mwg4

Wow, thanks for the incredibly informative reply. Lots to think about. Oh, and you did indeed get my age range correct.

While on the topic of IDev, anyone have any thoughts on how AU SIS's MAID or GWU's MAIDS programs compare to Fletcher/SIPA/HKS/SAIS? More specifically, whether a good financial offer from these two programs, along with their good location, makes up for their relative lack of prestige compared to the very top schools in terms of the IDev job market?

Updated.

Program Applied To: Varied depending on the school, but looking to concentrate in International Development Schools Applied To: WWS MPA, Fletcher MALD, SIS MAID, Elliott MAIDS Schools Admitted To: Fletcher with 7k Schools Rejected From: WWS Still Waiting: SIS, Elliott Undergraduate institution: Duke Undergraduate GPA: 3.79 Undergraduate Major: Poli Sci GRE Quantitative Score: 790 GRE Verbal Score: 790 GRE AW Score: 6.0 Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): 2 Years of Work Experience: 2 Describe Relevant Work Experience: Since undergrad, I've been teaching at an international school in the Middle East. Not directly relevant, but it's international experience and I teach a high school course on international issues. Also, I did a summer internship during college with a microfinance institution in India, and have done various volunteer projects in the Middle East. Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): I think it was quite strong, and had a number of people edit it, but doesn't everybody? Writing does tend to be one of my strengths, so I would say overall it was probably very good but not knock-your-socks-off spectacular. Strength of LOR's (be honest, describe the process, etc): Not sure, probably could have been stronger. Two professors from college, one of whom I knew quite well (probably a very strong letter) but one of whom I was not as close to, and which may have been a little generic. I also got a letter from my assistant principal at work, which was likely quite favorable, but which of course would have been better coming from a professional in IR or IDev. Other: I never took any intro econ courses, but plan to take them either online or at a local college before I attend. Also, I am hoping that a high GRE quant as well as the fact that I taught an econ half-credit course on microfinance my senior year can make up for a lack of intro classes.

I didn't get an email but just checked the application system...accepted to MALD with $7,000 scholarship. I will probably be declining, though, if that helps ease the worries of those on the waitlist...

It's great hearing about everyone's interests and experiences, and this forum is really unbelievably helpful in figuring everything out! Thanks to all who have been posting. I'll probably be applying a few places for 2010 to test the waters, although I only have one full year WE at this point (graduated in '08) and so I might end up working a couple of years and reapplying depending on my results. Here are my stats: Undergrad: Top 10 private college in the US, BA in Poli Sci (Concentration in Comparative Gov) GPA: 3.79 GRE: 790 V, 790 Q, 6.0 AW Work Experience: Starting my second year as a teacher at a private K-12 school in the Middle East. I teach mostly English to elementary/middle schoolers, but will also be teaching a high school global issues course this year. Volunteering/Internships: Summer internship in India at a microfinance institution; currently volunteering in my free time at a UN agency in the Middle East Quant background: Not much math or formal econ, but developed and taught a half-credit undergrad course about microfinance that was technically listed as econ. Goals: I'm looking at MPPs and MPAs which focus on IDev in order to work for a while as a practitioner and possibly go back later to get a Phd and enter academia. Right now I'm thinking of applying to SAIS, SIPA, WWS, Fletcher, and AU SIS; they're all certainly a stretch, but I figure I can always reapply in the future if necessary. If anyone has any particular insights on IDev programs, I'd love to hear them. Also, I'm curious how people think my experience teaching abroad will be viewed by these programs -- I'm hoping that the international aspect of it will somewhat make up for the lack of relevance of the work itself.

Thanks for the advice! Hopefully I'll be able to bridge the experience gap using my internship, volunteer work in the Middle East, and the fact that I teach a global issues high school class here in Jordan. I would love to hear whether anyone has met people in their programs who were teachers beforehand, either in the USA (maybe through TFA) or overseas? Thanks for the tip on Fletcher as well -- it seems like a great fit and it will go on my list right with the top group. From reading other threads, it appears as if people get pretty hung up on the big name status of "brand names" KSG, WWS, SAIS, and SIPA, but that Fletcher has a more tight-knit, welcoming community feel while also maintaining high academic standards and focusing on human rights and development. Sounds right up my alley.

PS I did indeed read the thread about work experience a few down from this one (I hate people who ask questions that were JUST answered in the same forum), but it seemed to focus more on Stanford. I just want to find out more specifics about how important it is to have directly relevant work experience at the top East Coast ID programs. Cheers.

I graduated in 2008 (poli sci) from a top 10 US private university with decent stats for grad school: 3.79 GPA, GRE scores of 790 verbal and 790 quant, confident that I'll have good (but not incredible) recs ready. However, instead of going the normal professional or grad school route, I decided to move abroad to the Middle East and teach English at a private K-12 school for a couple of years in order to travel, learn some Arabic, and figure out what to do with my life. Now entering my second year abroad, I know that I want to go into international development, and so I am looking into MPP and MPA programs with a strong focus in that area (specifically HKS MPA/ID, SAIS, and SIPA). I also had a summer internship at an NGO (microfinance focus) in South Asia during college, and have done some volunteer work with a UN organization here in the Middle East. I know some colloquial Arabic, and am conversationally fluent in Spanish. The question is, do I go ahead and apply this year for 2010 despite not having much directly related full-time work experience, or do I need to wait and try to get some solid NGO or nonprofit work under my belt? I feel that I'm ready for grad school, but I don't want to jump the gun and sell myself short when another year or two of experience could put me in a position to get into my first choices. Thanks for any advice!

I graduated undergrad last May with a B.A. in Comparative Government and Politics. I am currently living in the Middle East and am considering grad school in the near future, and am curious as to how the program at the American University of Beirut (M.A. in Political Studies) compares to top programs in the U.S. How does it look on the job market? Is it respected academically? I can't seem to find much info online. I graduated from a top-10 U.S. private University with a 3.8 GPA and got a 1580 on the GRE (790 V, 790 Q, 6 W). However, because all I am doing in the Middle East is teaching English at an international school (to sate my wanderlust and learn some Arabic), if I end up going to grad school back in the U.S. I will get some professional experience under my belt first. I am only bringing this up because I feel that with some experience I could be a fairly strong candidate for a good program, so I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by entering a vastly inferior program here in the Middle East. However, I really love being in the region so close to the political action as it unfolds, hence my consideration of AUB. Thanks.