Applying to graduate school with foreign earned education (interested in IR)

Graduate School
1

<p>Greetings to all,</p>

<p>Since my early adolescence i've been living abroad (not in the US) and thus all my post-secondary education is foreign earned. I majored in Business Administration and Economics in a third-world country and i'm currently finishing a Project Management masters degree in a first or second-tier business school in Spain. I would love to pursue an education in the US, but i'm deeply worried about my prospects there, having non-accredited education (although, these schools are DoE's Title IV "recognized") and little professional experience to boost my graduate school applications.</p>

<p>My overall GPA is above 3.6 and was an honor student in all educational ladders, even though i consider that's of little significance if it has nothing at all. </p>

<p>The ideal, i've always thought, would have been to obtain all academic degrees in the US, but compelling circumstances forged my actual path. Nevertheless, i want to ask here, if international affairs or foreign service schools would find such an application desirable or at least competitive (assuming i got both GRE and TOEFL above previous incoming class' average and good recommendation letters) for admission? Would it increase my chances of getting admitted? Also, i'm proficient in both English and Spanish and above intermediate level in French. </p>

<p>I'm planning to apply next year to SAIS, Fletcher, SFS, SIPA, Maxwell/Syracruse, NYU, GWU, among others (10 programs at minimum). I'm greatly discouraged by the price tag on most of these MIR, MIA, MPP programs (most of them being over $100k or $50k per year), but i'm determined to reach my dreams (BTW: Which of these programs+schools are the most generous in financial aid sense?). </p>

<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>DomineExaudi</p>

<p>(PS: Please be "brutally honest" with me and suggest, if you may, any alternative path i could explore)</p>

2

<p>I’m sorry for being vague in details and for my poor english skills and lousy coherence. Perhaps my goals are way too ambitious considering my current situation. Nevertheless, i plan to submit applications early 2014 (or late 2013 upon school’s deadlines) and approximately a year from now i plan to take both GRE and TOEFL. I took the paper based version (TOELF) several years ago and was placed in the 94th percentile, i’ll enroll in special courses to sustain or surpass that level. </p>

<p>Once again, any advice or comment would be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>Thanks for your time!</p>