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charlotte_asia

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Everything posted by charlotte_asia

  1. I completely agree with you that a master's degree is advantageous in getting into the Foreign Service. What I don't agree with is that where that degree is from matters. And I agree with you that most officers are pol + econ + pd. I didn't say they weren't. What I said was that most officers are not politically-coned. We in the IR field often forget that a lot of FSOs do not have formal backgrounds in IR- many are former economists, bankers, teachers, journalists, lawyers, army officers, middle managers of companies, etc, meaning very few of them have formal degrees in IR/public policy. My fiance is an FSO and this is what has surprised me the most- that he and I are actually in the minority in terms of being IR-oriented, public policy/IR-grad school bound. It's actually refreshing to find such a diversity in the FS- having folks with very different experiences and educational backgrounds makes for a stronger diplomatic corps. Anyway don't mean to get off on this tangent- I think someone wanting to into the FS was just a hypothetical scenario posed anyway/ Just wanted to share my two cents for anyone eyeing the FS
  2. I don't buy the argument that one school is better than another for going into the Foreign Service The FS does not take into account where one attends graduate school (it doesn't even require an advanced degree), and what one learns in an MA program has little impact on how one performs on the FS test. The written and oral tests cover basic American history, reasoning skills, basic oral and writing abilities, and performance in a group management/problem-solving setting, skills and knowledge that can be acquired in undergrad or any basically any professional field. (Most FSOs aren't even politically coned, and come from management, journalism, etc backgrounds). The USAID FS process is a bit more dependent on higher education and substantive job-related knowledge, but I doubt that one solid IR program over another would better prepare a candidate. More important and relevant is professional experience.
  3. It sounds like you really don't want to go to Chicago. Then don't go! Even if it's free, it's still an investment of 2 years of your life. You only have one shot at grad school- don't settle for anything less than what you really want. It sounds like SIPA too would be too expensive, given cost of living in NYC. When looking at GPPI and SAIS, are you including the amount of money you would save in rent and utilities and the like if you lived with your fiance? (I assume you would live together?) That would be at least $12,000/year. Are you including the opportunity to work in your financial calculations? I'm in a SAIS- Georgetown debate with myself and even though Georgetown is more expensive, I would have the opportunity to work. From what I've heard from former and current students, SAIS is less conducive to part-time work. The opportunity cost of attending SAIS in forgone income is a big factor for me. Lastly, do not discount the importance of being away from your fiance for two years. I know we are all professionals and are supposed to be hyperfocused on our careers, blah blah blah.... but really. You are going to be married to someone but you'll be long-distance for two years... that's a pretty big decision to make in my opinion. I am also engaged (getting married in October) and being outside of DC was almost a non-starter for us (unless I got full tuition at Tufts or WWS). I didn't even apply to Stanford, which was the program I really wanted to attend. I guess all I'm saying is don't feel guilty for choosing your relationship over money. Go where you want to go- it sounds like that is to a school other than Chicago.
  4. rose, I wish I could channel your zen about letting things percolate for a few weeks and wait until all financial info is in. I am leaning towards Georgetown right now and hope that Gtown can send a little bit of money my way in the next week or two to solidify things. We'll see I would love to hear about the open house in a few weeks if anyone plans on going?
  5. How is everyone feeling about SAIS these days? While I spent the two weeks after my acceptance leaning towards SAIS, I am now moving back towards Georgetown. I feel my initial inclinations towards SAIS were its marketability and career services, two things I think would have only marginally better (if any better) pull than Georgetown. I am not in the finance/consulting/private sector industries and I'm just not sure that SAIS's services for folks not in those fields are any better than Georgetown's. In addition, while I would like to deepen my quantitative analysis classes, I am not sure I want to spend 25% of my classes on micro, trade, etc. I haven't ruled it out, but I am certainly hesitating a bit about it. I have spoken with many alums and current students from SAIS, and a few from Georgetown, and SAIS gets high marks from everyone. Still, several have said to me recently I really should just go where I want to go and not worry so much about marketability, name of degree, etc. Success after grad school, they have said, is more dependent on the individual rather than the school/program. (I should note that the Georgetown program I am considering is in the Dept of Government, not SFS) All that said, there are still three more weeks before I have to decide and I imagine I'll go back and forth again multiple times before then....
