Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Political Science/History?

<p>Hi everyone! I’m a senior looking for some colleges, specifically some liberal arts colleges, to add to my college list - I’m planning in majoring in political science (and maybe double major/minor in history, though I’m not too sure). Location isn’t too important, though I will need as much financial aid as possible. Thank you in advance!</p>

<p>What are your stats (test scores, unweighted GPA, ECs)? When you say you need as much FA as possible, have you run net price calculators (on the school’s financial aid web pages) with your parents to see what kind of aid you might get on any of the colleges you are interested in? FA is going to be based mostly on your parents’ income and assets and what the colleges expect you can pay based on those.</p>

<p>Hi @intparent‌! I’ve gotten a 35 on the ACT (36 E, 36 S, 34 R, 34 M, 10 W), and a 2290 (superscore) on the SAT (800 R, 770 W, 720 M); I’ve gotten a 790 on US History and 780 on World History. My unweighted GPA is a 3.88 (got a C+ (79) in Calc BC 1st semester and a B 2nd semester; I also got a B in Physics B 1st semester). In regards to EC’s, I’m the founder/president of my school’s History Bowl Team, I’m currently the president of the Beta Club, co-VP of French NHS, co-Captain of the Quiz Bowl Team, member of MUN, and in the process of adding a National Social Studies Honor Society chapter to our school. I haven’t run any NPCs yet, but I know that I qualify for Questbridge! Sorry for the long response, and thank you for your help!</p>

<p>Okay, running NPCs is going to be key for you. I don’t know a lot about the Questbridge process, but there is a whole forum out here on it. Just in case you haven’t found it yet, here is a link.</p>

<p><a href=“Questbridge Programs - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/questbridge-programs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>With those kind of scores, you can consider any school, all though of course some are reaches. Do you have a hook – are you an athlete or under-represented minority?</p>

<p>Pretty much every LAC has a political science and history major. You might check out Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore. Claremont McKenna if you have a conservative bent. Wellesley if you are female. All are reaches due to low admission rates. Others to consider that might be matches: Carleton, Vassar, Hamilton, Wesleyan. More in the low match/possible safety range might be Mount Holyoke (if you are female) or Dickinson. </p>

<p>One of my kids went to Dickinson and had a great semester in Washington experience – they go through something called the Washington Center that provides housing, helps them get internships, and runs weekly seminars with interesting/important people in Washington. She was also able to spend a summer interning with senator in Washington, and had an internship at the Army War College in Carlisle (where Dickinson is located) during one semester.</p>

<p>If you want to be in the thick of things in Washington, you might look beyond LACs to some of the universities there (Georgetown, American, George Washington).</p>

<p>@intparent‌ I’ll make sure to run some NPC’s as soon as possible; thank you for linking to me the Questbridge forum! I ran cross country for two years and am on my school’s Frisbee team, but I’m not a recruited athlete; I’m a male Asian-American. I’ll definitely check out the schools that you’ve suggested - thank you again! </p>

<p>My sister (who is in college now) has told me that our EFC was near zero when she applied; also @intparent‌, do you think that there are any distinct advantages specifically for a political science/history major to go to a LAC as opposed to a research university?</p>

<p>Why only LACs? Of course, you may qualify for the top need blind LACs like Amhurst. But you should also explore other top schools like Columbia and UChicago. Just make sure:</p>

<ol>
<li>Your parents income is low</li>
<li>Your family does not own Real Estate, even if own a low income farm</li>
<li>Your parents are not self employed with small businesses</li>
</ol>

<p>Those CSS profile schools will cut down FA if you unsatisfy any of the above.</p>

<p>Hi @artloversplus‌ I’m definitely applying to UChicago (EA), among other research universities; I just wanted to make sure that I found some LACs to consider applying to. My parent’s income is low; though we own a house?, and my parent is not self employed. Thanks for your advice!</p>

<p>I do not think there are particular advantages to the LAC vs. a university. It depends on what kind of campus feeling you like. One thing to think about is that internships are important in Political Science (if you want to work in the field after graduation). But a lot of the internship opportunities are unpaid, which can be a struggle for a student who has to meet some of their college expenses. Going to college in DC or to a school with a pretty well defined Washington Semester opportunity that is mostly focused on an internship can help you get those experiences and still allow you to work for pay in the summers.</p>

<p>Try some LAC’s that offer merit aid and/or meet 100% demonstrated financial need. Holy Cross-1 hour from Boston is 1 such school. Holy Cross has great poltical science department. HC alumni include Chris Matthews of MSNBC, 3 Supreme Court affiliations, 1 US Senator, and 4-5 Congressmen!</p>

<p>@intparent‌ I really appreciate your advice - I know that at least a few of the colleges that I’m applying to have programs like that.
@par72‌ That’s really impressive - I can’t believe I’ve never really heard about Holy Cross before! I’ll definitely go do some research on it.</p>

<p>“though we own a house?,”</p>

<p>If this is a home owned outright without mortgage, the CSS profile schools will cut the aid because they think you may get a HELOC for the tuition. Regardless how ridicules the assumption is, that is what they would do.
Frankly, the best aid will be given to some one rent a small one bedroom apartment with two kids and serves hamburger in McDonald’s…</p>

<p>A lot depends on what the house is worth. And how it is handled depends on the school. This is why the OP should work on running Net Price Calculators at all the schools on his list ASAP.</p>