emohlee12345

Hey, so I really want to go to a Women's College and I am considering a degree in International Relations and Affairs. Preferably I would want to double major with Arabic and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies, since I would absolutely love to work in or with the Middle East in perhaps an embassy. So, which of the women's colleges would be the best for that? Or are women's colleges not good for these sort of majors? Also do you know from personal experience or from reputation or things that you have heard? Haha sorry for so many questions, but I really appreciate any and all help

penguin369

Mount Holyoke has an excellent International Relations program. I think 2 of the top 300 professors in the country (according to the latest Princeton Review survey) are MHC IR professors.

Check it out! MHC is an awesome school- it has a really international student body and I think the Middle Eastern studies program is supposed to be good too.

Of course, I might be a bit biased since I'll be attending next year

Mariecc1

Like penguin369, I'm also biased, because I go to Wellesley. However, in addition to considering Mount Holyoke (which is a fantastic school), I hope you'll also take a look at Wellesley. Our IR department is very strong and allows for a wide variety of approaches to the subject: IR + history, IR + economics, etc. Additionally, we have a ton of study abroad programs; the majority of students go abroad at some point in their college career.

Besides Wellesley and Mount Holyoke, some women's colleges to consider are Bryn Mawr, Barnard, and Mills. While I can't speak personally to the strength of their IR departments, they're all very well-regarded schools.

Feel free to PM me with any further questions about Wellesley!

EDIT: Here's a link to the Wellesley course catalog, if you're interested--http://new.wellesley.edu/academics/catalog

emohlee12345

Thanks so much, I have actually been planning to go early decision for Wellesley. It is my top choice, but I know its incredibly difficult to get into so I would want back up choices. Sorry if this is too personal of a question, but did you have really high SAT scores and do you know anyone who got in with low SAT score?

dc20016

I attended Mount Holyoke and majored in political science many, many years ago. You should know that Vincent Ferraro, the Ruth C. Lawson Professor of International Relations, has just been named one of the 300 best professors in the nation by the Princeton Review. You may check out his personal web page at Vincent Ferraro, Resources for the Study of International Relations and Foreign Policy. From there you may link to the Mount Holyoke College webpage for the International Relations program and review the course offerings.

I have known Vinnie Ferraro since 1972. He LOVES teaching at Mount Holyoke. He's been courted by Harvard and other prestigious institutions but has refused all entreaties to leave Mount Holyoke. I am old enough that I studied under Professor Ruth Lawson and met Prof. Ferraro through the husband of my college roommate. I saw him most recently at my 40th reunion when he led a lively discussion on the situation in the Middle East after our Saturday night class dinner. While I emphasized American government in my studies at Mount Holyoke, I took numerous courses in history and international relations that prepared me well for my subsequent career as a lawyer. I did not hesitate to join the Office of International Affairs at the Justice Department years ago where I represented foreign governments in extradition cases in the US federal courts. I assisted foreign prosecutors and consular officers -- some of whom became close friends. I even assisted State Department lawyers in treaty negotiations. As a result of my work in international affairs, I am still a member of the Consular Corps of Washington, DC (an organization of diplomats from all of the embassies) as a "retired government official." In my private law practice, I occasionally handle international issues.

Incidentally, it was one of my professors at Mount Holyoke who invented the concept of the Washington internship. Mount Holyoke has had an internship program since the 1940's! One of my good friends from Mount Holyoke who graduated with the Class of 1966 was the first college intern at the White House. On her first day there, she was seated next to Secretary of State Dean Rusk at a White House dinner!

I loved every minute of my college experience at Mount Holyoke. I still think it is the best place to study international relations -- in part because 22% of the student body is composed of international students. There are student organizations at Mount Holyoke that represent just about every culture on earth. The latest one is "Afghani Spirit."

Mariecc1

It's fine! My SAT scores were relatively high; I think they were both around 2250. However, Wellesley emphasizes taking a holistic look at its applicants, so low-ish SAT scores certainly won't kill your chances. Letters of recommendation, essays, extracurriculars, and grades are all very important as well. Additionally, applying early decision greatly increases your chances of acceptance.

However, here's some unsolicited advice for the SAT: Don't bother buying a ton of fancy books that promise perfect scores, memorizing vocabulary through hip-hop, or whatever. I teach an SAT class, and all you really need is the College Board's official SAT guide. They go over strategies for each section, and there are a ton of practice tests. If you start early and do a couple of practice sections a few times a week, your score will probably increase significantly.

Here's some more information on test scores and Wellesley admissions: Wellesley College - Admission & Financial Aid - Testing

emohlee12345

Thank you so much! Recently a family member of mine told me that I should not consider Mount Holyoke and that the academics were awful, even though she never attended the school or anything. After hearing of your experience, I have completely changed my mind. I had no idea that so many incredibly successful people have attended. Since you were clearly successful in life, I was just wondering if you have ever regretted going to Mount Holyoke. Like do you think you would have been better prepared for furthering your education or future jobs if you had gone to a more selective school? Because I am constantly being told the lower the acceptance rate the better the school is academically. I guess thats false then, because you did so well with a Mount Holyoke degree.

MADad

Acceptance rates for women's colleges are deceiving, as applicants are self-selecting. You don't apply unless you buy into the concept of a women's college, and are well-qualified. Also, 50% of the population cannot apply (as their chromosomes are XY).

zapfino

Seven Sisters, State Dept. team up to promote women's leadership | USA TODAY College

Eternal Icicle

I am going to throw Scripps out for consideration, even though dc20016's post has me almost wanting to enroll at MHC. (I'm a Scripps senior, btw) :P

Scripps is part of the Claremont consortium, which gives access to a broad array of classes. I've heard great things from my friends in the PoliSci/IR dep't, but can't attest to any of it myself. Scripps houses the European Union Center of California (which offers several unique, paid, int'l internships only to Claremont consortium students), so much of our programming addresses European issues. Middle East and North Africa studies is one of our newest majors and a self-designed minor would be possible (Scripps College : 2011-2012 Course Catalog : Middle East and North Africa Studies Courses), and Scripps students take Arabic classes on the Claremont Mckenna (CMC) campus (across the street). CMC has a popular and fast-growing Middle East studies department which benefits the whole consortium here, and my friend who has been in their Arabic program the last three years is considering taking a job in Morocco after graduation. A Scripps first-year I also happen to know was just accepted into the Critical Language Scholarship program for their Summer Arabic Institute. Like the schools mentioned above, many Scripps students study abroad (~65%), and many seek international opportunities like Fulbright and Watson fellowships after graduation.

As MADad mentioned, it is misleading to equate selectivity with academic rigor when comparing co-ed and single-sex colleges because of the drastic difference in population who's even eligible to apply.

arghwhy

When I was applying, Mount Holyoke was one that caught my eye. Wellesey was not far behind, though.

bigcitydreams18

I'm considering Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Simmons and from what I've read Mount Holyoke is a very strong candidate but it's location kind of scares me so I want to know does Simmons and Smith also have a strong IR program

and just a side note what does Simmons rolling notification mean, is it good or bad?

bigcitydreams18

bump 10char

catisue22

I don't know about best, but Bryn Mawr now has an international relations program. I believe that they just got it this year.

miscimom

Greetings from a class of '77 alum ! You have made an excellent choice re International Relations, based on my observations of fellow classmates and their highly successful careers in this area. Congrats!