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<p>I disagree that it is without peer, especially at the undergraduate level.</p>
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<p>Correct. But I still haven’t seen any proof that SFS undergrads hold more of these jobs than their counterparts at similar institutions.</p>
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<p>True… but Georgetown has specifically called their school the “School of Foreign Service” and not “International Relations”… they obviously did this for a reason (but perhaps not a reason beyond marketing).</p>
<p>There’s just no way (in my judgment) that a B.A. for Georgetown SFS is as valuable as an M.A. from AU’s School of International Service obtained in the same four years through their Global Scholars Program (which is just as difficult to get in, and the students are just as good, and the internships are the same, and costing, with merit money, $80k-$100k less.</p>
<p>Others will feel differently.</p>
<p>These days, a lot of the people getting hired for the foreign service are: first or second generation Americans who grew up speaking a second language which is high demand; people with undergrad degrees in something other than political science, history, IR. Foreign service officers might have specific expertise in environmental studies, nuclear engineering or public health, for example. I know a guy who joined after working for NASA, for example. I know another guy who was an IT guy and website developer, and he’s in high demand because he can actually understand the policy discussions about cyberwarfare. Unfortunately, poli sci majors, even from top schools, are a dime a dozen. Even from Georgetown.</p>
<p>Son is a SFS grad. He is finishing up his final year of law school and has a job lined up working for a firm that specializes in immigration law. He felt SFS was the perfect fit for him, providing many opportunities both professional and personal. Could he have gotten the same experience elsewhere? Probably, because he is the type of person that seeks out great experiences. Would he do it all over again? Absolutely. He truly feels that SFS is a one of a kind institution that provides a one of a kind education.</p>
<p>Love the observation!
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<p>The School of Foreign Service was founded in 1919 in recognition of the need for the US to train diplomats in the post World War I expansionist era. The school has branched out from its original roots and now offers concentrations in 7 different areas. Very few of the current SFS grads actually go into the foreign service. </p>
<p>laserp, still can’t sent you a PM. Is your mailbox enabled?</p>
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<p>skills like this are really important, because as you can see we currently have Congress trying to pass a bill that will kill tons of the internet, because they have no idea how it actually works. Not to mention Ted Stevens with his famous “the internet is a series of tubes” comments.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t think too much cyber stuff happens in the foreign service, but there is definitely a lot of it at State, DOD, DHS, and in the IC. And it is definitely in demand.</p>
<p>Perhaps it is too late to reply to this thread…</p>
<p>As a professor at UT, please do not underestimate the value of a smaller, private university. While UT is great in many ways, I would not send my child here for undergrad if they had a choice such as Georgetown on the table and it was something that I could afford to pay for. I got my undergrad degree from an elite private university, and I never would have imagined the doors that this experience would open for me. If your child was academically good enough to get into Georgetown, then I believe that your child will feel frustration at UT. While no child or parent should saddle themselves with debt for an undergraduate or a graduate education, I urge you to give your child this experience if you can afford it.</p>
<p>^^^
We actually just got back from UT today visiting. S is still waiting to hear about BHP and he was very impressed with the program. Would you feel the same about the BHP program</p>
<p>laserp, I can certainly appreciate your dilemma, b/c I feel we are in a similar situation. Our D got into Georgetown Business early action, and we are wondering if it will be worth it to spend the money to send her there. She will possibly get a free ride at a local private university in TX, but she is intellectually curious, and her stats are way above the average at this school. We are concerned that she will not fit in and find peers with whom she has much in common at the local school, and will have more of a challenge at Georgetown. That being said, we know businesses in Texas often prefer to hire Texas grads. A “name” school does not seem to transfer as well to Texas as it does to the East Coast. (That Texas pride thing!). We have been told, for example, by grads of Wash U, that it has no name in Texas, and its grads have difficulty getting jobs b/c there is no network for them, so it’s not worth going there if you want to return to Texas.</p>
<p>Our D is graduating from a private school she has been in for 13 years, so we have already spent a bundle on her education. Just wondering if it is “worth it” to go to Georgetown vs. a small TX university. Many of the responses to your post got off tangent, and did not seem to address your question. Jumpinit, I appreciate your insight about private school. Our daughter will go to a private university; it is just that the two she is considering are very different.</p>
<p>We will go to the parent/student weekend at Georgetown at the end of March and see if that will help us decide which direction to go. Perhaps, laserp, you will be part of the Texas contingency headed up there as well?</p>
<p>We are going to the Gaap weekend as well in March. My son should know if he has gotten into the BHP program at UT by March 1. Hopefully the weekend in DC will give him a better idea as well</p>
<p>Good luck to your son. I believe things have a way of working out for the best.</p>