user713

Thanks for the link, Cornell07! Sorry for sounding silly, esp about GRE scores. As I said it was my first post on the forum. Everyone I talk to seems to have differing opinions about what numbers are considered good (90th percentile+ comes up a lot), especially for an undergrad applying directly. That said, does anyone know generally what percentage of each class is composed of kids fresh out of college? For those who are currently in IR programs, are recent college grads at a serious disadvantage/or are annoying for having little 'real-world' experiences? I'm weighing both options-work or school. Again, any advice would be really appreciated!

Oops, I'm new here, so I'm reposting a post to this thread. I'm an undergraduate thinking of applying to an IR program with a focus on East Asian studies. I like IPS because of its small size, and it's Stanford. However, I don't really have any work experience. I've done state-level internships, worked on the Obama campaign. I'll also have spent a year taking undergrad classes (in Chinese, I'm from the States). I've taken no econ beyond micro/macro, but I've done a calc-based stats class and Multivariable Calculus & Linear Algebra. I know that IPS has pretty stringent requirements. My GRE Verbal was a 760, Math, 730, which is not great, I know. I have a GPA of 3.7/4.00 at a strong liberal arts college. I think I'll have at least two strong recs. Not having had international economics, do I even have a chance there? They seem really strict; I could possibly take an int'l econ course at Tsinghua in the spring though I don't know whether they will consider that valid. I'm also interested in WWS and the more 'traditional' top IR schools (SIPA/SAIS/Fletcher/MSFS). My main concern is my lack of work experience. How much is that component weighted? Also, does anyone know whether financial aid is going to be restricted this year due to the financial situation of the schools? Any feedback is appreciated, thank you!