  6. It's possible, if you're north of Mt Vernon Square, around the Howard area. If you want a slightly safer neighborhood that's a big further out, the Capitol Hill area (north of F street and/or east of 10thish street), Columbia Heights, Petworth area, U Street, etc will all have places within that price range. I used to rent a large 3BR house with two other roommates for $2100/month. We could have definitely gotten something a bit smaller for under $2k. I also know folks who share a room with significant others and have other roommates as well and cut costs that way.
  7. I think it would be hard for any of us to give you advice unless you provide more about what your background and area of interest are. If you are in public health that would yield very different responses and perspectives than if you were in international trade, human rights, conflict resolution, energy, etc. If you have no idea on what you want to do with your life, I would be very hesitant to pursue not only one, but two advanced degrees, costing several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. I would only pursue a dual degree if I knew exactly why I was pursuing those two degrees and I knew they would be absolutely necessary for me to advance in my field. It sounds like at this point you're looking to get a dual JD-MA and find a career where that would 'give you a leg up,' and I'd suggest to you thinking about that the other way around: finding a career you want to pursue and figuring out what degree advancing in that field would require. Good luck!
  8. I submitted an application but instead of responding to the prompt I said how much rose1 and dcenergygirl deserve this scholarship. Hope that helped them decide
  9. rose1, that's awesome to hear. All the SAIS alums I have spoken with over the past few months/even year or so come away with really really positive experiences. I really do like the fact that you mentioned the funded opportunities, such as trips and internships. Did you get a sense those were tied to a particular program? Several folks I have talked to have encouraged me to, if I attend, switch a regional program instead of thematic, as they are stronger (according to them) and have more resources (aside from IDEV). Regarding living in DC, for those of you who haven't before, I just want to say I absolutely LOVE living in DC. Walking past the Capitol in the morning, going to neighborhood fairs and festivals, farmers markets at Eastern Market and Dupont and Foggy Bottom, dropping in on Congressional hearings and lectures at Carnegie and Brookings, jogging along the Mall, downtown Alexandria, biking to Mount Vernon, the cherry blossoms.... I'm such a sucker for that city! Yes, New York is New York and one of the most incredible places in the world, but I think there's something very special about DC.
  10. I'm super jealous you have money at SAIS! That's awesome. Regarding living in DC without much money, I did it when I was fresh out of undergrad and interning unpaid for three months before I was hired full-time. Granted I had a couple thousand in the bank, but I was mostly living off of a part-time barista paycheck. If you live in a group house and don't mnd a bit of a walk to the metro you could pay around $600-$700, plus some for utilities and internet, $70 for transportation (less if you get a bike) and $150 for food. (I kept a budget during that time so these are actual numbers I spent). I think DC is "doable" on $1000/month, barring any medical emergencies and having to forgo eating out and nights in Adams Morgan (ok, maybe you'll be a bit more mature than I was as a 22 year old and not want to spent your nights in Adams Morgan ). Not comfortable, but doable.
  11. I just want to add to future applicants that I scored 640Q on the GREs and got into SAIS. There is hope! Standardized test math is not my forte, but I know from high school (4 on the AP Cacl exam) that with hard work I can do well in quantitative arenas. I took International Political Economics in college and while working after graduation took Principles of Micro and Principles of Macro at night at The Graduate School in DC. It sucked, but I made As. I doubt I would have been accepted to SAIS without these classes, which showed them I can do the work, even if it takes me a bit more effort than those of you more quantitatively-gifted folks
  12. gzdzcca, I just moved our Georgetown Government conversation over to I really look forward to hearing your thoughts, especially as you too are considering SAIS.
