The Official College Thread

[sinaasappelsap]

Ok, I'm going to push back on a couple of points that have come up in recent posts.

Originally Posted by OliviaJ

I do need to major in IR/Political Science so I was wondering if you would think if would be best to go there and take my basic courses and then transfer to another school where I can do what I want?

First, how is a Government degree from UT different than a Poli Sci degree and does UT not offer the same courses as an IR degree, just not as a formal degree? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but I want you to think about that before jumping to conclusions about what you *need*. I'm not saying that UT is the best fit or anything, just that it's wiser to make decisions on substance rather than titles. Employers will care more about tangible skills and what you learned, rather than whether your diploma says Government, Political Science, or International Relations.

Second, in regards to the need to go to school in DC or NYC that several people have expressed, while there are definitely some good points about going to schools in those cities, they are certainly not the only way to find success in international relations or public service. Classmates of mine from UT now work for NASA, CIA, DOD, NSA, State, the UN, Brookings, CSIS, DOE, DOT, OMB, Rand, Deloitte, and so on. There are many paths to success, and not all of them require you to go to college in DC or NYC.

So, my advice to most of you looking at schools in those cities is to be realistic about the pros like the location and (mostly unpaid) internship opportunities, and the cons like the cost of tuition and cost of living in the cities. Think about other ways to make opportunities happen, like spending a semester or a summer interning in one of those cities or overseas, finding professors that still do government consulting, doing internships on a state level to get experience. Weigh all the financial aid options. Look at the full cost of your loans and think seriously about whether or not you'll be able to afford the payments after you graduate, especially if you want to continue living in an expensive city.

I'm not saying that one choice is right or wrong, but make sure you're looking at all of the variables and making an educated decision about where you go and how much it's going to cost you. If you get a good finaid package or can otherwise afford it, then by all means go for it, but if it's going to put you in a lot of debt, be realistic about what that will mean for your job search later on. Will you be able to afford those payments and living in a major metro area on an entry level salary or will you be forced to live somewhere cheaper or take the first job you can get to pay the loans, rather than holding out for something you'd prefer?

Finally, I know that some of the DC schools will give you the impression that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead of people who go to schools outside of the DC area, but in my experience interning and working for two federal government departments, it's simply not true. My coworkers have degrees from prestigious schools, state schools, and schools most people have never heard about. In my experience, it's much more what you do while you're in school, the useful skills that you learn through internships or part-time work, and working hard than it is about where you went to school.

[AFSjapanmom]

Amen to that!!!

[Lauren]

Originally Posted by sinaasappelsap

Finally, I know that some of the DC schools will give you the impression that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead of people who go to schools outside of the DC area, but in my experience interning and working for two federal government departments, it's simply not true. My coworkers have degrees from prestigious schools, state schools, and schools most people have never heard about. In my experience, it's much more what you do while you're in school, the useful skills that you learn through internships or part-time work, and working hard than it is about where you went to school.

I don't think anyone every said that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead by going to DC schools. Ultimately, it's about choosing a school that fits you and makes sense. I don't plan on going into IR or politics (even though I'm getting an IR degree), but GW just fits me perfectly. I'm happy here... happier than I would ever be at UF (where I would be if I wasn't here). I adore this city and can't imagine going to college anywhere else. There's always something going on and I've had some incredible experiences that only come with living here and taking advantage of them. I met the Obama family twice, I've watched Hilary Clinton, Robert Gates, Al Gore, and Jeb Bush give speeches on campus, just to name a few. I've had lunch with my congresswoman twice. The Obamas even came to a basketball game last year, and as a member of the band, I got some personal interaction. I could go on and on about the music and concerts that are here... we have the Kennedy Center on Campus, home to the National Symphony Orchestra. I got to participate in the DC Flamenco festival, watch folk musicians from the Crooked road in Virginia (best concert of my life). I played the opening of the National Women's museum with Jill Biden. I could go on and on about the things that I've been able to do as a result of living in DC... and that was just my freshman year. While most of these things won't have an impact on my career, they've had a huge impact on my life, opening my eyes to all kinds of points of view that I wouldn't have even thought about before.

[musicandmadness]

Originally Posted by Lauren

I don't think anyone every said that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead by going to DC schools. Ultimately, it's about choosing a school that fits you and makes sense. I don't plan on going into IR or politics (even though I'm getting an IR degree), but GW just fits me perfectly. I'm happy here... happier than I would ever be at UF (where I would be if I wasn't here). I adore this city and can't imagine going to college anywhere else. There's always something going on and I've had some incredible experiences that only come with living here and taking advantage of them. I met the Obama family twice, I've watched Hilary Clinton, Robert Gates, Al Gore, and Jeb Bush give speeches on campus, just to name a few. I've had lunch with my congresswoman twice. The Obamas even came to a basketball game last year, and as a member of the band, I got some personal interaction. I could go on and on about the music and concerts that are here... we have the Kennedy Center on Campus, home to the National Symphony Orchestra. I got to participate in the DC Flamenco festival, watch folk musicians from the Crooked road in Virginia (best concert of my life). I played the opening of the National Women's museum with Jill Biden. I could go on and on about the things that I've been able to do as a result of living in DC... and that was just my freshman year. While most of these things won't have an impact on my career, they've had a huge impact on my life, opening my eyes to all kinds of points of view that I wouldn't have even thought about before.

