SilkCat
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Posts posted by SilkCat
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26 minutes ago, Bails said:
If the main reason you're debating whether to hold off on attending AU this fall is due to hope for funding next year, I would go now rather than apply elsewhere and conditionally go based on funding next year. It's very difficult to receive scholarships for top IR masters programs and near impossible pivoting industries, so I would focus more on what is affordable for you with your current options and what the faculty, research, environment, etc. can offer. AU is a reputable school and while it might not be in the Big 7 you'll still have access to all the networking opportunities DC has to offer. Unless you go to one of the Big 7 employers aren't going to care about the name of your university, just the work experience, research you did in your program, any publications, and recommendations/network.
In my experience, living and working in DC in the US government, being in DC is really important to secure jobs there. Networking is a huge part of the culture, much more so than other cities like Boston or New York. Also, getting jobs on USAJobs is near impossible. I don't know a single person (including myself) who secured a position that way although I know there must be someone having success! Some of my colleagues moved to DC just to job search because their resumes were tossed for having non-DC addresses and phone numbers. Your plan to work on building your resume in grad school seems a logical next step for moving into this field.
In my experience your program is what you make of it so long as you have decent mentorship opportunities, so go with your gut and put in the work and you'll do fine! Don't forget to get off campus and check out think tank events (often free food and interesting networking opportunities). If you're looking to pivot industries, work experience (including internships) is important and you can do that in the summers or find a part-time role that will support you toward your goals.
Best of luck!
Thank you for your advice! Funding is another reason why I focused on applying to regional studies programs, as some of them get FLAS funding (as well some direct funds since the programs are smaller). Alas, I wasn't successful at getting into the ones with FLAS funding opportunities. A lot of SIS students work at least part time during their studies, so I was thinking that would be a great way to get experience while in D.C. As opposed to very academically rigorous programs, which focus on thesis research in the summer and classes during the year. Do you think my undergraduate network would off-set some of the loss in networking opportunities by not going to the "Big 7"? As you can probably tell, I don't understand networking very well and it should be the first thing I research (any resource recommendations are welcome).
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2 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:
1. Where you take classes don't matter (unless you network your way into something), which does happen.
2. I know Harvard guys who got rejected from elite grad programs because they ended up is non-profit jockeys who struggled to get promoted. So they ended up at my policy school (McCourt oodles over Ivy League because they have to). At the end of the day, the resume only outlines, but your essays have to tell a story. If you can't tell a coherent story (and part of this is story telling not what you actually did), you will struggle to get scholarships, let alone get into the best schools.
3. Right now there is a labor shortage. If you think more broadly -sales, start up, anything, you'll probably find something cool to excel at in the next 9 months or so.
4. AU SIS is a better option than both those programs, especially since you are getting funding. However, AU SIS won't sling shot you to the top. It isn't about elitism or reputation - but the law of average. Among an AU SIS grad program group of 10, probably 1 or 2 will impress me. Within an HKS/SAIS/MSFS grad program group of 10, probably 6 or 7 with. Those 6-7 will probably get the better jobs and get the opportunities that you can network with + help you out in the long run.
5. There is a difference between academics and career path. You can say you only want to learn certain things all you want. However, the job market likes to see well rounded people who had both range and depth. Its great you have depth interest, but the programs that pipeline into the best jobs are the mainline IR programs of the Big 7 (MSFS, HKS, Elliot, Fletcher, SIPA, SAIS, and SIS) - although I would count SIS last. I would even put Monterey Institute and Yale Jackson over SIS, but those two programs are too small, where as SIS is huge.
This comes down to if you want to go after getting your foot in the door now, or play the long game to optimize your chances to sling shot with a better application result next year.
Thank you, again, for this conversation. I'm really stressed about this decision and I appreciate your advice. I'll reply using your organization, for clarity.
1) It would be to get access to more interesting coursework or professors (for personal benefit) though I know it won't matter beyond that.
2) I feel like my SoPs this round were extremely good. Probably the strongest aspect of my application, and did tell as much of a coherent story as my resume allowed. I'm a strong writer and had a lot of professional writers give me feedback, which is why I'm confident about that aspect. My GRE score was 1 point off perfect, though that doesn't seem to matter lately with optional scores. So what held me back was almost certainly (1) undergrad GPA and (2) inadequate experience, especially relevant experience, for someone who is almost 6 years out of school and possibly (3) using 3 LoRs from undergraduate professors, since academic LoRs were encouraged by most program directors I spoke with.
3-5) I agree that SIS is probably not as top-tier as the rest, but it can also be what you make of it. At least I'm assuming if you strive to be 1-2/10 impressive SIS students you could stand out and succeed.
