KenBesonders

Your profile is very strong. I would say strong GRE scores will put you in a very ideal position for the programs you listed.

If the fit is great, then by all means go for it!

Korbel has a semester in DC you could look into. Otherwise I am generally against the hive mind of taking in debt because a program is ranked #1. However I would encourage to assess what you want and see what program fits best. Try to avoid the whole rankings and prestige mindset. Foreign service and government work is an area where prestige won't land you jobs in the way that think tanks or academics can.

SAIS has a really good reputation for job placement, but it really boils down to utilizing a network. That being said you should aim to go to for what most perks your interests and not the assumptions of career prospects associated with a brand name.

I really want to emphasize, especially to the forum in general, is that not to inflate the value of your degree over tangible skills you gain from work experience. If you want to work on international development, either a MPP or MAIR would be suitable for an educational background. What matters is how you develop yourself with that degree and how you build your network. I would highly reccomend against going back for a second degree for the purpose of shifting your job field. Employers do not care so much about your degree, but rather the skills you obtain and potential you show.

Program: MIA Schools considered: SAIS, Maxwell, SIPA, Georgetown, American SIS, GWU Elliott, CEU SPP and Pitt GSPIA Major: International Studies/Political Science GPA: 3.00 (3.4 in major) GRE: NA, figuring what score I could need to help offset GPA. Undergrad school: Large Midwest School Years since UG: 2.5 years by the time I apply Work experience: 0.5 years doing a disarmament internship for UN NGO at UN HQ, 0.5 years marketing, 0.5 years writing in advocacy NGO, two summer research projects with professors, currently working remotely doing military analysis for a NGO Coursework: Statistics, want to re-enroll next year to take econ. Language: Intermediate German and Spanish SoP: I know everyone says their's are "great" but I plan on spending this summer writing them out and tailoring my focuses in each program. LoR: One from my undergrad IS director, one from a professor I know well and one from my former supervisor at my UN internship Other: I did well in a student public policy competition I entered (Went up against students from Ivy League Schools), so that should be a good boost. Heavily involved with Model UN at my University while an undergrad. Currently a volunteer with a few different disarmament organizations that I help remotely. I staff around three Model UN conferences as well and hold senior rolls in each. My main question is, what type of GRE scores do you think I should aim for? I believe I have a strong work, volunteer and research background so I want to try to really develop good SOP so I can be considered for funding. I know my GPA is a set-back so what GRE scores could maybe help offset that?

I am pretty sure this is false. Maxwell seems to put a lot of emphasis on professional development. Perhaps their MPA is different but their MAIR focuses a lot on professional development, networking and internships.

Honestly, SIPA is very good and ranks high but keep in mind you would be turning down a full-ride to go to what is arguably the most expensive graduate school in IR. Again, though SIPA might fit you better, is it worth over 100K in debt when you could go to a quality school for free? We have a thread on debt vs prestige, but for the most part, many schools will help work your interests and your network is what matters for getting a job. If you REALLY want to go to SIPA it is your call, but never underestimate the burden of the debt you would acquire. Job prospects will likely not be that much different.

Since we are on topic of international experience sections for CVs/resumes, I also noticed that many potential schools I will apply to say "highlight international experience." Looking at my CV I see room to have a separate "International Experience" section. However, and I am sure others might have this issue, all of my international experience is already on my CV. I mainly have two experiences: One with a research internship and one with a public policy competition. Both are already listed in their respective areas. Would it be smart to utilized a separate section for this or try to make it obvious where they are already listed in my CV/resume?

I know that of the general rules of value is "location, location, location" but to me it seems we are really splitting hairs on the location of AU and GWU. Yes GWU perhaps has the best location in all of the country for public policy and international affairs. However, American is STILL IN DC and I feel people seem to forget that having your university next to the White House does not guarantee anything regarding applying to work. The only advantage it provides is having a relative location where you can network with more ease. Other then that, the real networking, AKA internships and going to events, is what matters and as long as your location is in DC I think they are not going to care where you are geographically located within the city.

For federal position, you can simply look at the General Schedule pay scale. Most students with a bachelors likely enter into the G-5/G-7 area where those with a Masters or Law degree (or experience equivalent to the level) will start out at around a G-9 level.

I agree with you as I was actually thinking about this concept last night! I decided to limit my volunteer experience to one bullet point each for quick explanation while my work and research experience will have 3-4 bullet points.

Hey guys. I was working on my CV summary today and found it to be a bit of a struggle because I am not use to language on a CV. This is what I have thus far: "Highly motivated professional seeking entrance into a graduate program for an M.A. in International Affairs. Ranked sixth out of over a 1,000 students in the Global Public Policy and Debate Challenge. Granted numerous awards for displaying leadership and understanding of public policy. Proven ability to conceptualize solutions for existing problems in international security. Aspiring to enter into a public service based position with the federal government." MS Word is telling me all of the sentences are fragments but they are similar to examples I found. At any rate, is this information sound for an intro or is there any critical feedback any users would like to supply?

Not to turn this into a GWU versus American contest, but I fail to see the prestige appeal in GWU over American. They both rank close to each other and both have strong curriculum. I think GWU gets that prestige vibe because of their location and being a stone's throw from the Department of State and the White House.

