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So the 3.5 is going to be low - but then it depends on rigor and other factors.
In regards to the US colleges you listed - it will be tough no matter your profile.
You might want to seek schools a few tiers lower but again, there’s not enough here to know.
I wouldn’t worry about raising your SAT.
Good luck.
I agree with the comment above that your GPA is lower than what is typical at the top schools listed in the header of this thread. Your 1530 is great and I wouldn’t spend any more time trying to raise that. For EC can you volunteer on a campaign this summer or intern/volunteer for a political organization? Schools with good political science that may be more attainable with a 3.5 GPA and great test scores could include American University or Syracuse, especially if you are willing/able to ED. Both are big on demonstrated interest, so be sure to focus on that if you decide to apply. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestion, I will look into the availability of merit FA. Though I am full pay, my parents have some reservation about the cost of American University and Syracuse compared to the cost of Canadian Universities such as McGill and University of Toronto which are 40-50% cheaper.
If your parents are hesitant about the cost of American and Syracuse as being too expensive as compared with the Canadian universities, then the rest of the American universities on your list would also likely be too pricey for them as well. American and Syracuse are actually a bit less expensive than many of the schools on your list. This is the full-pay cost of some of the schools on your list assuming full tuition, room and board and expenses listed on their websites:
American - $76,176
Syracuse - $80,056
Middlebury - $86,880
Georgetown - $81,464
UCs - $76,436
Barnard - $90,928
You may therefore want to discuss with your parents what the budget is, and whether they are OK paying the full tuition at the American schools on your list.
Thanks for your detailed information. My parents are looking at rankings and believe that McGill/Toronto are equal to Syracuse/American (even though the experience is very different) but at a much lower price. They agree that the other schools on the list are stronger than Canadian schools, however the stronger they are the less likely I am to get admitted. Guess they want to push me to get higher expected IB / SATs… Which seems logical. As a result, I am looking for US schools which are highly regarded for political science and my parents view as better than Toronto/McGill to be worth the full cost. I am hoping there are some…
Based on your intended major, some of these colleges may be of interest:
Got it. I think your best bet is to work on getting the best grades you can this semester, and trying to line up a relevant internship this summer and then strongly consider whether you are willing/able to ED at your top choice school. Some of the schools on your list give a huge advantage to ED applicants. Speaking of huge ED advantage…what about Tulane?
Not sure your country but what is your intent with a poli sci degree for afterward? One can do Poli Sci anywhere and at least in the US most likely get a similar outcome. But in your case going home - how will the higher ranked schools help vs. an AU or "Cuse type school?
@merc81 @Bruno99 thanks for your suggestions. This will definitely take a bit of time to research further.
For the same reason I am considering Canada, I will also be looking at British universities, where there are strong universities which are also substantially cheaper than US universities.
@tsbna44 Poli Sci / Journalism are my personal interests, and my parents encourage me to study and explore what interests me, rather than push me to become a doctor/engineer/accountant. One of the incentive of a US degree would be to be able to double major or major/minor in another subject that is more durable for the job market, such as data science.
McGill and UToronto are ranked significantly higher than American and Syracuse.
Your 3.5 GPA is low for McGill. What country are you from? How did you compute that GPA? Universities will look at your grades and compare them to your home country’s scales, they will not covert them to US/Canada GPA.
OK - I missed journalism as your top says Poli Sci - but if this is the case (Journalism), then your list is reversed and SU and AU should be amongst the top as they are strong in both disciplines where the “higher ranked” don’t offer formal journalism training (but will still have opportunities through student communication channels). Of course, Journalism comes in many facets (from print to electronic) - and in both these areas (journalism and poli sci) you needn’t major in either to do either.
You might want to add Washington & Lee as another to look at - but like your initial list appears to be a stretch. But it is a top poli sci and journalism school. The Canadian schools are great too - but take note that McGill costs may be going up for non-Quebec students - not sure your country or how it might impact you.
Best of luck.
My daughter applied as a political science major with a ton of journalism ECs. If you’re serious about writing, my advice is: do as much writing as you can. Write for your school paper (ask to submit opinion pieces if you are not able to be on staff). Look for high school internships at small magazines and neighborhood papers. Apply now for summer programs like the New York Times School of Journalism (it’s mildly competitive/ pay to play, but will substantiate your interest). My daughter also served as a youth member of our local county Board of Supervisors her fall semester of senior year. So, I’d look into ECs where you can jump in and start getting bylines or working immediately.
With your GPA, I’d definitely aim a tier or two lower if you want more options to consider American, George Washington, Syracuse, Tulane, Fordham, maybe Miami). Since you are international, I’m not sure how merit works, but perhaps a merit scholarship would bring the cost down and give you the opportunity to consider a smaller environment. And if you want to take your shot at the tippy top selective schools, I’d aim toward Yale, Tufts (their Civic Studies program is cool), Wesleyan (also terrific blended poli sci program). Barnard is also great. USC, too (Southern CA).
The thing is, political science and journalism are areas where you really need to show, not tell. It doesn’t matter where you go—what matters is what you do when you’re there. Good luck!
For Journalism I would highly recommend you consider Mizzou. They have a top-rated journalism program and offer generous merit scholarships for international students (as well as US citizens). Their political science department is good too, but they are really known for journalism. Good luck!
As an approach to consider at a suitable time, a data science major would allow you to choose a field such as government as your “applied domain.” Your additional major could still be in government or public policy, of course.
This is very important…how a set of international grades convert. Often times if an international student just looks at their percentage grade or letter grade and uses a calculator to compute an American GPA, the results will be off.
Until we get this answer, it is very hard to make suggestions. Also, what rankings are your parents using to determine which schools they think are better than others?
One school that would be a likely admit for you is Indiana University. It has a strong journalism program and its school for public policy is also well-respected.
Both of my kids are aspiring journalists. One piece of advice I have picked up is that it’s not essential to major in journalism to enter the field – you can, of course, but it’s far more important to get practical experience working on your college newspaper and seeking out internships. Major in something that can provide a good content foundation for a journalism career – poli sci is a great choice.
Your GPA is a little low for McGill and Toronto. Syracuse, American, Mizzou, and Indiana, mentioned above, are great choices. Wisconsin would be, too. In general, you should look at the quality of student newspapers, internship programs, and career centers. Proximity to either DC or a vibrant state capitol city (Minnesota, University of Denver, Madison, etc.) would help with both political and journalistic internships. Look for opportunities for ED or rolling admissions to increase your chances.
Thanks all for your collective advice, time for me to do some works through all your questions and advice.
I am from Hong Kong and attending a school which currently doesn’t have a student newspaper, but I have applied to start a student newsletter, and hopefully grow into a newspaper. During the past two summers, I had the opportunity to intern at the Stanford Daily to learn to construct the right story for it’s audience, and currently am interning at a news aggregator which allows subscribers to search through a database with all the articles from 200+ newspapers.
My high school has a very good record of admission to Canadian universities, and my counselor has confirmed that an expected IB grade of 39-41 (depending on the school) out of 45 was last year’s cutoff, which is what I am focusing on right now.
What does your counselor say about what happens to students with GPAs and test scores like yours at these various colleges? Is an IB grade of 39-41 going to get you into McGill or others, regardless of your grades? If you were to share your counselor’s thoughts about the chances on the schools that you’ve mentioned, then it might help us gauge your GPA and chances at other schools.
Counselor mentioned that the Canadian process is much more predictable, so IB expected of 39-41 should secure admission at various schools within McGill & Toronto.
Regarding GPA, I need to re-compute because we have IB grades, which are then converted into an actual GPA, and some weights enter into consideration.