Original501
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Posts posted by Original501
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Thanks to both of you. I'm going to focus on getting more work experience and prepping for the GRE.
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I have been out of school for a year and am thinking of going for a master's in international affairs or security studies. My focus is European security. However, I want to be realistic and would like to apply to programs I have a realistic chance of getting into, since I don't have the best grades. I majored in European politics at a strong state school (e.g., Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington). I have a 3.2 GPA and managed to gradaute with honors because I wrote an honors thesis. My grades are mostly As and Bs, as I could not truly focus on academics because I worked through college and didn't have enough time to study. This is what makes me most insecure. I work in international development in DC and many of my cooworkers have master's degrees from HKS, Georgetown, SAIS, Tufts, LSE, etc. This also makes me feel insecure, since I feel as if I have to get a master's from a school of that calibre to stay competitive. In my previous position, I wrote about European security for a news agency. Although my GPA is rather low, I managed to pull of an "A" on my honors thesis and in the thesis course, which was taught like a graduate seminar. I have international experience as well. I am a European national and have lived in European countries and speak a handful of European languages proficiently. If I manage to do well on the GRE and get good recommendation letters, what types of schools should I be aiming for? I plan to work for a few more years before going back to school. I don't want to waste time and money applying to a school I have no real change of getting into.
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I am a junior this year majoring in political science and European studies. One of my political science professors is encouraging me to write an honors thesis my senior year. However, I am not sure if I really want to. If I write a thesis, I would have to register for an honors class each semester of senior year. I am also thinking of using up those extra hours to take up a new foreign language. My school offers accelerated language courses, so I could pick up a new language like Arabic or Farsi in lieu of writing a thesis. The problem is, I don't know what would be the better investment for me. I plan on finding a job after college, possibly with an NGO or think tank. I know these jobs are highly-competitive, which is why I am unsure of what to do. I have some internship experience but I don't know if it will be enough to secure a job. I have also taken a few accelerated language classes at my university so I already know what to expect. Although these languages are outside my area of specialization (Europe), I speak a few European languages but I would like to venture out into the Middle East as I'm really getting into Middle Eastern politics but it is too late to switch my focus. Also, I feel like I won't get another opportunity to learn another language. My mind is telling me to write the thesis, but my heart is telling me to learn a language.
I want to eventually go to graduate school in political science or international relations, but I know for sure that I want to work right after college. What do you guys recommend? I wish I could do both but I can only pick one!
What calibre of school should I aim for?
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
Thanks! That's very sound advice. I'm going to wait it out and focus on my career for now.