to be smaller. Under 20,000 preferably.
I have looked into Goucher and it has a college shuttle that is really convenient, dropping students off at Penn Station for a 50minute Amtak journey to D.C. for example.
The only issue is, that I have always chosen academic establishments for their prestige opposed to location. My current uni is a top 20 university. So I feel I should follow that trend and apply to ND, however, there are some rservations I have