  13. Carrying over a conversation from another thread... This is one of the issues I'm trying to get a handle on. The Georgetown Department has put me in touch with current students, who do not cite the program as overly academic. A lot of the students (most, I believe) are practitioners, at least in my field of democracy and governance. A lot of professors are active practitioners as well. I had a lot of trouble getting information on the curriculum besides the core course requirements. These seemed theoretical to me, but I suppose core classes generally are. I was concerned that most classes would be like this, until a current student told me that 50% of the classes DG students (perhaps it's government studnets in general) take are cross-registered at SFS, PPI, etc. He sent me a list of all the available classes for Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 and they look far more practical than just the broad thematic classes in the DG program I was expecting. Should I matriculate, I would especially want to take classes at GPPI to complement the more academic coursework in the Government department. This morning I spoke with a SAIS student who raved about SAIS graduates' career prospects and the networking and connections the SAIS name brings with it. He wasn't convinced I could get the same sort of career support and opportunities going to a non-SFS Georgetown School. I haven't been able to get much information about Georgetown Government's career service support, but will be emailing a recent graduate soon to get a better sense of how satisfied her classmates have been in finding a job. I think you are right that Government is much less competitive than SFS and SAIS. It's certainly a consideration for me, since who your classmates are really impacts the quality of your education. Although one of my former bosses who adjuncts at Georgetown said he has always been impressed with Georgetown Government (at least DG) students. Then I heard from another adjunct that he hasn't been as impressed... Sigh. Really difficult decision.
  14. I am not considering Fletcher. My fiance will be working in DC and being based in DC is my top choice. I applied to Fletcher because I really like the program and would have considered being long distance from my fiance for two years had the financial package been too good to resist. I did receive some money at Fletcher, but all it would do is offset the cost of us living apart (separate rent, etc) so it's not enough for me. So, it's between Georgetown and SAIS at this point.
  15. Oh my, FINALLY another Georgetown Government compatriot! I just started a thread on this program. I'll reserve my comments on Georgetown for that thread. (Mind if I quote you on that thread and respond?) I just spoke with a SAIS grad who was lauding the "free" (as in, included) services and programs and opportunities at SAIS. He mentioned trips already covered in tuition to Sri Lanka, India-China, etc. I believe the SAIS blog has referenced some of these. I am not going to base my decision of a school on the availability of "free international trips" (especially since I'm coming off of spending the majority of the last 4 years overseas). However, it is a big plus for me in the SAIS category is the concept of providing a lot of extracurriculuar activities and opportunities outside of the classroom proper. This student was speaking more broadly to the fact that SAIS does provide these opportunities, which is certainly something I want to take into consideration and compare to Georgetown.
  16. Any current students, recent admittees, or anyone with an opinion want to chime in about this department's MA program? My specific questions are: - How are the career service/networking opportunities for this program, since it is not part of SFS/PPI, etc? - How strong is the student body of this program? - Does being outside the School of Foreign Service mean the Georgetown name or degree program is less valued/viewed less favorably? - Is the program more academic or practitioner/practically oriented? I have asked these questions to current and recent students, but I would like additional opinions. There are at least a few other MA admits to the Department of Government based on the GC results survey- would love to hear your thoughts.
  17. Ugh. I am seriously torn between SAIS - Georgetown. What makes it even more difficult is that the Georgetown program I am considering is not SFS or another major school, it's within the Department of Government. Smaller, less connected to SFS, but they take classes at SFS, SSP, GPPI, etc. I can't get a handle on whether or not being outside of SFS/SSP/GPPI still yields the benefits of Georgetown or not, and how that compares to SAIS. Anyway, regarding SAIS, I have been speaking with a number of recent graduates- friends, and friends of friends. They all highly recommend SAIS, speak well of its students and faculty. I just spoke with a student who reminded me all of the great "free" (er.... $39,000) things you get at SAIS- international trips, career services, lectures and events. Current students, I would love to hear more of your thoughts. Pros/cons? What you wish you had known before entering? How do you feel about the faculty and students?
  18. I would disagree a bit with this on a few levels. I think the concept of a school chasing you is only limited to the most elite of elite programs, not just name brand schools, of which GW, American, LBJ, etc are all among. Even for MA candidates at the very top schools, I think the idea that jobs would chase us only applies to student with significant promise in some of the most competitive fields (security studies, energy policy, Chinese/Middle East experts, etc). My area of expertise- democracy and governance- is never going to make me highly sought after at this level of my career. I have no illusions that simply enrolling in SAIS or Georgetown is going to have employers knocking on my door. For those of us who are not trilingual Parsi, Arabic, and Urdu and who have expertise in security and military sectors, I think networking plays a greater role in job prospects (and all of the schools we have mentioned on this thread have outstanding networks).
