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I'm in the midst of applications for IR MAs, and have been trying to craft a decent SoP. Many of these schools prefer students to have work experience (of which I have barely any), and was curious if this is something that I should be addressing within my SoP. Also, I do have an internship beginning in the spring. Should I mention that?

I suppose what may be best is to take the GRE and get that out of the way while searching for jobs. Then I'll have the option to at least apply to MA programs (if I don't get in so be it) and I can start studying for LSATs so I can pursue a dual degree program. At the moment it's even been difficult to find internships in IR, so obviously I feel the degree would make me more competitive for actual jobs in the field. I do agree it would be pointless to attend a "lesser" program simply because I'm in a rush.

I’m in a bit of bind trying to make decision about what options to pursue for graduate school. At first I had thought that I had everything figured out, but now that I’ve finally graduated I realized I should have taken more time to plan out what exactly I should be pursuing and when I should be pursuing it. First thing is first, I know I want to attend graduate school. More specifically, I would like to get both a MA (or PhD??) in International Relations and attend law school at some point. Originally I intended on taking the LSATs this December (if my scores went according to plan) but when considering the monetary investment and time needed to complete law school, I think it may be best to try to get my MA in international relations first. IR is also a field I'm certain that I'm passionate about. However, I’m not very sure how probable this scenario is or of it’s the route I should be taking. Unfortunately I have very little work experience which seems to be quite a hang up for top-tier MA programs(?). I’ve been trying to find some jobs in the meantime but they don’t necessarily seem to be immediately relevant to the IR field. Anyways here is some basic information about where I stand academically: I graduated this past summer with a degree in history and political science as well as a certificate in IR (no degree offered). I’ve attended multiple institutions; the first was a top-50 private (3.8+), next a top-20 private (3.7+), and finally a well-known, larger state school (3.95+). I wrote a history thesis that allowed me to be awarded summa, and two professors of mine suggested to pursue getting it published but I never followed up with their requests. As far as my quant goes I’ve completed an intro level micro and macro econ as well as a statistics class. I have yet to take the GRE, but the quant section worries me. I guess the question boils down to where do I go from here? I am intent on eventually achieving both degrees, but currently the MA appears to be the more pragmatic decision—it will open up a lot of different job opportunities I’d be very interested in exploring and would also allow me to save some money for law school. But will my lack of work experience bar me from SAIS, SIPA, the Kennedy school, etc. I’m in a rut and not sure what I should be doing at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! If this should have been asked elsewhere, I apologize.