<p>Cal,</p>
<p>I went to UCSD and do some pretty cool work in NYC, so take that with whatever grain of salt you wish.</p>
<p>embord,</p>
<p>A poor GPA can be made up for with a good GRE or good work experience. I had a classmate at UCSD who got in with a pretty poor GPA, and he went on to get a great position with the US government after UCSD.</p>
<p>UCLAri,</p>
<p>Thanks for the response!</p>
<p>As I said, I’m very seriously planning to go into the Peace Corps for at least one term of service after undergrad. My reasons certainly aren’t primarily to boost my resume, but I’m hoping it would help to alleviate my less-than-stellar GPA and for any setbacks in my GRE scores. So my question: is Peace Corps service still considered exceptional, or is it becoming too common to really make an applicant stand out?</p>
<p>Also, a word on LORs: I know most schools require at least 2, but what is considered a competitive number? 3 or more?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>embord</p>
<p>embord,</p>
<p>Most schools these days have online app systems where you have the professors fill out LORs, and you don’t get to go above or below the required number. There’s really no such thing as an “exceptional” number of letters, so make the letters you get count.</p>
<p>I think Peace Corps is a fine experience, and you’ll come back a strong candidate, assuming you can do well on the GRE.</p>
<p>Hi all,
I’m an international student. I want to apply for Fall 2010 admission for MA in International Relations. No GRE scores yet. TOEFL score is 102 out of 120.The problem is that my undergrad major wasn’t in political science field. I took 2 Polisci courses though (International Organizations and American National Government) while being a Fulbright Foreign Language assistant of Russian this year.
Should I even try??
If so, what universities would you advise (I know, I can’t really aim high, but still)?</p>
<p>Hi, I’m new to this forum and like many of you I am preparing for graduate school in IR. After examining the list of better schools in this department I’m questioning my own competitiveness for these schools and hopefully some of you can answer my questions and help explain to me my standings and what I need. Naturally I want to go to the best there is JHU, Georgetown, etc.</p>
<p>-I don’t have a very strong GPA; 3.13 overall and 3.56 in my major (IR).
-I have a lot of international experience and aside from personal travel I have spent a year studying in China, a semester in Moscow, and several summer sessions in Slovenia.
-I am also veteran and served on a submarine for 4 years.
-Highly proficient in Russian and Mandarin.
-Haven’t taken the GRE yet, what scores are considered good?</p>
<p>Seeing everyone’s credentials have made me realize that how demanding these schools really are. Any advice would be greatly appreciate.</p>
<p>So after a lot of thought, I’ve settled on applying to graduate school in IR. I’m a history major, political science minor (and probably going to add in a public policy minor in my upcoming senior year). I’m currently studying for the GRE. I thought I’d have a good shot–I have a 3.9 GPA, I have cultivated good relationships with a few professors for some amazing letters of rec, and I did an internship at the State Department. However, I have a few disadvantages–namely, my absolute lack of foreign language skills, and my lack of any econ or stats courses. I’m debating whether I should brush up on those skills and wait to apply or should I try now?</p>
<p>I’m worried about the fact that my Professors might start forgetting about me (I know them pretty well, but they see tons of students each year) if I wait too long. Anyone have any advice? I echo apirc–seeing the competition has really opened my eyes!</p>
<p>abraxas,</p>
<p>From what I remember, language skills weren’t a dealbreaker for admission (especially since the rest of your stats are very strong). HOWEVER, most of the big programs require you to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language to obtain the degree, so that’s something to consider.</p>
<p>Hello there. Quick question.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about Boston University’s Master of Arts in International Relations & Master of Business Administration program? I know Boston U is a good school but I don’t know if its a GOOD school.</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know of any other dual degree programs with IR that aren’t IR paired with a law degree?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi people,</p>
<p>recently I started my search to apply for an American University. Let me first tell you my (academic) background.</p>
<p>This June I finished my Undergraduate at the Leiden University in The Netherlands for Political Sciences. In the Dutch system, my average score was 7.6 out of 10, which is equal to a GPA of about 3.3 or. My Undergraduate Thesis about democratic consolidation in Bolivia scored 8 out of 10, which is like a GPA of 4. Other notable study results include a Cum Laude notification for my first year certificate (inlcuding a perfect 10 out of 10 for the Statistics and Research Methods I course) and already a strong international focus in my Undergraduate education.</p>
<p>I am aiming for a Master education in International Relations. I speak Dutch and English fluently and also speak Spanish quite well (I used Spanish sources in my academic work as well).</p>
<p>At this moment, I am on a crossroad about the whole applying process. I know for myself that I am a very ambitious student, although the results of especially my second year are a bit disappointing. I know that I can reach intellectual heights if I want to and I have proven this with my good first year and good thesis.</p>
