<p>Thank you Gnoodle for the information, you've been more than helpful! However I'm not sure about what to apply for now? Do I just apply for any other program and hope I, in the end, get to be able to study what I want to?</p>
<p>Sorry but I'm a little confused.</p>
<p>What about the IS departments at some LACs? Particularly Rhodes College in Memphis, Tn and the Croft Institute at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Ms? I think they have good programs, at least I hope they do since I'll be going to one of those two.</p>
<p>Hello everyone. I've just read through all 50 pages (three years worth I think?) of this thread and am hoping a lot of you (UCLAri especially since you seem to know a lot) are still around to answer my questions. I know it's been several months since anyone's posted here but please respond I really need you all's help!</p>
<p>Here's my situation:</p>
<p>I am currently a senior in college majoring in political science. I applied to and got rejected from SAIS, SIPA, and most likely Georgetown although I haven't heard back from them yet. I got in to the University of Chicago's CIR program.
I don't even really care about SIPA anymore, but I had my heart set on SAIS and am heartbroken like you wouldn't believe. In their letter they said that "Academically, I am a competitive applicant", but I do not have any professional experience. I should get work experience, and they would welcome an application from me in the future.
I don't know if they say that to everyone, but it did make me feel slightly better.</p>
<p>Anyways, my question is this:
Should I take a year and get some work experience before reapplying to SAIS, or should I go to the CIR program?
There are several factors at work here. I really, really want to go to SAIS. From the endless hours of research I did before and after applying to my four universities, SAIS has the greatest program for someone looking to get an MA in IR. They have a very strong economics base, which is something I need and would enjoy.
My problem, however, is that I might not be able to get work experience in an economy like this. What if I'm stuck dilly-dallying around for an entire year and end up with nothing to show for it?
My dad advised me to go CIR, and then reapply for SAIS sometime after. But I feel as if that would detract from my application, because why would I want two masters degrees in the same thing?
I know that they are essentially very different degrees, CIR is more theoretical (essentially the first year off a PhD program from what I've heard) and SAIS is many times more practical, but the paper degree still says it's a masters in IR. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the idea of going to UChicago and studying under such people as Mearsheimer and Robert Pape is unbelievably attractive. That's an opportunity I'm never going to get again. Besides which, the rigorous curriculum and finally being able to focus on IR (as opposed to all these bs classes they make you take as undergrad that have nothing to do with what you want to do) makes it sound like it would be a blast. </p>
<p>In the end, I want to hopefully do a dual degree from Stanford/SAIS, get an MA+JD and practice international law. I know that Stanford law is probably harder to get into than SAIS, but even if I do not get in, I still have a shot at SAIS and am unwilling to let that opportunity for the future slip out of my hands. Which is essentially what I would be doing were I to accept my UChicago offer. </p>
<p>So what would you advise? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>I just got accepted to Georgetown!</p>
<p>So now I’m even more confused. If I were to accept Chicago’s offer, at least I could reapply to SAIS by saying that it’s a completely different type of degree (one almost completely theory, the other more applicable to jobs, etc.).
With Georgetown, a two year MA program (in international law and government as my specialization) and then another two year MA program in IR makes less sense.</p>
<p>Someone please say something, I really, really need help!</p>
<p>Let me say this, Georgetown’s IR graduate program is almost unbeatable. And I mean that both in the US and Internationally. Go to Georgetown! It’s an excellent oppurtunity!</p>
<p>Congrats!</p>
<p>um… i know this thread is super old but still… i need to ask a question.
from what i have been reading within this thread, i have concluded that DC schools tend to have better internship and job opportunities than typical west one.</p>
<p>however, looking at the rankings, UC Berkeley is ranked above DC schools like GW.
Does that mean even with DC environment, GW is so bad that it is ranked lower than UCB?
also, I read from some other thread that NYU is fairly good in IR because it is close to UN office in New York. If proximity matters, wouldnt that also be an advantage?
I got into UCB, GW, UCLA, and NYU all for Poli sci (planning on changing to IR asap if possible).
I am trying to narrow it down to maybe 2 of them before this week so i can visit their campus.</p>
<p>Also, from talking to math teachers, i have heard that IR or PS majors are “easy” compared to science or math majors. therefore, even going to LAW or MED school is easier if i major in those science or math. their argument was that because those science majors are more concrete and requires analytical thinking, the employer or grad schools tend to like them more. in contrast, IR and PS majors are easy ones with a lot of busy work. Is THAT TRUE?</p>
<p>I really want to do this but i dont know which one to go to!
