<p>I applied to both American SIS for U.S. foreign policy and Georgetown SSP for the sub-state violence concentration. Fairly strong app for SIS, a long shot for SSP. Though I currently live in NYC and have a letter of recommendation from a SIPA professor, I chose not to apply to Columbia. Tuition was rather expensive; the events I've attended and the student body I've interacted with left something to be desired considering the cost and the distance from DC. </p>
<p>Who else is applying for spring 2011 admission in IR grad programs?</p>
<p>I applied to the Georgetown SSP program with an intelligence concentration and to George Washington’s Elliot School. I think I had reasonable GRE scores (660V/710Q) and with a mediocre 3.5 undergrad GPA. I feel like I’m hitting the wickets when it comes to what they claim to be looking for; it all just comes down to the volume of applications and how I competitively stack up to them. What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>Just found out my results. Applied to Georgetown SSP, George Washington SPS, and Johns Hopkins Global Security Studies.</p>
<p>Accepted: GWU
Rejected: Gtown
Unknown: JHU</p>
<p>College: Went to top private university majoring in international affairs</p>
<p>GRE: 730Q 570V 4.0 Analytical Writing</p>
<p>GPA: 3.35</p>
<p>Age: 23</p>
<p>Past Work Experience: Various security related internships at government agencies and worked for a major management consulting firm</p>
<p>Current Work: DoD analyst</p>
<p>Funding: None, didn’t apply for any, work pays 100% (except for this Elliott School Fee business! Pretty lame)</p>
<p>I’m a little disappointed by Georgetown. I think my GPA and GRE were a bit low as compared to their averages. Oh well. George Washington is an almost identical program and should be good. For Hopkins, one of the my recommendations still hasn’t reached the school because they request it by snail mail. Now that I found out about the other two I’m not really worried if it ever does. Interesting program but it’s too new and untested for me. Plus I think I would get annoyed whenever I tell people I go to Hopkins for grad school in international affairs/security studies and they respond with “oh SAIS?”</p>
<p>I applied to the Security Studies programs for Spring 2011 at Georgetown and GWU. Just found out I was accepted into both of them. Haven’t heard from GTown on funding, and GWU doesn’t give Spring funding. I’ll probably be looking at $5k/yr help from my employer if nothing else.</p>
<p>For a couple years now, like many other folks, I’ve been hung up on the Georgetown name and rep. However, the GWU highlights that everyone always brings up are very appealing. I calculated it out and Gtown will cost me $13k more than GWU over course of the degree. Knowing my personality, I’m worried that I’ll regret it down the road if I pass on Georgetown. </p>
<p>I wish I had only been accepted into one and my decision would be easy…</p>
<p>I got an email from the Director of the SSP program at GTown stating that I have been recommended for admittance to the Dean. I haven’t received an official acceptance letter but I am taking that news as that I have been accepted (snail mail is naturally slow in my area). But I did get official for from GW that I was accepted.</p>
<p>docta13 I feel your pain and am also hung up on the Gtown name. Looking forward to potentially seeing you in class.</p>
<p>I was rejected from SSP after all. Not a huge surprise; but like it’s been said, I too was hung up on the GTown name. I’ve been a woodworker since my undergrad days and had mediocre GRE scores, so I don’t think I was exactly what they were looking for. Would have been nice considering they had a concentration in NSA’s. Now I’ll be concentrating my studies on US foreign policy towards weak states that are host to problematic non-state actors. Will try and make the best of it.</p>
<p>As for volume Baxter, SIS told me they had a record number of apps this Spring, I presume the numbers probably translate over to SSP and Eliot. Nice work getting in! </p>
<p>Docta, what did you decide on? I didn’t apply to GWU, in retrospect wish I would have. My language skills weren’t on paper and they seemed pretty strict about that (or the stat skills) being fulfilled before applying.</p>
<p>B-Bandit, SSP comes as a surprise to me given your stats and current employment. I’m not on their admissions board, but I’ll guess it has something to do with your age? I speaking with their director she said they accepted hardly anyone less that three years out of undergrad work. </p>