Has anybody else applied for the direct matriculation for masters in IS?
Me
I am! Does anyone have any idea if the DMP essay will be factored into your application proper as well? I didn’t like my DMP essay very much, so I’m hoping I didn’t mess up my chances :-/
@kaelanmikla I don’t think it does. But out of curiosity, why would send in a subpar essay to apply to a selective program within a selective university if you didn’t like it very much?
@anxiousenior1 The essay wasn’t bad at all, I just didn’t think it was my absolute best; which is fine, sometimes prompts just don’t resonate and that was the case for this program. Regardless, I wanted to be considered and if it doesn’t reflect on my actual application, and I don’t believe it does, there’s quite literally nothing to lose. Why wouldn’t you send it in?
I applied as well but have no idea how selective it is. I wish there was more information 
What is IS? Islamic State?
International Studies 
@GMTplus7
I think it’s hard to tell right now. It’s a relative new program. We used to have students apply as college sophomores (as recently as last year i believe) instead of applying it directly as a high school applicant. I know it’s somewhat of a competitive process based on the sophomore process as I know ppl who didn’t get in, but I imagine it would be more competitive since there are a plenty of high school students who would die to come to hopkins with guaranteed admissions. Having said that though as an alumnus, I know plenty of grads who get into Hopkins IS program on its own applying as a senior as well as really great programs at Harvard’s kennedy school, georgetown masters program,etc so even if you don’t get in this program, I wouldn’t worry too much since hopkins does great with grad school placements.
Also from career perspective, it’s better to go into these masters program with work experience- it just gives you a lot more perspective in terms of understanding things in classes and knowing how you want to use your degree for your career as opposed to coming from college directly. In terms of job market, i doubt many NGOs, IMF, World Bank, State department, would hire you directly even if you have masters degree in IS from Hopkins with zero work experience. In real world esp in foreign affairs/policy area, it’s all about the connections you have and relevant work experience not just some diploma on the wall.
There’s also another down side to doing it in 5 years combined with undergrad. One of my neighbor’s sons is doing it right now…he’s on his way to bologna to begin his last semester and will graduate with his MA in Italy (although he didn’t need to know any Italian).
He was accepted as a sophomore. By the time he was a senior at JHU, he didn’t want to leave his friends to live in DC during what would have been his senior year, so he commuted from Baltimore so that he could continue to live in his frat. It made for a less than optimal senior year.
He would have been better off if he had applied as a senior or a few years out. Also, I’m not sure what is best for employment in IR, or in the case of this kid who never wanted to work in IR but rather in investment banking. I know that in the sciences, it’s preferable not to attend the same university for grad school. On the face of it, if someone attends JHU as an undergrad and then moves on to the Harvard Kennedy school of govt or Georgetown, it just seems like the person had momentum, wanted to take on a different academic adventure. But I think my neighbor’s son was interested in doing the JHU program bc he wasn’t a spectacular standardized test taker in high school (SAT was under 2100) but a very hard worker. Did well at JHU and this allowed him not to sit for the GRE.
From the perspective of JHU, this is a great money maker. It locks in the better students into their program…the very students who would apply to Harvard and elsewhere and perhaps prefer those programs for their MA over JHU. It’s just like the schools that offer the combined BA/BS and MD…yes, the kids who get in can relax and not sweat the MCAT. But they are the very kids who will probably do best in college and on the MCAT. And the med schools are locking them in early, before their competition can get ahold of them.
going from hopkins to harvard kennedy doesn’t imply any sort of “upward momentum.” hopkins has the second best IR masters in the world, behind only georgetown.