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VirgilRVA

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  1. Well, I'll bite. It would help this discussion if you got some things out of the way, for the sake of honesty. Did you perform well at Fletcher? Would your professors speak well of you? Were any of the unpaid internships at prestigious organizations or agencies? Did you take any (Why not)? You only mention the State Department, what type of work were you expecting to walk into? What kind of money were you expecting to make and exactly how were you expecting your MA to impact your salary? How quickly are you expecting to get some of the higher paying jobs in the IR industry (intelligence, private intelligence, or various language related analytical work)?
  2. Hello everyone! I have a number of questions regarding professional programs. I have a complicated academic profile (really only suffering from a 3.0 gpa). In spite of this, I have been encouraged that many schools really do take a holistic approach to the applications process. Most of my strengths lie in my professional background and thus I have been told that I would stand a stronger chance in applying to the professional programs. My main questions are these: I've been told that in applying to professional programs, the question tends less to be whether you can get in or rather if you can get in with funding. Due to my opportunities with the military, funding is a non-issue for me. Is this generally true? If it is circumstantial as I'm sure it is, I am curious if people could unpack that more. The second and more important question is whether a professional-oriented masters could serve as a platform in applying to a top ranked PhD. Example: Getting a MA in SIPA and later applying to PhD programs in top 10 schools. Any enlightenment would be particularly helpful.
  3. Hello everyone! As I have been learning about grad school, I have been learning about the realm of political science. I have been told that there are generally two types of masters. One of the types is more professional, aimed at placing students in the industry world after graduation. Meanwhile, there are other masters programs that are more academically focused and are aimed at placing students further in academia, into a PhD program. My goals are to eventually receive a PhD in political science, or more specifically international relations. That being said, I feel like my academic profile is not very competitive for PhD programs. My GPA is terribly low at 3.0. Regardless of that, I have many papers published between student journals, think tanks, and magazines. I have decent GRE scores (165v/162q/4.5aw). have presented posters and panels at MPSA and NPSA's conferences. I also have a fantastic academic internship with the Institute on Counter Terror in Israel which resulted in a very strong academic letter of recommendation (I have 2 other strong letters from notable professors from my undergrad). Lastly, I have a formidable professional background involving military service which includes a strong professional letter. For personal reasons and other interests (I can explain if necessary), I am really striving to enter a PhD program in some of the top schools. I have been told that the other parts of my academic profile can make me acceptable for top professional programs. That being said, I am curious if the same is true for academic programs. Furthermore, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of midpoint Masters programs I should be looking at with my profile that could provide me with the platform I would need to become a competitive applicant for some of the top schools.
  4. Hey everyone! I think we understand the song and dance of this thread. Here's my profile: Undergrad: Virginia Commonwealth University UGGPA: 3.0 GRE: 165Q/ 162V/ 4.5aw Language & Travel: Fluent Russian, extensive world travel and worked abroad LoR: 1- Very strong Prof, Upenn & MIT alum, CDC contributor 2- Very strong Prof, SAIS alum 3- Good letter, Less notable alum 4- Strong professional letter, Retired Colonel working in Pentagon (Army Strategy) Papers/Research: Poli Sci Student Journals (2) -Presented at MPSA annual conference (2) -Presented panel at NPSA annual conference (2) -Various articles on post-communist politics in think tanks and foreign policy magazines (4) Professional: 3 years US Army (Infantry and Intelligence Analyst) -2 winters in Ukraine, working with (Azov) Volunteer militiamen. -2 Years co-owning private intelligence firm (OSINT) (few paying clients) -3 month internship with Institute on Counter Terror in Tel Aviv Various?: President of Model UN 2 years -Various Army schools -Counter Terror Certificate from Institute on Counter Terror (Tel Aviv) I'm really bothered by my GPA. I'm getting ready to spend the year doing a few grad courses in statistics and economics. I've been told that my professional background is unique and can make me a competitive candidate but I'm very concerned about my undergrad school and GPA. I'm planning on applying to SIPA, HKS, SAIS, WWS, and SIS. But should I bother with the UGGPA? Should I be tempering my expectations?
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