[Advise from WWS and HKS students: why was I rejected twice?]

Sorry to hear you were dinged. I guess I'm sort of in the same boat - worked in finance for a few years, but realized I wasn't too good at it AND I didn't like it it (not a winning combination..), and now I'm trying to transition to a career in IR. While I am dead-set on this path, I have to admit what scant evidence there is to be found in my CV to indicate this.

Have you thought about pursuing n MBA or an MA in Public Policy with a focus on International Development? Maybe attack things from a different angle? I'm just thinking out loud here...as I need a solution for myself too. Cheers and good luck.

[New TRIP Rankings for IR Masters Programs]

Q54: What are the five best masters programs in the world for a

student who wants to pursue a policy career in international

relations?

1 Georgetown University 69%

2 Johns Hopkins University 60%

3 Harvard University 57%

4 Princeton University 44%

5 Tufts University 41%

 

Here's the next survey question too, which I found pretty interesting:

Q55: What are the ten best colleges or universities in the US for

undergraduate students to study international relations?

1 Harvard University 58%

2 Princeton University 53%

3 Stanford University 39%

4 Columbia University 34%

5 Georgetown University 33%

6 Yale University 28%

7 University of Chicago 21%

8 Dartmouth College 15%

9 Washington University in St. Louis 13%

10 American University 11%