<p>However, like a lot of Dutch students, I did not do anything that could be considered as ‘special extracurricular activities’. I didn’t win any academic award (that thing doesn’t even exist in The Netherlands), I didn’t do any amazing internship, nor was I in any commission, Model United Nations or whatever.</p>
<p>Again, like a lot of Dutch Undergraduate students, I do not have ‘real’ (relevant) job experience yet. I have always had jobs, but more like side jobs and not in my field of study. I did work at the Dutch tax department but that was to finance my travel to South America, where I also learned Spanish. I’m also an editor of a video gaming website, the 2nd biggest of The Netherlands, and right now I am working at a company that specializes in e-communications between the medical sector and farmaceutical industry (but bluntly said, I’m just working at a slighlty upgraded callcenter).</p>
<p>Now, I don’t want to downplay myself at all. I got some good marks, a good thesis, I speak three languages, I am ambitious and I can provide a strong sample and motivation. (Letters of Recommendation I don’t know yet, I know one teacher that can provide me a good one but I will have to contact some others again to ask for it.) BUT I do have to be realistic. I do realise that there are, for the graduate degrees, a lot of students that simply have a more impressive curriculum. So my vital question is: what to aim for? I have to find the sweet spot between a university as good as possible, and a university where I can realistically get into. I know that the very top tier universities are simply totally out of reach. They ask for most excellent students (with a higher GPA) with years of job experience.</p>
<p>As for my aims: I do not aim for a Ph.D., but I do want to have a good education to be able to work in an international organization. I am committed to have a strong academic background, but with the specific target of using it in a practical sense. I will not become a researcher or a professor.</p>
<p>But what kind of institutions would fit into my profile? Johns Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, Tufts, Columbia, Princeton and universities like that are totally out of reach. However, NYU and the University of Chicago caught my interest. About International Relations at NYU: I have no idea how strict they are with applying, as I couldn’t get any indication of what they are specifically looking for. And University of Chicago fits within my ambitions and does not sound impossible.</p>
<p>Another note: I would love to stay in a big city like NYC, Washington or Los Angeles.</p>
<p>I would greatly appreciate any support from you about how to continue this process and what schools to aim for. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>This thread is amazing, thanks!</p>
<p>I was accepted to Whitehead and to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. I am having difficulty choosing. StMU is where I went to get my undergrad, it is a small liberal arts university with an emphasis on ethics. It’s law review is raked third in the nation after Harvard and Colombia, but is little known and its IR department seems to be unheard of, But the curriculum looks very interesting and similar to most other IR programs. </p>
<p>All of the info I can find on Seton Hall lately seems to focus on how miserable the students are and the fact that it fell to third tier recently. Does this effect Whitehead, or are they quite different? Whitehead seems to have a rather conservative output, as a pagan liberal will this effect me adversely? </p>
<p>How important is being a member of APSIA? </p>
<p>Whitehead, while requiring a rather sudden move, is only half again as much as StMU (their tuition page indicates that they so not charge out of state tuition) is it worth it to go to this school over a rather (to my knowledge) unknown one?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>I will graduate in December with a 3.1 GPA (3.4 INR Major, 2.8 Econ, 3.3 OVR GPA last 2 years). I just took the GRE today and was a little disappointed as I had scored 610/660 V on the ETS PP software and ended up with a 580V 670 Q. Im really confident if I took it again I could reach where I was at when I was prepping…</p>
<p>I dont have a lot of work experience but will be starting an internship in Economic Development next week. Do I have a shot anywhere? I’m interested in International Development.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am applying to an IR grad school after finishing my degree in my European home country. As a part of the degree we have to finish an entity (a diploma) in a minor subject in addition to majoring in one subject. The minor diploma will be approx. 25% of the overall degree. I have taken courses in two subjects, International Law and Arabic and Islamic Studies, and I’m going to complete one of them as a minor entity.</p>
<p>Now I’m wondering which one of them would support my grad school application more? In my country International Law sounds much fancier, whereas Arabic and Islamic Studies might sound even a bit obscure in some circles. But as I’m going to mention in my application that I have specialized in my previous studies to Modern Middle Eastern History, a diploma in a related field might support that claim. And as far as I understand IR grad schools always like any proof of language study, so emphasizing my previous studies in Arabic would help.</p>
<p>So what do you guys think? It’s not SUCH an important question, as I would anyway have separate courses in my degree from the other subject, but it’s just a matter of which one of these two subjects should I emphasize more. Mostly I’m wondering, does International Law sound as fancy abroad as it does here, and therefore would give me some kind of extra to my application? I’m applying to IR grad schools in the US, Canada and the UK at least.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I know that this thread is filled with people like me asking about chances to get into grad school, but I am leaving to study abroad in the Middle East for the next semester and am applying once I get back to Johns Hopkins, George Washington, American and Denver. I am wondering if I should go to grad school directly after undergrad and if I even have a legit shot at these programs without work experience.</p>
