Hi everyone! I'm planning on applying to several China studies/security studies programs in the Washington DC area. I'm a rising senior in college and have yet to take the GRE, but I was wondering if you think my academic experiences/work experiences are on track. Thanks so much!
Schools: Georgetown SSP (concentration in military operations), SAIS (Dual Concentration in China Studies and Security Studies), Elliot, SIS. Are there more schools that you would recommend looking at for China Studies and Strategic Studies?
Undergraduate institution: Top 40
Undergraduate Major: Government, Hispanic Studies minor
Undergraduate GPA: 3.77 overall, 3.89 in Government
GRE: Took a practice test. 160 V, 160 Q
Years Out of Undergrad: 0 years
Years of Work Experience: 2 years
Describe Relevant Work Experience:
Internship - US Overseas Private Investment Corporation: 3 months (extensive economic analysis and quantitative work)
Teaching English in Taiwan: 5 months
State Department Virtual Internship: 10 months
Internship - US government agency A: 3 months
Internship - US government agency B: 5 months
Research Volunteer - Air Combat Command/IA: 5 months (brainstormed ideas on how to improve USAF RAS/PAS officer training programs, presented my findings orally to more than 10 USAF senior officials and drafted a policy brief regarding my recommendations)
College Student Assembly: 2.5 years (promote town town relations, speak in front of the city council to advocate for student rights and housing reforms, event planning and management)
Internship - State Legislature: 2 months
Internship - US Senate: 3 months
Languages:
English: Native
Mandarin Chinese: Functionally Native (can read simplified and traditional)
Spanish: Full Professional Proficiency
French: Intermediate
Taiwanese Hokkien: Limited
Quant:
Took several AP courses in high school, received As and high Bs on all of them. 5s on AP exams in Statistics, Calculus, and Macroecon.
College coursework:
Economics and National Security (A)
Introduction to Microecon (B+)
Intermediate Macroecon ( B )
Awards:
NSEP Boren Scholarship
Member, US National Language Service Corps
Other:
Born in China
First generation immigrant and naturalized US citizen
SOP: Focused on how my parents' activism at Tiananmen Square inspired me to pursue a career in US China relations and how I became interested in military analysis during my internships with the US government and study abroad experiences in Taiwan. My research interests mostly have to do with Chinese military strategies and the People's Liberation Army.
LOR: 1 from a senior Foreign Service Officer who has served in China, 1 from a prominent, retired intelligence officer who is also a professor at my school, 1 from an international relations professor at my school who knows me really well.
Questions:
- Do you think I have a shot at Georgetown's security studies program right out of undergrad?
- Are there any other great China studies programs that you would recommend applying to?