<p>My daughter is a high school sophomore who is very interested in international relations and her ultimate career goal is foreign service and eventually, to become an ambassador. She's at the top few of her class in terms of grades, is taking the most rigorous course load she can and doesn't yet have SAT or ACT scores. She's a fourth year French student and seems to be very good with languages. She's a great writer and communicator and loves to travel. She's also a photographer and has a black belt and teaches martial arts a few hours a week after school. She asked me to help her put together a beginning list of schools she should consider if she wants to go into international relations, and also is asking what she should do now to increase her chances of getting in. We are a family who will require need-based financial aid--our son is a college freshman and did very well in that regard (financial aid) at MIT. We live in northern California and daughter is thinking about the east coast or west coast, but I'd like to her to broaden her horizons and check out everything that might fit for her interests at this point. She's leaning urban (her current favorite reach school is Columbia), but she is still changing a lot. Right now, we're looking for a list so we can start reading up on and also any financial aid info you have about the schools you suggest. Oh, and we'll be going to the east coast to visit schools (and her brother) during her spring break and would like a list of suggestions so we can narrow our visit list.</p>
<p>oh and if you can include why you’re suggesting said programs/schools, that would be great.</p>
<p>Run, don’t walk, to Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service – the creme de la creme in this area. </p>
<p>Other top schools for international relations include Tufts and Johns Hopkins.</p>
<p>I do know someone who is an ambassador – he went to Princeton – but from an old-money, ambassador’s son type of background.</p>
<p>I laughed at the old money post. My daughter does not have old money, new money or a family with connections. She is going to have to create this life on her own merit!</p>
<p>Wellesley has the Madeline Korbel Institute for Global Affairs. They also have cross-registration with MIT, and meet full financial need, with either no loans or a cap on loans, depending on income level.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is very big on creating a “citizen of the world.” They support frequent international travel during their quarters as part of their tuition.</p>
<p>[The</a> Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business](<a href=“http://huntsman.upenn.edu/index.html]The”>The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business - The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business)</p>
<p>Penn’s Huntsman program</p>
<p>[Woodrow</a> Wilson School of Public and International Affairs | Admissions](<a href=“http://wws.princeton.edu/ugrad/admission/]Woodrow”>http://wws.princeton.edu/ugrad/admission/)</p>
<p>Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School School of Public and International Affairs</p>
<p>So glad I posted this morning…I forgot how truly wonderful College Confidential is. Keep those suggestions coming!</p>
<p>If you want to work in the foreign service I am sure the other posters gave you good advice.</p>
<p>If you want to be an actual ambassador make a bunch of money doing anything and donate it to a campaign, become buddies with a future President somehow, or perform some other service to help a person get elected President. Political wheeling and dealing.</p>
<p>I’m not even sure how many ambassadors come out of the foreign services.</p>
<p>If anyone has any experience with any of these kinds of programs…what are they looking for in their candidates? having had son#1 be a film maker and #2 a math/science kid, this is whole new arena for us.</p>
<p>bovertine, your post made me laugh out loud.</p>
<p>
You have a good sense of humor. After I posted it I was afraid you might take offense. Good luck to your daughter in her pursuit of a valuable career!</p>
<p>May be funny, but it is true, about the money to ambassador route. Marrying serious money is not harmful either, at least in terms of fulfilling this ambition.</p>
<p>The job mere mortals can aspire to is not Ambassador, but career Foreign Service Officer.</p>
<p>You can attain very high levels of responsibility in the Foreign Service Officer career track.</p>
<p>A friend from college is Deputy Chief of Mission at an embassy abroad. He worked his way up through the Foreign Service. He has a graduate degree in international affairs from Johns Hopkins, IIRC.</p>
<p>Georgetown is the obvious choice for someone aspiring to a government career. It allows for school-year internships and connections.</p>
<p>It sounds as if she is a competitive candidate for admission. There are other D.C. based choices for those who are not (GW and AU each have a school of International Affairs/Studies).</p>
<p>Ambassador is a largely ceremonial, political appointment. It usually has nothing to do with educational background - it’s all about connections and money. However, foreign service jobs are available to people with the right qualifications - as are CIA positions. Your D needs to study languages (Arabic, Chinese or Farsi) and get a degree from a top university. The foreign service exam is notoriously tough.</p>
<p>But there are also wonderful jobs in the business world that need the same qualifications. I speak from experience. I worked for the government in the late 80’s until the Soviet Union collapse, rendering my expertise obsolete, but I then got a series of great jobs helping US companies invest in the former Eastern Bloc. Language skills are a must.</p>
<p>BTW, my D is at American and loving it - although she has no interest in world affairs. The school of International Service is excellent.</p>
<p>You might be interested in this article. One of the people featured in it went to school with me (he was a poli sci and math major) and gave me good advice re my son, who has more domestic political aspirations.</p>
<p>[On</a> The Front Line - Fall 2002](<a href=“http://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/northwestern/fall2002/features/coverstory/index.htm]On”>On The Front Line - Fall 2002)</p>
<p>Any top university or elite LAC would be great preparation for a foreign service career although she could obviously accomplish her goals by going to less elite schools as well. I really don’t think it is necessary to go to Georgetown. I second the idea of learning one of the critical needs foreign languages. For this, it is important to pick the right undergraduate institution with an excellent program in the language she wishes to study. I know many people who are fairly high ranked in the foreign service. They have various educational backgrounds but share a love of learning and of studying about foreign cultures.</p>
<p>Yes, I think she is very interested in the foreign service. We did have one friend whose family was very involved and she, too, discussed the incredible rigor of the exam. But I think that’s the direction my daughter wants to move toward.</p>
<p>“share a love of learning and of studying about foreign cultures.” yep, that’s my daughter!</p>