Please help me!</p>
<p>hi, i’m choosing between Tufts and Oxford (development studies) but no one knows anything about oxford… anyone has any thoughts?</p>
<p>to 90dmswo : At my school I don’t do a lot of busy work. It’s more reading, term papers, presentations, and debates. I can’t speak for all schools, though.</p>
<p>Another thought for 90dmswo: Shouldn’t you just major in what YOU want to major in? This is your undergrad degree, no one else’s. I know kids from my school who do fine in getting into law school afterwards with a poli. sci. degree. My cousin went to a school in Albany and majored in it too, and now he’s a lawyer. As for med school, I can’t really say, but a friend of mine here decided to major in English but she’s decided too that she wants to be a doctor. She told me that there’s a 2 year intense pre-med program you can take after your undergrad degree to get into med school. I think it was in Washington but there’s other ones, too, I’m sure. Sorry I can’t be of any more help. I just think that you should major in whatever you want to major in. You’re 18, you got into college, and now to hell with what the old people tell you to study! It’s your life!!</p>
<p>Thank you so much ril5384
it seems like there are so many things to consider for my future. I really like Politics and International Relations, so i think i am going to do that no matter what other people say. if something goes wrong, i can definitely change my major. i think i have time. </p>
<p>in terms of school though, i am going to visit all those campuses over the break to make sure i get the best education and opportunities possible.</p>
<p>again, thank you for your input.</p>
<p>no problemo. I was in your shoes once, too. Just do what feels right to you, even if it means going to a less prestigious school or whatever it may be. It’s clich</p>
<p>Amerucan University or Maxwell school at Syracuse???
Need some help?
Trying to decide between American University SIS or Maxwell school at Syracuse University.
According to FP magazine, American is ranked 8th for best IR masters program, and Maxwell is ranked 10th.
Other than that I don’t know which one holds a better name or program.
I need two questions answered.
<p>2) Would you rather go to Maxwell for free? or AU for 15k loan per year?</p>
<p>Please send me answers ASAP!!!
my email is <a href="mailto:Ahmedshama85■■■■■■.com">Ahmedshama85■■■■■■.com</a></p>
<p>I have a rather large dilemma…
I’ve gotten into NYU, American, Emory and William & Mary.
I have no idea where to go for IR because…I don’t know which will help me get into law school.
I plan on majoring in IR and then going for international law at law school…And I’ve heard that NYU’s law school is #1 for international law. So going there for undergrad might help my chances at law school there. And it’s in NYC so…
But American’s SIS is apparently amazing and has lots of good internship possibilities in DC.
Emory’s poly sci program gets me a masters in 5 years, and poly sci majors score pretty high on the LSATs.
William and Mary also seems to have a great IR program.</p>
<p>So…SUGGESTIONS??? T_T</p>
<p>I’d go with AU which has a decent law school too.</p>
<p>BUT you’d get a great undergrad experience at W&M. Remember the rankings you are looking at are for their masters programs. Most people have said that where you go for undergrad for international relations doesn’t matter…but i dunnoz. just what ive heard :D</p>
<p>Wooster has a good IR program, or so I’ve heard</p>
<p>Thanks IR! </p>
<p>After thinking about it for several weeks now, I’m stuck on another problem. I want to eventually practice international law, but I can’t do that without a law degree. The masters program I got accepted to at Georgetown is an MA program in international law, but that doesn’t do me much good if I want to practice international law.</p>
<p>For some strange reason, Georgetown doesn’t offer a dual MA/JD degree for someone in the MA in international law program. They only offer a joint JD degree with a PhD in government. And if I plan on hopefully eventually going to law school where I can specialize in international law, it seems somewhat superfluous to get an MA in international law, not to mention the time and money I would spend. </p>
<p>I guess my best bet would be to write them and ask if I could tailor an individual joint degree program with the law school?</p>
<p>Who knew getting into grad school would be the easy part? I never thought I’d be this stressed out about career and future plans once I’d gotten accepted!!!</p>
<p>hi homeperson
i am about to graduate sais in may. sais as you probably know offers a joint jd with some law schools, dont know which ones off the top of my head. anyways, if i read right, youre coming straight out of undergrad and didnt get in to sais. my advice to you, if you have your heart set on sais, is to go out in the world for a year or two and do something. join the army with choice of duty station and go to korea or germany and learn a language. join the peace corps, intern, whatever. then go to sais and get the dual. a classrooms not the only place you can learn, and sais realizes that. i bet you get in next time.</p>
<p>Hello
I was looking into a program at Iowa State that combines 3 things: a foreign language/culture, business, and a science. International internships/ study abroad are required. This is the only major of its kind offered in the U.S, but a university in Canada has one like it.</p>
<p>I was wondering how this would prepare me for getting a job with the Government (USDA?) or a multinational company? I would think that international relations majors would be competing for similar jobs, but Iowa State’s major also has the science component to seperate it from International relations majors. </p>
<p>Here is the programs website. It is a little bare because fall 2009 will be the first time it is offered.</p>
<p>[Global</a> Resource Systems - Global Resource Systems](<a href=“http://www.globe.iastate.edu/]Global”>http://www.globe.iastate.edu/)</p>
<p>I know that this year, Harvard was ranked number 1 for Graduate IR programs and Georgetown was number one for Undergrad IR programs (the Walsh School of Foreign Service specifically.) </p>
<p>Let me know if I got this mixed up! :)</p>