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At this point I'm beginning my college visit process - a little behind, considering I'm a senior - and am having trouble wafting through the myriad choices in higher education. I'm reading the Princeton Review, Yale Daily News, and Fiske Guide to the Colleges, along with both of Loren Pope's books.

I'm interested in a liberal arts education - most specifically at this point government and society (political science) enriched with business and engineering courses. I'm an entrepreneur at heart and it would be a plus to attend an institution that interacts with the entrepreneurial spirit. The best examples I have of this at the moment are University of Maryland - College Park's highly rated Smith School of Business, and their Hinman CEO's program (actually run under the Clark engineering school) which is a living-learning experience fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. Also U. Penn's interdisciplinary programs between their College at Penn and Wharton School - and Engineering School - are good examples.

I've read lots of posts on this forum and seen the 20+ LAC lists. I'm wondering 1) what LACs have strong poli sci departments and 2) what LACs or Universities would give me the opportunity to receive a first-rate liberal arts education as the primary emphasis and then enrich that experience with business/engineering programs. 3) I also want to attend a place that is fun-loving... not to the point where one sacrifices academic quality for a party scene, but I don't want to attend a place where All Work and No Play Makes Ben a Dull Boy.

I've visited University of Maryland - College Park and St. Mary's College of Maryland so far. The others one my for-sure-to-visit list are University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Franklin and Marshall, and Davidson. Some others that pop into my mind are Swarthmore, Amherst, Kenyon, Rhodes.

Thanks!
Ben

By Mr_Mbuna (Mr_Mbuna) on Sunday, September 28, 2003 - 01:22 am: Edit

I have a 3.6 GPA unweighted right now, 1310 on SAT I, haven't taken SAT II. GPA will be 4.0 weighted by end of senior year - always honors, heavy AP coursework 11th and 12th. SAT I will go up at least 100 points - did poorly the first go around, and am taking twice more.

EC:
SGA [11, 12]
Junior Exec [11]
Senior Exec [12]
Multicultural Experience Club [11, 12] (12th Grade VP)
Future Business Leaders of America [9, 11, 12]
2003 FBLA Maryland Entrepreneurship Team Leader - 3rd Place National Champions
Math Engineering Science Association - [11, 12] (never really active)
Science Club - [11, 12] (never really active)
Mock Trial - [11, 12]
Mock Trial Team - Maryland State Semifinalists, 2003
Boy Scouts - [9, 10, 11, 12] - Eagle Scout
Global Issues Club - [10, 11, 12] - Charter Member
Model UN - [12]
Marching Band - [9, 10, 11] - Saxophone Section Leader
Jazz Band - [11, 12]
National Honor Society - [11, 12]

Let me know what you think I can achieve.

By Kewkiekid (Kewkiekid) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 12:50 am: Edit

look at claremont mckenna

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 11:37 am: Edit

Some schools with good political science programs where it's also possible to study business: Claremont McKenna, Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Georgetown, U of Richmond, Southwestern (TX) Trinity U (TX), Rhodes (TN) Muhlenberg, Emory, Wake Forest, Washington & Lee, Franklin & Marshall. I'm sure others will also be named.

By Chrisd (Chrisd) on Monday, September 29, 2003 - 02:55 pm: Edit

If you're open to something non-traditional,
look at Olin College of Engineering. Student are required to take a certain number of liberal arts courses (can be taken at Wellesly and Brandeis), and business courses, at Babson, which is adjacent to the Olin campus. Four year full tution scholarship for those accepted, includes cost of any classes at Wellesley etc. My daughter attends, and I think she has a classmate who's aiming for a poli sci major or minor somehow along w/ engineering.

By Mr_Mbuna (Mr_Mbuna) on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 07:24 pm: Edit

Think my stats are good enough for places like:

* College at Penn (U. Penn)
* Princeton
* University of Maryland - College Park
* University of Virginia
* Davidson (NC)
* Franklin and Marshall
* Georgetown (SFS)

Ben