I am a senior in high school in Houston, applied to 20 colleges with 3.78/4 and 4.54/5 gpa with 1540 SAT. Accepted into 9 (7/9 with aid, and few with honors), deferred from 2 (USC and Georgetown but low chance of acceptance) and waitlisted for NEU. Have no idea where I want to go. I like the cold (though I live in Texas so take that with a grain of salt), I like a pretty campus, not into sports but I want people to have school pride. Very liberal. Want to join a publication in college (photography) and would not join greek life. Major is political science. What are we feeling?
Fordham (accepted w 8500 yr?)
GW (accepted with 23k yr)
American (au scholars with 20k year)
Penn State (accepted with 2,500 1-4 semesters, 3500 5-8 semesters)
U San Diego (accepted with 23k year)
LSU (honors with 98,200 total, includes student job)
Have you visited any of those?
GWU and American punch above their weight for political science. American is a small-ish, pretty but not outstandingly so campus in the suburbs near embassy row. GWU is very urban - not much of a campus feel, much less pretty, but people love it anyway.
Fordham - is it rose hill? That’s pretty. Lincoln Center ..isn’t (but is a great location)
Am told USD is a really pretty campus but I don’t think it packs much of a punch for political science.
Don’t know much about the others other than Syracuse gets really cold in winter., but lots of school spirit.
We toured both Fordham and Georgetown and didn’t see much in the way of imagery. Part of the Georgetown tour was showing us where the rabbi and imam offices were. Curriculum is certainly a consideration, some colleges are far more flexible in what counts as eg religion or ethics classes than others.
If Georgetown comes off the deferred list I think it’s a clear front runner. Good for the subject, gorgeous campus in a lovely area, definitely school spirit.
Given how much the full-pay price varies among colleges, it’s easier for commenters to help assess your decision if you give your actual yearly cost at each school, rather than the scholarship amount.
Look at pairs of schools that have attributes in common, and tell us what you’d be thinking if you had only those two to choose from. For example, GW and AU - both in DC, and don’t seem a lot different on price - GW a bit more competitive overall but AU offered you a scholars program - if it were down to these two, which would you choose and why?
If you were choosing a big, rah-rah public, would you like PSU or LSU better?
Of the Catholic U’s, do you prefer Fordham or USD? (For a “very liberal” student interested in poli sci, I have trouble seeing USD winning on anything but weather and cost, and you don’t even hate cold, but maybe I’m missing something.)
Are the no-merit offers in the running? Or is there a ceiling on what you’re willing/able to pay, that’s lower than a private university sticker price?
I kept looking as you said that and didn’t see. Now I see. Thanks.
In theory yes, but also more competition.
And there is government everywhere. And most, if not all schools, have DC Semesters. Syracuse, btw, is the # 1 Public Admin grad school - ahead of IU and Harvard and it bleeds down.
Mine went to a mid size regional, did a DC semester, had 7 intern opportunities and worked for a think tank. I’m not sure age and AU give you this edge people think.
And I love DC. Turns out my daughter didn’t. How does this student feel ? Poli Sci doesn’t definitely mean DC.
If it’s I want big, it’s LSU or Penn State. One is cold and hard to get to. The other driveable for you. Both gorgeous. LSU will be less but Penn State is a treasure.
Oh I see another Catholic - U San Diego.
Are all affordable? If it’s yes but I want to save, take off the priciest.
If I want no religion or religious requirements in class, take off USD and likely Fordham.
I could see the DC schools, SU, or Penn State if money wasn’t a factor. For poli sci, a strong outcome is not impossible but unlikely.
I have toured Fordham, GW, American, and SMU. Thought Fordham, SMU, and American were gorgeous but not a fan of the population at SMU or America, lacking diversity at SMU and everyone seemed sad at AU.
Many schools have a DC semester, yes. But AU has a system that allows you to intern weekly throughout the school year. Lots of competition but also lots and lots of opportunities. We toured both these colleges. The general consensus coming out of them was that most people who wanted internships in DC got them. Remember political science isn’t only US government. There are a bunch of international organizations headquartered there too.
As to whether the OP likes DC, I did ask if they visited. They shouldn’t commit to any school without visiting. Some of these schools are very different from the others.
Ok, that I haven’t heard (everyone seemed sad at AU!) but your impressions are the most important here.
Was GW’s campus a turn-off for you in terms of it being urban?
Could you see yourself at Fordham?
To expand on this idea… if you can eliminate one school out of the nine, then you’ll have a tidy March Madness bracket on your hands.
For example, suppose you could rule out Lafayette, on the grounds that it’s full-pay, neither a particular poli sci powerhouse nor geographically advantageous for access to state/local government opportunities, and an outlier in terms of being more of an LAC vibe than any other school on your list.
Then… the quarter-final bracket looks like:
Syracuse vs. SMU
AU vs. GWU
PSU vs. LSU
Fordham vs. USD
Decide on those results and you’re down to four, and you can decide on the semifinal matchups
Not to preemptively eliminate Lafayette for you - that’s just an example that seems plausible as an early cut, but maybe not.
So we not only visited AU, did the accepted day. It was there I stunned the head prof in SIS. I asked about outcomes and she acknowledged, yes kids should have a second major.
My kid ended at Charleston - just liked it more. Interned for our state in Civil Rights (yes we are Caucasian) and a DC think tank and will work in education post. Her major is Intl Studies which she fell in love with at that AU session and Poli Sci. Not the backup major I’d have but I’m not her the two together still give no hard, marketable skill.
For her AU was just too separated from the action - an 15 min walk to the subway. And the kids pan the food at AU but they do at Gtown too. At the time gw had no cafeteria. They added one two years or so ago I believe. The entire meal plan was restaurants and markets. GW is just uber urban. It’s different. You’ll have politics but not rah rah (sports wise).
There’s definitely enough differentiation here.
From friends whose kids have attended both including one who sits in Maine not employed, I just don’t see these as superior. Not saying not to go but they are not the connected home runs everyone think. Yes some will get jobs but like my top college for journalism, not most - not in the discipline.
If cost no issue and they love DC, then great.
Sounds like AU (the most liberal rated school in the U.S. year after year) and SMU should come off based on OP’s last comment.
You’ve gotta get to one so any you can cut are good cuts.
If LSU, remove Lafayette. Then LSU Syracuse, who wins ?
Rinse and repeat.
In the end, you can only go to one and you have such differentiation, cutting to a manageable few should be easy.
Weather ? Urban vs suburban / rural ? Sports ? Opportunities in photog ? Have you checked the publications at each to see how you fit in ? Poli Sci sub areas of interest.
LSU has a DC mass com summer program. It might jive with your photog interests.
SU Maxwell is, in my opinion, the gold standard in the field. And SU has a DC campus. Disclosure - I’m a dual Maxwell / Newhouse alum.
I have been to most of the campuses on your list. Not only is Fordham beautiful but the botanical gardens across the street are almost like an extension of the campus and add a whole other dimension.
BUT University of San Diego is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen, bar none. The ocean views are incredible. Took my breath away. The campus is very well laid out and is architecturally coherent with a green space down the middle. The architectural style is Spanish and in fact the feel when you enter is like walking into a delightful Mexican village. I just loved lt.
Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist making a comment.
All things considered, I’m thinking San Diego. They have 1-2 semesters with internships in DC. They offer seminars in state government in Sacramento. No fraternities. About as good a financial package as you have on the list. American would be my 3rd choice.
I like Fordham too but not unless they will come up with a better financial package. A friend of mine was able to successfully negotiate with them to get the price to where he wanted it by using a better offer from a competitor college. So, it can be done. I was in awe of him.
