Dreams

Maryland already released admit decisions a few weeks ago and had an admitted students event last week.

Penn told me that final decisions were going to be made last week. They didn’t specify whether that meant that decisions would have been sent to applicants last week, or that announcements were to come beginning this week onward.

Where did you apply?

Looks like a lot more came through this week.

I was a bit older when I went back for my MPA. Having relevant work experience really helped make the program more enjoyable because I could relate the theory to real life experience. So my recommendation would be to get as much relevant work, policy, or whatever experience you can.

And to build on the above post, there is indeed funding out there for language study for U.S. students if you want to make yourself more competitive. Critical Language Scholarship, Boren, Luce, and many more.

Good luck to everyone who will move on to the next round. There was a lot of demand this year, and it's exciting to see so many people looking to do the program.

I know someone who was interviewed by program faculty at two universities days after the admissions deadline in December. A lot of interview requests have come out in January looking back at some posts. So we will see this month.

Your question is not clear. What kind of advice are you looking for?

I have a lot of thoughts around that. But to spare a long post, I say go for it. You don't have anything to lose by trying. Although I will say the soft and transferrable skills gained matter more than a specific degree title. Especially as it related to the types of people those agencies hire. You already know not everyone who works there has an IR degree. There are plenty of people with culinary, theater, and science degrees also working as foreign policy specialists.

Unless staff are sending them from home this eve, or have it pre-programmed to go out at a certain time, I'm not sure. Davis is a ghost town atm.

Your profile looks good. It's a pet peeve of mine when people focus so much on their gpa. It comes off a certain way. Top schools look at applicants holistically, not at numbers in isolation. Make sure your SOP and LORs are tight and good luck.

Some questions I would think about. How long have you spent working between your BA and MA? What types of jobs are you looking at post MA and how will a particular program prepare you for that? And, how are you planning to explain to other MA programs why you plan to abandon your current program for a new program?

Why did you apply to a university you had no intention on attending upon being accepted? That's why it's important to research universities for fit before wasting your, your references', and the university's time and money on these things. Have you reached out to potential faculty mentors at prospective universities? You will want whoever is going to write the strongest references possible, and they should each touch on skills and requirements sought by the program you are looking to attend. If there is an area in your background you feel won't be adequately covered, be sure your SOP and CV highlight it.

No, once is enough. If any of them end up reading your application, then they will be in touch if they would like an interview.