Best school for studying Political Science/Government/Women's Studies

[Anonymous]

The people saying that a Women's Studies degree sets you up for a job as a barista or life on the streets are spouting nonsense. A high-preforming student in ANY major can get many types of job. A C or B student will have a harder time.

I would 100% say Smith, from that list. My general advise to students is to go to the best school they get in to (so, Brown), but Smith has excellent political science opportunities, good internship programs, a strong commitment to undergraduate education, and is generally a good place to go if you're interested in interdisciplinary studies. And, as a political science PhD, I promise you that the best departments for a discipline do not translate into the best undergraduate education because their primo faculty are lured to the school in part because they don't have to teach as much. DH is a professor at a highly competitive Uni and his priorities are tenure (publishing), collaboration with other faculty, PhD students, MA students, service to the Uni, and undergrads, in that order.

Don't send your kid to a DC-area school for "the internship opportunities." I hire interns and the DC-based applicants are almost always the weakest. Yeah, you can have MORE internships than if you went elsewhere, but more internships <> a good thing, to future employers. At a Smith or a Brown, you can probably spend a year off campus -- either abroad or in the US -- as well as summers.

[Anonymous]

Most of these schools do not have women's studies as a major, rather its a concentration within another major. It sounds like thats what OP's DD is looking for.

There is no major that guarantees a good income. In my day, everyone went to law school thinking that was the ticket, and for the most part it was. And now it isn't, and there's a whole generation of law grads who went in thinking what we thought and now can't get jobs.

It all has to do with what you do with your education. A good liberal arts degree, with good grades and especially independent work, will show future employers and grad schools -- including med schools -- that you can write, read, analyze, think. You don't get those skills in most undergraduate professional schools. And its very unlikely you will get them later on -- undergrad is the time.
[Report Post]

Yes. 100%.

[Anonymous]

11:47 again....
Since you asked for other options, here are a few. All are SLACs.

Oberlin
Macalester
Carleton
Colorado College
Mt. Holyoke
Swarthmore
Scripps or Pomona (not Claremont McKenna, the best gov't program, because it's also fairly conservative and if she goes to Scripps or Pomona, she can take classes there anyway)
Bates
Bowdoin
Beloit
Grinnell

[Anonymous]

My DD is a women's studies major at a SLAC. It's not an uncommon major these days. She's also not LGBT by any stretch, she's a sorority girl with a long term boyfriend.

Women's issues are pretty mainstream these days - there are opportunities in international aid organizations, non profits, marketing, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I get frustrated with colleges having these types of majors. A course or two, sure! That would be interesting. But with the money colleges charge, you'd think they would put them on the street with marketable skills. My niece is leaving U. Conn with a doctorate in pharmacy, and already has a job paying her about 150K to start. Now THAT'S education

No, that's professional school. And this has been a conversation about college/undergrad choices.

But it is appalling that college has, essentially, become the new HS and at such a high price tag, even for public schools.

You have to start somewhere, as my niece did. She just picked a major that would guarantee her a good income.

No, she picked a grad school that would guarantee her a good income -- there's a difference, especially in cases where grad school doesn't require a particular undergraduate major.

Graduate schools in law, business, journalism/communications, public policy, public health, and international affairs would all be open to someone who majored in political science and/or womens' studies. Even med school doesn't require a particular major -- just certain courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:47 again....
Since you asked for other options, here are a few. All are SLACs.

Oberlin
Macalester
Carleton
Colorado College
Mt. Holyoke
Swarthmore
Scripps or Pomona (not Claremont McKenna, the best gov't program, because it's also fairly conservative and if she goes to Scripps or Pomona, she can take classes there anyway)
Bates
Bowdoin
Beloit
Grinnell

A good list. She'll be around students/profs that think exactly the same way she does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts University--strong politics dept. at least a third Jewish

You can do a minor in women's studies and she might want to look into the five year programs--combined undergrad and master's programs at Fletcher School or or UEP:
http://ase.tufts.edu/uep/degrees/bachelorma.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
11:47 again....
Since you asked for other options, here are a few. All are SLACs.

