whattheflip

Hey guys, Soo, i got the Boren Fellowship, I'll be out of the country for 7 months. I guess im looking for thoughts/opinions/advice. Getting the Boren is a bit bittersweet because Im really excited to have an awesome experience but I feel like I'm going to miss out on the lives of my friends and family. keeping in touch is going ot be hard, etc. Is anyone else getting a bit panicy? my program isnt as structured as some of the other i have heard about, so I'm also nervous that its gonna get a bit lonely. many students that apply for the Boren are looking to be in the Foreign Service, I have considered this professional path as well. This anxiety and nervousness makes it wonder if FSO is really my thing.... thoughts??

whattheflip India Fellowship Accepted May 4th E-mail Urdu Y US-India Relations, South Asia Politics E-mail Update received I'm really excited I got it...I dont know yet if I am definitely taking it. will post a "help me!" post soon, lol.

*got it* DYIIIIINNNNGGGG

there is a possibility of a sweet gig with the Ethiopian government's Budget and Finance branch that I would happily take...

I've not been as inefficient as I have been this week in a very long time...and its exam week. its getting pathetic, if they dont send the notifications out today I'm going to be out of control.

if we go off of the "they want to let ppl know early in the day so they can start corresponding with the award recipient ASAP" thing, i guess we're not hearing today...

Ok, I'm getting really annoyed now. I have 2-3 other options to consider and they are not going to wait around for me to hear from Boren at the end of this week or something. At this point they know who got it and who didnt...JUST TELL ME! ...in case anyone was going to call them, they're not aswering, voicemail is changed to a very generic "we're working on it, all applicants will know by this week."

i'm pretty sure they will initially inform us via email and the official notification will come via snail mail at a later date... i'm still hoping for end of the day today! i really really wanna call them to ask but i feel like a nuisance so I wont...ughhhhh

ughhhh I've never before wanted a weekend to pass by fast. Didn't think it was possible, but this weekend is craaawling.

I called them on the 26th, they said "we hope to get the results out early next week". I seriously hope that means Monday, I'm going craaazy.

Hi Guys! I stumbled upon this forum this week and its been so good to know other people are going through the same thing as me, lol! For whatever its worth, my friend applied for a Boren Scholarship in 2009 and recieved an email informing him of his "alternate" status on May1st. This year, May1st is a Sunday but lets hope they get the emails out by the 2nd... I applied for a Fellowship to study Urdu in India.

I have the exact same financial aid packages as you from CMU and UChicago. I went to Chicago's admitted students day and i was so impressed by all aspects of the Harris School. I would go there if my interests were domestic in nature, but they are not. I would even go as far as saying that I thought Harris had a higher calibre of students atleast at the admitted day than CMU would. You can't go wrong with either of those choices, but Chicago gets my vote.

thanks for the info mppgal, that helps. However, i have heard some rumors that the apprenticeships in DC can be mundane/not satisfactory. Again, this is from a girl at the Harris Admitted Students Day who turned Heinz down. s33- I PMed you! I think I'm leaning towards Heinz pitt-dc track. Anyone out there who would advocate for Harris for someone right out of undergrad? The whole yr of relevant and direct w/e is the main reason I'm choosing Heinz. I cant wait for thursday when I will HAVE to turn in my decision. This mental/emotional turmoil will be over.

you guys, thank you so much for ALL this feedback, I really appreciate it. I'm visiting Chicago this weekend actually, and hoping to really like it. I've visited CMU several times and I do love it. And, here I start the process of getting over SIPA. It truly isn't worth it and yea, the 130K would be like a sword hanging over my head for those two years. Definitely too much pressure. Between Harris and Heinz its going to come down to placement after graduation and internships while in school. I am straight out of undergrad and I would be lying if I said that doesn't make me nervous as hell looking for jobs during/after this degree. Thanks again!

Okay ya'll here is the issue. I've narrowed my choices down to three: 1. MPP @Harris School 2. MSPPM (Pitt/DC track) @CMU 3. MIA @SIPA, Columbia CMU gave me full tution + stipend for living expenses. Harris School has offered me full tuition. SIPA gave me ZERO. My end goal varies from working for the Department of State to working for a U.N. body to working for an organization like RAND or Carnegie Endowment. If I were to go to CMU or Chicago, I would concentrate on being a "quant. beast". At SIPA I would do a regional focus on South Asia. At CMU/Chicago I would be studying what I need in order to be competitve for the jobs I want. At SIPA, though, I would really love what I'm studying AND (I believe) be well trained. The thing is its hard to a. let go of SIPA b. let go of such great funding. Should i even consider SIPA...130K?? What about Harris Vs. Heinz? Please. Any comments AT ALL are appreciated. I am not capable of thinking about this any longer. And yes, you are allowed to tell me there is no decision to make, go with the most funding. I think i need to hear it.