<p>hi Incredulous,</p>
<p>Thanks for this informative post. I think I will probably try the PH.d route or the MBA route. Do you think my previous work experience dealing with merging state owned enterprises and international trade will help with the MBA application or do I need to get even more finance related type internships before applying. thanks!</p>
<p>Two basic approaches might be in order, depending on what you are looking to do:</p>
<p>1) Just apply to a select, small group of reach/match schools in business. And take the long view: if you don't get in to any of them, get feedback, find out why not and reapply next year.</p>
<p>2) If you are really chomping at the bit to get on with your life, just apply to a group of schools that includes a set of safety, match, and reach schools and go with what you have.</p>
<p>Without knowing in more detail what you did, it's hard to know. In terms of experience, B-schools want two things, it seems, and this is maybe a huge simplification: an indication that you took responsible, leadership or leadership track roles at what you did, and that you did interesting and challenging roles in what you did. You definitely have the latter at least for the most part. You need to demonstrate the former to some extent.</p>
<p>If you feel you need to move on in terms of responsibility and exposure, I think you're better off trying to move up in the context you're in (in this case, China) rather than just pulling out and going for something completely different. Demonstrating focus is important, and to get a meaningful rec. from something new, you'd need more than just a year at it. But if you take the long view, and are willing to take 2 more years, that could maybe work....</p>
<p>I hope that makes sense.</p>
<p>I would assume that getting an MA in IR through a top program like SAIS or Fletcher would put you at a comparative advantage when applying to a top MBA or law school (assuming you have the required LSAT, etc, scores and work experience)?</p>
<p>
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I would assume that getting an MA in IR through a top program like SAIS or Fletcher would put you at a comparative advantage when applying to a top MBA or law school (assuming you have the required LSAT, etc, scores and work experience)?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think it's a deal maker, but if you've done enough (generally) to get yourself into one of the programs and then you go through it, assuming you have all the other requisite stats as you said, I think it enhances your chances. On the bubble, it might put you in. I think it's more icing on the cake than anything, to mix mets. I would look at the dual degree programs, 'cause they get you through in a two degrees in three years way. But you can't get your SAIS degree, for instance, and then get the Wharton half done in only a year and a half. If you don't get the package deal at once, you don't get it at all. In this way, SAIS and Wharton are like car dealerships or travel websites.</p>
<p>Ahh, I see.</p>
<p>The reason why I'm interested in that is because I'm interested in the 5 year BA/MA program with SAIS (I'm currently an IR undergrad at JHU) and through this program, you can't really pursue the joint degree programs that SAIS offers with Wharton, Stanford, Tuck, etc. If admitted to this program, I would pursue the MA, then work for a few years and figure out whether I want to do business or law, and then apply for either an MBA or a JD program. I was just wondering how much weight the SAIS degree carries when you pursue another professional degree.</p>
<p>I think that's a great thing to do. I had a friend do that program, and she went and worked at Goldman Sachs out of SAIS (which she did for 4 years or so in NYC and Singapore) before realizing she hated IBanking. She never went for the advanced degree 'cause she didn't need it. But had she, she could have gone anywhere, I am sure. I think in general, it's better than a BA for sure, and people do well (thereby facilitating further a good application for further study). Counter to that story, another friend never completed the MA. He spent his time kind of spinning out; I think it was too much somehow for him. But he went to China and has done really well professionally, so it hasn't really mattered...</p>
<p>hey incredulous,</p>
<p>i have a question regarding career changing, since it seems you've been doing a little yourself. does previous unrelated career experience count for anything when you do this? It seems discouraging to me that if you decide to move from say i-banking to non-profit at 35 (or vice versa), or in your mid-30s you suddently decide to go to law school, that you'd essentially be competing and workign with people ten years younger than you. i guess its sort of a pride issue as well...</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>
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does previous unrelated career experience count for anything when you do this?
