hopes_

Does anyone know of any? I have a feeling there are a BUNCH out there and I've just explored the tip of the iceberg. I've been googling, but I'm sure you guys have a some helpful knowledge too. : ) Thanks everyone!

Congrats to all those forwarded to the next round! You guys deserve it. : ) Does anyone know of fellowships/scholarships SIMILAR to the Fulbright, especially for opportunities in the UK? I'd like to explore more this following year, as the UK is so competitive. Thanks for your help!

Congrats to all of you who moved on to the next round! To all those that were rejected, my heart goes out to you. I was rejected from the UK, and was reading this thread (to make myself feel better, I suppose). I may apply next year, who knows. Anyone who's moving on this round got rejected last time? Any words of advice to share?

Thanks so much for the information, that helps a lot. I'll look more into international affairs and development programs. IA seems better suited to both NGO work as well as governmental diplomacy efforts, whereas development programs seem more targeted to only the former, am I understanding correctly? I know for sure that I want to do NGO work, but I may also want to explore foreign service as I alluded to previously. I'll def. check out IA programs with an emphasis on development (yay for interdisciplinary stuff). That's interesting what you said about possibly surpassing an MA, GopherGrad-- you know the field better than I do, but it seems like all the non-profit jobs I've applied to so far mention MA's somewhere. Besides volunteer opportunities and job hunting (thanks for the Devex link, by the way), do you guys know of any relevant internship databases geared to students between a BA and an MA? Most of the opportunities I've found target students in one program or another. Thanks again to both of you : )

Thanks Adaptations and GopherGrad! (That Starbucks horror story makes me shiver, by the way.) I actually decided to table my applications for this year and apply next year to IR or Public Policy programs. To be honest, all this stuff is so new to me that these schools and programs are just spinning around in my head, and I don't want to jump into anything. I applied for a Fulbright next year, and if I get it, great. Either way, I have till fall 2011 to work on my GRE's and research possible programs. Maybe you guys can help me clear things up: 1) I'd eventually like to get a Ph.D in IR or Development, I'm not sure yet. My professional aim is to work in international NGOs or governmental diplomacy, creating programs on the ground or shaping policy and the national level. I also am not a huge fan of numbers. Don't get me wrong, I think economics can be fascinating, but I don't want a quant-heavy approach. What specific fields/degree programs do you guys recommend? 2) I've been doing some research online, but it's still fuzzy for me. Excuse my ignorance, but-- What's the real difference between Public Policy, International Relations, and Development? 3) Lastly-- any ways to strengthen my candidacy between now and next fall? Given my ok-not-great GPA and my (apparently) irrelevant major, I know I need to get my butt in gear. Planning on studying really hard for the GREs, taking econ/math courses at my local community college (not glam, but cheap), and maybe doing some research with professors at my local college (UC Denver). Any other ideas or people in similar positions? Thank you in advance! : )

Changing project and degree program if accepted? This is what I'd like to do-- I'm applying for a Master's in the UK (not one of the fee-waivered schools), and due to research I've been doing about career track, I'd like to change the degree that I'm applying for (from sociology to IR/Public Policy). The problem is, this would change my project totally-- for several reasons, it simply would not be feasible to do it in another department. Any experience or advice on this? I'm grateful to the overseas professor who has helped me, and I don't want to let her down. Also, my project as it stands would be interesting, no doubt, but it wouldn't flow as smoothly into my future degree. Any help appreciated! : )

Aw this post has had so many views and I totally empathize with your confusion, I wish I could help. I'm just a newcomer to this field so I have little clue as well. Good luck!

So I have my degree in Comparative Literature (what can I say, I like novels. But now I need a job that pays more than $10/hr). Over the past year I've developed an interest in diplomacy work, and want to pursue IR/PP programs towards that aim. I have several social science courses (two classes shy of doubling in Psych., last minute change), and also a few research positions as well as having worked with two international NGOs. I have a 3.4 GPA from an Ivy League school. What can I do to prepare myself for IR/PP Masters, to which I'm applying now? I'm planning to take micro, macro, and a math course (what's the minimum math level I should take?) this spring. A prof. also recommended taking a free-standing grad course. Any suggestions? I would love to go to Columbia, NYU, or Georgetown-- I know those are awesome schools, they're def. my "top tier."