Oberlin
Macalester
Carleton
Colorado College
Mt. Holyoke
Swarthmore
Scripps or Pomona (not Claremont McKenna, the best gov't program, because it's also fairly conservative and if she goes to Scripps or Pomona, she can take classes there anyway)
Bates
Bowdoin
Beloit
Grinnell



A good list. She'll be around students/profs that think exactly the same way she does.

OP said that a conservative campus wouldn't be a good fit for her daughter, so I was just responding to that. If OP had said "my daughter is a flaming liberal, but I want her to be somewhere more balanced," the recommendations would be different.

And, I hope that the faculty at these prestigious liberal arts colleges think at least a bit differently than a 19 year old undergrad.

[Anonymous]

I know you said east coast, but Reed might be worth a look for women's studies and poli sci, esp if her intention is to go on in academia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I get frustrated with colleges having these types of majors. A course or two, sure! That would be interesting. But with the money colleges charge, you'd think they would put them on the street with marketable skills. My niece is leaving U. Conn with a doctorate in pharmacy, and already has a job paying her about 150K to start. Now THAT'S education



No, that's professional school. And this has been a conversation about college/undergrad choices.

But it is appalling that college has, essentially, become the new HS and at such a high price tag, even for public schools.



You have to start somewhere, as my niece did. She just picked a major that would guarantee her a good income.



No, she picked a grad school that would guarantee her a good income -- there's a difference, especially in cases where grad school doesn't require a particular undergraduate major.

Graduate schools in law, business, journalism/communications, public policy, public health, and international affairs would all be open to someone who majored in political science and/or womens' studies. Even med school doesn't require a particular major -- just certain courses.
[Report Post]

No grad school or college or major will "guarantee you a good income," just like no grad school or college will guarantee destitution. Some programs, like dentistry, may significantly increase your odds of financial success, but there are plenty of "$$$ major" grads out there who are just as poor as the women's studies majors maligned by PPs in this forum.

[Anonymous]

Wellesley, another women's college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
11:47 again....
Since you asked for other options, here are a few. All are SLACs.

Oberlin
Macalester
Carleton
Colorado College
Mt. Holyoke
Swarthmore
Scripps or Pomona (not Claremont McKenna, the best gov't program, because it's also fairly conservative and if she goes to Scripps or Pomona, she can take classes there anyway)
Bates
Bowdoin
Beloit
Grinnell



A good list. She'll be around students/profs that think exactly the same way she does.

OP said that a conservative campus wouldn't be a good fit for her daughter, so I was just responding to that. If OP had said "my daughter is a flaming liberal, but I want her to be somewhere more balanced," the recommendations would be different.

And, I hope that the faculty at these prestigious liberal arts colleges think at least a bit differently than a 19 year old undergrad.

but I thought diversity was supposed to be a good thing

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the replies, this definitely gives us some more schools to look into.

Daughter is open to schools in other parts of the country if she finds a school that is a good fit. Scripps is one such school that she is considering, so nice to see it recommended several times here.

Re: Georgetown - I really don't think daughter will be applying here, but I do actually know a Jewish student who goes here. However, I think that daughter would prefer a school with a higher percentage of Jewish students.

And no, I will not be encouraging her to switch to engineering or pharmacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all the replies, this definitely gives us some more schools to look into.

Daughter is open to schools in other parts of the country if she finds a school that is a good fit. Scripps is one such school that she is considering, so nice to see it recommended several times here.

Re: Georgetown - I really don't think daughter will be applying here, but I do actually know a Jewish student who goes here. However, I think that daughter would prefer a school with a higher percentage of Jewish students.

And no, I will not be encouraging her to switch to engineering or pharmacy.

what about Palestinian women issues?

[Anonymous]

WASTE OF MONEY!