<p>I will have good Recommendation letters, a 3.6 gpa, a study abroad experience in Egypt under my belt, an intermediate level of Arabic and I just took the GRE and got a 670 V, 740 Q.</p>
<p>Should I be looking to get work experience to have a prayer at financial aid or even admission to these programs?</p>
<p>Im looking at IR programs now but I definitely cant afford to take out any more loans for graduate school. It seems like everyone is aiming for top 10 programs but that isnt an option for me monetarily…are the many other dozens of IR programs around the US even worth considering? Would getting my MA at a city university in new york (with the advantage of proximity to some great internships) be unwise? How much does school reputation weigh in hiring IR grads?</p>
<p>If anyone has any advice I would love to hear it. I graduate from an ivy league school about two and a half years ago with a very mediocre GPA. As an undergraduate I studied Chinese and spent two months studying abroad. Since graduation, in an effort to mitigate my so-so GPA (3.3), I have been working at a nonprofit doing academic research with a professor. I also did very well on the GRE. Unfortunately, the work experience has not been internationally focused. I now realize I want to pursue my Chinese studies and get a MA in IR. </p>
<p>I wonder how it would look on graduate school applications if I went to China and enrolled in a full-time language program? I suppose I would stay in my current job until next summer (that is the earliest I could go), go to China at the end of the summer, apply to graduate school while in China, and stay for one year. I want to apply to DC schools and eventually work in the public sector. My fear is that leaving to enroll in a Chinese university appears a bit un-serious in some way. Maybe teaching english would look better? But then I would not come away with the Chinese language skills that I want to acquire.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard about anyone enrolling in language study programs post-Bac but before graduate school. Is this something that people do? Any advice?</p>
<p>k.soverel,</p>
<p>You should be fine doing the path you proposed (language study).</p>
<p>I am losing sleep over this! I am now applying to graduate programs in International Affairs and I’d appreciate any insight.</p>
<p>I graduated with dual degrees in Political Science and French, with a 3.58 GPA. My undergrad school is respectable although rather unknown. I studied abroad one year at the Sorbonne Nouvelle. I speak fluent French and Bosnian. I speak conversational Spanish and Arabic. I have a good grasp of Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian and Montenegrin. I am a Peace Corps volunteer finishing my service in the NGO Development sector. I have interned at a well-known and highly-respected Congressman’s office. I will be interning in the political and economic sectors of the US Embassy in a hot spot in the former Yugoslavia. I am interested in IR, peace & conflict resolution, and a career in diplomacy.</p>
<p>I tend to underestimate myself. The only thing holding me back are low GRE scores (crossing disputed borders to take them proved to be an pressure factor + inconvenience)(I hope to retake them and get at least a 1200).
Should I apply to more top notch programs?</p>
<p>So far:
Columbia SIPA
NYU Wagner School of Public Administration (Global Affairs)
Fordham International Political Economy & Development
Seton Hall Whitehead
George Washington University Elliot School
American University - International Peace and Conflict Resolution (any insight)
and…my favorite…
American University of Paris (dual degree +French with Sorbonne in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development) (ps–why hasn’t anyone brought up American University of Paris here?!)</p>
<p>Should I go out on a limb and try for Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Yale? Am I competitive for these programs?
Thanks friends!</p>
<p>You sound like you have the background for any one of these schools, though don’t know much about American University of Paris. You’re GPA isn’t incredible, but its definitely better than “good.” But what you have working for you is your international experience - bring that up. </p>
<p>You’d be a walk-in at MIIS, where you’d be greeted with open arms for your experience (and they don’t weigh the GRE as much as other IR schools!). Plus, you’d make a good case for the $14,000 scholarship.</p>
<p>Whats a feasible amount of debt to go into for one of the top 10 IR programs? Im wondering if its worth carrying an 80k+ debt load after graduation…</p>
<p>MarJoy, I’d guess your experience is far above and beyond what most MAIR applicants possess, and your GPA is sufficient. If your GRE is below a 1200, then certainly try to get that up to at least a decent level. Aside from that, I’d figure you’d surely get into most or all of those schools.</p>
<p>As for the American University of Paris, it’s a great school that doesn’t get discussed here much because of what seems to be the US-centric thinking here about MAIR programs. Not that US-centric is bad since many or most of the top schools are here in the US, but some good schools outside our borders such as AUP and the IIS in Geneva get overlooked. An interesting study posted earlier in this thread chronicles the difference in thinking about MAIR programs between professors at US and Canadian institutions, showing that US professors are much more US-centric in their ranking of top MAIR programs whereas the Canadians are more international (though still very US-leaning).</p>