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j2020ir

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  1. Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): Georgetown SSP, Harvard Kennedy MPP, Princeton WWS, Yale Jackson, UT Austin LBJ, Johns Hopkins SAISSchools Admitted To: Georgetown (25% tuition), Harvard (no aid), Yale Jackson (50% tuition), UT Austin (full tuition plus $10k/year stipend), SAIS ($20k/year)Schools Rejected From: WWS (Waitlisted and chose not to remain)Still Waiting: None Undergraduate institution: Top 10 LAC Undergraduate GPA: 3.89Undergraduate Major: Religion; Arab Studies minorGRE Quantitative Score: 168GRE Verbal Score: 170GRE AW Score: 5.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3Years of Work Experience: 4 (counting internships)Describe Relevant Work Experience: Internship/contracting with international humanitarian/development org. (both domestic and in Mid. East). Independent, grant funded research in Mid. East during undergrad (nothing published). Short term position (3 months) in refugee resettlement. 1 year nonprofit journalism fellowship, including articles published on Mid. East politics and conflict. 2 years at national nonprofit focused on domestic policy issue. Critical language skill (low-mid intermediate) from 3 years of undergraduate study, semester abroad in Mid. East, and semester of language class post-grad Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong; I provided a cohesive story about moving from general humanitarian/international interest, to regional specialty, and then to a particular type of peacebuilding/conflict resolution work. I address particular career paths that fit well with this journey, and particular classes/professors that would prepare me to get there. Wrote fairly unique SOP for each school. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong LOR from undergrad advisors (2). Hopefully fairly strong LOR from supervisor(s) at past 2 positions, though not in area of interest. Other: Very thankful for this site and all its members. I ended up choosing Yale Jackson for its flexibility and the ability to work closely with faculty and fellows. A couple things that helped me in the application process: -Talking extensively with current and former students, faculty, and practitioners in my area of interest. I was able to weigh different schools' reputations, career prospects, course offerings, student experience, and more. This site is helpful, but the anonymity means you can't take everyone's opinion as gospel. Going to people who have career trajectories you'd like to emulate, or who can give you unfiltered truth about these programs can make a world of difference. -I think many people emphasize this, but if you have time really write your SOPs specifically for the program you're applying to. I worked with current and former students of some of the programs to refine mine and speak specifically about what the school could offer me in my development as a scholar and practitioner. -Taking time to plan specifics about attending the school. For me, it was helpful to look at specific course offerings and chart out my degree path, or plan out my budget based on what the school was offering in aid. These plans helped me see what my life would be like for the next 2 years, and allowed me to make decisions.
  2. I'm also in a fairly similar position. In at HKS with no aid, and in at SAIS with $15k. Seriously considering Yale Jackson (half tuition) too. I think the decision point for me is whether or not Harvard's brand, class selection, and connections outweigh the international focus of SAIS, its DC access, and the money. It's just so hard to wrap my head around taking out so much in loans when I'm set on a public service career (and HKS's loan repayment program only goes for 5 years and probably wouldn't cover much more than 25% for me). What do you all think? Is there information you're waiting on from the schools that could help make the decision for you?
  3. Thanks very much for the quick feedback, and sorry for the lack of clarity! My last 2 years of work experience (the majority of my time post-grad) have been working in an issue area that does not relate to my graduate school pursuits. I'm wondering the extent to which I need to integrate this particular work experience into my personal statement, given that it's been a large part of my professional career to this point. There are some transferable skills, etc. but really its main function was showing me I wanted to go a different direction with grad school, so I've left it out almost entirely. Lots of info in my resume, etc. but I'm just not sure if it will reflect poorly in my SOP to say I've been building and preparing for a graduate program and then ignore this large chunk of professional experience. Thanks!
  4. Schools/Programs Applying To: WWS, HKS, Yale Jackson, Georgetown SSP, Fletcher, SAIS, SIPA, UT Austin Undergraduate institution: Top 10 LAC Undergraduate GPA: 3.89Undergraduate Major: Religion; Arab Studies minorGRE Quantitative Score: 168GRE Verbal Score: 170GRE AW Score: 5.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 3Years of Work Experience: 4 (counting internships)Describe Relevant Work Experience: Internship/contracting with international humanitarian/development org. (both domestic and in Mid. East). Independent, grant funded research in Mid. East during undergrad (nothing published). Short term position (3 months) in refugee resettlement. 1 year nonprofit journalism fellowship, including articles published on Mid. East politics and conflict. 2 years at national nonprofit focused on domestic policy issue. Critical language skill (low-mid intermediate) from 3 years of undergraduate study, semester abroad in Mid. East, and semester of language class post-grad Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strength: I provide a cohesive story about moving from general humanitarian/international interest, to regional specialty, and then to a particular type of peacebuilding/conflict resolution work. I address particular career paths that fit well with this journey, and particular classes/professors that would prepare me to get there. Weakness: I'm having trouble tying together some significant work experiences that don't directly relate to my area/program of interest (see my questions below) Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strong LOR from undergrad advisors (2). Hopefully fairly strong LOR from supervisor(s) at past 2 positions, though not in area of interest. Questions I have: While I did well on GRE Quant., I have literally no quantitative background apart from one Calculus class in undergrad (B+ I think). Is it worth getting a certificate from an EdX course or something? I'd love to avoid paying for/taking a community college class while trying to apply to all these programs, but don't know how much a single additional class would add. The bulk of my post-college work experience has not been in my issue area of interest (I've been working on efforts around affordable housing). Do I need to talk in my SOP about skills gained, how it relates, etc.? I'm already pressed for space talking about the actually relevant parts of my work/internship experience, so would have to re-work some things. Am I OK with the list of programs I have, or is it a good idea to add 1-2 more "safety" schools? I think I have a good shot at getting in most places, but worried about funding. Thanks!
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