<p>I love what I've read/heard about SFS. The core distributions fit my interests exceptionally well, and I visited campus last fall and it was great, and DC seems like a great place to go to school. Since I like SFS so much, are there similar programs anywhere else?</p>
<p>This would be a good place to start: [Member</a> Schools](<a href=“http://www.apsia.org/apsia/members/allMembers.php?section=member]Member”>Members of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs)</p>
<p>Keep in mind that some of those listed programs are graduate-only.</p>
<p>The two that come to my mind right now are the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (Princeton) and the Sanford School of Public Policy (Duke). I’m not too sure of any other undergraduate Poli Sci./IR schools, but Government at Harvard is also exemplar. </p>
<p>I know that getting into Woody Woo requires you to be a Princeton student, and that you only apply towards the end of your Sophomore year there. So even if you get in and go to Princeton, you still aren’t part of the school yet. I’m fairly sure that it’s very hard to get into the Woodrow Wilson school, but if you can get into Princeton you’re probably a top-notch student and have the credentials to at least give you a fighting chance. </p>
<p>As for the Sanford School, I believe you apply as a high school senior, but I’m not as sure on that one as I am with Woody Woo.</p>
<p>^supersizeme No doubt, Princeton is hard as hell to get into. Did I understand correctly that you are currently in the Woody Woo? If so, I was surprised that you didnt mention the huge changes to the program due to be implemented next year. I have a friend at Princeton (a freshman this year) who was thrilled with the impending changes to the admissions process to the Woodrow Wilson School. He said that many of the current Woody Woo students were quite vocal in their displeasure that the new changes to the program will bring an end to the competitive nature of the program and there will no longer be a selective admissions process – it will be open next year to all students meeting specified prereqs. </p>
<p>djz750 Are you interested in staying in the DC area? The Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University might be a program that interests you.</p>
<p>If you like DC, you might also find something you like in the School of International Service at American University. (Also seconding MacHoban’s suggestion of the Elliott School at GW, above.)</p>
<p>It is really hard to beat the benefits and opportunities that D.C. can afford a student of International Relations. Sikorsky is right, American Univ. might be a place you want to add to your list. </p>
<p>Here is a link detailing the major changes in the Woodrow Wilson School’s undergrad program so that you can compare the new program to what you’ve read about the SFS. </p>
<p>[Princeton</a> University - Changes approved to Woodrow Wilson School undergraduate program](<a href=“Changes approved to Woodrow Wilson School undergraduate program”>Changes approved to Woodrow Wilson School undergraduate program)</p>
<p>MacHoban – I’m not a Princeton student; I’m still in high school like you. I had absolutely no clue that Woody Woo was going open to all Princeton students soon… I guess it’s a blessing in disguise. On one hand any Princeton student can now study in this famed and accredited school, but on the other hand it looses a lot of prestige on the undergraduate level (obviously not that much because all the Woody Woo kids still got to Princeton and are brilliant students). Do these changes make Princeton more appealing to you as opposed to Georgetown?</p>
<p>Personally, while I understand internships would be much easier to get in government/politics related fields if one goes to Georgetown, the connections and prestige with going to Princeton is hard to turn down. Either way, both are amazing schools and I wouldn’t be upset with going to either ;P</p>
<p>As much as I loved high school, Im very thankful that Ive moved way past college applications, standardized testing and stressing about AP classes. I am a student in the SFS at Georgetown. </p>
<p>Out of all the Ivies, Princeton held the least appeal to me when I was applying to schools. I was much more interested in specific programs and how they fit my academic interests; location was also a huge deciding factor for me. Georgetown SFS was always my #1 but after working like hell in high school I felt compelled to apply to a few Ivies (mainly to see if I could even get in). Other than pure luck I’m not sure what happened because I was very unexpectedly accepted to two Ivies, waitlisted at another Ivy and got my #1 choice. In the end it came down to the two schools which met the most items on my long wish list, Georgetown SFS and Columbia. Believe me, I felt the lure of attending an Ivy but in the end Columbia just didnt resonate with me the way that Georgetown always had. Moral of my story is that I didnt let perceived prestige cloud my gut feeling and lead me astray from what I knew to be a much better fit for me. </p>
<p>Good luck with your applications this year!</p>
<p>^MacHoban, have you finished your 1st year at SFS, or about to start? If you have finished your 1st yr, what would you say about the work:social balance at SFS? I have heard that SFS is a seriously nose-to-the-grindstone program.</p>
<p>^ I have completed my 1st year in the SFS. Your question is an interesting one and I guess the answer would depend greatly on what type of student you were coming into the SFS. The amount of time youll spend studying and working will vary with the class and professor. I found the most challenging adjustment was not the workload but rather learning to critically think/analyze in a more scholarly way. I did have a lot of reading & studying during the week. With the exception of big papers or finals, Ive always made time to get out and enjoy the social scene (truthfully probably more than I should have). I also didn’t overload my course schedule 1st semester, key to maintaining my GPA and sanity.</p>
<p>Oh, sorry MacHoban. I got confused and thought you were to OP for some reason, which is why I said you were still in high school. My bad. </p>
