junebug62

Don't do the SAIS MA Econ. Its a joke. Basically undergrad econ for those who never took it. It does not compare to some of the other programs listed here.

Well its hard to get anything done with applications when schools don't even post them until September. And the school year hasn't started yet so we can't ask the newly accepted folks how its going. We could commiserate about GRE cramming, which is what I should be doing right now...

What the heck do you mean "confidential"? If its very personal and you feel uncomfortable writing it, its probably inappropriate for a grad school essay. If its like, military/spy stuff confidential then duh you can't put it in an essay that's illegal. What are you talking about?

This isn't the first time the economy has gone into recession and suddenly its an academic crisis. I know of relatives and friends who experienced this years ago when applying to graduate school and facing tougher odds. And quality is always relative to your cohort. Perhaps there are more applicants now due to global population and development/education trends, but its still not enough to make me worry. Focus on improving yourself and don't make excuses that you would have gotten in last year given whatever factor. If there are less PhD spots available, its a signal the market for PhDs sucks and people need to stop seeking one.

I don't see the point of worrying about stuff like this. Its always some story like "SAT/GRE scores are higher than ever" or "its getting more competitive every year" or "oh the economy is so bad right now so apps are up." If you are good enough to get into a PhD program, you are good enough to get in. If you aren't, oh well. Find another calling in life. That's my take at least.

Are you running out of time on the math? Making small calculation errors? Forgetting the tricks? I would work on memorizing the types of math problems you are likely to see and the method for answering that type. They all fit the pattern after awhile. And two weeks isn't very long. Keep at it.

Anecdotal, but I know of two people who got a State Department job and another foreign policy position with an MsC from LSE. I've seen it on several people's resumes as well. People know what it is and you can get a job. Maybe that won't make it super easy for you with a convenient on campus job fair, recruitment session, or US-centric student network, but it is no door closed in your face. In my opinion, "practical" means I can and will learn it on the job anyway, so why should I learn it in school? But others may like to point to specific examples of applicable class exercises/coursework, particularly if they are switching to a new career or just starting out. So there are good arguments for both sides. Do what you like. If you have the drive/personality/intelligence, you can still get jobs.

Wow great find therunaround, thanks for posting. While I'm not a big fan of basing an assessment on quotes from <5 students, having 60 out of 100 students sign a petition to change the requirements for the major sounds pretty serious. Only 12 Belfer Fellows? I guess this answers my other question about what type of student gets the magical full ride to HKS. Some of their complaints sound like they may apply to all MPP students. For example, having joke classes. I've heard that some students complain that MBA and MPP programs are way too easy compared to their rigorous undergrad experience, particularly if they came from elite schools or majored in a technical field. Also, isn't Kennedy overall known for its US-centric focus and primarily US student attendance already?

Six months financial services and three years international economic policy work for the government. I think I'd like to move to more traditional IR combined with some quant/statistics and management training to make the shift to consulting or think tanks. Or heck, stick with government. Its not so bad.

So what kind of magical person would actually get a full ride to KSG? I haven't seen any examples of such an offer in the boards. Or even a two-thirds ride...If an applicant that is good enough to get into WWS with its 10-15% acceptance rate doesn't qualify for much merit aid at KSG, I'm confused as to just who KSG hopes to entice with aid...Are they competing with PhD programs or something for this student? What's the typical profile for a full-ride offer to KSG?

I guess these boards just attract Type As. Fall 2010 here too. I'm waffling between economic policy and quantitative IR, which are really nothing alike so I need to get cracking on figuring that out. I'd like heavy stats/quant coursework so I can graduate with a flexible, perhaps more valuable skill set. I'm applying to all the usual suspects, KSG and WWS and some safeties/middle range schools once I figure out which one fits me best...maybe Tufts, Chicago, Columbia's Quantitative Social Science Masters program, possibly a few Econ MAs...I don't want to apply to more than five schools and I know I want to get out of DC since that's where I'll probably be spending most of my working life. I'm taking the GRE in August. I really need to start studying...I've got a Kaplan book but perhaps I should buy them all. I'm also worried about my letters of recommendation since I'm three years out of school...Ah well. At least I can get good work recs.

For the government int'l policy jobs I am familiar with, there is no difference between those degrees. They are all the same class of masters professional degrees. Sure they all market themselves differently, but I think its irrelevant for hiring purposes.

Good question,I wonder this all the time... I'm a government employee with a BA doing the same job as my colleagues with professional IR degrees (and the occasional PhD). I'm performing just as well and in some areas better than they are, at least per our job performance reviews and output. Still, I'm trying to go back to school to get a professional degree because I think I would get more respect, be more readily considered for a management position, and develop a network. Substantively, I doubt I would learn very much that I didn't already learn on the job. (I think part of this is also just because I am a few years younger than many of my colleagues.) I think a professional degree is worth pursuing for those reasons. I'm doing fine now, but eventually will my organization be embarrassed to make me a manager if I don't at least have an MPP/MPA/MBA/MA by my name? That's my impression. The network effect is huge. The programs become a marker of quality and the individual's commitment to a career in IR, rather than substance alone. ("We've hired good people from X program. Let's keep hiring there.") I think learning curve will depend on the job, since responsibilities are so diverse. The new employees I've observed who do well seem to have maturity and personality factors rather than any common academic background that makes them succeed. I'm not really crazy about the substance of IR degrees. I think they will be a lot of fun and probably foster good discussion, but it won't be very useful for my purposes. I'd like to learn quant/stats or traditional management stuff to set myself apart from IR colleagues.

Ok ok bethanygm, it sounds like you have thought about it. Still, I'd try not to settle for Tier 4 if you can do better...Reading your posts, it seems like you still need to better define your research interests. You can't be all over the place with a PhD and "enjoy learning"... Don't worry so much about this. Government will hire you at a higher GS level depending on your experience and education, but you'll get promoted throughout your career no matter what level you start at. This may only set you back like 2 years or so on the promotion pay scale. Its not a big deal. Also, I guess your husband is getting out of the military anyway, but there are many civilian job options if you are interested Middle East affairs.

Have you finished college? Its a little unclear... It seems like you need to do more self-reflection or get more experience to figure out what you want. A PhD when you don't even know what field you want a PhD in is a waste of time and you are likely to question yourself while doing it. Particularly if you pay any money for it. As for post-PhD prospects, if you want a government job, school rank doesn't matter so much as long as you can show you learned something useful and can pass a basic interview. But I imagine most of these positions would be in the DC metro area. If you want flexible work schedules, government is excellent. If you want academia, I doubt you'd be that competitive for much with a tier 4 school. Maybe you could teach part time at a community college or small liberal arts college or rural university. Also, if the only reason you would go to this particular school is because its close to where your husband's family lives, you are making an academic sacrifice for your husband. When is he ever going to make a career sacrifice for you and let you truly "move around" for your career? Sorry, I'm a woman too and I'm constantly wondering how I would ever manage a two-career marriage. I think this is a horrible reason to pick a graduate school. And, actually I'm not sure I know what a Tier 4 school means, but I assume you mean ranked 100+ in the field? If I were you I would not apply to a PhD now. I would try and get more work experience, a research assistance position, or something else to figure out my interests. Also, perhaps by that point you and your husband may move to a better location closer to better schools, which may be more worth your investment of time, money, and effort.