In talking to you I realize I made the mistake of not applying to general IR programs, and focusing on regional programs only. I could reapply next year, but I worry that I may end up in the same situation. Or worse, with no funding offers at all. I'm unwilling to pay full price for any of these programs because I will never get out of debt. I'm also old. At least older than most of the other applicants; I hear the clock ticking in my head. Someone else applied the old adage "a bird in the hand is worth more..."
If I were to reapply, I would be adding an IU summer language workshop in Russian, remote volunteer work with the UN related to the Ukraine crisis, and more work experience in marketing/NGO to my resume. And probably a LoR from a professional source and the summer language professor. Not sure if that's enough to make a difference, or whether it's worth the risk.
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3 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said:
If I were you, I would figure out how to strengthen you resume and apply next cycle to a wider variety of schools (you are most likely too late for scholarship money this cycle). Grad schools are also wary of elite undergrad alums who haven't followed up with a career that can tell a coherent story of achievement. Also, Russian expertise in demand and those with Russian language skills are super desired. Some other programs to consider (especially to get scholarship) in no particular order?
1. Georgetown's Security Studies
2. Georgetown's Russian Studies Masters (if you know for sure you want to focus on Russia and Eastern Europe)
3. Tufts Fletcher
4. Yale Jackson
What do you mean by "Grad schools are also wary of elite undergrad alums who haven't followed up with a career that can tell a coherent story of achievement"? I guess that's actually an accurate assessment, but not something I can change within one year. Especially since it's difficult to find opportunities without a relevant degree and, as you say, a coherent story. I did live and work in Eastern Europe for a few years and have a very tangentially related job in the U.S right now. Is going into massive debt worth it for Georgetown's Russian program? It's almost impossible for me to justify over 100k in debt (especially with how expensive D.C is).
As for scholarships / fellowships I'm not sure if I'm competitive enough for them as they seem even more competitive than the programs themselves. Personally, I would HIGHLY prefer to study Russia and Eastern Europe specifically rather than pursue a more general degree from Yale Jackson, Tufts, SAIS etc. The AU SIS program is sort of in-between in that it will let me focus on Russia but will have a lot of general IR coursework. Though there is also the option to take 2 classes at Georgetown or GWU as part of the degree.
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1 minute ago, GradSchoolGrad said:
So there are two ways to look at this.
In terms of pure entry into a job in IC or FSO, it really doesn't make that much of a difference between the schools if you have a strong pre-school background (and I'm assuming you are referring to GWU Elliot and Georgetown MSFS). If your goal is to get your foot in the door and hope your skills/performance carry you through, then AU SIS makes sense, especially since they given you money.
However there is an impact in terms of long term career prospects (and only if you take advantage of it, which a shockingly large number of people don't). So that happens in one of two ways. One is the amount of favors you can call/access to friends in high places. Bottom line is that both Georgetown MSFS and GWU Elliot have more high rollers in IC and FSO than SIS does, but more importantly they do kind of act like a alumni mafia at times (like politely) that helps each other out.
The other is that if you end up wanting to pivot into something else, you'll have a strong network to help you out down the line. This is especially true for MSFS, as a lot of people are going into private sector and they are doing a lot more stuff with business. So basically - I recommend you think long and hard about the risks you want to take. Because on the flip side, you can go into MSFS or GWU Elliot and be too saddled with debt to actually take advantage of the opportunities those schools have afforded you.
Thank you for such a detailed (and quick!) reply. Just to clarify a bit, for Georgetown it's the Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies (MAERES) program, and the equivalent at GWU. I figured since I have language skills and an interest in the region, finding a niche within Eastern Europe and Russia was good. In terms of networking, I didn't know about the mafia...sounds intimidating! I do have access to the Yale network (from undergrad), but I'm not sure how much that will help in D.C.
My alternative is to reapply next year, as I was unsuccessful in some of my applications to regional programs outside of D.C. Then again, would getting a regional studies degree from Harvard (REECA) or Columbia open up more career opportunities in the federal government than going to AU SIS and doing internships/working while studying? I know prestige is important, but I do wonder how much it actually matters outside of academia or more research-focused roles.
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1 hour ago, GradSchoolGrad said:
Just doing some hasty research for you (so I could be wrong). It looks like There were 2 from Penn Fells in 2020 and none from 2021. Given how American SPS (a Tier 2 school in my opinion) gets like at least a dozen every year (not sure their student size though, though I think they are pretty big and highly domestic focused) and McCourt gets like 9 a year (about 250 total students size... but keep in mind that a lot of military or IR related), that should give you an idea for comparison.
