<p>Hey guys, I usually read this forum but never post. I saw a million threads on IR by a bunch of genius smart people, much smarter than me, and got no help because if you are like most people your GPA and GRE are okay but not that high. Of course someone with 3 majors from Harvard and 2 languages and perfect GREs will get into wherever he wants to get into. But we're not all like that, so I wanted to give my average mediocre stats and tell you guys where I have gotten in so for (08/09 cycle) just for someone's future reference on this board who is thinking of applying:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.13
GRE: 660q 600v
Major was political science general concentration and minors in econ and international studies.
Three excellent LORs, two from professors I took multiple classes from and one that I did a very long research project with.
A good writing sample - excerpt from a research project which I presented to a undergraduate forum.
One mediocre "honor society" for the social sciences.
Speak/Read fluent Arabic
Only internships were some website stuff and working for the Obama campaign. Nothing big.
I was on the student government but it was appointed, didn't do much.
Coursework in econ, history, poli sci, international studies.
No language taken except Chinese 101 - got a D.</p>
<p>Bad parts of transcript:
All five withdrawal used in first 3 semesters.
Four repeats of classes, one F but retook the class with an A so averaged to a C.
No coursework in statistics or research methods at all. Only math was a stupid "math and life" class for dumb people that was even easier than algebra.
Not very famous school academically, very mediocre state u.</p>
<p>Results:
American University School of International Service M.A. in U.S. Foreign Policy. Acceptance.
Catholic University M.A. in World Politics. Acceptance.
American University School of Public Affairs M.A. in Political Science. Acceptance.</p>
<p>Still haven't heard back from:
George Washington University in Middle Eastern studies (maybe??)
Georgetown in Security Studies (I don't think I will get in)</p>
<p>Anyway, if any of you can give me hope for George Washington I will be happy, but I think I like American's SIS better. I know my stats are medicore, but American is not that bad of a school, so I think I am pretty good.</p>
<p>Hey! Congrats on your acceptance to American! Your stats are not bad at all - your GRE scores are within range, your overall GPA is acceptable and you speak a 2nd language fluently which is more than alot of other applicants can say (ones who have taken 3 years of a second language or even 2 languages but are not fluent in either).</p>
<p>Anyways, at this point youll hear from GW and Georgetown within the next week so no use in fretting over what will happen. Just wait and see.</p>
<p>Thanks Ethan! I see you have taken Arabic and Hebrew. Good job! I wish I knew Hebrew, it is such a beautiful language and the Jews are such a beautiful people with a rich history.</p>
<p>I think GWU is doable, probably won’t get in but doable. Have you heard about Georgetown’s Security Studies. I heard it was a lot easier to get into than the SFS because there are not many people who want to go there. Its my no. 1 top pick - thats exactly what floats my boat, especially for a masters.</p>
<p>The Sec. Studies average GRE, from what someone told me who knows a lot about their program, is a 660/670 on each section. I have a 660q, but my v is only 600 which is still pretty good, so I don’t know. Hopefully they will like my Arabic, my recommendations (my prof. made a special really really good rec. just for Georgetown) and my personal statement… lol.</p>
<p>I wish everyone luck, this stuff is so stressful. Everyone I know hates IR so I am glad to see so many budding IR scholars or practioners in the future!</p>
<p>UCLA had an IR graduate school fair back in october-ish and i had a chance to talk to the people from Georgetown about their security studies program (i’ve applied for it too). I asked the representatives what they were looking for most in their applicants and they said that research and work experience (preferably abroad) were the most important things. I also asked them the acceptance rate for the program and they said that it was somewhere around 35-40%. </p>
<p>I also asked GWU’s Elliott school reps the same questions and i was told that fulfilling the econ prereqs was the most important thing, and that that the acceptance rate for the security policy studies program was something like 50%. </p>
<p>You still have a pretty good chance, i think–especially being fluent in a target language like arabic (i wish i was; it would make my life a lot easier). My GREs were really crappy (less than you guys’), but thus far i’ve been accepted to UMichigan and UChicago for middle eastern studies, even grabbing some financial aid! honestly, i don’t think that you have anything to freak out about and believe that you’re pretty much in at GWU</p>
<p>Thanks for the help Aubstopper. I wish there was a “IRSchoolNumbers” like LawSchoolNumbers. Since there isn’t, we just have to post each other’s stats on this forum - I guess IR demands a whole package anyway, law school just pretty much looks at an index number.</p>
<p>In about two weeks I will hear from GWU and Georgetown, so we’ll see, I will post the accept/reject for all of you guys benefit.</p>
<p>Congrats on getting into American’s SIS.
