NotLostWanderer
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Posts posted by NotLostWanderer
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It's tough to turn down a free ride. I suppose if you feel that the professors pose some decent networking value to you, and the courses available represent something that you want to learn or feel would enhance your resume within the security/gov realm than it would be fine. I think it's always a good idea to look at the course catalog they have for this year and previous years to get a sense of what classes are available, when and who they're taught by to put together a mock schedule for the duration of your time there and then see if you like the program compared to another mock schedule put together from the other program. I did this for Georgetown's SSP and GWU's SPS program with the professors names listed by the courses and hyperlinked to their profiles so I can quickly look at their experience, research, etc. and compare the programs side by side, class for class, schedule for schedule to see which program makes more sense.
The courses are certainly relevant and actually very finely tuned to what I want to study, but they're all fairly new. There's no one I can talk to who has gone through the program. A mock schedule is a great idea. I might decide to go to Georgetown if I get too into the strengths of the program, and that I certainly can't afford.
How much work experience do you have already? If you have a decent amount of work experience on the IR world already, and are just looking to do a track change, where you get your Masters will matter much less, and will be more ticking the box. If your relevant work experience is much less, then I could see the brand name mattering a bit more/helping you get your foot in the door. My only word of caution is that from your description, it does not sound like the school giving you a free ride would help you with what you're interested in. I could be wrong, but just going off of what you've written, it sounds like they don't have faculty that are experts in your intended field (do they at least have courses in that area? If not, definitely consider everything carefully). Even if you don't spend a lot of money at this program, it is still years from your life, and effort. I don't think it would necessarily be wise to sign up for a school that will not help you get where you want to go, regardless of how inexpensive it is. At the end of the day, if money is your concern, you can always take another year to build your resume, re-take standardized tests, and re-apply to programs with the goal of getting more aid.
I have one year of work experience in another field, plus some internships also in another field. Perhaps I did not do a good job of describing the program at the "free ride" school. It has many courses in the area I'm interested in. Two faculty members have some experience, although not exactly similar to what I strive to be. They have a grant that actually puts them in collaboration with a place I could see myself working, but I am not sure how strong the ties are. I am thinking I could get good things out of the program if I work really hard. For a $40k+ difference, I'm really thinking it's worth it. I just don't want to always wonder what if...if I decide not to attend GWU...
I don't think I'd have a better shot at getting more aid next year, other than perhaps getting a comparable amount of funding at a different school. I'm certainly not going to retake the GRE haha. I have considered working for another year, but I am honestly miserable at my current job.
I'd say go with the program that would offer you the best curriculum for what you want to do and the best connections. I am in a somewhat similar situation. However in my case, it turns out that the lesser known program is also a better fit for what I want to do. If you want to work for the government, your connections and how well you perform on the entry tests matter a lot. I think a prestigious degree does help a little, especially in international security.
This is where it's tough...they both have good curriculums. I've heard schools in DC are fairly cutthroat. Is this true? I think I could develop a very good relationship with the professors at the other school as they have gone out of their way to meet and talk with me. I worry about getting lost in a DC program.
Do you (or anyone else) have any data points to back up the idea that prestigious degrees help in IS? I know it's an impossible situation to evaluate, but would a person who got into the most prestigious programs be able to ultimately do just as well for himself if he chose a lesser-known program?
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How about some more details? What are you wanting to study? What kind of work are you wanting to do? Where is this unknown school located? Who would your professors be? Do they have work experience that is actually "in the field" you want to get into working at the places you'd want to be working at?
Sorry for being so vague in my post, but I want to keep some level of anonymity. That said, pardon me for ignoring some aspects of your questions.
I want to study international security. The school is located in a major city, yet no relevant work is done there aside from research. It is too far from DC to have any relevance. A few of the professors have experience in a related field, but none seem to have experience in exactly what I'm interested in. I could see myself starting where they worked in the past as a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to work, but I think it might be more difficult to get into my dream job initially.
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I am in a situation that I thought had an easy solution, but I am currently absolutely dumbfounded as to how to best proceed.
Option 1: Attend a school that no one on this board has mentioned. It has a new program in exactly the field I'm interested in but has little reputation as an IR school. I would get to do research in my field. I would have no debt with money left over if I did this. I'd have lots of attention from the few professors who do the work I'm interested in. I would try to get an internship in DC next summer.
Option 2: Attend a school in DC (GW). I would have roughly $40k in debt if I did this. I'd try to get internships during the year and summer, but I've heard paid ones are hard to come by.
I want to ultimately work for the government. I have heard that "prestige" doesn't really matter in that case, other than getting your foot in the door.
Does anyone have any insight?
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Does anyone know if you defer your acceptance if you can also defer your funding?
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Thanks for the suggestions! I'm making a list and will likely be referencing it for a while.
I'm starting with Special Providence as my local library has it in!
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From what I have gathered, there are plentiful opportunities at all of the schools you listed; you might just have to put in a little more effort to find them.
Make a spreadsheet with your total estimated expenses, find out exactly what the price differences are, then try to figure out how you plan on paying all of it back. It's easy to say, "oh, I'm already borrowing a bunch of money, I might as well go all the way," when in reality, something like $20k is a huge difference.
Edit: check out this thread where there's a similar discussion -
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Thanks for the lists! They definitely look like a good place to start.
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Three questions here:
1. I got a full-ride (as a research assistant) + health insurance and a stipend at an unranked in-state institution. Is there any chance I could use this to negotiate my already pretty high offer at GWU's Elliott School? The monetary value GWU is offering me actually totals more than the other school's package, but I would still have to pay out of pocket. I am even less convinced this could work because technically I would be working at the other school to earn that money, whereas GWU is a scholarship. I do plan to get a part-time job if I take the GWU offer, but this question is strictly about negotiating.
2. If I somehow change my mind and want to attend the in-state school, could I use GWU's total monetary value to negotiate the in-state offer?
3. I got into Georgetown Walsh School without any funding. Is there any chance I could use my GWU offer to obtain similar funding? The letter made it sound pretty clear that I wouldn't get any funding the first year.
edit: To answer the OP's questions,
I had one year of work experience, plus internships throughout the summers of undergrad.
I think the best way to ensure funding is to apply to programs that fit your interests exactly.
I did not apply for MPP programs, however.
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I'm going to try to get out debt free. I am planning on turning down a full ride + stipend at a low-ranked institution (as a research assistant) to attend GWU with a nice scholarship. Hopefully I can get a part-time job in my field and not eat into my savings too much. The difference in cost is negligible to me, especially considering the opportunity cost of being far from DC!
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Also accepted! No funding though, so unfortunately I won't be attending.
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I will likely be attending the Elliott School of International Affairs this fall. I have a large appetite to learn (that's why I'm going back to school, after all), but I don't have a lot of background knowledge in international affairs. I come from an engineering background and am trying to change my career path.
Are there any suggestions on good reading materials or online lectures to help me build a knowledge base? I would like to start broad, as I have already done a bit of reading in my intended concentration. Specifically, anything that summarizes US foreign relations / policy over the last 60 years or so would be great. Anything else that you really enjoyed is also welcomed!
While we're at it, what can I expect from the classes? I'm guessing they will be largely seminar based, with lots of readings and discussions. About how much reading/writing is assigned each week? Are there generally exams or just term papers?
ADMITTED - Georgetown SFS Security Studies Program F15
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
There is a consortium between Georgetown, George Washington, American, and 11 other area schools that allows one who attends any of these institutions to take courses at one of the others. I plan on taking advantage of this to take a course or two at Georgetown, but unfortunately I cannot justify the financial burden of attending Georgetown.
link: http://www.consortium.org