almostel

Another one straight out of undergrad! I've worked for the local gov't and State dept in the summer/school year, but never for a longer period of time.... cosmike10, congrats! I'm interning in the RSO in the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica this semester, and it's been great!

Hey all I'm a newbie to the board (and the whole grad school app process), and I was hoping some of you could help me out. I'm applying to GW Elliott and American SIS for the Fall 2010 semester--for an M.A. in International Affairs with a concentration in U.S. Foreign Policy. I'm kind of the classic case of a significant disparity between academics and work experience, and I was wondering how you guys thought these factors would play out come decision time. Stats: B.A. in International Relations & B.A. in Spanish from Wheaton College (IL) Cum GPA: 3.9 GRE: 710V, 700Q, 4.5a -study abroad in Salamanca, Spain -high level of proficiency in Spanish work experience: -writing consultant at college writing center, local gov't work, etc. but the big one is the State Dept internship I'm currently completing. I'm interning in the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica this semester and should have good recs. -2 month volunteer experience in Maracaibo, Venezuela statement of purpose: I enjoy working with State and would like to pursue a career in the civil service after graduation, so in my Statement of Purpose I'll highlight the necessity and value of the degree for becoming a Foreign Affairs Officer in the civil service. My interests within U.S. Foreign Policy are not entirely clear cut yet, but my work here has given me a greater interest in drug trafficking and human trafficking (I've also helped build a campus chapter of the International Justice Mission--international human rights org--so I'll talk about that a bit. So that's about it. I realize applying to grad school as a relatively inexperienced 21 year old is going to put me behind everyone with more work experience, but I am hoping my academics/State dept recs will help pull me through. Thoughts? Thanks, Ashley