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<p>You have to make it count in terms of how you tell your story. If you make a drastic switch, it's not going to work as well. In most cases, I have told a story that makes the transition "hang together." In particular cases, and you have to look harder for these, your previous experience may be what makes you attractive. Only when I switched from tech business development to political consulting was I making such a drastic switch that it my previous experience wasn't an advantage (though my maturity was). But I happened to get in with a well-placed consultant who had connections to help me get my next job (for which I was also well-qualified). I made these transitions as a result of realizing that I didn't really care at all about the business consulting or tech development that I had done -- when I was learning they were interesting to me, but when I stopped going up the learning curve they were deadly meaningless -- so I had more stomach perhaps than the average for slogging through minutiae surrounded by people significantly younger than me. The harder thing, perhaps, is to convince schools that you are not aimless or why you are switching at a late date. As I recall, law schools typically have a very low average age for admitted students compared to b-schools or SAIS. To be philosophical: if you are making a change in which your heart is invested, you'll be fine dealing with challenges like, let's say, younger people telling you what to do. If you're making a change in search of more prestige, you'll care more about the pride factors. It's easier for me to say perhaps, since I've ended up in a spot where I am happy and the transitions have all been worth it....</p>
<p>I'm 35, and I'm making a switch from journalism/editorial work to international development. The schools I applied to didn't seem to be bothered by that, even though my past experience doesn't really have a lot of direct overlap with the new field I want to get into. However, much of my past editorial experience was on business publications with an international scope, and I've done market-research work on Latin America, which is my region of interest, and I played that up in my SOPs.</p>
<p>I look at being around younger people as an advantage. First, younger people are often more energetic and have more passion. And all my friends in their 30s are married or coupled up and have become largely boring as all hell. So I need new, fun people to hang out with. :)</p>
<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>Has anyone that applied to the I-Dev program at SAIS been notified of acceptance to both SAIS and the I-Dev program?</p>
<p>Anyway heard about scholarships for SAIS or Fletcher yet?</p>
<p>i'll post this again, not spamming, just fishing for responses =)</p>
<p>Trying to decide between SAIS and UCSD IR/PS though leaning towards the former...</p>
<p>I want to work in the international development field (consulting, program/project development/management) within South East Asia, I was wondering what internships are available or advice that would point me to that goal. I plan on studying Thai, and am curious about the language programs and opinions of course offerings at both schools.</p>
<p>bjung,</p>
<p>In between posting my other response and now, I thought of one important thing. What kind of funding are you getting at either one?</p>
<p>Bjung: I can't really comment on IR/PS other than to say it's a fantastic program. I have two really close friends who went there and have gone on to do really tremendous things: one is an environmental/development guru who is a world beater and much easier for me to keep in touch with via email though she lives about a mile from me (she is always on the plane to Ghana, Indonesia, LA, etc.) The other went into tech work.</p>
<p>Anyway, I know SAIS better, as I went there. I actually went there when they started SE Asian Studies there; I was a China major.</p>
<p>I'll try to do pros and cons as much as it is possible comparing a school I went to with one I'll admit I don't know really well:</p>
<p>SAIS:</p>
<p>Pros:
Well known internationally through its extensive alumni network; SAIS started having well-placed international students reall</p>
<p>Damn this just cut off a hugely long thread I wrote to you, Bjung. I don't have time to write it again.</p>
<p>The high points:</p>
<p>SAIS has great SE Asia internships -- or at least used to.
Being in DC can be fantastic, especially for the hidden job market kinds of jobs in IR; it has no particularly strong advantage against other schools with Fed. Gov. jobs, since there is a dedicated effort to spread the wealth.</p>
<p>Think about learning Chinese.</p>
<p>SAIS for career, IR/PS for a really solid program that is in beautiful San Diego.</p>
<p>Note: I couldn't really comment knowledgably about IR/PS</p>
<p>Ahem...I can. I guess I should.</p>
<p>IR/PS is very quantitative heavy in its focus. The first year is bogged down (well, I'm not quant-minded, so it's bogged for me :)) with stats, econometrics, accounting, finance, etc. UCSD is particularly known for its econometrics work (Nobel-winning known), and you get a good foundation in the area here. </p>
<p>What IR/PS really excels in, other than quant work, is public policy. Some of the names here, like Matthew Shugart, are in the top of their field. We don't have any Fearons or Christensens, but we are not exactly wanting in IR, either. I recommend that you look at the faculty list and see whose work coincides with your interests. I was lucky that guys like Shugart, Cheung (who's at IGCC), and Walter (well...lady in her case) were doing stuff that I'm interested in.</p>
<p>What I can say after almost one academic year here is that my skill set is definitely on par with any SAISer (maybe not Incredulous, but he's an exception ;)). I just have to spend an extra $1000 a year or so flying out to DC for functions and networking opportunities. Then again, the gained utility of living in SD more than makes up for that.</p>
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Think about learning Chinese.
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</p>
<p>Oh, and I can't help but agree with this. Chinese is incredibly useful, even in SE Asia.</p>
<p>ah. chinese!!!</p>
<p>i'm working on my thai fluency (half-thai, can't read the newspaper though) and am/was somewhat conversant in Bengali..</p>
<p>I hear that at SAIS you can study two languages at the same time. Would that be an unreasonable undertaking?</p>
<p>I applied to both schools because they are quant heavy, though I admit to being abit intimidated (econ major but i treaded water rather than swam through a few courses). How much of a person's courseload do you think should be dedicated to studying econ, econometrics, finance if one is interested in breaking into development?</p>
<p>oh, thanks for your help (incred and ari). i wish i knew about this place before, but after having gone through this thread and some others, your insights have been valuable...</p>
<p>bjung,</p>
<p>I think development-focused individuals should have at least a year of quantitative coursework in stats and econometrics, and at least a couple classes in finance and accounting.</p>
<p>I think you'll do fine. As far as two languages go, I think can do that at both SAIS and IR/PS, but that's a helluva lot of work...</p>