Program Applied To (MPA, MPP, IR, etc.): MSFS, MALD, M.Sc.Schools Applied To: Georgetown SFS, Fletcher, OxfordSchools Admitted To: Georgetown SFS, Fletcher ($$) Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: OxfordUndergraduate Institution: Top 15 U.S. universityUndergraduate GPA: 3.88Undergraduate Major: Political Science and History, dual majorGRE Quantitative/Verbal/AW Scores: N/AYears Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 1 year, plus a competitive language scholarship in my final yearYears of Work Experience: ~2.5 years (counting part-time research assistant positions and full-time internships and summer employment - Describe Relevant Work Experience: 1 year full-time post-grad, including 4 months working for a small NGO (not in international relations) and the rest of the time interning and then being an R.A. in an IR think-tank. 3-month internship for an NGO in the Middle East and 3-months in a state economic development agency working on local issues. Part-time RA positions in poli-sci labs doing varied levels of quant. analysis and qualitative research.
Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Overall, I think they were fairly strong and I got multiple rounds of feedback from friends and a little bit of advice from colleagues. Rushed the MSc. application and didn't notice a pretty obvious typo.
Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Submitted three to each school and they were pretty strong. Two were from professors in undergrad and I gave them all my SOP, my resume, and held a meeting with each one to discuss my interests and why I was applying. Another from a supervisor at the think tank who could write about my professional abilities.
Other: I didn't have the econ classes (micro or macro) required to matriculate for the MSFS program, so I will be completing them over the summer. The only real quant. experience I had was performing statistical analysis of survey data as an R.A. in undergrad.