yallabye

Hey guys! I'm currently considering these three schools and programs and would love some insight: Master's in Global Policy Studies at UT Austin Master of Arts in Arab Studies at Georgetown University International Policy and Development at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Just a couple notes: Location isn't super important. I know the argument for a lot of East Coast and big name schools is that they're ideal for networking and opportunities. However, I do have a job lined up post-grad that will be in DC, so the need to network and be in the heart of everything IR isn't as strong. My thoughts: While I already know that the LBJ School and Georgetown have fantastic programs, I was more drawn to Middlebury in terms of smaller class sizes, their focus on language and faculty seem to really promote the idea of decolonizing the international policy and development field and diversifying perspectives. While living in an active city like Austin is a pro for me, the fact that UT Austin is known for being a typical party school for undergrads makes it a little less appealing. While I might've enjoyed that experience as an undergrad, I'm a little less thrilled as a potential grad student -- especially since the undergrad presence is quite large compared to the number of grad students on campus. I really like Georgetown as an institution, but my cons are that I've heard from peers that the atmosphere can be super cutthroat and unforgiving. I've managed to escape that toxicity during undergrad and I don't willingly want to waltz right into it. My other con is that that it's in DC. Since my career is set in stone to be in DC, I wanted to take this time to explore a different part of the US. I went to undergrad on the East Coast too and I just wanted a different experience for grad school. If any of you know anything about these schools or specifics on these three programs, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. To be honest, I am leaning towards Middlebury at the moment but the fact that there isn't too much out there about the school and students' experiences does concern me a bit -- in addition to the city of Monterey being a slow beach town that's insanely expensive. Tuition isn't a factor for these schools, but the cost of living is. If y'all were me, which one would you choose and/or which one would you cross off your list immediately?

Long time lurker here, but is anyone aware of the time-frame of when they'd send out emails? I have a seminar today thats like 4 hours long, and so I know I probably won't be able to sit still lol.

Hey, I'm also currently in Moscow! What program are you in, if you don't mind me asking? I'm with American Councils.

Ayeeee, congrats!! Where are you headed? I'm placed in Tangier.

NOTIFICATIONS ARE OUTTTTTT!!!! Arabic finalist!! Good luck to everyone else!!

Hey, does anyone know if placements are based on language ability? For example, I applied for Advanced Arabic and am curious to know whether the more advanced speakers are usually sent to Jordan or Morocco as opposed to Oman?

It's May 2nd...have any alternates heard anything back yet? Or would it still be too early?

Guys, just got alternate status. Good luck to the rest of you!

Even if we all didn't get accepted, we would've still known our status before the end of the day...rejected, alternate, or otherwise...

So far I've only seen one. I think that person applied to Senegal for Wolof.

Yep

Struggling to write this paper that's due tomorrow...but I don't think my mind will be able to really focus unless I know, whether it's good or bad news ?

In general, I think that flagship people and fellowships receive their emails first and then the scholarship notices come later in the day. Last year, for the flagships and fellowships, it was in the early afternoon and scholarships were later. However, the year before, flagships and fellowships got their emails in the morning....idk, this year seems pretty bizarre to begin with, so I guess we can't really say.

Hey, I found this from the Boren site: "Selection panels will also seek wide geographic and diverse institutional representation among candidates, as well as ethnic and gender diversity and distribution among academic disciplines related to national security interests." However, to the extent of their consideration of marginalized groups, not too sure...

When Boren sent us the first budget email, they mentioned that when we log in we'd see a prompt asking to add additional budget info. Apparently, this option/prompt had gone away, not the general 'add info' option.