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Bails

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Everything posted by Bails

  1. Totally agree re: Korbel. I was admitted to MSFS and Fletcher but I'm also attending the visit day at DU next week and am looking forward to meeting faculty and hearing General George Casey (alumnus) speak. Denver is also a great place to live for two years if you don't want the stress of DC & NYC until post-grad. There is also a lot of security work in Denver & Colorado Springs so you don't need to be in NYC or DC for those career opportunities, but you're competing with a lot of military folks in Colorado. If you're interested in Military, National Security, Intelligence work, or US-China they have great faculty and programs. If you're not interested in any of those options it's not as well-regarded as the other programs mentioned and you're better off elsewhere. You can also consider the 'big fish small pond' mentality of how much time you'd get with professors at DU like Suisheng Zhao or publishing capability at research centers. These programs aren't one size fits all, so consider your personal and career growth needs and what schools can fill those areas. Here's an FP ranking from 2018 by the way, which lists DU at #14: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/20/top-fifty-schools-international-relations-foreign-policy/
  2. Hello all you IR folks - I desperately need your help! So I got into my dream grad school, Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, but they're not offering any scholarship funds and are the most expensive school on my list. I was accepted to Tufts University's Fletcher School MA Law and Diplomacy with more than 50% scholarship. Fletcher is my second choice but significantly more affordable. Georgetown will be about twice the overall cost for tuition alone. Career Goal: Foreign Service Officer (Consular track). I've passed the FSOT three times but always get stuck on the Personal Narratives. I paused my pursuits during the whole Trump admin restructure. Research interests: Great power politics, conflict mediation, US-China relations. Question: Do I take out 80K in loans for SFS, which is arguably the best program for FSO dreamers, or do I go with the more affordable Tufts which is a good program but less impressive on a resume? Is the loan justifiable for the program, or am I stupid to take the risk that Georgetown would offer many more opportunities than Tufts given the DSO isn't overly concerned with university attended?
  3. Sure, networking is just as important outside the university as within it and you can still get to know your professors at AU and what opportunities they might connect you to. You'll still have a network at AU you might just have to be more self motivated at proactively reaching out to people. Don't be afraid to invite someone to a coffee (always pay for them if you do this!) but be clear you're looking for advice and don't take the "get me a job, connect me to everyone you know" stance because that turns people off. Networking is a two way street so while you may feel you don't have a lot to offer upfront, few people turn down a free coffee and a chance to talk about themselves. Anyone can go to the free events hosted by think tanks like the Carnegie Endowment or Brookings so don't limit yourself to campus. Embassies host events as well, including the famous "embassy days" which are amazing, but not sure if it's happening with Covid now. Of course, I used to attend these events pre-pandemic and we're in a different landscape currently where a lot is online.
  4. 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!
  5. Just received a direct email! Best wishes to everyone in this thread!
  6. I hope soon - it's taking ages. I applied in December but I anticipate next week is the week all decisions are released
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