homesicksub
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Posts posted by homesicksub
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Just committed! Deferring to 2020. Has anyone else here committed?
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100% less. I applied to 10 in total (I know, too much) and it was honestly a result of me having too little confidence in myself. I had 2 reaches, 4 middles, and 4 safeties. In retrospect, I could've easily narrowed that down to 2 reaches, 3 middles, and 2 safeties, but hindsight is 20/20.
I suppose there's also a matter of luck that goes into these things. I'm fortunate that I can say, now that the whole process is over, "oh I have too many options and I should've been more selective," but I could have just as easily gotten into only one or two programs and been grateful I applied to a wide range.
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15 hours ago, Hannahbanana212 said:
then again, I wasn't fully funded from as prestigious of a university, so you may have more leverage than I did
Ok, good to know! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I also apologize if I came across as overconfident in my original post, I just realized it reads that way and I didn't intend that.
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On 4/1/2019 at 10:50 AM, Hannahbanana212 said:
Money was also a big player, I got nothing from Gtown, even after attempted negotiation.
If you don't mind me asking, what did that negotiation look like? I didn't get any money either, but I intend to negotiate for aid (I have a fully-funded offer at Columbia's Asian Studies program to use as leverage).
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44 minutes ago, A.T. said:
I agree with this. SFS is a great grooming ground for area specialists and the foreign service. From what I've heard.
Thank you @somewhatslightlydazed and @A.T.! I find myself leaning towards SFS for the same reasons you both have stated. I’m definitely confident that I want to be a) an area specialist and b) in the public sector, so it sounds like Georgetown might be the right choice.
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On 3/17/2019 at 2:48 PM, homesicksub said:
Coming from:
MassachusettsDeciding between:
Johns Hopkins, SAIS (Hopkins-Nanjing certificate + SAIS MA) $
Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service (M.A. Asian Studies) $$Other factors:
I'll be deferring my studies to 2020, as I will be pursuing a Fulbright grant during the 2019-2020 academic year. This kind of throws a wrench in some funding offers, but the Fulbright is priceless for a career in international affairs. Plus, maybe I'll get a better offer from whichever program I defer once I have a Fulbright under my belt.After about of a week's worth of deep thought, I'm still deciding between SAIS' MA and Georgetown SFS' Asian Studies program. I'm quite torn – while the MA program at SAIS is their flagship program and would carry a lot of weight in the post-graduate job search, Georgetown's faculty in the field of East Asian affairs is impossible to top, in my opinion. The two programs' curricula are also different in nature: whereas SAIS is heavier on the economics and its offerings on Asia are relatively thin, Georgetown's program is more directly focused on East Asian policy, history, and current affairs. The Asian Studies program is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to take courses in the Foreign Service and Security Studies programs, as well as courses beyond the SFS. I intend to pursue a career in U.S.-East Asian policy in the public sector, but I'm still not sure exactly which type of curriculum is more appropriate for such a path.
My question for anyone willing to answer is this: is pursuing a lesser-known, regional studies program in the Georgetown School of Foreign Service going to put me at a noticeable disadvantage when compared to the better-known MA program at SAIS?
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I think I'll be turning down my admission to the MIA program in favor of SAIS. As someone looking to work in DC, SAIS makes more sense for me both professionally and financially (SIPA having offered no aid). I hope someone on the waitlist can take my place!
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6 hours ago, amberly said:
(hit enter too early - my bad if anyone saw the unedited version of this post)
I'm going to visit campuses early next month and will probably decide then, but I'd be interested in hearing what you all think
Coming from: ATX. 1 year out of undergrad, with extensive experience living abroad and 2 undergrad internships, but no relevant postgrad work experience. Concentrating in Russian/Eurasian affairs. I'm hoping to eventually become an FSO, but I'm also looking for exposure to a range of career options.
Deciding Between: Georgetown MAERES (20k/year), Johns Hopkins SAIS ($28k/year), UT Austin LBJ MPGS/CREEES (Russian/Eurasian Studies) MA (50% tuition + TAship covering rest of tuition + stipend)
Other Factors: I have family in Austin and would have considerably more support (both financial and intangible) if I stayed here.
