Mal83

You shouldn't be that worried or disappointed, last year I got waitlisted and ultimately accepted to Elliott but rejected from SIS. It just depends on where you are on the waitlist, and how many people decline the offer of admission, which obviously differs every season. Getting rejected from one school doesn't really indicate your decision from another, especially since the application pool is different for every school. It's barely the middle of March and you know for sure that you have somewhere to go this fall. American is pretty solid too. Plus, you won't know about Elliott for a good month and a half or so at this point I would be relieved and really happy with getting an acceptance at this stage of the game.

I applied to AU SIS last year, they mail out decisions in waves, people were posting admission stats on this board I guess around mid-March, but I got my reject letter early April, don't remember exactly but it was probably right around the start of the month so April 1st seems about right. They don't give you any updates or decision info online so it's old fashion snail mail. It was painful waiting for that decision. The Elliott School was actually a tad early last year, it wasn't quite mid-March when they sent out decisions and they send them all at once via the website, which makes it less painful because you're not seeing people post acceptances while you're still waiting. So you'll get an email letting you know your decision has been posted. If you end up getting waitlisted you won't know until May 1st or so.

I relocated across the country, it's definitely a challenge, but you'll manage. It's usually max two months before your planned move in date that you can actually secure an apartment. It depends on how much notice they require of their residents when they move out. For my place it was only a month. Which is something I found out by calling months prior to that point and was told that it's just too early. However, they usually have a list you can place yourself on and when the time comes if they have something available and you're next up then they will call you and offer it to you. For me too that was quite stressful because I like to have everything set into place as soon as possible, but just keep in mind that it might not all come together until the last minute. It did for me, but I got here and it worked out fine. I also pay rent with student loans and that's OK with my complex, all I had to do was get them a copy of my award letter. You have to "apply" to these places, they'll do a credit check and determine if you're eligible to rent with them and a lot of places require a certain income level. But mine doesn't and my student loan document was income enough for them...thank god. So you have to find places like this. I did it entirely through the internet and when I found places that had potential I called and talked to them about my situation. But yeah start searching now, especially if you're not going to visit the area before you move for school. Keep a list of the places that you consider a possibility, do a quick google search of the area and make sure it's not like the worst crime riddled area in the state or whatever. If you have questions call the leasing office, they'll be happy to help.

This thread is a dream right now. I'm in a funk, slump, rut, fog...whatever you want to call it, I'm in it...big time. Except I feel ridiculous because I'm not years into my degree...I'm in my 2nd semester of a 2 year MA program. I started out this semester ready to really nail it, and I felt for a few weeks that I was keeping on top of things, managing my time a little better, getting used to the work load and all of that. But it all came to a complete stop when I let this absurd human being get inside my head after a terrible night out with him. While trying to just get over it I couldn't concentrate on anything else, when I finally did let it go I figured ok...now it's going to happen, I'm going to get right back on track. But it hasn't happened yet and it's been weeks. I'm totally done and over it, but over the following weeks I've found myself absolutely devoid of motivation. I feel like I've lost it, that happiness and peace I had all last semester. Almost everyday I found myself thinking "damn, life is good, I made it." Within a few months of attending my top choice school in my dream city I landed a paid internship for the current school year, a dream part-time job that will start this summer all within 2 months of my first semester. I was on top of the world. But I don't feel that way anymore. Deep down I know I'm still doing what I should be doing and still consider myself damn lucky. Quitting is certainly not an option and it's not something I'm even remotely considering. I feel like it's just a matter of talking and convincing myself out of it. But I'm finding that tougher than I think it should be. I'm pretty down and out about it, like "why can't I just get over this already and get on with it?" All I know is that I'm frustrated with my internship for a number of reasons, the thought of the papers I have to do makes me sad, the days are creeping by and the work isn't getting done, which makes me feel even more inadequate. I'm really hoping that a trip to visit the fam over spring break will be a good recharge...just have keep plowing through until that time comes.

