Acy

I am in almost the exact same situation, accepted to CIR, NYU, and GWU (and also MGIMO-University in Moscow). From what I've gathered online, NYU and CIR seem to be regarded as more heavily academic, while GWU is a training ground for future public sector professionals looking for a terminal M.A. I'm having a really tough time deciding as well (especially with the MGIMO wild card thrown in there), and a funding offer from Elliott would definitely make the decision easier.

Is this really true? I've been told by Professors at my current university that this is, indeed, Russia's premier school for the study of liberal arts. The main attraction for me is really the language program...who else offers over 50 languages? I've been accepted by several American universities, but the opportunity to learn Russian as well as, say Pashtun or Tajik, seems rather tempting. If MGIMO's reputation is really on the decline in Russia, then what school is taking its place? Moscow State? How does it demonstrate the level of corruption in Russia?

I'm a senior at UNC, but virtually my entire high school class went to NCSU or "State" as it's called colloquially. In short, NCSU is generally thought of as a "technical" school, and is considered the best choice for those seeking a career in Engineering, Computer Science, Agriculture or Veterinary Medicine. It's business school (or School of Management, I believe it's called) also deserves mention, though it is often overlooked because UNC's top-ranked Kenan-Flagler Business School is 20 minutes down the road. In terms of popular perception from an in-state point of view, it is seen as perfectly respectable to attend NCSU to study one of the aforementioned subjects, but UNC and Duke are seen as far superior in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, etc. If someone is studying Political Science at state, the chances are that they either received a significant scholarship or were not admitted to UNC. Students at State tend to view UNC as elitist and sometimes deride its alleged lack of strength in practical sciences. This is a huge misconception however, as UNC has world-class chemistry, biology, and medical programs, along with the #1 public health school in the nation. We also have a nascent biomedical engineering program in the "Applied Sciences Dept.". You have to take my opinion with a grain of salt, since we are talking about my soon-to-be alma mater, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that UNC is broadly seen as more prestigious and more exclusive than State. I don't know nearly as much about Duke, but I do know that UNC and Duke have a very "robust" rivalry in virtually every sphere from academic to athletic. UNC students like to deride Duke's elitism in much the same way that State students do UNC. Most at UNC believe that the education received at Duke is basically on par or below UNC's for triple (or more) the cost. However, I am certain that if you choose to attend Duke, you will NOT be disappointed with the education you receive there. If you are interested in engineering at State, I can put you in contact with a friend in the Industrial engineering department who could answer specific questions that you might have. Best of Luck!

I've recently been accepted in a Master of Political Science program at MGIMO-University (Moscow State Institute of International Relations). Does anyone have any experience with this school? I know very little about it aside from it being renowned for its faculty and alumni throughout Europe. Anything would be helpful.