riverguide

Adam, please feel free to PM me about this...happy to share my perspective inasmuch as I have a broader experience than some of the other posters here. Keneisha's point is well taken. Gradytrip's is the usual mantra. Much of your decision should be based on what you ultimately want to do and how much debt you want to incur.

Those who speak Korean or Japanese inform me that the transition to learning the other is very doable. I am simply passing on their experiences.

Thanks for the "insight" DipNote. Hope that always works out for you.

Your stats are good but your language abilities and overseas experiences are lacking. I would recommend the Boren/Fulbright to fill in the gaps. I would also suggest that you attend the Middlebury Summer Intensive Arabic Program at Mills to hone your Arabic skills. You need more study abroad experience and/or overseas internships/work experience. If you have that, you would probably be accepted to most of the programs in which you are interested. Your future professional goals should dictate where you should go. Obviously I'm partial to SAIS where I attend grad school. I was admitted immediately following my undergrad studies. In this field I would definitely recommend a DC grad school and there are only two. SAIS and Georgetown. SAIS has a rigorous economic component and usually takes 2 years to complete their program. Georgetown usually takes a year and a half to complete. International economics are a salient component of any International Relations career. There are many good grad schools in this field but DC offers a moveable feast for serious students in the field…just my 2 cents and I'm sure others would differ.

The placement exam covers the usual topics…education (yours), personal (not too), current events (including international events in countries where the language is spoken), etc. I was a waived exception to the proficiency exam…based on other reasons, Anyone can develop advanced proficiency if you work it and spend time overseas. Korean, btw, is a strategic language. You should stick with it and pick up Japanese, too. Taking the Middlebury Summer Intensive language program (in the states or abroad) is the easiest route to achieving advanced fluency. SAIS encourages its students to learn strategic languages but romance languages will satisfy the requirements. Good luck! Hope to see you at the preterm Happy Hours!

The placement exam is a one on one verbal exam with a senior language instructor. It is not challenging. Intermediate mid or high are usually the proficiency levels you need to achieve before you graduate. The proficiency tests are easier than the OPI. If you study in Nanjing, you will need to be at intermediate high to advanced low to be accepted into that program. The graduation proficiency test is not challenging and they waived it for me after the placement test. You will have to take a placement test in whatever language you study. Language classes at SAIS do not count towards your GPA. Most of my fellow students could pass the proficiency test upon admission. Many of us take advanced/post-proficiency classes. They usually meet once a week and keep our language abilities current. SAIS will tailor advanced language classes for your needs. SAIS has a diverse student body and many of us practice/exercise our language skills with native/heritage speakers while playing a game of snooker in the SAIS downstairs lounge. Here's a chart which should answer your instant question with regard to proficiency levels. http://www.sais-jhu.edu/languagestudies#section-3391

My downfall for the Pickering was not preparing for it several years in advance. I prepared for it several months before the deadline. If there's one consistent trait in the recipients, its that they started during their freshman or sophomore year to prepare for it. If you're starting now, I'd make sure you have back-up plans A, B, C & D prepared and don't hold your breath. I started preparing for the Boren two years before the application deadline and was fortunate to receive it.

PM sent...

Armadillo: There's a few current SAIS students and SAIS grads who have NPRjunkie's attitude and opinion. Every school has them. They carry chronic dissatisfaction with them wherever they go. Some people really don't know what they want to do when they go to Grad School. NPRjunkie is sharing his experiences with you in that regard. When it doesn't work out, most switch to what does work out. You should visit SAIS and check it out. Its easy to do. Don't be dismayed by NPRjunkie's commentary or his attitude. When NPRjunkie started posting, his side bio said he was presently attending SAIS. Now he says he's a few years out. I don't know if he even went there. You have to have a thick skin in this business. You have to be flexible. Several of my friends in conflict management switched to other fields. Some of my friends in regional programs have switched fields, too. SAIS is an I/R school. Some people aren't cut out for it. If you want to develop your I/R skills set, go there. I had a regional background and strategic language skills before I applied. I'm developing a skill set, now. I'm not sure I'd go there for conflict management. I chose not to apply to Columbia because it has a reputation for being a big and impersonal program. SAIS is a more intimate learning environment, although its individual programs are somewhat insular. I spoke with a lot of people in my field and a lot of potential employers before I made my decision. You should do the same. SAIS has been good to me. I could not recommend it enough. And NPRjunkie: Its always good to hear from my fans! Good luck to you too! I sincerely hope things get better for you...

NPRjunkie: I'm sorry that your experiences haven't been as positive and rewarding as mine have been at SAIS. Perhaps you should consider changing horses in mid stream. SAIS by its very name is focused on I/R careers. I turned down "better branded" (sic) names to attend SAIS and in my field, it is the name brand. I interviewed others in my field and visited and spoke with students at other schools. I spoke with professors at SAIS, Harvard and Georgetown BEFORE I made my decision -and I also traveled to DC and attended a day of classes at SAIS. There have been no surprises for me at SAIS. I agree with you that the art of preparation shouldn't be underrated, my friend. I'm curious as to how your preparation landed you at SAIS and I'm sorry to hear that you've chosen to remain in what you describe as the "kiddie pool" (sic). It must be very frustrating for someone of your stature...

SAIS is a two year program. It has a rigorous economic component and quite frankly, that is what separates it from the rest. I had a minimal economics background (Macro and Micro) and I'm doing quite well. Most students take preterm and the calculus refresher course in the summer and hit the ground running in the fall. Economics are an integral part of the tapestry of I/R. The language proficiency exam at SAIS is no where near as difficult as the OPI and your language grades aren't a part of your official GPA. I would suggest that you take a Middlebury summer program and upon the completion of one of their 6 week immersion programs, you'll be able to easily pass the proficiency test. You don't have to take further language courses after you pass the proficiency test. Most of us do. You can't take the proficiency test until your second semester. I could not recommend SAIS more. I/R in the states evolves around DC. I would recommend studying in DC if you want to be a serious player. I am not deprecating the quality of the other schools that have been mentioned on this post. I am simply pointing out that most of them aren't in DC.

Pick something you know about. I used an independent research project from my studies abroad. This is an IR school so obviously the focus should be international despite the fact that the prompt says it can be national as well. The Bologna essay is actually a great example. It may be dry to you but SAIS is very economics oriented -and so is that essay. I chose a subject in my field and examined an economic aspect of it. What separates SAIS from Georgetown, Harvard and other IR grad schools is the rigorous economic component of the school's program. The ability to write short and succinct essays is de rigueur at SAIS.

One last suggestion for prospective SAIS admittees; when it comes to renting an apartment in DC, everything is negotiable. Renting a great apartment very near the school is doable if you're patient, polite and prepared to negotiate. Be sure and use Craigslist.

PM sent.

Answered by PM.