Not to disappoint, but the financial aid update isn't really indicative either way. During my application process last year one of my schools began the financial aid process long before decisions went out. So they basically did exactly what your school has done, they let me know that they received my FAFSA well before the application deadline. I kind of got excited about it too, like "why would they do anything with financial aid if I wasn't getting in???" But this particular school and maybe yours too sent me my award information along with my acceptance letter, so they have to start the process now if they're going to be ready to do that. I was set up with a financial aid counselor and everything...before I got my decision, as did every other applicant. So some schools are working on financial aid before decisions go out and they actually let you know it. Other schools don't update you at all about it until after you accept their offer of admission. But in any case, at least you know they received it and you've done what you had to do and for me that was a big relief, like one less thing I had to think or worry about.

An emergency is something that crosses my mind every so often. I'm living in the DC/VA area and my parents, plus a few other family members, live in Arizona. I have family in NJ, that's where we're all from, but my parents just upped and moved out a few years ago to their dream place thousands of miles away. I don't blame them at all, it's beautiful and I lived with them for a little while, I'm happy for them, but if they lived in NJ that would be a 3 hour train ride instead of a 500 dollar plane ticket to go visit. Anyway, the point is that it does worry me that something will happen and I just won't be there. I'm an only child and my parents and I are very tight so the thought of it kind of turns my stomach. A couple of other family members are out there too so it's not like they're alone, but it's still something that's on my mind, especially since I don't have any siblings to come together with and share in the situation. And as others have said, I too don't feel that great about seeing them maybe once a year or so, we're so close and it's like we'll be missing out on each others' lives. I mean we're in touch all of the time via skype, phone, and email, but sometimes I just want to go shopping with my mom or barbeque with my dad. But in my field I have to be where I am and I love it so much and dreamed of this for so long I wouldn't even think of giving it up and they would never expect me to do that. I'm determined to make sure I get out there once a year and they'll be able to get out here every so often, so we'll carry on that way and it'll have to do. It just depends on what's right for you, some people center their lives around their families and others physically have to be farther away for whatever reason. If being so far away doesn't feel right to you than it probably isn't. Either way, it's a sacrifice, professional/academic vs. family/relationships. But my relationship with my parents/family isn't compromised or weakened. And you can't make major decision in your life based on the chance that something bad will happen, you would never go anywhere or do anything that way. Even if you're an hour away you can't prevent a heart attack or an accident. Knowing that you'll drop everything in the event of an emergency and get out there and soon as humanly possible should be devotion enough. I know someone who didn't even go to his father's funeral because he didn't "like" him. I was genuinely sad to hear that, it must be a very empty feeling. It made me feel fortunate for the great relationship I have with mine and I can surely say that when the time comes that he and my mom need me I will drop everything and be on a plane 10 minutes ago.

This whole thing is a very stressful process from the moment you decide you want to go to grad school until the moment you're accepted and ALSO settled in to the routine. So it's not so irrational that you're still on edge. Have you started getting anything in the mail or in emails from the school yet about starting the enrollment process? Once that happens you'll have no reason to even think about it anymore. I never woke up in cold sweat I don't think, but I did have some pretty vivid dreams during the process. But you made it in...it's not a mistake, congrats! I wish I had received my acceptance to my current school in February, I feel like I lost a year off my life during the months of February, March, and April.

I live in NoVA, on the orange line...I take a bus to get to the metro station, it's like a 5 or 6 minute drive, it can be walked if absolutely necessary. The area is very suburban, but it's really only about 20 minutes or so on the metro to Foggy Bottom/GWU, which isn't bad at all.