As an undergrad at UCLA, I have a 3.8 GPA, multiple internships, and 4 years of Army experience, however the GRE scores were low…1170 and 3.5 writing. Needless to say, I didn’t get in GWU…
But in my opinion even if you don’t get accepted into GWU, you deserve a pat on the back for getting into American’s SIS. That school has a great foreign policy program.</p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptance to American! I think studying Foreign Policy there will open up alot of career doors for you!</p>
<p>I just found out that I was accepted into GW so I’m quite excited about that. If we’re both in DC in the fall I would definetely be interested in doing an Arabic-Hebrew exchange if you had the time!</p>
<p>Thanks all. I hope “U.S. Foreign Policy” is a better field job wise than “International Politics.” I am pretty sure I am going to get a Ph.D. and my interest is mostly in international security. I would work for private sector though and not government or contractors because I am a dual citizen and my friend who is a security clearance investigator said they are not allowed to give security clearances to dual citizens.</p>
<p>Ethan, we should definetly do an Arabic-Hebrew exchange next year!</p>
<p>I have no idea if I got into GWU or not because I keep trying to check it and I don’t understand how that website works. It says my “transcripts are not recieved” and that my application is incomplete, even though they sent me an email and said they had lost my transcripts but they had definitely received them. I also sent them to GWU 2 times officially, and one time even unofficially through email because they said they needed one immediately since they lost it (thereafter I sent it again officially, just to make sure, even though they didn’t ask for it).</p>
<p>Maybe the system is just bugged up or something. I will check out the mail later in the week to see if I have gotten in or not. I think probably not.</p>
<p>Man I should have applied to U. Chicago, I think it is possible I would have gotten in.</p>
<p>hey guys, I got rejected by the sec studies program at georgetown as well
but got into the international science and tech policy at GWU Elliot so pretty excited about that. Do any of you guys have science backgrounds as well and are going to Elliot?</p>
<p>also look through your emails isolationist, i had the same problem and it was because i didnt use the proper login that they had sent me, i literally had to try three different logins before i found the right one</p>
<p>Thanks man. I just checked GWU, rejection as well for the Middle Eastern Studies program. That was pretty hard to take, because I really wanted to go there. This is just not a lucky year because of the high applicant pool, I bet last year I would have maybe gotten in. It is ok though.</p>
<p>SIS is good enough for me. People get good jobs from there even in finance and stuff related fields. I also got into American SPA, so I might actually do both at the same time which is probably pretty difficult. I think SIS will be really good, I am going to take a lot of electives in the other fields (International Politics, Regional Studies), so that I am very well rounded when I get out of there. I think in the end I will have a good background in the stuff I want to get a good background in.</p>
<p>Good luck everyone else, I hope you get into the schools you want to get into.</p>
<p>OK so i just got my rejections from
SAIS and Georgetown.
