jcass

I can't decide if Bologna is worth it, compared to DC. Does anyone know anything about the strength of the Middle East Studies program in Bologna? And how hard is it to get an internship (in DC or international) if I spend the first year there?

Thanks a lot for your help. I recently got admitted to the Middle East Studies program. I'm deciding between SAIS, SIS and deferring for a year to get more work experience. Do you know anything about the Mid East program and its strengths? And did the school help you get the summer internship?

I made the exact same mistake. Do you think there's any chance we can still contact them and make our case?

I didn't get a concentration, either. My first choice was Middle East studies, so I'm guessing I got into that

Crazy that you didn't get in. You absolutely deserved it. Good luck with the rest

Rejected

Georgetown's website says that the average age is more than 26. https://msfs.georgetown.edu/admissions/incoming

Hi everyone, New here. Can't wait for the decisions to come out, but I'm reallly nervous, too. I don't know if I have any chance for funding. I'd really appreciate your take on it. Age: 23 Program: MIA/MPP School Applying to: HKS, SAIS, Georgetown MSFS, Tufts, American SIS, Yale, NYU GSAS, UofT Munk, Carleton NPSIA Undergrad Institution: University of Toronto (#1 in Canada, #17 in the World), Class of 2015 (Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Management, Minor in Economics) Undergrad GPA: 3.12 (due to one terrible, early semester) Grad Institution: University of Toronto, Class of 2016 (Master of Arts in Germanic Languages, Literatures and Cultures). I was offered a Graduate Scholarship Award that covered my full tuition, as well as a paid course instructor position. Grad GPA: 3.8 GRE: 157 V, 153 Q, 5.0 Writing Years of Full-Time Work Experience: 1 year + internships, volunteer work and part-time jobs. (5 months volunteering in the Middle East, co-founder of an NPO in Toronto that gives all profits to charity, instructor of German at University of Toronto, German Translator for the Huffington Post, a couple of corporate jobs) Published Work: Recently had an article published on the Huffington Post. Unfortunately it was after the application deadlines passed, and most admissions committees won't even get to read it. Languages: Fluent in Arabic, English and German. Proficient in French. Background: I grew up in the Middle East and have volunteered there through the Church or as a member of an NGO. I have a somewhat unique background story, as I took part in one of the Arab Spring Revolutions and have had some incredible experiences, which I mention in all of my essays. I plan to concentrate on Middle East issues in my studies. Quant Experience: A bunch of economics courses as part of my undergraduate degree (Grades range from A to C, but mostly As). Some quant and analytical experience in my corporate jobs. Strength of LoR 1: Professor and Teaching Supervisor. She is a Harvard PHD and wrote me a very strong letter. Strength of LoR 2: From a professor who knows me very well (4 courses, all As) and offered me the graduate scholarship award Strength of LoR 3: My former manager at a large corporation, who vouched for my business skills. I've read it and it is a solid letter. Results: I have already gotten accepted at American SIS and NYU GSAS. Concerns: My GRE scores obviously could have been a bit higher, but I hope that the fact that I am not a native English speaker will make up for the verbal section. As for the quant., I hope that my past econ courses make up for that. I am also worried about a lack of work experience. I felt uneasy putting 1 year on the application for 'years of full-time work experience', since I have almost always been working part-time, translating for the Huff-Post, volunteering and completing summer internships. Will that lower my chances? My undergrad GPA is also somewhat weak, but I think the fact that I was offered a graduate award by the same university will make up for that. My grad GPA is much better Thanks for your time!