As the title indicated, I’m interested in the Poli Sci programs at Georgetown, George Washington, Columbia, and Duke. Which one of the schools has a better program and could eventually lead to jobs in politics. Could you elaborate why?
Georgetown, Columbia, GW.
I would pick either georgetown or Columbia if you can get into it. They are both in great locations, one being in DC and the other in NYC. I know GW is also good, but definitely Georgetown or Columbia. Sorry I can’t go into too much detail.
In terms of why (post 1), the study of political science would receive a greater emphasis at these particular schools.
Almost seems like splitting hairs. They’re all excellent schools for political science, and you can get an excellent education and end up working in politics from any of them.
I’m the first one to argue that doctoral program rankings are not immediately predictive of the quality of an undergraduate program. But they can give you some information about the relative quality of a department compared with other departments. Duke’s political science department is ranked within the top 10-15 programs in political science, and so it shouldn’t be left out of any discussion of a good place to do a degree in political science, IMO.
Also, while I agree that New York and DC are both excellent locations for an aspiring politician, those are not the only places to learn political science and get involved in politics. Many, many, many politicians get their start (or frankly, spend their entire careers) in state politics, and Duke is in the Research Triangle and 32 minutes away from the state capital, Raleigh. Political internships and fellowships may actually be less competitive in a smaller city with fewer universities like Raleigh than they are in DC and NYC. The Research Triangle also means that there are many institutions in the area doing political science and politically-relevant research and applied work - not only Duke, UNC and NCSU, but also RTI International and the EPA.
Of course, DC and NYC have better public transit, and as a Columbia or Georgetown student you may have a leg up on important internships. Columbia students always seemed to get fantastic scholarships in whatever field they wanted while I was there.
So I think you should make your decision on the basis of which college is most appealing to you.
Any one of those schools should be able to provide an an excellent undergraduate in political science. Other factors such as how well you do in school, how well you interview, any work/internship experience etc. will play a large part in determining your job prospects. If I were you one acceptances are in-hand, I would focus on affordability and well as which college is most likely to give you the four year experience you are looking for.
Agreeing with the above, and adding that what will make the difference is how you navigate your college journey. There are great internship opportunities- but they are not handed to you in any of those places. It will take active work on your part to learn the system at whichever school, getting help from older students, advisors, career office, etc.It will require looking ahead- right from the beginning at the key courses and the scheduling requirements. If you want to study abroad (highly recommended) it takes even more planning. GW has one ace over Georgetown: it is easier to get to internship locations from Foggy Bottom than Georgetown. Seems a small thing from this distance, but wait until you are trying to get to you internship on a nasty morning! Anyway, the main thing is, as @happy1 pointed out, to get some offers, then weigh affordability and program details. Avoid debt as much as possible: it is a good while out of college before you will make much money!
In terms of access to a range of internships during the school year in order to be one step ahead for summer internships, Georgetown and GW are the best suited to that goal. We know a number of Georgetown undergrads who were interning most semesters, and were able to build a resume which got them even more desirable summer positions. Working in policy/government seems to be all about the internships, plus success academically as an undergrad.