Ah, that sounds so amazing, what great experiences in your freshmen year!

[sinaasappelsap]

Originally Posted by Lauren

I don't think anyone every said that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead by going to DC schools.

I heard it over and over again when I attended an open house for students at the Elliot School at GW, at UMD's public policy school, and less so at Georgetown. They may put less emphasis on that at the undergrad level, but if I had been taking shots every time I heard that when I went to DC to visit grad schools up there for about 4 days, I might have developed alcohol poisoning.

There are great opportunities at other schools, in other cities as well. While I was at UT, I attended the debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, brown bag lunches with Senator Jack Reed, Sen Bill Bradley, the Singaporean ambassador to the US (the longest serving female ambassador in the US, at least at the time), General Clark, and lots of others. I also saw Al Gore speak, took classes from the former director of the NSA, and got to learn about how the State Department formulates policy with a former Director of Policy Planning at State. I'm sure that you could find similar things at other large schools and some smaller ones too, so there are opportunities to be had elsewhere.

DC (and I'm sure NYC as well) is a wonderful, fun city, and it's a great place to go to school or to work, and I really enjoyed the summer I spent there and the 9 months I spent there in training for my current job. However, DC is also a very expensive city in which to live, and many of the schools there are pretty expensive, as well. All I'm saying is that you need to weigh the costs of private schools and living in big cities, which are often high, with the opportunities and figure out what's the best decision. Despite all the wonderful opportunities to be had at expensive schools and/or in expensive cities, it's probably not worth a $700/mo loan payment on an entry level salary after you graduate, especially if you want to continue to live in a big city after graduation. As I said before, if you can afford it due to a good financial aid package or through other means, and it's a good fit, definitely go for it but don't bury yourself in a mountain of debt just to go to a particular school or live in a particular city either.

[Schetty]

What should I do about the paper for ED agreement? Should I mail it to my parents at home and send it with my transcript from my school or should I scan it and email it?

[hannah_22]

Email the admissions people and ask them.

[OliviaJ]

Originally Posted by sinaasappelsap

Ok, I'm going to push back on a couple of points that have come up in recent posts.



First, how is a Government degree from UT different than a Poli Sci degree and does UT not offer the same courses as an IR degree, just not as a formal degree? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but I want you to think about that before jumping to conclusions about what you *need*. I'm not saying that UT is the best fit or anything, just that it's wiser to make decisions on substance rather than titles. Employers will care more about tangible skills and what you learned, rather than whether your diploma says Government, Political Science, or International Relations.

Second, in regards to the need to go to school in DC or NYC that several people have expressed, while there are definitely some good points about going to schools in those cities, they are certainly not the only way to find success in international relations or public service. Classmates of mine from UT now work for NASA, CIA, DOD, NSA, State, the UN, Brookings, CSIS, DOE, DOT, OMB, Rand, Deloitte, and so on. There are many paths to success, and not all of them require you to go to college in DC or NYC.

So, my advice to most of you looking at schools in those cities is to be realistic about the pros like the location and (mostly unpaid) internship opportunities, and the cons like the cost of tuition and cost of living in the cities. Think about other ways to make opportunities happen, like spending a semester or a summer interning in one of those cities or overseas, finding professors that still do government consulting, doing internships on a state level to get experience. Weigh all the financial aid options. Look at the full cost of your loans and think seriously about whether or not you'll be able to afford the payments after you graduate, especially if you want to continue living in an expensive city.

I'm not saying that one choice is right or wrong, but make sure you're looking at all of the variables and making an educated decision about where you go and how much it's going to cost you. If you get a good finaid package or can otherwise afford it, then by all means go for it, but if it's going to put you in a lot of debt, be realistic about what that will mean for your job search later on. Will you be able to afford those payments and living in a major metro area on an entry level salary or will you be forced to live somewhere cheaper or take the first job you can get to pay the loans, rather than holding out for something you'd prefer?

Finally, I know that some of the DC schools will give you the impression that you'll be leaps and bounds ahead of people who go to schools outside of the DC area, but in my experience interning and working for two federal government departments, it's simply not true. My coworkers have degrees from prestigious schools, state schools, and schools most people have never heard about. In my experience, it's much more what you do while you're in school, the useful skills that you learn through internships or part-time work, and working hard than it is about where you went to school.

No, thank you for that, really. That does help me decide a bit. UT would be great, location-wise (as in I love in) and money-wise. I love that UT has that program to intern in DC. Thanks so much for all the info

[littlehodges]

My eyes... they tricked me. I thought this thread said "The College FOOTBALL Thread"
Alas, it is that time. :D Go hit something, boys!! Roll tide<3

Ahem. Yeah. I'm still in high school (mostly) but I'm dual-enrolled (hence the mostly! :D) at my local jr. college.
I'm taking mostly basics right now on scholarships to try to make up the credits I need to graduate early to go forth and exchange...
Goodbye, previously thriving social life.
O hai, 12 page Western Civ study guide T.T

[WV Mom]

Originally Posted by littlehodges

My eyes... they tricked me. I thought this thread said "The College FOOTBALL Thread"
Alas, it is that time. Go hit something, boys!! Roll tide<3

Roll tide? I may have to ban you.



Kidding! Though I don't care for Bama.