How I'm Leaning: Basically I'm making 2 decisions: Georgetown vs SAIS and Georgetown/SAIS vs. LBJ
Georgetown vs. SAIS: Georgetown SFS has been my "dream" graduate school for a long time, and I would love the ability to study Russian/Eurasian politics in-depth in the MAERES program. I've been reading their course listings since my junior year of undergrad. I also feel like SFS is generally more service-oriented, whereas SAIS sometimes seems a little more careerist than I would prefer. (Obviously this is conjecture since I have yet to actually visit either school). On the other hand, SAIS would allow me to spend my first year in Bologna, and I've become more and more attracted to this idea over time. I've lived in Europe before, and this would be a unique opportunity to study international and regional affairs from a European rather than an American perspective--which is very appealing. Regional focus would obviously be less prominent, but I do feel like SAIS in general has a more "international" perspective, and I think that's important to an IR professional. Also--I would be in their flagship MA rather than a smaller regional program, and I've heard that SFS gives less attention/support to the regional studies MA's than MSFS/SSP. Again: conjecture, but I would love to hear anyone's thoughts.
Georgetown/SAIS vs. LBJ: This is the big $issue$. I feel reasonably confident that I could make it through LBJ with no loans. Moreover, I have family connections at UT (which is why I didn't go there for undergrad...lol), and there are parts of LBJ/MGPS that I'm truly enthusiastic about (i.e. the Strauss Center, TX National Security Review). It would be a great education, and definitely easier...but I also think that I would seriously benefit from being in D.C. I've only lived in the Southern/Midwestern U.S., and while I love Austin, it is not a hub of global diplomacy. I'm just not sure whether that advantage + the caliber of SFS/SAIS as programs is worth the extra cost. I could manage to live on savings for the first year at either school (so only borrowing for tuition), and both SFS and SAIS have indicated that it's possible to gain increased funding for the second year, but I'm not sure how feasible this actually is. Anyone know?
Ugh, this was a novel. I'd appreciate any advice you have!
I’m in a very similar situation in my decision right now. Deciding between SAIS and a regional studies program in the Georgetown SFS. I’d be happy to PM if you want to talk it over! I think it’d help both of us.
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50 minutes ago, TalkPoliticsToMe said:
I think you answered yourself when you stated “Georgetown is both a better fit for me and would allow me to dive deep into the political affairs of the region.”
Unless the funding you received from Georgetown is substantially different than SAIS, go to Georgetown.
Ah, sometimes the answer is right in front of you. I'm definitely leaning most heavily towards Georgetown, as the funding should be pretty identical between the two. I'm just going to take some time to speak with professors in the field to make sure that this would be the right degree program.
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Coming from:
MassachusettsDeciding between:
Johns Hopkins SAIS
Columbia University SIPA
Georgetown UniversityOther factors:
I'll be deferring my studies to 2020, as I will be pursuing a Fulbright grant during the 2019-2020 academic year. This kind of throws a wrench in some funding offers, but the Fulbright is priceless for a career in international affairs. Plus, maybe I'll get a better offer from whichever program I defer once I have a Fulbright under my belt.How I'm leaning:
As I'm looking to work in D.C. (specifically in U.S.-China and U.S.-East Asia policy), I'm leaning towards SAIS (their general MA program) and Georgetown (M.A. Asian Studies). They are also my most affordable options, having received no aid from SIPA. Deciding between them, however, is difficult. Whereas SAIS' program is more well-known and prepares its students with the proper analytical tools needed for policy work, Georgetown's program is both a better fit for me and would allow me to dive deep into the political affairs of the region. -
^ thank you! I agree, “splitting hairs” is the best way to describe the comparison. That’s what makes the final decision so difficult, I suppose!
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2 hours ago, pol_mil_junkie said:
I'm happy to go with SSP over SAIS because SSP is more geared for getting a job whereas SAIS is a bit more academic. Both are great, just different flavors.
That’s really interesting, what gives you that impression? I always thought SAIS was very professionally-oriented, or at least as much as Georgetown’s programs were.
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Got in with some funding. Deciding between this, SIPA, and the Asian Studies program at Georgetown.
