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DreamTeam03

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Everything posted by DreamTeam03

  1. This fall, I'll be a grad student at the University of Texas this fall as an MPAff (Public Affairs) candidate. However, I also really want to learn Arabic by the time I graduate and I feel the best way to do this would be to study Arabic through an immersion program. I have a friend who studied at Middlebury and he loved it and I hear UT has a strong intensive (not immersive) program as well. I have also been looking into SIT, which would allow me to study overseas (which is a huge plus for me). Does anyone have any insight into the quality of any of these programs (especially SIT and the UT one, which I do not know much about), or is anyone aware of other strong immersive/intensive programs? Thanks!
  2. You're awesome! I'll definitely take you up on that offer. Just gonna mention a couple of things here in case anyone else is following this thread. I'm still considering whether I'd enroll into MGPS (or MIDP at Georgetown), but when I was researching which programs I wanted to apply to, I chose MPP/MPA/MPAff programs because they are a bit broader in order to keep my options open. Plus, it's really important to me to get the quant side and usually international specializations seem to have less quant than their public policy counterparts. And, this may reveal my ignorance, but it also seems that it's easier to supplement courses from international specializations through independent study than it would be to supplement the quant courses I'd be missing out on.
  3. Hey all. Still waiting to hear back from a few schools plus haven't heard anything about funding from Georgetown just yet, but I figure my choice is ultimately going to rest between Georgetown (MPP) or UT (MPAff). I intend on focusing on ID in either school. I understand Gtown is pretty great in this area--plus you can't beat DC if you're looking to break into ID/NGO/nonprofit work. I know LBJ gets a lot of love on this board. I was wondering if anyone could vouch for their international curriculum. I've gone through the 'Research' section on their page, but that doesn't really paint a whole and clear picture. Considering I live in DC, I could always intern/work here during the summers, but I was wondering if UT LBJ was reputable and/or comparable to Gtown in terms of coursework, professors, etc. I'm asking in part because LBJ is much, much more affordable than Gtown so I'm trying to see if the costs of the latter are worth the education and prestige (considering I have another more-than-solid option)--and I'm not entirely convinced it is. Any thoughts?
  4. Just heard about funding. Lucky to get a scholarship the covers tuition! Probably gonna have to find other funding opportunities (RAship?) to get some help with room and board, though.
  5. Whew! Admitted! Quick question: There is a link to sign up for scholarship consideration on the admitted page. Is this separate from any funding they would offer after acceptance or do I need to sign up for scholarship consideration to be considered for funding?
  6. Same. "In review." Blegh. I'll be glad when the waiting is over. Thanks for the info MPPgal!
  7. Right. I've spent minimal time teaching abroad (6 months or so), so I admit that's not a lot of time. After reading your post, I'd also say that part of the reason I got little out of my experience (with respect to a career in dev) is that 1) I wasn't in a country where I was fluent in the language, 2) I spent relatively little time there, 3) honestly, I wasn't looking. I didn't go in with the mindset that I should use that opportunity to advance the career that I want, which--in retrospect--seems kind of silly. In any case, I appreciate your response and I find it very constructive (especially compared to the "get a job" post ). You've offered different opportunities for me to explore and lines of thought to pursue and I'll weigh that information to hopefully figure something that works for me. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
  8. Well, I do know foreign languages (2, pretty fluently) and I have done the teaching abroad thing. And if I don't get into a top tier grad school, I'm planning on going back. But the reason you're saying I should get into work is the reason I feel I need a Master's degree. Everyone I know in DC is a 20-something with a Master's. Even to work for free, I need a Master's in something, at least in D.C., where I live. Like Tim said, it'll be hard for someone like me to find work in development. And I may be completely off-base here (I am pretty young and I do have limited experience), but it seems unlikely that doing another couple years of non-developmental work (e.g., teaching) will make me a more competitive candidate for a development job. They still want free labor from a Master's student because, as you say, there are a lot of them willing to just do that. So, as Tim was getting at, I'd rather be 25 with my Master's than just finishing my tour overseas and thinking about getting one (because, again, it's hard to get volunteer work in development without a Master's). I'd be in the same place where I am now. I'm just starting to volunteer/intern now because I was (and still am) broke and I was too busy working to do all this during college. Of course, I could be completely wrong and I hope I am. Would love to hear what you guys think.
