swizzle24

I am a rising senior currently studying in Egypt doing intensive fus'ha and the Egyptian dialect. Next summer I'll be doing CLS. I'm looking for post undergrad and pre-graduate school ways to build upon my Arabic. By the completion of CLS I'll probably be at very high-intermediate or low-advanced Arabic. My major is in security studies. Is the program in Doha available to non Georgetown students? My biggest obstacle is money so funded programs are my preference.

I'm currently a rising senior interested in pursuing more Arabic after I graduate. I want to focus on the language exclusively before I start applying to grad schools in Arab Studies. Does anyone have suggestions for the best way to enhance Arabic after graduating? From my research, Fulbright does not look favorably upon the language-only programs in the Middle East. Thanks in advance!

So I guess this is the big question: What do you do if you don't get into any of the schools you apply to? My friend is pretty dead set on getting a PhD in order to become a professor, specializing in Logic. However, his grades aren't too strong and he's not the best at "selling himself." So far, he's debating applying just to Masters programs so as to improve his chances of getting in. Yet what should he do if he doesn't get in anywhere? Philosophy is sort of a weird subject in that it's unclear if "work experience" is actually helpful. What's the best backup plan when you don't get in anywhere?

So my friend is contemplating going to UK for his masters degree. He is majoring in Philosophy and is set on ultimately getting a PhD. However, his grades aren't the strongest (about a 3.3 overall and a 3.4-3.5 in Philosophy) which is holding him back from applying straight to PhD programs. I believe he is mainly interested in the philosophy of logic, however he is a little torn on the specifics and has yet to make up his mind definitely (though he doesn't have to start applying until the Fall). So his question is, what is the difference between the two masters programs? We found the websites slightly confusing when attempting to distinguish between the two. Which is more competitive? Which is better for students who seek PhDs and ultimately desire to teach at a university in the US? Thanks!

So I am currently a rising senior contemplating my post-graduate plans. I'm still very much in the academic mind set and I am very intent upon continuing with my foreign language as soon as I graduate. In my estimations I should go straight to graduate school to build upon my schooling and continue with Arabic as soon as possible (so as to not get rusty). However, many of the more professional schools (like one of my top choices, SAIS), only admits a small amount of students straight from undergrad. The admissions office from SAIS specifically told me they admit 10% with no work experience. Is it worth applying to top schools with no work experience? I have spent a year abroad doing intensive language studies, I spent last year doing a DC internship, and I'm spending the upcoming summer doing a government language fellowship. I have very good grades yet I come from a no-name private school. I feel like there are very few jobs that would hire me straight from undergrad in the fields I'm interested in (namely international security, intelligence, war studies, middle eastern studies, Arabic) so it seems to me that work experience will be very difficult to come by. Does anyone have any advice for me? Has anyone went straight to graduate school and regretted it? I can't seem to think of a place to apply to work in the aforementioned fields without any relevant experience or graduate degrees. Thanks in advance!

Tynank: Were you disappointed with the entire university as a whole or just the department? Would you mind clarifying what you meant? I was looking into an Arab Studies MA there.

So I am currently in the process of looking for graduate schools to apply for. Money is definitely a factor for me and, although I want to go to a prestigious and academically rigorous program, I very much need financial aid. What is the likelihood of receiving funding for a MA program? Is there a secret to working the system or finding out which schools consistently give either merit or financial aid based aid? So far all I see on website are vague references to subjective amounts of funds given to students with their acceptance letters. For me, personally, a school that has a higher likelihood of giving financial aid would up my likelihood of applying to it. Some schools I'm interested in are UVA, Johns Hopkins, UT Austin, Georgetown, Kings College London, Oxford/Cambridge (debating), SOAS, and the American University in Beirut. As a potential student, is the best place to look for fin aid from the university itself or from other fellowships/programs? In my preliminary searches I was unable to find many scholarships or programs that I seem eligible for (though that may be my naivete). Thanks in advance, I am just looking to be pointed in the right direction at this point.

Wow! Thanks for the incredibly thought out response. I also take advanced physics and math, this has mostly caused the lower GPA but there hasn't been any real reason beyond that. I'll definitely take your advice into account as I enter my senior year - hopefully there's still time to boost my gpa. Do you have any recommendations for places that would fund masters even with my GPA? As I stated, I would prefer to be near the East Coast if possible. If getting a masters before a phd improved my chances I would probably look into that. How would you (or anyone) recommend I do so?

I have been under the impression that it is difficult to get funding for masters programs. I am not entirely sure how accurate this is so I wanted to shout out to you guys and get thoughts. Top schools I'm considering: Johns Hopkins Georgetown NYU UVA UT Austin Does anyone have experience with these schools in particular or know about their reputation? Furthermore, are there strong schools that offer large amounts of aid that anyone knows of? Thanks!

I'm planning to go straight from my undergraduate degree (in philosophy) to grad school. I want to become a professor and get my PhD. However, my grades aren't great. I have an overall 3.38 and a 3.53 in philosophy. Where can I go to maximize my chances of admission/funding while still going to a decent school? I would prefer something on the east coast. Are there any good lists or rankings out there with this sort of information? Thanks in advance... EDIT: I am in my junior year at a private university. I have been a TA in the physics department for a few semesters so far as well but I have yet to take a practice GRE.