I don't think there's any harm in doing it now, if the correct form (2012/2013) is available on the studentloan.gov site then it's something you can at least start. But it's also a good idea to know how each of your school handles the financial aid thing by finding out when their deadlines are FAFSA submission. The school that I'm now attending has a deadline of May 1st for graduate FAFSA and priority financial aid processing, which was long after first round decisions went out so you didn't have to bother until you knew you were going, but a different program required earlier submission...if I remember correctly they wanted the FAFSA in March which was even before decisions went out, so I had to get the FAFSA done by the earliest deadline among the schools I applied to. Yeah, you really need to know these deadlines for your programs, they should all be readily available in the financial aid section of the websites. You're definitely considered an independent for grad school. As a dependent undergrad you're entitled to more in federal loans, but seriously, the maximum you're allowed as an independent grad school is quite enough for the average school. My stafford loans cover tuition for the most part and a little extra is taken out my grad plus loan to make up the difference. So far I've been getting on fine in terms of living expenses, I have a little additional income through a paid internship and I'll be starting a full time job in the summer so I'm not anticipating any major financial issues. When you need to go the financial aid route, it could be a little overwhelming, but as long as you get everything in when you're supposed to it should work out. I should mention though there is a cap on the amount you can borrow in total financial aid including undergrad, that number is around $138,000. Although maybe it's higher for phD students...not sure. Plus you really want to be sure that you didn't exceed the maximum amount you're allowed to borrow as an undergrad. There is a limit to the amount you can borrow as an undergrad if you decide to borrow for grad school...which I had no clue about until I dove into the process. I'm going to direct you here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp#02 to scroll down to the chart with particular attention to the last row.

I discovered ordering food online...you can buy in bulk and cheaply from websites like Amazon.com and Walmart.com...non-perishables of course. For example, granola bars are a staple for me so I can save about 5 dollars if I buy a large box from Amazon.com over buying the same amount in smaller boxes from my regular grocery store. Every little bit helps especially in high costs of living areas. I'm big on cereal but any name brand is ridiculously expensive, especially the grownup cereals so I bought a package of 6 Go-Lean granola for quite a bit cheaper than 6 individual boxes at the grocery store from Walmart.com. I don't have a car so getting to a walmart is a hassle for me so I get what I can from their website, which I will say is not the most convenient and a lot of items have to be bought in serious bulk...like 24 packs of this or that, which I don't really like to do since I'm by myself and there's nothing I like quite that much to buy that much of it at once. But Walmart and Amazon are good places to get toiletries too for cheaper than in the average grocery store. I second the whole chicken thing! I'm such a fan of roasting and slow-cooking. It's the easiest thing, for the whole chicken take a few tablespoons of softened butter, chop up some fresh garlic (use a press if you have it, better distribution), and spread it all over the bird generously and get some underneath the skin without taring too much. Throw on some salt, pepper, paprika, a little cumin, and splash with fresh lemon juice...pop it in the oven...easy and yum!

I didn't go to any infor sessions, however I'm currently a grad student at ESIA...regarding the dress code, stick with business attire. You'll probably find a mix at the session, and classes are not so formal, but this is one of things you can't really over dress for. Generally speaking, people around here are pretty well put together whether they're going for casual or business dress. I'm sure you'll have a lot of opportunities to to ask any questions you need to. It's not bad form to go and explore a campus, but if you want to actually talk to people you should try to set up an appointment, or at least ask when the best time is to come in.

Everything basically. I can't bring myself to read at all when I'm home. I started the semester out so well too...then this awful date I went on threw me for a loop and haven't really been able to focus since...so ridiculous I know...I'm over the awful part but I haven't been able to get my motivation back, like I just want to turn it around in my head over and over again, when I'm at school or work I'm fine, my head is in the game, but when I'm home at night and on the weekends it's like I have no discipline.

Welcome to the forum! I stumbled upon this site after I finished my applications last year, definitely wished that I had found it before for obvious reasons. But I'm glad I finally did as it was pretty helpful to have somewhere to go during that dreadful waiting period. So are you from NJ or Philly? I'm a Jersey girl through and through, got my BA from The College of NJ, which isn't too far from Philly. I miss it a bit, but the DC area is pretty great. What schools did you apply to?

