JAubrey

Korean Marine Corps, qualifies as required service for Koreans.

Awww bless. Your sensitivities are showing through sport. As to the OP, if you really want to go into IR, build an alternate transcript in IR / quant classes (it may go without saying but you need A's), study hard for the GRE and if you are capable knock it out of the park. This should open up second tier programs like SIS and possibly outlier "1.5" programs like GW.

You come off terribly sensitive and perhaps MYRNIST criticism hit a little close to home. MYRNIST while a bit abrupt, was on point. No IR experience, middle-tier university, and poor grades does not equal a top 5 IR school. This may be harsh, but it is spot on.

Pitt is not remotely close to Gtown, GW, SAIS, or SIPA in general or security studies.

The rankings are fairly worthless really. If these are your only two choices, I'd take AU.

Seconded.

Depends on what you want to do, but outside of academia neither is really well-known in policy fields...Claremont does have a better UG reputation though.

Having worked for one of these firms, I was giving you some perspective. Additionally, if you are really keen on MC or even emerging markets in general, why aren't you applying to MBAs? The MPP/MPA route makes no sense.

Where did you go to undergrad? Because while some rockstars from GW undergrad may get into strat management consulting (MC), GW grad school plus average European university and no work experience WILL NOT even get you an interview let alone a job at MBB or even the 2nd tier MCs. It doesn't seem like you've considered the short term that in-depth and how difficult it is to secure employment in MC without an elite education or elite WE to get you in the door. Now if you attended say EP, IEP, etc in France or similar elite universities in Germany or the Netherlands, then you could have a shot. Without further information, I would say you may want to change your short term goals...

Spot on.

Nicely put. Though lateral moves into defense/IC work is not overly feasible.

Again please reread my last post.

Depends. Where do you want to work, where are you from, where do you want to end up?

My point was more directed at the idea that the OP would be competitive for a position in the IC / defense field.

SSP is fairly competitive, and with the cap on GTown students now for all programs, it has gotten even more competitive and regularly reject people with military leadership and defense experience. While it is admirable to want to switch careers and pursue a passion no matter how new found, it is simply unrealistic given the OPs background, to tell her to pursue a career in the IC / defense. With the budget restrictions now, people with extensive international exposure, work experience, and related degrees are being rejected left and right. Without the relevant work experience, the given age, and lack of related or even semi-related degree it would be a definite error to take loans with the idea one will be able to secure one of these positions when people even with them will struggle presently.

That's great that you find them the most interesting, but MYRINST is spot on. Simply put the OP would not be competitive for a position she seems to want in the IC.

First, if you can afford it or intend on working in NYC, SIPA is a great choice. On the other hand if you are taking six figures in loans and intend on working in the public sector the ROI is a joke. Is it a cash cow? Absolutely. Does that mean it isn't a worthwhile program with good links in a variety of sectors? No.

The rankings are ridiculous. SIPA while not as selective as HKS or WWS, is still most assuredly a top tier program, albeit a cash cow. If you can afford it, you will not go wrong attending SIPA.

Elliott may be worth it...that said people in the IC at least in the US tend to have either a security background or regional focus / background. For every SFS SSP or Elliott SPS grad there is a generalist from HKS, WWS, SIPA, SAIS, SFS, Elliott, Yale, etc.

The top programs I'm aware of for this are Georgetown SFS's Security Studies Program which offers an MA in Security Studies and a specialization in intelligence. Next I would also recommend GW Elliott's MA in Security Policy Studies. After these two programs your options decline rapidly to either programs at TTT's or general IR master's at elite university that allows one a few classes in security studies (SIPA, Yale, etc). If you only have a basic grasp of the US educational system, are you applying to the US IC or are you an international applying to your home country's IC?

I did not attend LSE, however did attend another British university a few years ago and went to work in London in management consultancy (had a load of friends who attended LSE and worked with quite a few). While the market is tough and indeed was quite trying for some when I graduated, most of the foreigners, myself included, who wished to find work in London or elsewhere in the UK did so after graduation. This included in management consultancy (with MBBB, the Big Four advisory practices, as well as a few other niche firms), corporate law firms (in the Magic Circle, Silver Circle, as well as certain elite niche firms like Farrers and Withers), and in investment banking firms. These three areas represent really the only ones who WILL sponsor Americans for visas, though on the old temporary two years given to graduates I knew others who accepted jobs with non-profits and at Westminister and even term appointments in Whitehall. In terms of consultancy I can speak to my previous firm and our competitors. We only recruited from a very select number of universities though a couple from other universities did managed to get selected in the end. In my incoming consultant class we had graduates of: Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial, Edinburgh, Warwick, and UCl. LSE was the third most heavily represented in my class behind Oxbridge with a mix of those who attended for undergraduate and for MSc degrees. The trick to getting an interview coming from a one year MSc is being aware of deadlines for positions and starting work on your applications literally the moment you start your course in some cases. If you have any more questions, do feel free to ask or PM me.

And by this statement you demonstrate your lack of understanding of the subject. Maxwell has an excellent program not on par with HKS or WWS. Comparing the quality of students (test scores, work experience, and admission statistics) in these programs and the alumni jobs bears this out immediately. Nor is AU on par with GW. Neither of these facts mean that Maxwell nor AU's SIS are poor programs, they are just in different tiers compared to certain other schools.

You mean the rankings that have Syracuse ranked ahead of HKS and WWS? Yeah good call there. Second I did not say Elliott was on the same level as SAIS, I said it was a step below if you bothered to read rather than fly off the handle because you took umbrage at the idea GW is a better / more well regarded school. How is it "dissing" AU to state the obvious that it is not on par with GW?

I would say that based on reputation, rankings, and alumni GW Elliott is hands down superior to AU's SIS. The only people I've ever heard say they are on par are AU students / alumni.

I've had friends at GW Elliott both for undergraduate and graduate levels. From just anecdotal evidence, those who attended for graduate school on the whole seemed fairly happy with their experience and the quality of education. Career services seems pretty spot on, though there are a number of professors who are also practioners so access to them may not always be consistent. On an academic level, GW is vastly superior to UMD and a slight step below SAIS (though both Elliott and SAIS along with SFS and HKS are healthily represented in my office). It depends what you want to do post-master's but I'd say Elliott is a strong established program with great links to the DC community. Now if you want to do anything in economics, the WB, or IMF then SAIS is the place to go. If you were alternatively interested in security and defense then I would say they are on par. Overall SAIS is a better program, however especially if GW gives you money and with its cheaper price tag, it is very much a good alternative.