<p>Hey all</p>
<p>I am looking to apply for an MA in IR, with a focus on international climate and energy negotiation, next Fall, so as to matriculate in Fall 2015. </p>
<p>I'm focusing my search in Washington DC, as top IR programs are in this area, as are most of the IR related jobs I want to pursue. Specifically, I'm looking at:</p>
<p>Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
George Washington Elliot School of International Affairs
American University School of International Service</p>
<p>I'm also looking at:
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs
Tufts University Fletcher School
Monterey Institute of International Studies (back-up)
University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies (back-up, WA resident)</p>
<p>I graduated from a liberal arts college in 2012 with a degree in Asian studies. I speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and English. I have experience abroad in the countries of those aforementioned languages, especially in China, where I currently live and work. </p>
<p>I graduated with a 2.97 cumulative GPA. My major GPA is something like a 3.4 or 3.5. My low cumulative can be attributed to one particularly low grade in an visual arts class of all things. I just didn't appreciate the style and personality of the professor, and was an immature freshman who didn't appreciate the need to work past academic and personal differences with professors, nor did I appreciate the timeline for withdrawing or dropping a class at that time. It sucks. I withdrew from an econ course but re-took the course later and passed with a B+</p>
<p>Since graduating, I've moved to China where I work a variety of jobs. I was able to move here because of an application I made to an international community development NGO that then placed me in China. I teach English language and literature classes, along with other random foreign studies courses, at a university. I also teach at a high school and work on a very part time basis for an environmental advocacy non-profit. I interned last year as a research assistant with a Chinese government think tank that specializes on environmental protection related public policy. This year I am interning again as a research assistant with a prestigious international think tank based in DC at their Beijing office, working in their international energy and climate change department. Next year I plan to snag another year of international experience in a similar organization while applying to graduate school. </p>
<p>My GRE writing and verbal scores are in the 93 and 90 percentile respectively, math is lower, around 50 percentile. I plan to retake the GRE this Spring and shoot for scores 90 percentile or above in all areas. </p>
<p>My questions are these:</p>
<p>1.) What are some other MA IR programs you could recommend? </p>
<p>2.) What are my chances for the above schools? I am particularly keen on attending GTown or JHU SAIS. Those are my programs of choice, as they have dedicated programs in international energy negotiation. I currently feel that my work experience since graduating, as well as general international experience and particular proficiency in Mandarin, will help me stand out as an applicant. I can snag good recommendation letters from professors and employers alike, and can write a solid personal statement. My biggest concern here is my GPA. I feel like everything about my application EXCEPT for my GPA would make me a competitive applicant to these programs, but I'm not sure. Maybe I need a dose of reality :) </p>
<p>I also only really want to apply to these top-notch programs as they are the ones that typically can promise employment upon completion of the program. Otherwise, spending the time and money to apply and then attend a different tier grad program may not promise a big ROI.</p>
<p>Any and all insight would be appreciated. Thanks for reading!</p>