<p>I’d just like to point out that some things are getting lost in this DC School Prestige debate. FWIW, I work with SAIS and GT graduates now in the private sector - I make just as much as they do, our titles are identical, and I see no difference between us when it comes to job performance/capabilities/treatment from supervisors. I graduated from SIS last May, and I came in a year out of undergrad. I am not “exceptional” by any means - many of my friends from SIS have had very similar experiences, including PMFers.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>People pick different schools for different reasons. I only applied to AU because I only wanted to go to AU - it offered the most flexibility in course selection and the most courses on exactly what I wanted to study. I molded the degree to make it work for me, and I came out with very solid preparation in what was most important to me. I fully recognize that the same may hold true for someone who had their heart set on GT from the getgo, and that’s great. May we all attend schools that fit us well.</p></li>
<li><p>AU tends to attract a different crowd. I wasn’t in the ID program, for instance, but from what I saw, ID people tended to be idealists who weren’t so much interested in high-flying careers as they were in tending to the downtrodden, etc. They would not have enjoyed MSFS, methinks. AU also tends to attract younger students, although I would not take this as a negative - many of us (us meaning the 2006-2010 group) were caught in that “you can’t get work experience in your field without an MA, and you can’t get an MA without work experience” trap, and AU solved that problem for a lot of people. So is it generally true that GT prefers more work experience than AU? Why yes, yes it is. Is it also generally true that AU can help you get more of that work experience without having to interrupt it later on down the line to finally get a Master’s? Indeed it is. Is it therefore true that an incoming MSFS student at age 26 will have more/better work experience than an incoming SIS student at age 22, but that by the time each is 28, they will have equal prospects for a mid-level position? I believe so. </p></li>
<li><p>Which brings me to my next point… when it comes down to it, there’s really no <em>significant</em> difference between an AU grad and a GT grad in a GS-11 position or what have you, except that the AU grad probably has less in student loans to pay off. There is a significant difference between a Wharton MBA and an AU MA in terms of career prospects and earning potential, but when you’re doing an MA in IR in DC, what will matter most down the line is what you can accomplish during your degree, as opposed to what your piece of paper says. In my last interview, I didn’t get asked about where my degree was from - they cared about the fact that I had lots of research experience thanks to a (full-time) research position I held while in grad school, which was made possible thanks to AU letting me mold my courseload so that my work and my schoolwork overlapped to a significant degree - exactly what was important to me at the outset. </p></li>
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<p>I say this a lot, but it bears repeating - don’t get caught up in the rankings game in DC, go to the school that appeals most to you. If it’s SAIS, go for it. If it’s AU, go for it. You will enjoy your MA considerably more if you’re at a school where you’re happy and engaged, and you will get more out of it, both in terms of actual knowledge/skills and in terms of what you can do while there.</p>
<p>thanks kigali.
do you mind if i ask how much you make? lol…just curious. I am trying to reach out to people in the field but it is really hard to find.</p>
<p>I feel a little overwhelmed reading about everyone’s qualifications on this forum. It seems that everyone has had great success in securing multiple internships throughout their undergrad career, while I have never had the good fortune of even receiving a reply for one of my internship applications. </p>
<p>My question is: what are the chances of getting into a good IR program (“top 10”) with no relevant work experience?</p>
<p>I just graduated from Virginia Tech with a 3.66 in Political Science (minor in History). I feel confident that my POS would be strong, as my writing skills have served me well in undergrad. I take the GRE on Feb. 23, and I’m currently scoring 670’s consistently on verbal and quant. Would my stats be good enough to get into any of the top 10 schools, or should I perhaps focus on building the work experience portion of my resume (I’ve been thinking Peace Corps, even OCS for any military branch).</p>
<p>I’d appreciate any help you guys could give me.</p>
<p>pedro–American, Denver, Pitt, Maryland, and Syracuse should certainly be in your range coming out of undergrad (I’d say you should aim for at least the mid 600s on Q and V to be competitive). GWU is a possibility as well though is more competitive. Doesn’t hurt to apply to some others like GT and Tufts, though I wouldn’t put a high chance in getting into those.</p>
<p>pedrotaves - I’d say it would be tough getting into anything GWU and above - below that is a possibility. How is your languages? I’m guessing maybe they might not be very high without relevant work experience and for any decent grad program you have to have a strong proficiency in a second language. I’d recommend Peace Corps, both for the work experience and for learning a language. I"m currently in the Peace Corps and it has helped me so much into getting into top schools.</p>
<p>thanks for your info dmurph and flyers. the peace corps is high on my list of possibilities, as well as officer candidate school for the military</p>
<p>I just took my GRE today, and I’m pretty happy with what I got when I compare it to how my practice tests were shaping up. </p>
<p>My score: 720V, 670Q, no idea about writing. </p>
<p>Now that all the studying is done, I need to start looking at schools to consider at a greater depth. I know I asked basically the same exact question earlier, but I’m wondering if my GRE scores should change my focus for schools. Do my scores help my chances at any of the top programs?</p>
<p>Here are my stats (which I posted earlier):</p>
<p>School: Virginia Tech, graduated Fall 2010
Major: Political Science, minor in History
GPA: 3.66 Overall, 3.83 in-major
Work Experience: Nothing really. I did a short stint up on Capitol Hill as a temp for the Judiciary Committee. Nothing of substance though.
