mrgreen102

1) Check the old Government Affairs Wrap-Up threads for answers to your first question. I think you'll at least get into GWU Elliott and American SIS because of your high GPA and work experience but I'm not on an admissions committee. 2) UC San Diego's School of International Relations and Pacific Studies is highly respected and dedicated solely to the Asia Pacific region. It is also in California so you can avoid a couple of cold East Coast winters.

I would recommend that you look at the old Government Affairs Wrap-Up threads. People used those forums to describe the strength of their applications and their overall results. Overall I think it is is better to do excellent at a lower tier school than to do poorly/about average at a top school. It really depends on the strength of your application as well.

Singapore and Italy are both pretty expensive. Maybe you can find cheap places to eat and live but you can find those anywhere.

I disagree with you on Yoda's GPA and GRE scores but agree with you that more work experience could definitely help him. A 3.5 GPA may be strong enough, especially if he did really well in his major. SAIS and Georgetown may be long shots right now but GW and American could be within reach. Does anyone have more information on region specific programs? I'm not talking about concentrations within general IR programs but actual programs that focus on a specific region.

I would imagine that MPP/MPA programs are similar to IR graduate programs in that your GPA/GRE scores are only considered a part of your application. Most programs seem to focus on work experience, personal essays, etc. With that said, I have been told that it really hurts your application if your GPA is below a 3.0. You also want to do well on the GRE but I don't know if average scores disqualify you from any programs. But poor scores may hurt funding opportunities.

I know that GW waives the GRE requirement for people who already have Master's degrees but that's about it. I saw the GRE as an opportunity to show programs that quant coursework would not be difficult for me even though I have a social sciences background. It's hard to tell how much standardized test scores matter with graduate programs. It's not like you are applying to law schools or even business schools where standardized test scores are much more important. You can apply to Georgetown but think of it as your reach/dream school. Make a strong case and see what happens. You could also take an online economics class. It sounds like you want to go into the Foreign Service. Have you considered taking the FSOT and just skipping graduate school completely?

I think that your scores may be good enough for GW and American. Georgetown is one of the best IR programs in the country and admits a smaller number of students than other programs. But there are people on this forum who got into your preferred IR programs with the same GRE Quant scores as you (and even lower). Here are some things you might want to think about: 1) What is the strength of your overall application? Do you have any other problems besides a low GRE Quant score? 2) Do you have prior quantitative coursework or work experience? Have you taken any economics or statistics classes? If you have, than that could lessen the effect of average GRE Quant scores on your application. 3) Do you honestly think that dedicating another 2-3 months to studying for the GRE will help improve your Quant score? If you do, then go for it. But it might not be worth it if you think your score won't improve by much. In my case I spent months studying for the GRE and even took a test prep course. I took the GRE last week and got an unofficial score of 153 on the Quant section. I might take the test again in a year or so but I don't know if I want to spend that more time trying to improve my score when I doubt I will get above a 156 on the Quant section.

This is the Government Affairs forum. You should post in a science forum.

I'm not sure about this one. It's hard to believe that spending two years getting a Master's degree at a university outside of the U.S. (unless it is in a place like Iran or North Korea) is going to shut you out of any government jobs. I was told that it may take longer to get a security clearance if you spend extensive time abroad but that's about the only problem you will encounter. Check out this thread for more details:

Thanks for the information. My goal is to eventually go to an elite B-school like Harvard and make as much money as possible (this is a joke by the way as I am not so-subtly mocking an old member of this forum. Those old JHU threads are hilarious by the way). Georgetown's program does align more closely with my interests than JHU. But it would be a reach. I don't plan on applying for at least a year though as I want more quant course experience and work experience under my belt besides years of teaching in China. Out of curiosity, what drove you to Fletcher? A desire to work in policy but not be part of the Washington, D.C. scene? What do you want to do after the program ends?

What was your opinion of Georgetown? I was considering the MSFS program for awhile but it looks really selective. I also know someone who just graduated from there and they don't have a job yet. I figure I'll monitor their progress before I commit to applying there in a year or so.

It sounds like you made the right decision. My Econ/Math situation is pretty much the opposite of yours as I have taken economics courses but will probably be on the low end of the GRE spectrum (low 150s at the highest). I can do math but I am horrible at standardized test math. I agree that SAIS would not be the best fit. SAIS has a good reputation and a great location but the program seems pretty rigid with all of its economic requirements and mandatory tests. I understand the value of economics in policy making but I am interested in diplomacy and defense. I don't plan on ever working in finance or for the World Bank. The only advanced economic courses that would help me are game theory and possibly international trade. Why would I spend thousands of dollars taking courses that I won't enjoy and that won't help me in the long term?