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Ok, I officially have all of my results. Deciding between Georgetown MASIA, Johns Hopkins SAIS MA, and Columbia SIPA MIA. Everything about Georgetown feels like the perfect fit, but my only reservation is that SAIS and SIPA offer more “practical” education (i.e. economics, conflict resolution). I say this as someone looking to get into policy analyst roles. On the flipside, MASIA’s curriculum is incredibly flexible, which is a huge plus for me as well.
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On 3/9/2019 at 10:10 AM, homesicksub said:
Program Applied To: (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MIA/IR/MPP
Schools Applied To: Georgetown, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Columbia, NYU, Tufts University, University of Tokyo
Schools Admitted To: George Washington (M.A. International Affairs), NYU (M.A. International Relations), the University of Tokyo (MPP), Tufts Fletcher School (MALD), Columbia (M.A. Regional Studies: East Asia), Georgetown (M.A. Asian Studies), Johns Hopkins SAIS, Columbia University SIPA
Schools Rejected From: Georgetown MSFS
Undergraduate institution: Medium-sized New England liberal arts school, well-known (I think, at least in academia)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.79/4.0
Undergraduate Major: Political Science and Asian Studies
GRE Quantitative Score: 162
GRE Verbal Score: 167
GRE AW Score: 6.0
Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 year
Years of Work Experience: 1 year since graduation, about 3 years cumulative since my first year of college
Describe Relevant Work Experience: Legal industry and ESL teachingAll programs reporting. Tough decision to make. Looking to work in the federal government, or at least in DC. Deciding between SAIS, Georgetown, and SIPA. SIPA is giving little to no money though, so I’m not likely to go with them. Happy to get some input. I’ll be deferring whatever school I choose to pursue a Fulbright abroad!
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10 hours ago, Hannahbanana212 said:
Contacted MASIA and found Out that all merit based funding has been awarded already. Anyone applying to FLAS?
Aw, that’s too bad. I’m still gonna try and negotiate. And yeah, I’m applying to FLAS! I’ve done it in the past, and it’s really not that bad
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11 minutes ago, went_away said:
No. And remember, an IR grad degree is one small part of a much larger career structure.
Noted, thank you very much!
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If I’m interested in the State Department and/or U.S. intelligence sector, does one option between SIPA, SAIS, or Georgetown serve that interest particularly well?
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Just got the email on aid. No specific amount and says we can only be considered for any form of assistance if we file for FAFSA...would’ve been nice to know 2 months ago when we were applying
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25 minutes ago, Leznver said:
@homesicksub No... ㅠㅠ
Crossing my fingers for you! Have hope ??
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56 minutes ago, worldleader2018 said:
Does SIPA negotiate at all, based on scholarships recieved from other schools of similar caliber?
I hope so! I have a good offer from another program at Columbia that I’m hoping to use as a bit of leverage.
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Yes, I haven’t received any word on funding besides that $3000 summer stipend. Might have to negotiate a bit!
@Leznver Have you heard anything yet?
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That’s a shame for those of us without funding, myself included. I guess notable programs like those at SIPA or MSFS have the privilege to ask for a big check ?
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2 minutes ago, lesleyluhopingtogetin said:
I haven't heard of anything from MARSEA... Did they send out all offers yet? I got into MASIA but not sure whether I'm going. I would like to focus more on history, economics, and civilization stuff, could someone tell me which of the two is better? and how does Chicago's MAPH compare with the two?
This is just my impression, but I think MASIA is better for those intending to enter the world of policy in DC. MARSEA may be better for those interested in academia. Just judging from your interests, MARSEA may be more fitting. Please take my advice with a huge grain of salt though! Both programs would be perfectly viable for either path. I’m afraid I’m not familiar with MAPH.
And as far as the MARSEA notification is concerned, I initially heard from the admissions contact last Thursday, and got the official letter today. Hope you get one soon as welll!
Roll call: where are you going?
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
I'm committed to Georgetown SFS' M.A. Asian Studies (Politics and Security) program ?I'll be headed there in 2020 after a Fulbright grant during the 2019-2020 academic year. I'll be applying for fellowships like Rangel and Pickering during my time abroad – I don't expect to get much merit aid from the SFS considering their reputation for being a little stingy. So relieved to be done with this process though! Congrats to all of you for surviving it.