msn

I applied for China Fellowship-- I haven't heard a peep from anyone, except for that Boren application survey. So this is a bad sign, right? I should brace myself for rejection?

Cleo, as I said, my issues were very specific to the IRRN program and also somehow the poor relationship I instantly had with the Grad School Admin. I know people who applied to the Development program and I've heard good things about it. So really you don't necessarily need to be nervous, but I would say be prepared to do things on your own. For me, someone with little professional experience, the idea was too daunting. I need help to make connections and to get employment. I know I will have to work hard, but I can't do it on my own now, so I doubt I could do it on my own while studying.

I've debated whether or not I should make this post, but I feel that after visiting BU in person I must let other people know about my experience. Firstly I should say that I applied to the IRRN program and that most of my issues and reasons I'm not accepting BU is specific to the IRRN program. So as far as the IRRN program, if anyone is interested, it is in a great upheaval. The current head of the department, Elizabeth Prodromou, is leaving. Since most of the classes I wanted to take were all taught by her, this is a major problem. Also if you are interested in East Asia (as I am), the courses are seriously lacking. Now, my real issue came from the fact that the IR Graduate School Administrator was extremely rude and unhelpful. I asked him what job opportunities were like for BU graduates, and he was vague. They have no statistics, no information, no idea how their graduates are doing except for anecdotal evidence. Then, he told me, “However, considering your BA in Asian Studies, an MA in IRRN will make you much more marketable. Regional Studies are really considered ‘fluff’ degrees.” I was shocked because he was basically telling me that $100k of debt would be worth it to make up for my “fluff” degree. I didn’t point out to him that I double majored in English and Asian Studies, while pursuing both French and Chinese language, and that my total GPA upon graduation was 3.96. As I sat there, silenced by the shock of his rudeness, he said “Oh not to insult your degree or anything!” Damage done, sir, damage done. Then, when I asked him about internship opportunities, he said “Oh, well that is a weakness in our program, I must admit.” There was an awkward silence where we looked at each other. Then he said, “Students mostly figure that out on their own.” I met some IRRN students and they were smart, wonderful people. But for me, as person who wants to study religious minorities in China, this program is not going to work well. Secondly, I would have a great deal of trouble working with the current IR Grad Admin, who is basically your Academic Advisor, and we've already gotten off to a poor start. I’m not saying that IR school as a whole is bad, but I am just sharing the poor and unprofessional experience I had and the fact that the IRRN program is in a period of great change. So students considering the IRRN program should try to find out more details such as who exactly your professors will be.

When I first found out that I didn't get any funding at any program I applied to, I seriously considered deferring and trying again for funding. However, so far the only job I've been able to land is a terrible retail job where I earn minimum wage. The idea of retaking the GRE, re-applying, and waiting again, wasting another year scrambling for some sort of job and hoping that a school gives me $10k worth of money toward a $50k program just didn't make sense to me. I figure that once I've moved to DC I can look for a job, get on track toward my MA, and then if I land a decent job then I can go part-time and make a living instead of just subsisting on loans. It's a personal choice and it's not for everyone. If you have better options it might be wiser to wait.

I was told that my financial assistance is still under review. I guess this is better than "no" but it's not a "yes." I have to know soon because AU's decision deadline is April 20th!

OregonGal and ajl, thanks so much. My head has been reeling ever since I got my acceptance letters because whenever I try to crunch the numbers I start to feel overwhelmed. @OregonGal I'm also considering UC SD but I am also uncertain about going so far from DC and family (I live in NY). I'm also waiting to see if I get any funding. Still waiting to hear from BU about funding as well. I got absolutely nothing from American Unversity and I really don't want to go 100,000+ into debt.

I'm also considering BU! I hesitate because 1) haven't heard about funding yet and 2) it seems like a lesser known IR school? Is this true? Does anyone know if BU has a good reputation in the IR world? I am in the IRRN program, Intl Relations and Religions. Anybody else?

I was originally "wait-listed" and then I was sent information as how sign up for an interview. It took two days of calling constnatly to figure out what exactly I was going to interview for. Just now I recieved an email stating the following: What is going on with this school? I feel like they are all over the place and not well organized. I am so confused. Does this mean I am also some sort of "Provisional Admin"???

Now I feel a little nervous, because I chose the option B for the second essay and I focused on a real news story about a shooting in Amish country a couple years ago. I chose this subject because I've made it clear that I plan to pursue research on the issue of religions and politics, but the event itself did not involve policy. I focused on the extraordinary response of the Amish in that they attended the funeral of the man who shot and killed several of their young children. They openly embraced the shooter's family and many outsiders thought that their forgiveness was a sign of weakness and inappropriate. I want to puruse a career in human rights, especially concerning religious minorities and I was sincerely moved by this story. Now I wondered if I totally missed the mark for my essay?

The truth is, my background really does affect my approach to International Relations, but I haven't spoken of it much in my SoP and what not, because I've been on the fence about the issue. I guess I'm afraid of what happened to me in terms of my undergrad applications, which was basically what the article above talks about and I wish I had known such kind of discrimination was possible before. What do you think of the approach of not explicitly picking a race in the questionnaire but mentioning my background if it relates to my SoP?

Ah, what I meant was, especially since my minority half is Asian. My other half is white and thus, not a minority.

Hey all, I'm just wondering how other people are dealing with stating their race of their forms? I'm especially interested to know what multi and bi-racial people are doing. As a bi-racial, I'm conflicted about acknowledging any race at all. I claimed my minority background for my undergraduate applications, and I think that this hurt my chances. Especially since my other half is Asian, I felt that I was being compared to other Asians on some sort of achievement scale. Is it ok not to claim any racial background? Does it negatively affect one's application? Thanks.

Hello, I have found this list to be really helpful. It is heavy on American programs, but you can search for other nations. http://www.fpa.org/jobs/?act=schools_list Good luck.

Wow there is a really interesting debate going on. When I first found out about the SD IRPS program I did assume it would be a safety because I hadn't seen it on the big list, namely, the FP list of top schools. For myself, it sounds like a great program because I'm already determined to focus on Asia. Also, I'm in this for a career, not to become a professor or an academic. I got a glimpse of life in the ivory tower-- it's not for me. So I ruled out schools like HKS, WW, Yale, SAIS... I'm also less interested in quantitative theory. If we're talking about fame and fortune, how can you compete with those schools? I don't need to know who is the "best." (By the by, I was someone who was a little bitter after being rejected from those kinds of schools for undergrad. I met a lot of people who did go to those schools, and while some of them were amazing and gifted, others were schmucks. I've already done my soul-searching for that.) I want to know-- if I attend SD IRPS will I be able to find a good job afterward, or will I be stuck jobless in debt? Is the education worth the tuition? Are the professors passionate about their work, is the department flexible or rigid in policy? How well did your language skills improve, and what sort of financial aid is available?

Thanks, this helps me a lot! Sounds like it would be ok if I lived closer, but not enough for me to move across the country for.