I should have clarified that I applied to these schools because most have reputable Russian departments which is my area of interest. International Relations as a degree can be a combination of a million things, but I would try to specialize in security, terrorism, and try to squeak in some high-level Middle Eastern classes for fun. I also chose most of these schools because they make you take 3-4 years of the language in the area of interest, in my case Russian. I feel like if I try to narrow down my interests in undergrad and be able to speak a second language at the level of a middle schooler by the time I graduate (in addition to the practically compulsory studying abroad), I will end up in a better place when job hunting in comparison to people in my grad year that didn’t (?).
I would have applied ED to Tufts (it was between that and American), but my counselor didn’t submit her things on time, and I didn’t care enough to change the situation. I feel poorly about myself on the ED thing since my friend got into NYU on practically a full-ride who definitely isn’t poor with very little rigor and ECs and no connections. I shouldn’t compare, but it felt like a missed opportunity.
Thoughts on transferring out of UMaine Honors if I end up with a strong GPA? I really don’t want to go to UMaine because my dad is a prof there and might turn into a helicopter parent which is why I’m less than excited about their offer. I’m also considering taking freshman year completely online through UMaine and move to an Eastern European country to start Russian properly and then transfer to somewhere in Western Europe.