guadalcanal

I agree, I've already done this. I've even quoted faculty-written research to show just how they would benefit my educational/research growth. I think this is a good move since IR is traditionally research-oriented for the most part, and I thought if I can show that I can research both what my own interests are and the people who can help me out, it would look good to an adcomm maybe I hope so Thanks for your help

Thanks for all your help, everyone! One thing that I see across the board is "the fit", and I'm definitely working on that. Another issue that's been popping up is how much my personal statement and SoP should overlap...so far I have little besides some initial research details, but my SoP (for now) is purely research-oriented (research topic, outline, how the department will be good for me, which faculty are doing my kind of work), and my personal statement is all about who I am, how I'd fit in, the posts I've held, and what my professional goals are. Is that good? Thanks so, so much! I will definitely PM you as soon as I figure out how to...

Hey everyone, So I've started work on my SoPs and for most of them I only have 500 words to convince a committee of strangers that I am the perfect fit for their Masters programs. I've read up on the advice in the forum but for the most part everyone seems to be heading for PhDs (congrats, you guys!) and have 1000-1500 words to make a case. What do I absolutely have to include in my SoP, and how should I do it? I can't brag about myself, I haven't opened with an anecdote, and I have tried to explain how I got into my field of study (IR). I have to include a CV so I figured I'd get my achievements in there, and I have to provide a statement of intent (proposed research) separately.Do I either overlapping these slightly, or keep the SoP devoid of any information in the other two documents? Thanks a ton!

Just got my AW scores in, so I thought I'd post here. PP1 (first time, at the beginning of my overall prep): V154, Q151 Princeton (from the book, can't recall which one of the tests I did): V160, Q151 ETS Book Test 1: V160, Q152 ETS Book Test 2: V159, Q153 PP2: V161, Q152 Manhattan (only did quant, free online test): Q152 Kaplan's Premier CD (average scores of the tests): V161, Q156 PP1 (done again, after a month and a half): V162, Q158 Actual test: V166, Q153, AW 6 I'm disappointed with the quant score since I spent two months working like crazy on bringing it up, but on test day (and a few days before that) I fell quite ill and at two points had to be escorted out of the testing center because I was coughing so much (once during my first writing task, and the next during my first math section). I was already despondent about the math and I think the illness only exacerbated my confusion and terror, leading to the dismal score. However, since I'm applying for IR programs, I don't think it's too bad a score, and I hope my verbal and writing make up for it.

Why on earth are you spamming this post, fvcd-whatever? I was looking for actual help, not random promotions from other people.

I was looking at Lee Kwan Yew but decided S. Rajaratnam at Nanyang was better suited for my requirements. Copenhagen...that I haven't looked into yet. North Korean relations are very interesting to me but not what my primary interest is (gender and politics, which I suppose I could do in Seoul as well). At one point I was looking to focus on Korean relations and affairs and I honestly would not mind going back to that, but I will take your recommendations into consideration. I thought it shouldn't be a bad option especially since both SNU and Yonsei are registered under APSIA (http://www.apsia.org/member-schools/) with other IR schools like Columbia and Harvard. Might I ask what degrees your friends are pursuing/have pursued, and what their experiences are? What is the job market for what they're pursuing like? I'm just trying to keep my options open. Thanks so much for all your help!

Hello, fellow desi! 154 for Verbal is not good enough for a Journalism Masters. I definitely think you should give the GRE another try and try to get that section score up to at least a 160. Your portfolio sounds excellent, but with a low GRE score your application could quite possibly be eliminated in the early stages by the adcomm. Scholarships would depend on the universities you apply to. Some might give you merit-based scholarships, but for the most part you'd have to check out their list of scholarships and apply. Good luck!

Hey Pax! Thanks so much for the reassuring advice. I will be sure to submit the best statements I can Luckily my interests do reflect on my academic record, so your words are truly soothing! Hope your time at Munk is going well, and thanks so much again!