  19. MYRNIST, why would you disrupt our mindless outerwear apparel chatter with logic and reason? Kidding. Your points are sound and appreciated. I see from your signature you made an admissions decision, which is terrific. I wish I had a school that financially made this decision a lot easier. Congratulations!!
  20. I am glad to hear others are facing similar decisions. I'm glad I'm not crazy for taking on more debt for just a bit more name recognition. Well... maybe I am crazy for doing that, but at least I am in good company. I think visiting campus would make my decision much easier. Unfortunately I won't be back in the States until I move permanently back in July. I am having to rely on the opinions of current and former students, and a few former bosses who adjunct at one or both of the programs. It's useful, but I would rather get a feel for the campuses themselves. That said, having gleaned more information about the curriculum from correspondences with current students at Georgetown, I feel much more at ease with the comparability between GW and GU. You're correct in that there probably isn't anything I can get at GW I cannot get at Georgetown. Barring, that is, a bit more pocket money... One of the first things my mother said when I got into Georgetown was "[insert squeal] I get to go buy Georgetown sweatshirts now!." That has rung in my head in the weeks since. Thanks, Mom.
  21. I was set on a SAIS- Georgetown decision until today, as upon reviewing the GW Elliott curriculum I realized how ideal it is to the skills I want to gain from graduate school. I'll be honest, the prestige that comes along with SAIS and Georgetown are major draws for me. It probably would not be much of a factor if I had attended an undergraduate institution with name recognition. I attended a Top 10 LAC, which, while prestigious among academic circles, is unrecognizable to the layperson. I have been intent on attending a top IR school for graduate studies to have one program with significant name recognition on my resume. I feel rather shallow admitting this, but it's true. While GW is an outstanding school, SAIS and Georgetown carry higher name recognition and a bit more prestige. While GW would be considerably more affordable, I can handle the cost of SAIS and Georgetown, whose prices are roughly the same. Am I being absurd to turn down a great fit with a smaller price tag just for a bit more prestige? Who else is facing a similar situation?
  22. A friend of mine who went to SAIS did the Bologna program and seriously raved about it. She was a top, top candidate with full rides to other programs and chose to do SAIS Bologna, even though it meant taking out loans to do so, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I don't know much about the program substantively, in terms of curriculum or pros/cons, but all I hear from her is how incredible her experience was there, living in Bologna, becoming extremely close with her Bologna cohort, faculty, international exposure, etc. From what I unerstand it's a second-rate location in the least.
  23. I think bargaining is worthwhile if they have thrown a decent amount of free money your way already. It's clear that you are among the top of SAIS' applicants and they really want you. Telling them that you have a more competitive offer from another university, that SAIS is your top choice you would like to explore ways with them to make it financially feasible to attend may get you somewhere. It's at least possible. I have no problem bargaining (I've lived in developing Asian countries for most of the past four years, haggling is a way of life here!) but I also know when it's not the right time to bargain. SAIS is a large program with lots of acceptances- they offered me only loans, no free money, they are not going to throw some my way because I asked for it. I am not going to bargain with them (though I might with other smaller programs to which I was accepted). You, however, have already been signaled an extra "we want you!" with a relatively large aid package. Try and see if they can sweeten the deal a bit more for you. They already want you- make them work for it a little more
  24. That's awesome, congratulations erry! I wish graduate admissions was like a game of Settlers of Catan where you can trade in resources. I would gladly hand over my Fletcher and GW money for just a few thousand at SAIS...
  25. erry, did you receive $15k in loans or aid/fellowship? I wasn't really considering loans to be "aid," but now I am not sure if I received any sort of financial support (loans or otherwise) from Georgetown.... so perhaps loans are aid. I can't imagine anyone able to pay $40K/year without loans.
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