Political Science Major

aquapt
Sat, 21 Jul 2018 18:43:31 +0000

Financial constraints? Truman state with the MSEP discount is a great school for an unbeatable price - even cheaper than UIUC in-state. Would you be eligible for need-based aid at more expensive schools that meet full need? If not, could you afford to full-pay for private “reach” schools where you’re competitive enough to get in but wouldn’t get much merit aid? Are you competitive enough in your sports/cheer that D3 teams would want you?

It’s a little tricky to “chance” you without GPA weighting, given that your GPA is stronger than your test scores, so a lot can hinge on exactly how strong it is. But guessing based on the unweighted and the DE classes…

If private U prices work for you, U of Miami could be a good realistic reach for you. (Your SAT is right at their 25th percentile, but your unweighted GPA is comfortably above their weighted median so that could balance out.) It meets the “warmer” guideline! http://www.as.miami.edu/politicalscience/about/

Eckerd College is pretty much the pinnacle of ideal-warm-weather liberal arts campus. You’d get merit aid there, and they have both domestic and IR focused poli sci programs. (And D3 softball/etc.)
https://www.eckerd.edu/political-science/why-political-science-at-eckerd/

Miami of OH, the so-called “Original Public Ivy,” is a solid match and a great student experience, with a majority out-of-state student population, lovely campus, and excellent programs. http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/political-science/academics/Inside-Washington/ Pretty similar climate to your baseline, I think.

You might look at some test-optional schools.
Wake Forest could be a good realistic reach in this category http://college.wfu.edu/politics/program-of-study/majors/
Also Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson in PA - both D3 schools, so athletics might give you an admissions/merit edge.
https://www.fandm.edu/government https://www.fandm.edu/public-policy
https://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/132/political_science
Sewanee is also test-optional (though your SAT is within the middle 50%), at least a little warmer, and D3. This is one of the campuses that is frequently compared to Hogwarts. They offer a DC semester through American U http://www.sewanee.edu/academics/politics/programs/major-in-politics.php
Juniata would be a safety (test-optional but you don’t need it to be) where you could expect merit aid, even more so if they wanted you for D3 sports. They offer a PPE major (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which is unusual outside of the elite LAC’s. https://www.juniata.edu/academics/departments/politics/areas-of-study/ppe.php

If you were to pick up Truman State and put it in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, you would get UNC Asheville. Like Truman State it would be an affordable LAC education where you could be assured of admission with your stats, but not overqualified to the point where you wouldn’t be challenged. Similar sports and cheer opportunities to Truman State as well. https://politicalscience.unca.edu/

Hope that helps!