<p>If I wanted to go into some type of diplomacy/international affairs career when I am older, what would be the best career path? What would be the best school (undergrad, grad)? Do diplomats make a lot of money? Money is very important in my decision as I do not want to never be able to repay my student loans.</p>
<p>Are you referring to the foreign service? If so, then be advised that it is an incredibly difficult career to break into. Otherwise, there are other jobs, such as with the UN, human rights organizations, intelligence, and business. So it really depends on what you're looking for.</p>
<p>Undergrad doesn't really matter much, although the better school it is, the better chance you have of getting name recognition for grad school. If money is an issue, I would say go to the best undergrad you can afford, or the best undergrad that gives you significant financial aid.</p>
<p>For grad school, if you're interested in the foreign service, Georgetown's grad school is affiliated with the foreign service and by far the best in that area. For a list of other schools and their focus, look here : <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=191105%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=191105</a> For the foreign service, grad school is not required, but it would probably help a whole lot. You could try for acceptance to the program first without grad school, and if that doesn't work, go for grad school and then try again. For most other IR related careers, though, grad school is necessary for advancement.</p>
<p>I would recommend trying to get internships (summers, semesters,g ap years, whatever). The UN has tons of internship opportunities. Also, spend some time abroad and learn some foreign languages.</p>
<p>For the foreign service, you have to take a test to move on to the interview stage. The test is the hardest test you will ever take in your life. It is nothing like the SAT, or the GRE, or the MCAT, or anything else. If I recall correctly, something like two-thirds of the people who take the exam fail it. If you manage to pass it, you move on to the interviews, etc. They take very few officers per year. You can get more info about the U.S foreign service here: <a href="http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/hr/%5B/url%5D">http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/hr/</a> For all other IR jobs, a test is not required, but you will have to have experiences that distinguish you from the average person. People in IR careers always seem to have amazing resumes - so rack up those experiences!</p>
<p>Most IR jobs pay decently. For the foreign service, you have what appears to be a small salary, but keep in mind that your housing and some travel is covered, so it's actually a good chunk of money. Without a grad degree, any other career is going to pay less. Connections are VERY important in IR jobs, so be sure that you do great in all your internships and get letters of recommendation. Go to the best grad school you can, because the name and network are important.</p>
<p>Thanks Desp</p>
<p>I took the foreign service exam in April, and though I don't know yet if I've passed or failed, I would by no means call it the hardest exam of my life. Difficulty of tests is relative to people's strengths. If you are a geometry, algebra and English person, the SAT would be easier for you than say the MCAT, which is a knowledge based test for which you can memorize content. If you are a politics junkie, then the FSE might actually be fun to prepare for and to take several times. Apparently more difficult than the written section of the test, is the oral exam that follows. We'll see, you can start to take the exam when you are 20 and it might not be a bad idea to take it each year until you are actually ready to have a career, just to give you an idea of what it takes to get in. Registration deadline is in March of each year! Good luck.</p>
<p>I would hope it's fun to prepare for, otherwise you're in the wrong field! I was basing the "hardest exam" on the percentage of people who fail, which is far more than with any other exam. But I hope you did well - good luck!</p>
<p>Desp,</p>
<p>What does Desp mean? Despot? Desperate? I'm just curious.</p>
<p>As in "Desperately Seeking PhD" - kind of like "Desperately Seeking Susan," but not so blond, ya know?</p>
<p>Although some of my former students might have voted for "despot." ;)</p>