Languages: Basic Arabic, basic Spanish
Interests: Very interested in foreign policy. The intelligence community would be a dream to be a part of, but virtually any field involved with foreign policy/affairs is something I’d love to do.</p>
<p>pedro–I think you have pretty competitive scores, so it’s really hit-or-miss with regards to GT and Tufts just due to lack of work experience. I think you have a better shot at GWU though.</p>
<p>I will be graduating (undergrad) in May '11 with a 3.7 cum, majoring in IR with an Eastern European Studies minor. I’ve studied abroad in Moscow and speak intermediate Russian and French, I am thinking of joining the Peace Corps and eventually going to grad school, hopefully with at least a partial peace corps tuition waiver. Anyone have experience with this?</p>
<p>thanks flyers. that article is great btw–i’ve never read something that addressed something so closely resembling my own situation. i wonder though, the author speaks about 2-5 year military commitments. where can a two year military post be found? that would be ideal for me. the standard OCS is 4 years, and thats too long for someone trying to start a career with a serious girlfriend (in my opinion).</p>
<p>secondly, does anyone know what the best schools for job placement upon graduation are? most important for me would probably be DIA/CIA types as well as DoS jobs. that would be a great help in prioritizing schools.</p>
<p>diannna–my older brother graduated with a similar GPA from UVA (albeit with a business major), and studied abroad in Europe as well. He did two years in the Peace Corps and became fluent in Spanish and got in at all the schools he applied to (SAIS, GT, Tufts, and Thunderbird). From what he tells me, foreign experience + language fluency is a HUGE asset. I only wish that I knew Arabic better than I do. </p>
<p>Anyways, take anything I say with a grain of salt. I’m more confused about all this than anybody, and I’m basing this all off of anecdotal evidence from my brother’s experience.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore International Business/Finance major, Economics minor at Georgetown. Ideally, I would like to pursue something in the field of International Relations for graduate school straight out of undergrad and have been concerning myself more and more with the GRE etc.</p>
<p>I’ll most likely finish my degree with a 3.3-3.5, closer to a 3.7 major GPA, a semester in London, working for an NGO abroad this summer in Palestine, and I have done three international volunteer trips(Guatemala,Indonesia,Ghana, and plan to do about 3-5 more on my breaks before I graduate.That said, how difficult is it to get into Stanford’s International Policy Studies program? My grades will be lower than average, GRE I will do my best, and I will have alot of international work experience.</p>
<p>Basically, what does the program look for? Does anyone have information? I know its kind of a small niche. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>I am a sophomore International Business/Finance major, Economics minor at Georgetown. Ideally, I would like to pursue something in the field of International Relations for graduate school straight out of undergrad and have been concerning myself more and more with the GRE etc.</p>
<p>I’ll most likely finish my degree with a 3.3-3.5, closer to a 3.7 major GPA, a semester in London, working for an NGO abroad this summer in Palestine, and I have done three international volunteer trips(Guatemala,Indonesia,Ghana, and plan to do about 3-5 more on my breaks before I graduate.That said, how difficult is it to get into Stanford’s International Policy Studies program? My grades will be lower than average, GRE I will do my best, and I will have alot of international work experience.</p>
<p>Basically, what does the program look for? Does anyone have information? I know its kind of a small niche. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>I hate to be another one–but I would like an honest appraisal as to my shot at the top IR Master’s programs. (SAIS, SIPA, fletcher, georgetown, GWU and also Denver University and UCSD)</p>
<p>Flyers29–I would also like your opinion as to my chances at DU and your thoughts on the security studies program. In particular, did you have promising job prospects after?</p>
<p>Here are the stats:</p>
<p>-3.6 Undergrad GPA, well respected school, IR Major
-United Nations internship
-Two NGO internships
-1 year fundraising for international development nonprofit
-Great letters of rec, strong SOP
-Above average GRE (700/700)</p>
<p>IRcurious–DU has a great security program from the standpoint of the professors and the classes you take. That said, the professional network is really poor IMHO, and quite frankly that’s what is supposed to make a school worth the cost. I’ve kind of gone against the idea of spending the high pricetag on the “name” schools altogether, but if you really do want to take the chance then I’d recommend going to somewhere in DC (don’t forget places like Maryland and George Mason) because the ability to intern and network while going to school is MUCH better than DU.</p>