  9. As I mentioned on another thread, for a lot of schools, I've been engaging in the debate about applying for an MPP/MPA, with a focus on international development, or just enrolling in the International Development/Global Policy programs at these schools. Obviously, the choice rests a lot on personal preference and what the schools offer in each category. As such, for some schools I've applied for the MPP and others I want to apply for their ID/GP programs. But I was wondering if the name of the degree matters. Internationally, would someone be more likely to pick up a kid from Georgetown with an MPP or an MIDP? Or does it not matter all else being equal (name of the school, grades, research papers, connections, internships, volunteer experiences)? Also, would a degree in ID/GP hurt if I tried to find work doing something domestically? I imagine an MPP with a focus on ID would be valuable to international organizations and ones focused on domestic policy alike. However, would the reverse be true--would a degree in ID get domestic agencies to look down on you versus an MPP--again, all else being equal?
  10. Thanks, guys! I'll definitely look into that! I think some time of focus in International Development is what i want. I just don't want to sacrifice the quant/analytical portions of it. I'm greedy haha
  11. In the future, I want to work in a field related to international development and international policy. In fact, I've been thinking about applying for the Foreign Service after I get my Master's, but this is by no means a certainty. So, this may be a stupid question, but what's the difference between a MA in Public Policy and and MS in Foreign Service at Georgetown for someone who wants to get into policy/development at the international level? I've done a bit of research, but the courses seem similar with respect to what I want to do. Would a Masters in Public Policy be more broad, whereas an MS in Foreign Service be more limiting in terms of future job opportunities? I'm not sure. Thoughts?
  12. Thanks Kaneisha! Those are awesome links--thanks! You're absolutely right. I'm totally over-thinking it haha @bktz Obviously I have no idea, but I get the sense they're not that worried about that. I just had my own name in the "Sent" box.
  13. excusemyfrench, thanks for all the feedback! I guess I should definitely apply to wherever. No harm in trying! (Besides the hole in my wallet )
  14. I'm currently writing a policy memo for WWS. Full disclosure: I don't have a ton of experience writing policy memos. WWS says they're looking for something that reflects your professional experience (of which I have little and all in the field of education), my interests, and my potential field of study. In other words, it seems to me they would prefer something more local in scope. I was considering writing a memo on how to restructure 1) the nonprofit I intern with so that its programming was better able to help the people it aims to help, 2) the government-sponsored program I worked with to teach English overseas to more effectively and efficiently reach its goals (this would be the easiest to write and, while it would require some research, would probably require the least), or 3) a POTUS-appointed position so that the office the position overseas is less bureaucratic and more effective in achieving its goals (this is the one I'm passionate about, but I know relatively little and would require the most research) I really would like to write on the third topic, but it seems to me that WWS would like to read something more like the second. Any thoughts? Am I thinking about this too much?
  15. I've been reading over this board for a while as I've been exploring my options and you guys have been a ton of help. Even though I haven't posted anything until now, I wanted to let you guys know how awesome you are! Anyway, just wondering if I'm a mid tier candidate and if I have a chance in hell at the upper tier schools. Programs: MPA, MPP Schools: Georgetown, Maryland, Princeton, Berkeley, SAIS (MA), NYU Undergraduate institution: University of Maryland Undergraduate Major: English Undergraduate GPA: 3.65 overall; 3.81 major GRE: Verbal: 170; Quant: 164 (waiting on AW, but I'm confident) Years Out of Undergrad: 1.5 years Years of Work Experience: 1.5 years Describe Relevant Work Experience: (This is one of two sections I'm worried about) 6 months teaching English in Korea Languages: English: Fluent Spanish: Took it for 9 years (currently conversational; proficient after I dust it off) Urdu: Converational Quantitative: (This is the other section I'm worried about) Calc 1 (B+), Intro to Microeconomics ( B ) SOP: I'm going to ask this board for some tips on organizing it, but between my experiences and background, I think I have a few things that I can say distinguish me from other candidates (I'll just have to pick a few strong ones) and I am confident in my writing abilities. LOR: Honestly, these are probably weak. I do not have strong relations with my professors at this point and my supervisor at my last job (teaching English overseas) has a tenuous command of the English language. So, I picked the director of the writing center where I tutored in college and my assistant director, with whom I helped develop a course and acted as her Teaching Assistant. They are strong writers and have awesome things to say about me, but these are not necessarily research-/academic-related references. The last recommendation is my weakest--it's from the CEO of my non-profit. I work closely with her, but I do not think she is the strongest writer and, again, she cannot say anything about my academic abilities Questions: -Do I have a chance in hell at a top tier school (Princeton, Berkeley) or should I try for the mid-tier ones? -I've been reading SoPs for PhD programs and more research-oriented programs. Should I say what I want to study/what I want to do when I get out of school? Or should I focus on my life story for MPP/MPA applciations? Currently, my draft opens with an experience I believe distinguishes me from my candidates (cliche, I know) and I segue into a pretty personal reason why I want to get involved in PP/development work, and then end with the "I want to go to your program because...". Thoughts? (I know this is tough without actually reading the draft, but I'd love to hear thoughts)
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