DS was denied NROTC scholarship and the longer we wait to hear from USNA the more likely the twe becomes...so on to plan c. NROTC as a college programmer he has the following choices and would be an International Relations/poli sci major, GWU, Tulane or Holy Cross. Any thoughts as to the best unit.
This GW grad, BA, International Relations, can attest to the positive aspects aspects mentioned above. It isn't just the internships, which are to a certain extent overrated by the PR folks. It is the availablility of connected people.
Historically, GU was considered the better school, with its School of Foreign Service It al;so has a real campus. GW had to work harder to build its identity which was traditionally more of a commuter school. It is has no campus. The positive side of that is that it is chock full of past and current CIA, State Dept., NSA, Military, Congressional folks. Colin Powell got his Masters there. You have those folks not only as teachers, but classmates.
These are some of my experiences, and believe me, I was no scholar, not rich and totally unconnected.
My most regular squash partner, a Rhodesian refugee, is now Zimbabwe's UN Ambassador. We chased girls together then, now he chases white farmers off their land.
One of the girls I chased was the daughter of the CIA's Soviet Section.
My 2nd Year Russian teacher's husband, Dmitri Simes, was the leading Soviet Emigre Interntional Relations scholars of the day.
Salvador Allende's predecessor was a Poli Sci prof.
I flipped burgers at place called Bon Appetit on I St btween 20th and 21st. I think it's still there. A White House Secret Service detail were among our most regular take-out customers.
I attended during the Cold War and my area of concentration was the USSR and Eastern Europe. Early in my senior year, I decided that one way or the other I would live/study in a Soviet Bloc country for the year after graduation. At the time, this was extremely difficult and usually expensive. I was discussing this with a part-time teacher in the Slavic Languages Dept. She said the place for me was X, her native country. She described the "relative" freedom to move about and the generally positive attitude towards Americans. I told her I would look into it.
"But, first you need to call this man," she said, handing me his name and phone#. He was X's Consul General in DC and it was his direct #. I called him and by the end of the week was drinking a beer with him in his office and was all but guaranteed a spot in the language program at a major university...with a scholarship. I went to X and ended up meeting my future/present wife.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
If ROTC were to spring for a scholarship in International Relations, I would think that GW would be the kind of place where they would want to spend it, even though it is one of the most expensive schools in the country.
Best of luck to DS.