mnboy

Can somebody fill me in on how exactly this thread got so badly derailed into talking about the social scene at HBS?

Guess everybody got 10k per year funding eh? Any word on the Wolcott Fellowship?

Any IR masters. They're outrageously expensive. Taking SAIS as an example, every person I've spoken with who graduated from SAIS has all told me the same thing - if you're paying full price for it, it's not worth it and I think that's true for any Masters at any of these schools we are applying to.

I don't think any of these programs are worth paying full price for.

Admitted for Asian Studies.

Anybody know when we're going to hear anything about Pickering?

I received admissions notice earlier today from UCLA but no fellowship funding information. Congratulations to you Luskin Scholars!

I got admissions notice to Georgetown's MA in Asian Studies at the SFS about a week ago including fellowship funding and an invitation to apply for FLAS. My guess is that decisions on other programs should be coming along shortly.

Hi, I hate to be a bit of a downer but I think for at least a couple of those schools - SAIS in particular - a 17% quant score will probably exclude you from admission. I speak as a fellow applicant for this cycle, so I have no admissions experience on which to base this, but with no explanation given as to why you did so poorly on the test they will just look at it as if you lack the ability to complete the quantitative component of their program. At SAIS, this is a big thing from my understanding. I didn't do good on the quant section either - when I took it, it was at the 69th percentile, now it's something close to 50th - and I'm still a bit concerned. With no other explanation available, they can really only go on what they see.

Hey all, I am thinking about applying to graduate school for international relations in the coming year. I'm interested in IR programs relating to China Studies. My goal schools are SAIS, Georgetown, Stanford (East Asian Studies) and UCSD (IR-PS.) I saw the sticky but have a problem specifically as it relates to my quantitative score on the GRE. It's low, and I want to know if it's a big problem for top IR programs given my background in econ and work experience. My background: I graduated in 2009 from a state school with a 3.74 in Global Studies (focus on international political economy) and PoliSci, magna cum laude and phi beta kappa, with a senior thesis on Sino-African trade relations. For two years during college I worked year-round almost full time (30-35 hrs a week) with a full credit course load at the US Department of Justice; prior to that I interned as an aide to a lobbyist in state government. I received a State Dept. Critical Language Scholarship to study in China in the summer of 08. After I graduated I worked at a law firm for a year. I applied and received a Fulbright scholarship to study economic development and regional planning in China. I just finished that and will go back to teach English in China at the university level for at least a year. I'd say my Mandarin Chinese is at an advanced level and will improve with another year. Here's the problem. I took the GRE after I graduated and got the following: 660V, 650Q, 6.0 AW. The verbal score and AW I think are ok, but my quant score is what makes me nervous. I took intermediate econ courses as part of my major in college and also took statistics, getting decent grades and given my thesis' focus on trade and my Fulbright work I think I can handle any math they throw at me, even if my GRE score says otherwise. I'm wondering if a score like this necessitates retaking the GRE given that it's a component that's not weighted as heavily in the application, or if it disqualifies me entirely from those schools I listed. Letters of rec and statement of purpose shouldn't be a problem for me. I can't retake the GRE in time in China for me to apply for this cycle. Should I retake it or take my chances with the score I got and go for this cycle?

Found out today that I got the Fulbright for China. I also applied for the CLEA - CET Harbin anyone?

I applied for a fall CLEA grant to Harbin, but I'm having a tough time finishing up the application for it. It seems like a lot of tedious paperwork and I just am struggling with the motivation to finish it up..

Is anyone else applying for a Mandarin CLEA with their Fulbright China grant? I got an email from Jonathan saying that the summer CET program in Harbin has been canceled. That's a good thing for me since I haven't begun the application for the fall program yet (deadline May 1st, with rolling admissions.) Anyone know if they'll reimburse us the cost of applying of the application if admitted?

I just got notified that I'm a finalist for China. Woo. Time for BSG!

To those that got rejected where did you apply?

It's painful having to wait it out but I hope people aren't legitimately having panic attacks waiting for this news. If you're going nuts because of word back on whether you're a finalist, can you imagine how much of a wreck you'd be while waiting for the actual final notice? Judging by people's reactions from last year they aren't too great about meeting deadlines and notifying people. In any case if you're really panicking I'd suggest having a few beers, chilling out and watching Battlestar Galactica over the weekend and waiting patiently for the email - which is exactly what I plan to do once I'm off work.

Public service loan forgiveness exists, especially if you're going into education. If you are considering a career in public service you can have the remaining balance on your loans forgiven after 10 years if you make your payments on time. This applies to federal direct loans only, however. Teaching forgiveness programs are available in a lot of states so look into those options. You should not consider filing for bankruptcy because generally speaking, it is almost impossible to get your student loans discharged unless they are severely impacting your ability to live - and not in the sense that you lack a social life, but as in you are struggling to pay for food because of your student loan burden. Your debt can be tailored to your income. Your payments are going to be high anyway, so you may as well get continued education that can boost your earning potential.