I know this is easier said than done, but I tried really hard to pound this into my brain last year around this time, in regards to the schools that give a time frame for receiving decisions, say "all decisions will go out in March," I tried to just accept the fact that there was absolutely nothing I could do about it, no amount of emailing, calling, obsessing, or fixating would get me a decision any faster than when they said I would get it. I think when you allow yourself to realize that than it's easier to relax...like "what's the point of working myself up into a frenzy when it won't result in anything?" Think of it as a way to give yourself a pass to relax and at least you know won't be getting a reject letter right now. The schools that aren't kind enough to give you any sense of decision time are a bit different I guess...that is of course much harder emotionally, especially when you don't know how decisions go out...all at once or as they decide. One of my schools just said "spring time" or something like that. I didn't find out until April and it definitely turned into torture as February and March trudged on. Some days I considered it a relief to not get anything in the mail like it was at least one more day that I was still in the running. Any day you don't get a reject is a good thing. But of course that logic only provides slight relief for so long. I think at this point because it is still pretty early in the game, I mean some of my deadlines weren't until like Feb and March...so I feel like it would be beneficial to still try really hard to take comfort in the fact that you're done with your applications and to kind of be at peace with that because it is an accomplishment in itself. There's absolutely no point in even thinking about it, again much easier said than done of course, until at least the deadlines pass..unless it's a rolling deadline. Just try to accept that you're probably going to be waiting for a while, there's nothing you can do about it and try not to get so worked up right now...

I'm going to recommend the website meetup.com, it's a site for all kinds of social gatherings all over the country ranging from wine tastings to Star Trek fan clubs. I too haven't really clicked with people in my program and my commute is less than ideal as well, so I stumbled upon this website and found a cooking group right here in my little town. I went to my first one the other day and it was just really nice to gather with new people in a comfortable laid back setting and cook with them, it was a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon and I would definitely go again. It makes you feel less isolated to just start getting out and doing these kinds of things. As long as you have a bit of social life what's the difference if that includes your classmates or not?

Elliott admits about 350 student each year, but that's to all of the programs. IR is the largest though.

Do you mean that some school's post acceptance on their own websites or that applicants receive decisions via email? Some schools send out email notifications, others don't, but I've never heard of a school posting decisions on their own websites. I mean you might get a notice that your decision is now available to see online, but that's where you log in to your own account to access it.

I think what we're both trying to say is that we didn't do an MA/Peace Corps program, but we both did Peace Corps and that experience for a number of big reasons will be very helpful in getting yourself to grad school afterwards. I really wouldn't advise considering the Peace Corps as just another option along with your other grad school applications or just as a backup, it has to be something you really want to do, it's an entirely different ball game and if you do get accepted into PC and do it because you didn't get in to grad school you probably will not be emotionally prepared to tackle 2 years in a developing country. There isn't a tremendous amount of MA/Peace Corps programs out there and I'm not sure how much research you did on this but I believe you'll have to take at least a few courses before or after service at the school that hosts the program, so you have to be willing to do that. I'm not sure when the deadlines for these MA/PC programs are, you might have time this cycle for a few, not sure, but it's already mid-January. If you submitted an application to PC right now, you might make it in time for the Fall semester/start of the school year, which would be important if you're going to teach, but there's no gaurantee, your application might take longer, it could take a solid year or longer, especially if there are any health issues or if you are told by a recruiter you need some more experience before they decide to formally place you. But realistically if you've only just begun to scratch the surface on this then I can't see how you could get a solid application and the required references in so quickly. There's a cycle to how they send volunteers to their countries. If you don't get everything completed by the time they send the group of TEFL volunteers to the country PC nominated you for then you might have to wait it out longer until they can place you somewhere to teach. Basically what I'm saying is the PC app process is a balancing act and there are no hard deadlines so it's up to you to kind of plan it out as best you can and go with the flow. If it's something you really want to do then when everything comes together you'll drop everything and go, the addition of the MA program complicates things, but people do it and it must work out for the most part or else no one would do it. If it's something that's really of interest you might want to contact the programs at these school and ask for more information or to put you in touch with a current student/volunteer, but I would still caution against rushing into something like this. It would be a good time to start thinking about this for fall 2013 though...let's say you don't get into any of your programs this cycle. There are also grad school options after PC like fellowships that will cover some or all of your tution. I almost applied to one but decided it wasn't the right program or where I even wanted to be, but those options like that do exist.

