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hoggerjp

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  1. I was wondering: what are the typical living arrangements for Georgetown MSFS students? Do some / most MSFS students decide to rent a house together in Georgetown or Burleigh area, like many Gtown med students of undergrads do? I know many landlords in that sweet neighborhood lease out their houses for $4-5,000/ month, which 4-5 students get to share. I will be attending SAIS this fall, but would be interested in renting a house together with other grad students (SAIS, Gtown, other grad students etc)
  2. No, development isn't my thing. More into monetary economics and international finance. Worked in finance. If I were to major in development though, probably would make sense to retake micro instead of macro as a full credit course.
  3. I was an economics / finance major in undergrad and have worked in related fields. I am planning on taking waiver exams for micro and int'l trade, enroll in macro during the pre-term + accelerated monetary theory during the first semester, since I want a rigorous re-introduction to these subjects. This means.. I should start opening up my books again pretty soon if I want to take the May exam. Any thoughts?
  4. Wow what a great initiative by the Chilean government.. If I remember correctly, Sweden, Kazakstan, and Singapore also have some sweet arrangements for their future leaders and civil servants
  5. Hey, I will be entering SAIS this coming fall, and I received my undergraduate degree just last year so thought I could offer my two cents.. First, Fletcher got this new program called Map Your Future Program just for applicants like you; undergrads who want to pursue a career in IR but who lacks full-time work experience in between. They let you into the MALD program after you spend 2-3 years in a Fletcher-approved position. Not sure if the school helps you in finding that job, but my guess would be yes. I think there is a grad cafe contributor in this forum who is a MYFP admittee, so try to PM him/ her. Also, you should be speaking with students who are currently in the security studies program at these schools and ask for their input on pre-grad school options. I strongly recommend that you apply to Fletcher either through this program or to a regular MALD degree, because my impression is that being a re-applicant gets you some brownie points at Fletcher. Even if you get rejected on your first try, you have a better shot at getting admitted the next year. Many current Fletcher students were re-applicants themselves. Fletcher also has a special arrangement with GTown's BSFS where they admit the most promising undergrads directly into MALD. Realistically speaking, chances of going straight into these top-notch programs are higher if 1)you come from a widely recognized institution 2) have majored in IR or related social science (international finance or business) 2)have made contribution in the field in ways that are unusual for someone in their early twenties or 4)have published an earth-shattering piece on an academic journal I am kind of reluctant to reveal more about myself because doing so would make me immediately identifiable to adcoms and current students who might be reading this forum, but I can tell you this much. Before finishing my undergraduate study, an incredible opportunity arose; what was meant to be a summer internship turned into a full-time position because I was lucky enough to have bosses who were willing to give me substantial responsibilities despite my lack of official qualifications. So, I took a year off and worked there before finishing an undergraduate degree. During my last year as an undergraduate, I applied to the schools and was rejected. I was not surprised nor upset about it. Also, I received very nice e-mails from people from these schools, encouraging me to reapply after getting more experience ( + tips on how to address another weak area of my application package) LOR: I received one from former supervisor, the other from my mentor who is a highly respected figure in the field, and the last from a professor who has taught at one of these schools and has seen hundreds of students who now work in the field. In other words, I selected my letter writers quite strategically. In hindsight, getting rejected on the first try served me right in ways that I could not have imagined at the time. Now I know exactly how I would like to spend the next two years in school to get to where I want to be by the time I graduate. Plus, the experience of having earned a pay check for yourself etc makes you feel like a real grown-up Also, check out these entries from Jessica in Fletcher's admissions office: http://sites.tufts.e...e-so-important/ http://sites.tufts.e...draw-a-picture/ So, to answer your original question: Yes, I think it is worth applying straight from undergrad. Is attending a grad school right after undergrad an ideal choice? Only you can answer this question. Best of luck in your journey. Congrats on figuring out what it is that you would like to do, and msg me if I can possibly help you with your plans.
  6. Thanks wantgrad. Told by the admissions office that they do not mail out hard copies of the decision letter, but they would be happy to do so if requested by e-mail.
  7. Hi all. To those that were admitted: Do you know if SAIS has sent out a hard copy of the decision letter/ welcome package? I need the letter to apply for a non-SAIS fellowship. I will try to find out through the admissions office and will circle back to you, but would also appreciate your input in the meantime. Thanks.
  8. One vote for Fletcher MIB, especially if you have some "figuring out" to do in terms of what is it exactly that you would like to achieve in the private sector. Although you can choose to take business oriented courses while at SIPA MIA, the private sector focus is already built into the MIB program, and you won't feel like a second banana to Columbia Business School students in that respect. Besides, Fletcher really does care about providing you an individualized program, and the school's atmosphere is more conducive to much needed self-reflection. Personally, this decision will be a no brainer - MIB hands down. (FYI I went to a business school for undergrad and will most likely be enrolling at SAIS this fall) But that's just me. Congrats!
  9. I think the reason why so few top IR programs offer study abroad option is that these schools expect you to already have the experience of having lived or worked overseas, or expects to you work overseas after the completion of a degree. For this reason, Fletcher does not offer foreign language classes for credit (though you are free to audit courses that are offered through Tufts). I do not know about you, but for me, picking out only 16 or so courses out of a myriad of wonderful course offering definitely is going to be a challenge, and I need all four semesters to benefit the most from these degree programs. I myself am 80% certain that I will be enrolling at SAIS this fall. Mainly because I have taken classes at SAIS and loved them, though I really like Fletcher for the same reasons you had mentioned. But I would like to suggest you an activity that might be able to further guide your decision. Make an excel file with a list of courses that you feel like you must take while you are at these schools, and review the course schedules for the past two years or so to see if these courses were being actually offered. Check out if the professors who were teaching these courses will be present at the school for the next two years. Take into account all the requirements etc while doing so. Mapping out a hypothetical two-year curriculum for each of these schools may give rise to issues and aspects that you did not consider before. Also, if you are planning on working in the multilateral / public sector, I would not make the perceived name value of these schools' home institutions drive any part of the decision, unless it is important for you to be recognized by those who are outside of this field. If such matters to you though, I think it is a legitimate concern on its own for fair reasons. All these programs are highly regarded and widely recognized within the IR / public field, however. Location: how would you like to spend the next two years? SIPA's NY/ UN advantage will be relevant only if you are planning on getting UN-related internships during the academic semester. I spent my undergraduate years in NYC; though it was a wonderful program, I felt like I really missed out on the academic experience since everyone was off to do their own things after classes were done. If you would like to spend the next two years surrounded by books and fellow classmates, Fletcher might be the place to be. If your prospects in the chosen concentration will be benefited by being in the DC area, go to SAIS etc.. And most of all, congrats! Your options are just fantastic!
  10. In!! Here I come DC! Took summer classes at SAIS and enjoyed them very much. Glad that I will be returning as a master's student this fall.
  11. Hi, I'm currently in the process of applying for IR programs, SAIS and Fletcher being my top choices. After attending an info session last Friday, I received a call from the director of admissions at SAIS, asking if I have any additional questions. Has anyone else received a similar call? It came as a total surprise and I was wondering if they do this to everyone who attended the event. Also, has anyone been to Gtown MSFS info session? Why do they ask to bring an interview? Thanks hoggerjp
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