JerusalemS

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.

I'd just like to say that I disagree with essentially everything the above poster said, with some caveats.

As a current student, I can without hesitation that the most interesting students that I've come to know are the ones who come from different disciplines simply because they are able to provide a perspective that is otherwise lacking. They are able to glean from the lectures and the readings information that pass by me because my experiences and my training have been so different. The benefit of grad school is the breadth and the diversity of students -- is your learning experience honestly enhanced by sitting in a classroom where half the students just graduated from the Ivy League and can recite Thucydides and Waltz?


That being said, you need to be able to show a demonstrated interest in intelligence/strategic studies and that this isn't just a pipe dream caused by a midlife crisis. Regardless of what people tell you, there is nothing wrong with having an "epiphany" moment -- but now you have to work towards that goal. Take a political economy or intro to IR class at a local college (or even online) to show the Adcoms that you are able to translate your natural skill/intelligence to a new field. There are plenty of applicants every year who come from a background of computer science / information technology, and they are just as competitive as the rest.

Also, being in your late 20s is not a "relatively advanced age."

I am 90% decided on SAIS, but I just can't shake the feeling that they aren't as willing to help out their students as other programs. It seems like other schools have been very accommodating and willing to talk to me about what I'm looking to get out of the program, while SAIS kind of seems to have an attitude of take-it-or-leave-it and has been totally inflexible. Can somebody make me feel better about this so I can put down my deposit?

Thanks!

MYRNIST, I agree with most of what you said, and without judging or knowing your personal background, I'd like to make one caveat: When you have to work your way through university, taking the amount of hours you've taken to study, and adding onto it unpayed internship is simply not possible. And while I agree, that most middle class people can do that, there is a point where financial background does stop you from getting there.

Now, going back to the discussion in the thread, let me ask for advice in this field. Going to school in DC was one of my dreams. I'm a foreign Fulbright fellow, which means I'm basically on a full ride, but Fulbright picks the school. While being applied to SAIS, and SFS, I've also been applied to Korbel and Syracuse.
I'm genuinely thinking of turning down Fulbright if it's offered for Syracuse, and taking on debt to go to a DC school, if even a minimum amount is offered by the university. Now, given the fact that I plan to stay in my country, and not move to the US or Europe after graduating, that debt gets even more frightening (salary levels here are lower).

Am I being a moron? Being offered this great opportunity and turning it down to follow the dream? (all hypothetical ofcourse, till Fulbright decides to tell me their decision.).

awesome

Princeton results out.
I'm through
All the best guys.

You would do well to drop the "insider", "those of us in the know" routine. You clearly work in academia, and perhaps in the ivory tower, USNWR rankings actually correspond with general reputation. But among DC professionals (at least in my experience), equating Kansas or Indiana or whatever with WWS, HKS, etc. will get you laughed at. A school's reputation in the academic tribe =/= reputation in the working world.

The fact that you included "faculty that are publishing in the major journals" as a major criterion of school quality is telling. I personally don't give 2 hoots whether, say, Madeleine Albright or Paul Pillar get published in the major academic journals, since their professional accomplishments speak for themselves.

That viewpoint isn't inherently any better or worse than yours, but I am quite sure it is one more commonly held on this forum, and among people who actually practice public policy. And by that perspective USNWR rankings are laughable - find me multiple Cabinet members, World Bank execs, think tank heads, etc. who went to Kansas or Indiana, and then I'll start believing they are ranked correctly.

:lol:

This isn't specifically directed at the above poster, but I find it hilarious how everyone always thinks their SOP is amazing. Either the bell curve for SOP quality is way to the right, or people are not very good at objectively evaluating their own writing.

Hey Stefania!

Doing poorly on the GRE is never good, but as you correctly identified, the damage can be mitigated by composing a really awesome statement of purpose, writing sample, etc. I recommending having a professor who is a native speaker of English (more accurately, is a native speaker of IvoryTower-ese) look over all your stuff, because going solely off your post I can see why you got a 2.5 on the AWA. Forgive me if that is harsh, since you clearly do speak English at a quite good level (and far better than I can speak Italian), but there are a number of grammatical errors and awkward constructions. If these mistakes were also present on the GRE, then the 2.5 was honestly earned. Luckily, for writing samples and SOPs you have the advantage of time for revision. Getting some quality editing from an educated native speaker, if you haven't already, will hopefully smooth out the linguistic bumps and let your actual ideas shine through.

PS - the GRE AWA is not graded solely by a computer. There are always at least two human graders as well.
Source: http://www.ets.org/g...ral/scores/how/