Well you still have to get accepted into the MA program in order to get credit for Peace Corps. I don't know anyone who has done it, but I know quite a few went straight to grad school right out of the Peace Corps, it worked out well for them.

Just my 2 cents...I've found the posts about discouraging students to apply for grad school just because they either didn't make an impression in your particular class or because...gasp...they got unremarkable B's in 2 classes, rather disturbing. I completely understand if for whatever reason a professor/teacher is not comfortable doing a letter, I don't feel like they are obligated to do so, but to declare that that student is unqualified based on his/her performance in your class alone is pretty shortsighted. If you don't know that student very well then you have no idea how they're doing in other classes. You might think well that's a no brainer...that student shouldn't be coming to me for a letter, they should be going to a professor for whom they performed better. But it's not always that easy. They may have gone to them and they said no because it's too late and they don't have the time to do any more, which is something that happened to me. They may be out of undergrad for a while and now have limited options because they can't track down the professors who gave them A's. I got a C in one of my major classes and it was pretty devestating, completely disliked the professor and I would have never gone to him for anything let alone an LOR for grad school, I could so see him not only declining to write it, but disuading me from applying even without knowing a damn thing about me other than the one grade I got in his class. But sure, as a C would indicate I didn't exactly perform in a stellar fashion in the class, I'm not unaware of that. While that was the only C I'd received, I was no almost 4.0 student. I ended up with a 3.35 in International Studies, which included that C, a B- or two, B's, B+'s, and a few A's in my major classes. Those are mostly "unremakarkable" grades according to a few of you, fortunately for me as I was out of undergrad for a while I was able to get ahold of the professors who gave me A's. But if I couldn't do that I hate to think that I would have gotten some "you're not qualified at all because you got a B in my class" lecture from the others. Don't sell those of us who weren't "stellar" in your class short, we're just as capable of succeeding in grad school too. If I was a 3.35 kind of student in undergrad and I don't do much better than that in grad school, I'll still get my Master's degree just the same as the 4.0 students. You might not be obligated to write the letter, but for those students who express to you that you are one of their few or only options, then I believe that you are obligated to work with them to see if you can muster up something good to say. If they comply with your requests for writting samples, goal statements, and whatever else, that means they're committed and ready to make their impression on you. It's not easy for many students to approach a teacher for a letter, I personally absolutely hated doing it.

Well...when it comes to the declarations of "I'm going to do this!" I more or less experience the craving to prove I can do it, not necessarily just because I don't have any confidence or I think that the people I'm telling this to think that I can't, it's just my need for the people around me to see me as motivated, driven, and ultimately successful...along with the overwhelming need to follow through with something that my mind gets really set on. The anxiety comes in between the declaration and the actual doing it part because it's like "come on...I have to show them I can!" Plus after a while I get tired of talking about what I HOPE I'm going to do in the future IF I make it...and things like that because I feel at a certain point I need to start showing rather than keep talking. And as you can imagine the application process to grad school is a lengthy one so a lot of mixed feelings during that time including severe doubt about my ability to pulll off a cross-country move, getting a job, and succeeding academically. But my first "big thing" that I did was studying abroad in Moscow for a semester, my parents were baffled and they were like "you want to go the Soviet Union for 4 months?!? Whaaa? You'll go and want to come back in 5 minutes because it's miserable." That was the one time that I truly felt like my parents thought I really couldn't do something. Well, that stung because it was so important to me and I was determined to go, I saved every penny, I started learning the language, I kept talking...and talking about it...for at least a year. And finally, I just did it. I did everything I had to get myself there, which at times felt like it was not going to happen. It turned out to be one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Not only did I not cry to come home 5 minutes after I got there but I was considering staying the rest of the year..didn't happen, but that's how great it was. Best of all, it was the first time my parents got to see me accomplish something that I was passionate about and how hard I worked to make it happen for myself. I think the sting from their opposition still sits with me a little and when I make these declarations, and there have been a few since like Peace Corps and grad school, it's like I still have to show them that I can do these things because it's my way of feeling successful and accomplished. They know by now though that when I say "I'm going to do this!" that I really am going to do it. At this point I don't literally feel like they have any doubts, but it's just that scar I suppose...and scar is probably too strong a word. And they've been supportive in everything I've done since, they even came around to the idea of their only kid spending a semester in the Soviet Uni....Russia...when they saw I had plane tickets and was packing. I know you don't want like a cheering squad or anything but I'm tellin' ya anyway, sometimes you really just have to prove yourself to yourself...as well as to others. Then the next time you want to do something major you'll feel just a little bit more like you can actually do it and the people around will get used to you succeeding.