Yeah, that sums up everything that I've heard about SAIS and Fletcher too. Is Georgetown as Econ and Quant heavy as SAIS and SIPA? I'm not sure that I even want to apply to SAIS anymore. Economics is interesting but I would not enjoy having to take at least four Economics classes (not including the Intermediate classes over the summer) when the program lasts only two years. It seems like overkill to me. SIPA emphasizes Quants but they don't care as much about GRE scores. The admissions staff told me get to get over 150 on the Quant section and that they barely look at Verbal scores or Writing scores. But then again, everything I have heard about SIPA is that it is a much less selective than the other "first-tier" IR programs.

Numerous posters on this forum got into places like Fletcher, SIPA, GWU, and even SAIS with scores anywhere between 148-154. If the other parts of your application are strong enough, than admissions committees seem to be willing to overlook a bad test score. This is not like applying for law school or even business school where a less than stellar test score means you don't have a shot.

Does SAIS really emphasize GRE Quant scores? I know the program focuses on economics but they don't require any Quant classes (statistics, algebra, etc.). Do they assume high GRE Quant score = good at economics? From what I understand, most IR graduate programs consider GRE scores as part of your overall application. But the remaining questions are: 1) What is the lowest score you can get on the GRE Quant section and still be admitted into a good program? Programs say there is no cutoff/benchmark but they probably draw a line somewhere. 2) What is the link between high GRE scores and funding? A couple of people on this forum wrote you have a better chance of receiving a fellowship/funding package if you do well on the GRE. 3) Can enough prior Quant classes/work experience make up for a low score?

Do you have any advice on studying for the FSOT? An FSO once told me that there is a lot of geography on the exam. But a friend who took the exam told me that they did not have any geography questions. Would you recommend buying one of the FSOT prep books or are those a waste of money?

Wait, HKS and WWS' benchmarks for GRE Quant scores are that low? That seems odd.

SAIS, Fletcher, and SIPA all told me that they do not have GRE cutoff scores. They look at the scores as a part of the application. However, the higher your GRE Quant scores, the better. High GRE Quant scores are supposed to really help you if you don't have prior quantitative experience in courses or through your work experience. I have gotten the impression that IR graduate programs don't care that much about your GRE Verbal score or Writing score because they get so many international students. They seem to care about the GRE Quant section a lot more, which sucks for those of us who excel at the Verbal section and are terrible at Geometry. I hope that IR graduate programs don't care too much about the GRE Quant section since I doubt I will be able to score above 152 no matter how much I study.

I asked a similar question on this forum a few months ago and I received mixed responses. My opinion is that you could definitely gain the same skills at an IR program outside of the U.S. However, you will not have access to the name recognition of an American university or the networking opportunities that are provided by the program. It may be harder for you to get your foot in the door than if you went to an American IR graduate program. I think that this would be especially true for something like intelligence in which proximity to Washington, D.C. is paramount. For example, let's say your graduate program is in Paris. There is a good chance that the program will have a few alumni and contacts in the U.S. But it won't have nearly as many contacts as an American IR graduate program.

It may be helpful to approach your search by answering these questions: 1) What type of job do you want after the program ends? 2) Are the alumni from these programs pursuing career paths that you are interested in? 3) Where do you want to work?

I have a good GPA and two year's experience teaching at a university in China. I did well in Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. I also plan on auditing a statistics course in the Fall as I finish up my Asian Studies graduate degree.

I would appreciate some advice. Does anyone have any insight as to how much the GRE Quant score matters to top IA graduate programs? I have spent the last three months studying for the GRE. I also took a test prep course. My last two scores on practice tests were exactly the same: 160 in Verbal and 149 in Math. At this point I doubt either score will improve that much. I know that no one here is on an admissions committee. But I do not know what I should do in this situation. Should I still apply to Georgetown SFS, JHU SAIS, Columbia SIPA, Tufts Fletcher School, etc. in the Fall? Or is it not worth it?

Talon1025, After reading about your background and and looking at your comments, this is my advice for you. Take it for what it is worth: 1) I completely understand that you are worried about the value of an international affairs graduate degree on the job market. If you would like to go into diplomacy/counter-terrorism, you should look at programs in D.C. These programs are near the agencies/companies where you want to work and you would have plenty of internship opportunities. 2) I am pretty sure that a Master's degree in Finance will not help you land a job in either diplomacy or counter-terrorism. Those companies need accountants but it seems like an odd fit. 3) Unless you are a true computer whiz or a hacker (like Mr. Snowden), I am not certain that a Master's degree in Computer Science will help you that much either. But this degree is probably much more helpful on the job market than an IA degree.

Wouldn't it be better to write your SoP after you take the GRE? Are you absolutely committed to one program? I know that you want to get the GRE out of the way but if you do really well on the test, it could open doors for you at a number of schools that you had not previously considered. I have been told that the Manhattan books are pretty good.

I am taking a Kaplan Prep class. It has been pretty helpful though it is not perfect. The class provides structure and it gives you a lot of online quizzes and practice exams. Instructors will also grade your essays for you. But if you have the time and the money, get a GRE tutor. They will help you really focus on your weaknesses.