mrgreen102

My two cents: One of GWU Elliott School's major advantages is the fact that you can enroll in the program part-time. You can take classes in the evening and work/intern during the day. There should be numerous internship opportunities in international development in Washington, D.C. You could gain experience in your field while you study. The Fletcher School does not give you a part-time option and I would imagine you would be very busy with classes. I do not know how many opportunities there are in Medford, MA for international development work.

Congratulations Dani! Good luck.

Why I would go into academia: 1) Autonomy/Independence - I could choose my research topic and when I want to research it 2) Flexible Schedule - I would not have to work all day 3) Rewarding - I could help people learn Why I would not go into academia: 1) Teaching - I dislike teaching. I have taught before and I will hopefully not do it again. 2) Schedule/Routines - The work never ends. Professors are always preparing for class, teaching, grading, or researching. They also have to meet with students and deal with administration. This means working on weekends and holidays. 3) Competition - It is really difficult to get a full tenured position at a university. Universities are increasingly hiring adjunct lecturers because it is easier then giving someone tenure. 4) Meetings and administration - what juilletmercredi said 5) Niche - It is good to have a specialty. But I also want the opportunity to explore new areas in my subject. I am interested in international affairs, specifically the U.S.' relationship with Asian countries. If I was in academia, I would probably have to become an Asian Studies or Political Science professor. I do not want to limit myself to only knowing about Asian countries.

For those who are interested, you can apply to both Georgetown's MSFS program and the SSP program at the same time. But the applications must be separate from each other.

California think tanks: http://think-tanks.findthedata.org/d/s/California You could also work for Boeing or a defense contractor in Washington state.

The departments are pretty well connected. If you are part of one, you can take classes in the other. But the programs look at different things and the degrees are separate. I'll call then.

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about applying for two programs at the same university. I like both Georgetown's MSFS program and SSP program and each programs coincide with my career goals. Could I apply to both programs? Would applying to both have a negative impact on my applications?

I know that this is slightly off topic but I would suggest that you take the GRE again. Improving your score on the Writing Section could really strengthen your application for a MPP program.

I agree that it is a shame how degrees from universities outside of the U.S. are sometimes seen as inferior by American employers. I can understand why some employers might be hesitant if they see that your university is in a third-world country and that they may think that the degree is not up to proper standards. But is an IA graduate degree from the University of Toronto any worse than an IA graduate degree from American University?

Thanks for the advice. But it's not a question of a lack of study material. I suffer from what people call "poor test mechanics" on math standardized tests. I am terrible with averages and I always run out of time and can't finish the problems. The verbal section is much easier for me as I might be able to crack the upper 160s and I should do pretty well in the Writing section. Hopefully IA programs won't focus on my GRE math score as much after they see that I have a master's degree in Asian studies and over two years experience working abroad.

What about Canada or Australia?

I think that international affairs degrees and public administration degrees are pretty versatile. For international affairs, it really depends on your concentration. If you are focusing on security and diplomacy, then you are mostly limited to D.C. But if you take the economic approach, you can get into political risk analysis and maybe even consulting. Those jobs are everywhere. You can use a public administration degree anywhere. The Asia Foundation is in San Francisco.

We all know that there are great international affairs/government affairs programs outside of the U.S. For example, the London School of Economics has a great reputation. Would an American citizen hurt their job prospects at home if they get a international affairs graduate degree from a university outside of the U.S.?

Thanks for the advice everyone. Keep it coming as I am new to the process of applying to graduate schools that actually care about the GRE. My current Asia policy program did not require them because it is in Canada. I got an A in Macroeconomics and I am taking Microeconomics this summer. I'll consider buying a couple of Manhattan Prep books but I am hesitant to spend more money on GRE prep after shelling out so much already.

First and foremost, I am trying not to turn this into a "Am I Competitive" thread. Sorry in advance if it seems like that is what I am doing. I was wondering if anyone on this forum could give me some perspective on how much GRE Quantitative scores matter for IA programs if you are not planning on following an economic concentration. I know that no one here works at an IA program admissions office but I feel like there is enough collective wisdom here to give me a good idea. My Verbal and Writing scores are excellent (85% and more now that I am studying). I am not bad at math. But I am a terrible test taker when it comes to the Quantitative section (low to mid 140s on the new GRE). I am currently taking a GRE Prep course that will help me but I am worried that I can't crack the 150s. I received good grades at a top 50 liberal arts college, taught English abroad for two years, have intermediate language skills in two languages, and am about to start an intensive one-year comparative policy program that focuses on Asia. I am interested in Georgetown MSFS, John Hopkins SAIS, and Tufts Fletcher-MALD. Do I have a shot?

No, you're not. Prestige is useless if you are buried in debt. I am going to a really cheap IA regional focus programs this Fall for a similar reason.