This is so subjective, it depends on how much out of each of those 4-5 days you actually spend walking around campus, how much of the campus you cover, and how well you are paying attention to where everything is situated.

It's good that you're thinking about this already, I kind of wish I had grad school in mind while I was an undergrad...but anyway, your plans are on track for sure. The schools you mentioned are the most competitive in the country and as stories go on this board people with 3.8 GPAs and above didn't make the cut. I would consider George Washington University and American University as well. These schools are also among the best International Affairs programs in the world but are slightly less competitive and a little larger than Yale (which is tiny I believe) and Georgetown. I don't know about dual degrees...I'm sure it's possible at GWU's Elliott school, but with ID you can concentrate in economics if you so choose. For grad school applications, only activities that are relevant to the program and field will be helpful or considered interesting by admissions committees. All of the other interesting bits are cool and they will certainly round you out as a person but there really isn't space on applications for that type of thing. All of that study abroad experience will be a bonus if you do the Peace Corps. A semester abroad and a month here and a month there are nice, but that type of thing isn't really considered relevant experience unless you do an internship or volunteer stint of substance...as in for more than a month or so. For both American and GW, relevant professional experience is required for admission. So you'd be good to go on that with the Peace Corps. Three of us in the ID program are RPCVs from Ukraine, one from Nicaragua, and I know there are others. So it's a big deal and admissions considers it valuable experience. I mean the Peace Corps is doing development, can't get much more relevant than that. If you're set on grad school then yes I would take the GRE your senior year, I know people who have taken it while they were volunteers and it seemed awfully stressful. Get it out of the way as soon as possible...maybe even the summer before your senior year because you'll need, generally speaking, 9-12 months for the PC application process...not that you'll be working on it that whole time, it's mostly waiting, but both the GRE and PC application at the same time also seems stressful...but if you really want to do it you will. I don't know how much you know about the application process for the Peace Corps but you'll have to be mindful of the fact that not all PC programs end in time for the start of a fall semester, it depends on the program you get accepted to and it's start date. It might not be a completely seemless transition from one thing to the next, but a lot of people did it and it works out for them. And pursuing grad school while in the Peace Corps will give you a plan for afterwards, I definitely wish I had done that instead of just hoping I'd get a full-time job in ID ( I also lived nowhere near DC at the time so that could have had something to do with it). So anyway, sounds like you're on the right track. Don't hesitate to ask anything else.

Well at least you're not that disappointed...but man, this didn't even happen to me and it stings, especially because it's not like they were doing anything with applications over the holidays. But a hard deadline is a hard deadline that's for sure. Not that they would have much else to say, but "you can apply for Fall 2013" is kind of a joke. Like really? Gee, thanks...what's another year anyway?

Came across this today...Not that everyone will agree, but I feel like it's at least one way of answering that pesky question about IR school rankings. I would say that this is without a doubt the list of schools you want to choose from for anything IR. http://www.foreignpo...ograms?page=0,0 But whether you agree or not with the list, the tuition and program size for each school makes for a nice touch...easy to compare.