what grad schools would be "right" for me??

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello everyone!
I am a college senior from The Netherlands, and interested in following a Master's program abroad. Right now I'm studying International Economics and Finance at Tilburg University, The Netherlands. The university is pretty high up in European rankings in terms of economics, and the school is quite competative in terms of grading. And that's my problem right now. My average grade is a 7 (out of 10). At my school nobody ever gets a 9 or a 10 (I don't know anyone that ever got it), therefore a 7 is a decent grade, but I am quite worried that not all grad schools abroad will see that (I might be able to get it up to a 7.2). I have looked online and a 7 would translate into a 3.0 GPA, not the greatest. However, I think I can do pretty well on GRE, GMAT, etc. (I got a 1500 on the old SATS), and here are some examples of my ECs:
- board member of international student organisation AIESEC
- educational board of my major
- organisation of a big "case competition" with a budget of over $100,000
- I am fluent in English, Spanish, German and Dutch. I speak French (basic) and took courses in ancient Latin and Greek
- did an exchange semester in Argentina, volunteer work in Ecuador and volunteer work in Australia
- I will take a year off after this year and try to do some internships (with atleast one being abroad). I might be able to do one at a Dutch embassy and another one at the Boston Consultancy Group.
- lots of little things (jobs, small committees, etc) </p>

<p>What am I interested in?
Basically a combo of what I am doing now (international economics and finance) and international relations. So a mixture of international relations and economics, international development economics, etc.
For now, I don't know where I want to go.. I want to see what my chances are and in which "tier" I have to look.</p>

<p>Can anyone please help me what options are realistic for me? Is it wise to stay in Europe or try to go to the states? Would I even have a shot at good grad schools since my average grades aren't high in terms of American GPA?</p>

<p>Furthermore I was wondering how my grades "transfer" into a GPA...a 3.0 is just a rough guess.. but it's quite hard to estimate and I have no clue how to explain our grading system to a university in the states.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!!!</p>

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<p>Just to clarify, are you interested in an American Masters program or an American PhD program? I understand in Europe sometimes you need to get a masters degree before you can apply to doctorate program.</p>

<p>If you are applying to a PhD/doctorate program, the most important things will be letters of recommendation. If you can get good letters, that will help you a lot more than a good GRE score. </p>

<p>If nobody gets a 9, and you got a 7, that doesn't seem too bad. I don't think GPA is the be all end all in terms of graduate admissions. They essentially want "proof" or supporting evidence that you can handle their program and do well. Letters go a long way, a decent GPA helps. And I think test scores are at the bottom of the importance ladder. </p>

<p>In my opinion, the only thing test scores really can do is hurt you, i.e. doing badly on them. It's not quite like college where a good SAT score really covers up a lot of hurt, the GRE General Math is actually easier than the SAT math section to boot. So I think a good GRE score is necessary, but not sufficient.</p>

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<p>Right now, im interested in a masters program. I can always see if I feel like doing research after that...but for now just a masters.
Do you have any suggestions in terms of appropiate schools that do well in terms of international economics, international affairs/relations, emerging markets, development economics, etc.?</p>

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<p>Check out the programs on these pages:</p>

<p>International Affairs:
International</a> Affairs Programs | Top Graduate schools, Master's degrees, and PhD programs - TopGradPrograms.com</p>

<p>International Economics:
International</a> Business Programs | Top Graduate schools, Master's degrees, and PhD programs - TopGradPrograms.com</p>

<p>Cornell, Syracuse, U Mich -- all highly rated schools.</p>

<p>Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Thank you very much, there are some good options on that website.. However.. do you think i actually have a shot at those top schools?? Should I even bother with my 7 out of 10? And is it wise to take a year off to do one or two internships or go straight to grad school?</p>

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<p>@ studentNL</p>

<p>If you are considering a master's program abroad (such as the United States), I would recommend the fields of Public Policy and/or International Relations/Affairs.</p>