I hope it's alright for me to jump in on this conversation. I am looking at PMF success rates as well, just for for AU SIS (regional studies). I made a thread about it a while ago but didn't get any replies. Since you seem rather knowledgeable about these topics I was wondering if you had any advice. I got 0 money from GWU and Georgetown but a bit over 50% tuition from AU SIS. I already have a top tier undergraduate degree, just in a different field. I'm wondering how much the program will matter for going into work as either an FSO or in the IC.
This was the thread I made if you need more info. Thank you in advance if you have time to reply!
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Hello,
Since a lot of you appear knowledgeable about government jobs and the educational opportunities in Washington D.C, I am hoping you can help me with my graduate school dilemma.
I am in my late 20s and I am looking to pivot into a career field involving regional expertise of Russia and Eastern Europe. I'd like to work in the IC (particularly DIA) in the future, but I'm open to other public service positions that would allow me to use my language skills and regional understanding. I will provide some background about myself to further explain my situation:
I am an immigrant from Eastern Europe (though a U.S citizen for some time now) who attended Yale for undergrad. I studied psychology and chemistry, though I have some poor grades from math classes and engineering due to some unfortunate circumstances and general lack of direction. I won't waste your time making excuses for myself. I took some language courses during undergrad, including Russian, and dabbled ever so slightly with regional studies at the end of my degree. I would have majored in Eastern European studies or something similar had I discovered this earlier. After graduation I took some time off and then started to work in various random jobs to gain experience.
Unfortunately, doing something completely unrelated to my major after graduation (even from a prestigious school) proved to be impossible. I did some unpaid internships where I could; lived, traveled and interned in the region for a few years. The more time that passed after graduation the more difficult it has become to get my foot in the door. Applying to jobs on USAJOBS proved unfruitful (not sure if that's just me or if that's a universal experience for entry level positions). I figured going back to school for a master's degree, building on my language skills and doing internships would be the best way to find opportunities.
My priorities, in terms of employment, is to do something I am interested in and find meaningful. I strongly believe that making enough money to live comfortably is plenty, and beyond that I really value the nature of the work rather than salary. My parents also taught me to avoid debt, which I've done successfully so far, and I really want to avoid that at all costs going forward. As such, I'm very hesitant to take out huge loans to afford graduate school especially considering the living costs in most urban areas.
I applied this cycle to a variety of regional programs. I have been admitted to the European and Eurasian Studies Master of Arts at GW's Elliott (no funding), and at AU SIS Comparative & Regional Studies (about 50% scholarship). Still waiting to hear back from a few other programs, and have been rejected from Harvard already. I did my undergrad at a prestigious school, and for me the glitter and idealization of elite universities has worn off. Not because they aren't great, but because I don't think the name gets you everywhere nor matters too much outside of academia / finance / consulting. Correct me if I'm mistaken and it matters a lot for government / IR jobs.
My questions are:
- How is the AU program for my goals? Does anyone have experience with it?
- Should I take AU's offer? Through part time work and internships it would be financially feasible to not come out with significant debt.
- Should I consider reapplying to regional programs outside of D.C and add-on programs that have FLAS funding, and try again next year? It's possible I have more luck with additional experience, and get more funding at a different institution.
- How important is it being in D.C for securing a government position? How important is the "brand name" of the institution?
I know that master's degrees aren't generally funded, at least not fully, and I am grateful to have gotten a fairly generous offer from AU. I don't know enough about D.C life to evaluate how it is perceived by employers, I just tried to cast a wide net when applying because of my strange background. I also wonder if I should continue to build on my profile and try again next year, and cast an even wider net, to get more funding of get into a more prestigious program. In truth, I feel old. I've spoken to people applying to these kinds of programs and they're often right out of undergrad, and I still feel behind them in accomplishments. I kick myself for not having a sense of direction in undergrad and squandering an ivy league education, but I know I can't fix the past and I also can't spend the next decade(s) crying about it. So, I am trying to figure out the best way to move forward and I would greatly appreciate any advice from this community.
Thank you so much in advance!!!
Seeking Advice About Studying in D.C and Choosing a Program
in Government Affairs Forum
Posted
Just to clarify the NGO work I mentioned is at a nonprofit startup, I started back in December and got promoted recently, but my role is in writing and marketing. I'm not sure how these program evaluate high performance or something being 'cool' (maybe the latter is a matter of creating a compelling narrative around it).
Thank you again for the advice, I will go into this determined to squeeze every opportunity out of the program / D.C that I possibly can.