cunninlynguist
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Everything posted by cunninlynguist
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Amazing cycle, greendiplomat! You should be very proud. I've been entertaining the idea of re-applying. Why rush? If I gave myself a year or so to re-take the GRE (and study the right way this time), take a couple of relevant quantitative courses at the local CC, and get another internship or two under my belt, I should position myself better for funding and potentially an FES admit. Sinking $100K in student loans isn't appealing to me. Anyone else having conflicted thoughts?
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Wow, those are excellent aid packages you've all received from Yale -- congrats!
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The elephant in the room: Taking on debt for IR
cunninlynguist replied to lecorbeau's topic in Government Affairs Forum
Who had the audacity to vote down MYRNIST's post? That was a very thoughtful -- and substantiated -- account of how to position yourself to get a good offer, and not just an offer. I am not in IR, but now that my decisions are in, I feel increasingly averse to accumulating $80K+ in debt for my Masters. And, as I'm sure a lot of you can relate, that would be added to a little under $30K from undergrad. What is the incentive? We're all looking at employment prospects that will not yield amazing salaries out of the gate, and it seems foolish to start a $50K job with double that in debt, at the age of 25 or 26. The prevailing wisdom from those who have done it is to wait, gain a little more experience and/or improve your application... and that grad school isn't going anywhere. Perhaps taking another year (or two) off would be best. For me, that would mean retaking the GRE and really dedicating myself to it, getting another internship or two, taking a couple of prerequisite courses at the local CC, and saving a little money. -
Your visit will definitely be helpful, and I imagine you will gain a huge amount of clarity with regards to Duke's program and its strengths. Since you're already familiar with economic concepts, the EEP concentration will build upon that much more so than anything available at Penn. BTW, there are a few law courses available through Duke. I plan on taking at least 2, if possible (Environmental Law and Natural Resource Law). And the distinction between Duke and Penn, based on name alone, is negligible to the layperson, but significant in the environmental sector. As a corollary to this: since there will be a few GradCafers going to Duke for admitted students weekend, could you please inquire about the opportunity to take electives in other departments?
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Duke's program has the benefit of being within an entire school dedicated to the environment. You'll have greater access to resources and faculty that are closely aligned to your academic and professional goals; Penn's program is simply housed amongst many others in their College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The career services staff at Nicholas -- and the power you can wield as a Duke alum in that sector -- is lauded as very strong. The Nicholas School's reputation is excellent. The reputation of Penn's program seems unknown and the cohort is comprised differently, as it is oriented toward an older crowd already in the field (reflected by the option of being a part-time student there, which isn't available at the "top" environment schools). One of the key draws for me regarding Duke (and the EEP concentration) is the quantitative and analytical preparation. No idea about Penn's emphasis on those skills. What's your background? What are you looking to do after the degree?
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I will also say that the concentration at Duke isn't perfect for me, but there are some major benefits. For one, anything that includes the word "Economics" is marketable, and the quantitative rigor of EEP will give us a lot of useful and practical skills. And I'll second the request for anyone going to admitted students events -- if you can share any information afterward, there are several of us who would definitely appreciate it. On that note, I was thinking it would also be nice if a few of us checked the GradCafe around this time next year and shared our wisdom with the next crop of applicants if they have questions about certain programs.
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Now we've got some acceptances! Congratulations to greendiplomat, crimsonmays, and LHL. Despite being very excited about Duke, I will concede that I just picked up 4 items off McDonald's dollar menu to ease the sting of rejection, lol.
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No idea how that works -- especially if they've already offered 220 acceptances. How long do you think you'll be able to hold out? How strongly are you leaning toward any of your other options? Still, congrats! It's something.
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Rejected. Surprised how ahead of schedule they are.
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MCRM, appreciate the insight and glad you had a nice time! Those numbers look quite favorable: in recent years, applications exceeded 600 by a healthy margin. Do you mean that the GRE is essentially the least important part of an applicant's file? It wouldn't surprise me, and FES does refer to their holistic admissions (and they regard "softer qualities" as critical). I'm confident that by the end of next week we'll be congratulating a few regulars in this thread on their FES acceptances.
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I've got two prerequisites: microeconomics and calculus. Cost-wise, taking a summer course won't be terribly expensive (if it's through a community college), but you'll be accountable to pay up as you register and enroll. Taking it at Duke will allow you to add it to your total costs and you won't need to pay out of pocket immediately. I plan on taking microeconomics this summer and will see if calculus is feasible -- if not, I'll do it while on campus. And thanks for asking in advance! Best of luck with your meeting. Only a week from decisions, so you may learn some interesting things...
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Congratulations! It's a very basic inquiry, but I'd be curious to know how many applications FES received this year.
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I got an e-mail directing me to Wolverine Access, and it was a PDF viewable through "View Financial Award Notices." Based on what I'd heard, I wasn't anticipating a substantial package from SNRE (and, in order to elevate SNRE above Nicholas, a strong financial offer would be necessary). Hopefully you'll get clarity on your funding situation soon!
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Just got the financial award notice from Michigan, and as expected, it's underwhelming: Federal loans and $3K of work-study. Oh well.
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It'd be your last 4 semesters, if your school operates under the traditional Fall and Spring system; basically, it's the last 2 years of a 4-year undergraduate degree. This is notable in admissions because it generally is a more useful indicator of the applicant's academic ability than your first couple of years, when you may be adjusting to college and indulging in some unrelated elective courses. Furthermore, you'll likely be taking advanced-level coursework in your major during the last 60 hours.
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Very helpful, jbr00ks9. I just found the 2011 internship map for Nicholas. So, if anyone is curious about a particular area, you may find that Duke has previously established a connection there. Has anyone received an e-mail from the coordinator of their concentration at Michigan? I got a very nice one from Dr. Yaffee (Environmental Policy and Planning) and was curious if all of the faculty coordinators send them out in the hopes of luring students there.
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GREs aren't really that important. We, as applicants, place added emphasis on them because it provides something we can measure; you can't "measure" how well you did on your personal statement, letters of recommendation, experience, etc. Yale uses holistic admissions, so the only way your GRE would be a key factor is an exceptionally high or low score. And as an international applicant, your verbal score is fine.
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Congratulations! Internships are "highly encouraged," but not compulsory. The window to complete one while at Duke -- and receive any funding and/or placement assistance -- is the summer between the first and second year. This summer is in your hands: do with it what you feel is best. I'll be fulfilling at least 1 of my 2 prerequisites and saving some money for moving expenses.
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Congratulations! It's a nice feeling to actually hold a letter of acceptance in your hands.
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I don't anticipate going to any of the admitted students days, either (for me, current family issues supersede everything). My decision is predicated on: the curriculum of each program, the skills acquired in said program, the reputation of the school and alumni network, and finally, costs. Factors like location, climate, and campus all matter but they're not as significant. If anyone reading this thread is currently at Nicholas, SNRE, Bren, FES, etc. please feel free to add any first-hand insight.
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Thankfully it's not for me, and not for a pet. However, mealworms are the preferred food of...
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Congrats! Bard's program looks solid, if a bit obscure. I'm sure you'll be hearing from a few other schools shortly -- and in only 2 weeks or so, we'll learn our fates at Yale.
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I got a box of 1,000 live mealworms the other day. If anyone wants to beat that, they're welcome to try. Didn't get anything notable today.
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Sorry to hear that. Would be nice if you heard some positive news from SNRE this week! For all the Yale people: did you complete the new optional components of the application (diversity statement & writing sample)?
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In the last few years, the class size has usually ranged from 120 to 140 students.