<p>I honestly don’t know that much about SFS, so pardon my ignorance, but is it true that everyone in SFS needs to be proficient in a second language? Also, are students in the SFS competitive (not necessarily grade-wise, but in getting internships and connections)? What about the entire student body? Are the kids extremely career-oriented or do most of them have a genuine interest in what they’re studying? Perhaps both?</p>
<p>Sorry for bombarding you with questions, but GTown is definitely a school I’m looking into applying to, so I want to get a good sense of what the school is like.</p>
<p>In order to graduate from the program, you must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. There are a number of ways to demonstrate proficiency and the SFS website lays out the options very nicely. </p>
<p>SFShoya posted a description of the SFS student in response to a question very similar to yours. I thought the response was spot on and couldnt really do any better. </p>
<p>The SFS is a very diverse group of students, which I think is one of its greatest appeals. You have policy wonks, IR theorists, NGO humanitarians, linguistic nerds, anthropologists, sociologists, and economists all encompassed in one program and often in more than person. I think what draws us together is a commitment to serious academics, a love of the global perspective, and a strong desire to further social justice. --SFShoya</p>
<p>I believe there is a certain competitive nature to most high-achieving students. If you are lucky enough to be accepted to any selective program, your peers will most assuredly be driven and ambitious. Of course there are internships that are more coveted than others but Ive never seen a cut throat, personal success at the expenses of all others student thrive in the SFS, quite the contrary. We challenge ourselves and each other to become better students in order to be the best professionals in our field.</p>
<p>down here at emory we’ve got a pretty good international department. it isn’t a full school like the SFS but we get a lot of good people to come here and teach. check it out.</p>
<p>MacHoban – A good portion start SFS students only being learning a secondary language once they arrive, correct? What is the proficiency test like (in terms of rigor) in order to graduate? I would love to go to SFS but I’m not too great in foreign languages. I can speak two at a very rudimentary level, in addition to English. I don’t know how much of it is due to not caring when I was younger and how much of it is due to my actual inability. Do they provide special classes for students who have trouble with mastering a second language? I mean, I would love to be multilingual… but I’m unsure of my ability of mastering a second language and whether or not that would prevent me from applying to one of my top choice schools.</p>
<p>SFShoya’s description alone made me gawk and yearn to go to a school like SFS where I would be surrounded with so many individuals with similar interests, but I don’t want some crappy inability of mine to shy me away from even applying…</p>
<p>I’m curious about the language requirement, too. DS is interested, but he’s taken Latin all through HS.</p>
<p>^ supersizeme & Youdon’tsay The language programs at Georgetown are extreme but don’t let the proficiency requirement deter you or your son from applying to the program. Starting from scratch and reaching proficiency in 4 years is completely doable. I took a total of 6 years of Spanish, my middle school gave HS credit for level I & II. I continued with Spanish at Georgetown because it would be the most logical for reaching proficiency ASAP (I haven’t taken the exam yet) and then hopefully start another language. I’m at work right now and can’t elaborate too much but I’ve included the link to the SFS Language Proficiency Requirement which is very helpful in assessing what you’d be getting yourself into. </p>
<p>[SFS</a> Language Proficiency - Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) - Georgetown University](<a href=“http://bsfs.georgetown.edu/academics/core/73341.html]SFS”>http://bsfs.georgetown.edu/academics/core/73341.html)</p>
<p>I’d pay special attention to Preparing for the Proficiency Exam and Format of the Exam.</p>
<p>I agree completely. Language is an important part of the SFS curriculum, but I would not let it hold you back from applying. Many people come in not knowing a language and end up obtaining proficiency by their senior year, this includes intensive languages like Arabic, Chinese and Russian. The SFS core is meant to interdisciplinary, which traditionally means that every student has at least one or two areas where they struggle, for me it was econ, for some it is philosophy or history or theory and others it is language. It is challenging to be exceptional at such a broad variety subject matter coming in as a freshman. The deans understand that, so they work to give you the resources to excel in each. If you want to improve your language skills, I promise their will be people willing to help you. Despite how much I despised econ in the beginning, and complained regularly that at any other school I would almost have a minor in econ, I have grown to deeply appreciate the new analytic lens a solid economic base has added to my education.</p>
<p>^ You are so right…The core curriculum in the SFS is challenging due to its interdisciplinary approach and almost everyone always struggles in some area. Thus far econ has been the bane of my exsistence and at this point I would almost certainly rather poke myself repeatedly in the eye with a sharp stick than have to take two more classes of econ. I honestly have never worked so hard in my life for a B+. I’ve been looking for that light at the end of the econ tunnel of hell to get me through the next year. It is good to know that you have seen its practical uses in the real world. </p>
<p>I forgot to mention that there are prep courses you can take at Georgetown that are SFS specific to help prep for the exam. SPAN 161 is an oral review that I’ve heard is pretty useful. The profs are also very helpful.</p>