Hi everyone, I'm an Indian student looking forward to pursuing a Master's in International Relations/Global Affairs in Fall 2015. I was thinking of applying to two grad schools in Seoul - Yonsei and Seoul National University - with no intentions of a Ph.D later. I'd like to delve right into GONGO work once I graduate. I'm not entirely sure how a Korean degree will benefit me professionally in my career or job applications. I have an interest in the language (I can already read and write Korean, just can't speak it beyond elementary level) and the culture. Neither SNU nor Yonsei are my top choice schools, but they are my second and third. Both universities are nowhere as expensive as others, and I hear they offer generous scholarships to international students. I'd like to know if having their degrees will have any impacts on my IR ambitions, especially since they aren't too well known outside East Asia. Cheers!

Hey! Yes, Indian student in the UAE applying to a number of places for Fall 2015, but just one university in the US (I've been to the States twice before). Looking to pursue a Master's in International Relations/Global Affairs. I'm currently prepping for the GRE (will give it on the 25th of July) and making first drafts of all my statements. It's hectic and stressful and I look forward to the day this all ends

Hey everyone, I'm going to give the GRE on the 25th of July (computer-based), and I'm aiming at a Q155+/V162-166 score. My weak point is the quant section; I haven't touched math for years and I'm just generally terrible at it. I have been studying/practicing for a month now and my PowerPrep II scores are Q151/V161. I think one reason for the low quant score would be my nervousness and a blocked mind, but recently I've started losing faith in ever achieving a 155+ (my program needs at least 150+ on Q and V, and the rest of my application is strong). I attend classes, where I get material from a really wide range of books. I have the Manhattan's 5lb Book and the 8 separate books since I heard those were excellent practice...on the 5lb Math diagnostic test I took today, I have a 14 on 20, which is allegedly a 155-157. Does anyone else know how accurate this test is? I also have the ETS and McGraw-Hill books, and the Kaplan computer tests. I did a few quant Kaplan tests and got a miserable score (141-145), but I think a couple of you say that the Kaplan tests are much more difficult that ETS. How far is that true? I also have Gruber's Guide to the GRE 2015, and when I did a quant test on that I got a 162. Now I KNOW there is no way in hell I could have achieved a 162, or even above 155, at this point. I am not math-oriented, I am overly stressed and nervous, and I am all-around pathetic with math. Has anyone else tried Gruber's? How easy/difficult is it, and how close to the actual GRE is it? I don't want to be elated now and sorely disappointed later. Also, if anyone could recommend a good verbal practice series/book besides Magoosh, I'd be terribly thankful

Hey everyone, Freshly panicking grad student-to-be here. I'm applying for a number of programs globally but my top choice is the Master's of Global Affairs (MGA) at the Munk School at University of Toronto. It is also the only program that I need to write the GRE for, and according to their admissions officer, the minimum requirements are 150 in both Q & V, with a 4.0 in analytical writing. My problem is now scoring well on the GRE and my chances at Munk. My application portfolio is strong, and when my GPA here is converted to the UoT scale I have like a 3.75 to 3.8 CGPA (maybe even higher). I have a great writing sample, a good transcript, strong recommendation letters, and the like. I'm worried about how negatively the GRE scores will affect my application. So far, after a month of continuous studying, my PowerPrep scores have always been Q 150-152 and V 160-163. Math is not my forte - writing and reading are - but I want to get at least V 163-165 and Q 155+. I have tried everything: I'm taking classes, I have got the Manhattan's 8 books + 5lb, Cracking the GRE, Kaplan, Princeton, Gruber, ETS...I do between 60 to 100 math questions a day for practice, take regular practice tests, and go over my errors. Despite all this, my scores NEVER increase. I'm so frustrated that I've pretty much resigned myself to getting a similar score on the actual GRE. The program has a bit of economics so I'd expect they want a good-ish score for quant, if not excellent. What do I do? I'm at my wits' end. Do I take the GRE, get these scores, and apply anyway? What can I do NOW to try and get my scores up at least a bit? I'm taking the GRE on the 24th of July and I know I have some time, but honestly if my scores are that bad after a month of hardcore practice and training I'm pretty despondent about the final score. Cheers, and good luck!