Hmm... this is disheartening. But I thank you for your insight. This is especially bothersome as I discussed specifically what I wanted to do and where I wanted to work (in addition to having described my background) with various program directors as well as professionals in the field and no one ever mentioned this.
What would you recommend I do? I am interested in analyst positions and have considered becoming an agent (FBI, Interpol, ICE, etc...). I speak French fluently and have basic proficiency in Arabic and Fulani. I would also enjoy research and consulting, specifically in the areas of corruption, organized, international, and transnational crime. Is this unrealistic since I've never worked in law enforcement?
On a side note, the program at American is Justice, Law and Criminology with several concentrations available (justice and public policy, terrorism, jurisprudence, etc.) so it's not strictly CJ/criminology. (I would send you the link but apparently we can't post them here? It won't copy and paste.)