lacanadiense

My question would be what kinds of jobs comprise that 84%? I truly don't know. Also, do those who get highish-level jobs outside of DC often have experience in the District?

Yes. I have personal experience with this. You are not going to have great networks back in the U.S., which is surprisingly crippling when looking for a job, not to mention establishing a social life. If you're planning to move back to a city where you already have a network established, that's one thing. But if say you're trying to go from San Diego to London to DC, it will take some extra hustle. Also, you'd be surprised at how many otherwise educated Americans are completely ignorant about non-U.S. schools (with the exception of maybe having a general conception that Oxbridge is top-notch). I suppose an exception might be if LSE has a reputation in the specific field you're hoping to enter (I have no idea about this either way). I would try to talk to LSE alumni who are working in the U.S. to gauge their experiences.

^Did you find it difficult to get a summer internship in the US (specifically DC) coming from Bologna? And in terms of students' ages, how young are we talking? Thank you for coming here to post by the way!

This describes my mental state perfectly! For the first quarter century of my life I've had a pretty even-keel disposition, but right now I feel like a crazy person.

I will not deny that I am overthinking this entire process. Grad school is a huge investment of time and money, however, and unlike going to undergrad as an 18-year-old, there are a lot of other productive or more profitable ways I could be spending the next two years of my life. With SAIS-Bologna in particular, I don't have the luxury of visiting campus before committing, so blog posts from students who were actually there are invaluable resources. Plus, as other posters have mentioned, SAIS is so highly-regarded on this forum that it's good to hear the other side of the story! I was certainly not trying to denigrate the program as a whole. I am simply moving towards the conclusion that it's probably not for me.

Yeah, something tells me that BC is almost a glorified study abroad - partying in Europe and spending a lot of time in hostels and on Ryanair. I had that sneaking suspicion even before reading that blog post and the comments. If that's an experience you want, and in the end you're able to get the same career benefits as those who spend two years in DC, then why not go for it, I suppose. For my part, I think I'm looking for something different for my grad school experience.

I recently had a revelation that I would love to work for a member of congress, doing research or press-related stuff on policy issues. I am now trying to make a final school decision with that in mind as a possible goal. I realized, however, that I have very little knowledge of how one even gets such jobs! So I am reaching out to all you gradcafe denizens who may have superior knowledge in this realm! If you want to be a congressional staffer, how much does the prestige of your grad school matter? Would going to a top 10/15 policy school suffice? How much does being in DC for school matter for access/networking opportunities (for getting a summer internship, and eventually getting a job)? Would it be easiest (or least hard) to get a job with a member of congress from the state where your school is located (assuming you're not in DC)? What do typical salaries look like? Thanks in advance!

After doing some Googling, I stumbled upon an old SAIS Bologna blog, and was disturbed by this post in particular: http://saisbcblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/show-me-the-money/ What do you all think of the ideas the author is expressing? I suppose that similar criticisms could be made of most private universities in the U.S., but the post still left me a little unsettled.

Do you have specific interests that will be better served at Ford? Or do you just want to get out of your home state?

Me too, please!

Yeah, I am strongly leaning towards LBJ, because pretty much everyone I've spoken to in the field has said that the extra debt is not worth it, especially if you have a full ride to a solid program. Maybe LBJ doesn't have quite the same pipeline into the federal government as we imagine GPPI or SAIS to have, but after talking with their career services coordinator, it seems like you can make that happen if you want. Apparently the State Department, CIA, etc. come to recruit at LBJ multiple times a year. Plus everyone raves about Austin, which seems like a much more manageable city to live in as a grad student.

Yeah, finding roommates is a potentially difficult situation. I saw some nice whole houses (3-4 bedrooms on craigslist), but I'm a pretty solid plane ride away and I have a full-time job, so I would basically have to fly down and hope to find something in one whirlwind weekend. But then how would my other 2-3 roommates approve it? Taking a room in an established house definitely seems easier, but I see how it could feel awkward, especially at first. You probably wouldn't have to worry about furnishing the common areas, at least!

Congrats MPPGirl! Are you now leaning towards Georgetown?

Looking at the ads on craigslist, it seems like there are so many summer sublets listed right now. For people who have been students in Austin before, is it generally difficult to sublet your room for the summer? For my program, there's a chance I would want to leave the city for a summer internship, and I'm worried about having to eat the rent money.

I agree with FrenchO, especially about the connections. It's one thing if the GPPI professors are willing to sit after class and get to know you and eventually recommend you for a job (or whatever the fantasy scenario might be). But the fact is, a lot of the hotshots are teaching adjunct in addition to whatever demanding careers they have, so they may not have as much time or desire for meaningful interactions with students. And since adjunct professors by definition don't do research, there are fewer opportunities in that arena as well.