<p>“I think the college recognizes that “international relations” is something that incorporates learning across the disciplines; perhaps it is a conscious decision not to have a department that is so narrowly defined”</p>
<p>SDonCC, thank you, but I am fully aware of what is on the website, I mentioned it in my OP. My guidance counselor didn’t help me choose my colleges at all, thanks. A lot of my family work in higher academia, so it’s not that I’m uninformed I’m just concerned.</p>
<p>I also understand that Grinnell has a big international programs thing going on, and that they have international students. Unfortunately, I’m from california, and go to a school where almost everyone is from a different country, and that’s very different than having an IR major. IR is interdisciplinary, so I would say it is in no way “narrowly defined”.</p>
<p>I’m not focused on my post graduate options, I’m sorry if I mispoke, I just meant to mention that I’m planning on working for the state department when I’m older…I understand that foreign service officers come from all types of majors. I have done a VERY VERY thorough research of every college I have applied to. I have looked at almost every course offering in the majors I’m interested in, and I have spoken to most of the teachers in the Chinese departments, to make sure I’m able to further my Chinese and prepare myself for working in China as much as possible.</p>
<p>I’m simply saying that, the majors poli sci and IR wouldn’t have different names if they were the same thing. But I’m getting the sense that the answer here is simple “It’s IR if you make it IR”. I honestly love Grinnell, there are so many aspects of it that my other schools don’t.</p>
<p>But I don’t know if I want to go through the effort to carve out my own major like that. Poli Sci with a concentration in Global Development studies. Global Development isn’t even what I want to learn…I’m interested in it, but it’s not my focus. I guess, I have an idea about what I want my life to be, already.</p>
<p>I’m sorry if this post comes of curt. I’m just really disappointed in my top choice school, and I feel like I’m getting solutions I already know (or being spoken to like I don’t know what I’m after).</p>
<p>I guess it just comes down to whether I’m up to the challenge of making what I want for myself, or go to a school that already has what I want.</p>