I will pose a question that came up in my original thread, but how much space did applicants here dedicate towards explaining relevant volunteer and awards experience? I hear some just simply list them in order with dates while others will grant 1-2 bullet points to explain some content of their experience. Not asking for anything absolute but for what people prefer and might have worked better for them.

Greetings everyone! I made a thread with a question about my CV in the applications forum. One poster made a good point about consulting people with experience in the field you wish to apply. Since this sub-forum is popular and has many users, I thought it would helpful to have a thread about CV/Resume advice, specifically for IR/MPP applicants. Past applicants and successful admits are strongly encouraged to contribute regarding any tips. Some brief focus points that could be of interest: Length of CV Describing activities and responsibilities Certain types of skills that should highlighted Style and formatting Of course, each individual will have their own style but applying best practices can potentially help some potential applications with their style and presentation. If anyone has links to good examples of Resumes/CVs, that would be especially helpful as long as we stay in purview of the rules.

Thanks for the feedback! I am very new to writing CV's as I have mostly done resumes my entire life. Likewise, I am not familiar with how to present certain aspects of it. That being said, I like your idea of condensing it and trying to save space while also making it look less wordy. Edit: Based off of your experience, how long would you say graduate school CV's should be? I am applying to international affairs programs.

Hello all, I am working on my CV for the fall of 2015 application cycle. I am going over my volunteer experience and I have a question regarding my involvement with a particular organization. I have now held two different positions but one requires a leadership role of me and thus has distinct duties and responsibilities. I really wish to highlight this position in my volunteer experience section of my CV. Currently I have both listed as separate entries (Names are redacted for privacy purposes): President of the Security Council: Model United Nations Conference 2015 – Present § Drafted crisis simulations to be carried out during the time frame of the conference § Delegated and managed Security Council staff in creating preparation materials § Edited drafts of topic background guides and provided constructive feedback § Trained staff members to manage and organize their preparation materials Chair, Some Committee: Model United Nations Conference 2015 § Created four background guides and policy briefs used to educate student participants § Developed and drafted the Security Council Crisis simulation § Tasked with editing final drafts of background guides and topic annotations § Managed and trained assistant staff members in successfully chairing committee rooms Is it okay to have two separate entries for the same organization or is there a way to condense this?

I know this topic is not directly related to CEU SSP, but since we are on topic, I was wondering if anyone could provide any insight on the school? I am an American and visited the school when I was a semi-finalist for a global debate and public policy challenge. I am interested because of its location and the large amount of scholarships/fellowships they offer.

I know some people here have five years of work experience, but honestly 2.5 years is pretty good. You also have some notable experience overseas and with the Peace Corps which is highly looked upon by admissions. I would say you are very well rounded with excellent GRE scores. You would probably be competitive for funding at most well known institutions.

From what I understand being involved in different types of activities helps set apart a grad school resume and can build attractiveness. I want to open this thread to share experiences of what grad school students or applicants have done in terms of activities or volunteer experience and how it might have benefited your grad school applications. On my end, I was heavily involved in Model United Nations at my university and won a lot of awards. It also really helped my research skills since the organization was rather intense in competing. I am now staffing Model UN conferences because it is fun and sometimes the conference will cover cost of travel. I intend to go into IR so hopefully it will look good on the resume. Overall, I think Model UN, if available, is a great way for undergrads interested in IR to help build up their skills and knowledge.

That is good to hear. Please let me clarify that I am by no means expecting a full-ride (though I want to shoot for it) and that finding some funding opportunities outside of loans would be favorable. I do see that Syracuse Maxwell does hand out a fair amount of funding, so if I can up my GRE scores I think I could stand a fighting chance.

That what I sometimes fear, aside from great GRE scores, is there anything else one can do that can emphasize that they can be a competitive student despite a lackluster GPA? Like something on a resume or application that really stands out?

Hello all, This might be more applicable to the "Am I Competitive" thread but I felt my question is specific enough to follow forward. I plan on applying for graduate school to enroll in the fall of 2016. So I would be applying during the fall of 2015. The main schools on my list right now are American SIS, Syracuse Maxwell, GWU Elliott, Columbia SIPA and Johns Hopkins SAIS. (SAIS and SIPA very hopeful) Anyways, my GPA is standing around a 3.0 cumulative with a 3.4 in my major. (International studies) I graduated in 2013 and since then, I have interned with an NGO at the United Nations, worked about a half year in marketing and worked about 4 months as a staff writer for a non-profit (Politics and Federal Affairs). Would combining all of my work experience, total three years before I would enroll, be enough to offset my GPA? I know this might sound hopeful but I want to try to be competitive for funding. My GRE scores might be the deciding factor if that would be the case. I did assist in research for two professors who published two papers in peer reviewed journals, if that helps at all. *Side note: I did apply for graduate school in fall of 2013 and was accepted by Pitt GSPIA and Denver Korbel while rejected by American and GWU. GRE was 156 V, 148 Q and 5.5 A.

Central European University School of Public Policy in Budapest is an up and coming place from what I understand. Young program but I heard good things about the quality of education and potential networks. The guy who runs it use to be a senior researcher for Brookings and started his own think tank in Berlin.