But Ive got GW and NYU. Im not sure what to think of syracuse, the program seems nice but its not ranked anywhere except for Public affairs and its not in DC :S
Anyone else get into GW direct from undergrad?? Anyone have any idea about GW’s accomodation and deposit deadlines?</p>
<p>Msra6pj2: Here are a couple of ranking surveys to let you see how Syracuse’s Maxwell School has been ranked. It appears its competitively ranked below the top names. And in most cases in the top 10.</p>
<p>Yes it does appear to be in the top 10, but GW definitely comes off better in rankings than syracuse in all. i was just wondering, in the UK LSE is considered a brand . does that go the same for GW and its Elliot school? is it considered a brand in the US?</p>
<p>So looking at all these tables, it seems that GW’s Elliott School and American’s SIS are pretty close to each other…I’m looking at a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies at GW and Comparative and Regional Studies w/Middle Eastern Focus at SIS. </p>
<p>From what I can tell, the Middle Eastern program at GW seems to have a more in depth regional focus than SIS. </p>
<p>I’ve gotten into GW but haven’t heard back from American (they lost my transcript! how weird that I’m not the only one that’s happened to), so this may be a moot point if I don’t get into American, but I’m having a hard time theoretically choosing between the two…any thoughts on either program, their reputation, career opportunities, etc?</p>
<p>I also second msra6pj2’s questions regarding branding.</p>
<p>Honestly, GW is from a basic “reputation” and job pov better than American and Syracuse. GW also has a lot of specific regional courses. American SIS is bigger though in terms of students and is a much more fun campus (I visited both last week) and atmosphere than GW. Also, the programs are very close to each other as you said. I would go to GW because it is harder to get into and has better job prospects, but American is also good.</p>
<p>A little late on this thread, but I too was accepted to American SIS USFP program but rejected by Georgetown’s SSP, albeit for Spring 2011 admission. </p>
<p>I’ll give my stats for anyone considering applying to either in the future:</p>
<p>*GPA: 3.47
*GRE: 660q / 580v / 5.5 written
*Major: History (end of colonial era in Africa and M.E.) and Photography (odd dual major,
I know), Also received a certificate in Global Affairs from NYU with near perfect grades
in all classes. I fulfilled my macro/micro reqs with A’s at NYU also.
*Excellent LOR’s from chair of undergrad history department and NYU prof. who also
serves as a demobilization adviser for the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa.
*Mediocre Arabic skills.
*No valid work/internship experience whatsoever. I’ve been employed as a woodworker<br>
since my undergrad days. (this is what really killed my SSP chances I believe. I didn’t
expect to get into the program, but gave it a shot nonetheless)</p>
<p>Negatives in undergrad transcript - dropped three language courses, I’ve been hard of hearing since childhood, I now have hearing aids, so valid excuse. Received a C in a course on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Head wasn’t in the school books that semester. Zero math classes and a C in an econ class. Graduated from a CUNY school whose faculty in the history department is especially well regarded, unfortunately reputations in research history don’t travel to the IR field.</p>
<p>Advice - Given my lack of relevant work experience I think the NYU certificate classes helped my cause immensely. Not only did it prove my capability but served as a means to get fresh letters of recommendation. (The certificate program is no substitution for a proper master’s program, not going to help you find employment) Other advice, write a good statement of purpose. This was tough for SSP as their limit is 500 words, for American I was able to cover the progression of my interests in foreign policy and state exactly what intended to do in the program and after. </p>
<p>Hope this was of a little help to anyone considering applying to similar programs in the future. Good luck!</p>
<p>“Honestly, GW is from a basic “reputation” and job pov better than American and Syracuse. GW also has a lot of specific regional courses. American SIS is bigger though in terms of students and is a much more fun campus (I visited both last week) and atmosphere than GW. Also, the programs are very close to each other as you said. I would go to GW because it is harder to get into and has better job prospects, but American is also good.”</p>
<p>I’ve heard AU is better in specialized fields outside of foreign policy – communication, development and enviroment. GW is better in Foreign Policy/Security studies and in area studies. The two are close enough that I’d say it depends on what you want to do. If one gets into both it isn’t a question of the quality of the programs, but of funding and the specific program.</p>
<p>In fact because of the consortium thing, I think if you get into on of the DC schools you can even take 2 (3? 4?) courses towards your masters in any of the other schools.</p>