<p>I'm currently working on my application for IR. I'm a little confused as to what a 1500 - 2000 word essay should be like. My experiences in IR or why I want to do IR? Multiple examples or expand on one? Any advice would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Why donât you examine what the program entails, and say what about your familiarity with those subjects has caused you to want to pursue the IR degree. Hereâs the program info: <a href=âhttp://www.wm.edu/as/undergraduate/curriculum/special/standrews/programs/ir/â>http://www.wm.edu/as/undergraduate/curriculum/special/standrews/programs/ir/</a></p>
<p>You will see things on there like history, economics, âinternationalâ anything, languages, politics and government. Have you taken any classes in these areas that were inspiring or fun for you? Have you had any related ECs like with Model UN or economics? Did you serve as a page with your state legislature? Have you traveled a lot and studied languages? Do you want to do any of these things, and if so, why? Do you read about politics and international affairs regularly, and if so, through which publications? Have you read any books on these topics?</p>
<p>Hey byebyebirdy. I applied to the Universty of St. Andrews and the William and Mary Joint Degree Program back in the day. First thing I should mention, if you have any questions about the admissions process or what they are looking for, donât be afraid to call up the admissions office and ASK. Theyâve been more than helpful when I did my application and I am sure be more than willing to clarify any questions you may have.</p>
<p>Now, moving on to the actual essay itself. This is all from a previous applicantâs perspective so keep in mind that you may want to tailor your own prompt to your experiences and what you want to write about. One of the things they are trying to assess with this essay, as with any admissions essay, in my opinion, is âwould this person be a good fit for the program?â @mommyrocksâ gives some great suggestions on places to start. Personally, in my essay I discussed my experiences that shaped my interests, why the particular program interested me, and connecting those two together. Due to the essayâs length, it tended to be slightly more formal than the other two, but I am still a fan of âshow donât tellâ and narrative writing when possible. Definitely do your research on the program because it may not be a fit for everyone, and they want to admit students who would take advantage of the possibilities the joint degree program would provide.</p>
<p>One resource I recommend is the W&M Joint Degree Program student blogs. I donât remember where they are exactly, but there were some students that detailed their experiences with the program online that told me a lot more about the program that wouldnât be immediately clear from the short blurb they put on their main website. @StAWM2015â is also a good resource, as he/she has been around this forum recently, willing to answer peopleâs questions. There is also a group on facebook titled âWaMStA Student Partnershipâ which states its goal is to provide guidance to future Joint Degree Program </p>
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<p>I was just admitted to the joint degree program and my essay was mostly about how I came to care about international relations, although I applied through St. Andrews rather than WM so Iâm guessing the process was slightly different for me.</p>
<p>@tawschâ Thatâs so cool. I almost forgot that people applied from the other side. Are you from Scotland or the UK? I think most of the WM people donât find out until like regular decision time in April</p>
<p>^ Scotland is part of the U.K., not âorâ. If heâs from Scotland, heâs also from the U.K.</p>
<p>Great Britain = England, Scotland, and Wales.
U.K. = The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.</p>
<p>Thanks FCCDAD. Poor word choice on my part. I didnât mean to imply they were mutually exclusive</p>
<p>@shawnspencer Thanks for the advice! If there was one monumental event that led to me choosing IR, would it be okay if I focused on that instead of doing various experiences?</p>
<p>Of course. Make the essay your own. Thereâs not one way set way to write it. The advantages of using one experience of course is greater detail and a more interconnected essay. The disadvantages may be that it may be difficult to write 1500 words only on that experience. But hey do what works for you</p>
<p>@shawnspencerâ Iâm from Massachusetts! I actually wasnât really aware that I had applied for the program when I did, I just checked off stuff that seemed interesting to me in the application. St. Andrews admissions is rolling, so I found out 3 weeks after I submitted my application, as do most American applicants.</p>
<p>btw, Iâm a girl :)</p>
<p>@tawschâ Another northeasterner! Iâm surprised that they didnât make you write an essay? Thatâs pretty sweet that you found out so early. Do you think you will end up attending?</p>
<p>@shawnspencerâ I recently was admitted to the University of Chicago early action, and seeing as uchicago is my dream school I probably wonât be going to St. Andrews. Best of luck to you, though!</p>
<p>@shawnspencerâ Iâve pretty much finished my essay and Iâm hoping to submit it tomorrow. My biggest worry is that it isnât very formal - itâs a little all over the place (because the word count killed me) and Iâm not sure how theyâd take it. Are the essays read by the normal WM admissions staff or others?</p>
I think you should be fine! My essay definitely jumped around to several different topics and was only slightly more formal than the supplemental essays, in which I cracked jokes and made pop culture references. If you havenât submitted it yet, I recommend you do a last proofread to make sure your ideas flow and the organization makes sense. Donât quote me on this, but I do believe it is read by the same WM admissions staff with the possible oversight of the director of the program (whoâs a really nice lady). Lastly, happy new year and cognrats on finally being done with applications!
(See here: http://www.wm.edu/as/undergraduate/curriculum/special/standrews/admission/index.php)
@shawnspencerâ Itâs submitted, and Iâm happy with it. I think theyâll like. Thank you soooo much for the help and advice!
@shawnspencerâ Thanks for tagging me. And I am a âsheâ for the record.
@byebyebirdyâ If you have any questions please feel free to message me. I am a student in the program and would love to answer any questions you have as honestly as possible. This is a tough program at times and I want it to be the right choice for you! But it is also a wonderful program and I highly recommend it!