Coolbrezze

So far I have been adding and removing universities from my list. Instead of speaking of the public schools I thought I should get a better emphasis of the private schools on my list I plan to apply to:
George Washington University
Boston University
New York University
( may add additional privates)

I plan to study political science ( or international relations) and economics. I also like the ideal of graduate school ( one elite for my career), but undecided and not limited to: law, buisness, international relations etc....
I do qualify for need base financial aid and is very hesistant of taking out loans over 5k, it's mind blowing just to think of taking out loans of 8k or greater.
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Basically can you emphasize on my list base off the information I've given you, including pro's and con's of each and overall which would be best fit. Also would appreciate if you could suggest any other universities ( private, public, lac).

Coolbrezze

Still interested in responses.

Ny0rker

the three are all very similar, almost the same. GWU has the leg up with political science. for NYU, if you are applying to Stern that is by far the "best" choice but more difficult to get into

i have heard GWU is pretty good with FA while NYU and BU are not great at all
I vote best fit to GWU, solid political science, business, location, internship opportunities, international focus, FA

Coolbrezze

^
Thanks, yeah GWU does offer so much but I couldn't imagen Boston or New York offering less in areas where its noticeable. I guess the schools are very similar though I always thought GWU was a bit small, as if the student population size was split in half.

Oh yeah I don't plan to apply to stern, don't have those type of stats.

Ny0rker

pretty even then I would say.. whichever city/campus/feel/ you like better then.. also factor in the cost

Coolbrezze

^
I like all of them, though each have its con's. Such as GWU student body may be a bit small, New York University lacks campus within such a hudge city ( but all schools actually lack a traditional campus) and Boston University campus is also small.

Yeah I plan to just apply to all and see what I get accepted and if able compare financial aid offers.

(Any other suggestions of universities to look into?)

OHKID

^I doubt you'll notice any differences between GW and NYU/BU student body...

Anyways, where's USC?

Coolbrezze

Oh right, geez how could I forget the university.
I actually have intentions on applying there but still question due to very low acceptance rate ( ten percent lower than two universities listed above) etc... but ofcourse I'm not done with my list at all with likely adding or even removing schools. The university base on research also doesn't seem to big with my majors as compared to the other universities listed.
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You acutally dont think there would be a noticeable difference with GWU student body? Its nearly half the size of Boston and New York... I don't know, it's seems like the population of the university is somewhat small for a university especially to be located within the city. Whenever I see a small college student body I think of the thousands of high schools that are the same size.

OHKID

^You have DC, arguably the second best city for a college student with over 50,000 students in the small confines of the city. I doubt you'll notice much difference from the Big 10, and if anything, the Big 10 would have a smaller, more homelike atmosphere.

Coolbrezze

The school itself and D.C does make the student body size less of a concern (just thought large city and small student body isn't a good balance) but NYU is in New York ( which many may make statements as a world capitol) while BU is in a world class city and also known by others as a collegetown.

Coolbrezze

Still interested in replies, again I plan to study economics and political science.

Kulakai

Specifically for poly sci/IR I'd lean towards GWU over nyu/BU. For IR also consider American U which is also in DC. If you are qualified enough to applying to NYU, also consider applying to other higher ranked schools for IR like georgetown, JHU, etc.

Coolbrezze

Still interested in replies; I also just caught interest in Syracuse University and would like to compare the school to others I've listed.

noimagination

Note that the OP has significant financial concerns.

juillet

I wouldn't choose your undergrad based on your major of interest, since there's a very good chance you'll change your major and your interests after you get there. Also, don't worry about the graduate school - you've got 4+ years to figure that out.

If you're wary of taking out loans over $5,000 (is that per year, or total?) unless you're very low income I would say ALL of the schools on your list are at an disadvantageous position. Those three schools are well-known for being three of the most expensive private schools in the country. NYU in particular is very expensive and not known for giving out good financial aid.

American University is another school in DC that has a well-reputed political science program. Also, Claremont McKenna is a good private LAC that has a great political science program and is well known for getting its graduates involved in government. If you do aim a little higher I second the recommendations of Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Also, look at Brandeis and Northeastern in Boston.

A lot of people say NYU lacks a campus...it does and it doesn't. It doesn't have a "traditional" kind of campus but the majority of the campus buildings are grouped together in the Village, and they are more or less grouped around Washington Square Park which sort of serves as NYU's "green" or "quad." A lot of students hang out in the park at all hours of the day or night. It's not like the buildings are scattered all over the city; they are generally concentrated in the central Greenwich Village area.