This may seem a bit far away, but I'd like to know if I am on the right track, so thanks in advance!
Well, first off, I'm a sophomore at a top liberal arts university, and I'm very interested in international development/development economics and microfinance. I'm half-hispanic, 3.67 GPA, and I'm double majoring in economics and global politics. I'm involved in our micro finance club, Engineers Without Borders (I deal with the money...casually the only non-science major in the club), and a number of other clubs (triathlon club, campus activities, model UN, volunteer clubs).
Before I go any further, I'm really interested in any advice that people who are applying to grad schools, are in grad school or have finished grad school have for me when it comes to graduate programs in international development. Right now, I'm very much interested in a joint degree program (3 years, MBA and masters in International development or similar).
Right now the one's that I have been looking at are Yale, Georgetown, Columbia and Harvard. I am also completely aware of the fact that these are challenging schools to get into, but any advice would be appreciated.
I am very open to opportunities that may arise, but I kind of have a mini action plan, and this is what it looks like:
-I'm already in a study abroad program in Ghana [spring 2012] (I'll be studying development economics for a month)
-I will be volunteering for a month in Bolivia with our EWB club [summer 2012]
-I will be spending a semester in Geneva studying international relations and I will be immersed in French which I've already been studying for a few years [Fall 2012]
-Although I was offered an international internship through my school for this summer, I had to turn it down for previously mentioned activities...when I'm in Ghana, my professor is going to help me get in contact with micro finance companies that I will be able to do this internship with[all Summer 2013]
-take GRE[sometime senior year?]
-After I graduate, I want to get an internship with Kiva (see kiva.com if you haven't heard of it, it's a micro finance organization), or at least work there or some place similar for a few months[summer/fall 2014]
-Go into peace corps afterwards [fall/winter 2014-winter/spring 2017] Hopefully small business development, or teaching economics
-Apply to grad schools near the end of peace corps
I have a bunch of random interesting facts about my life: I lived abroad for 6.5 years, dual citizen(although I could be a triple citizen if I wanted), built a bamboo bike (in highschool...it works...got the idea from http://bamboobike.org/Home.html), etc.
Do my ideas seem alright? Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? What I wonder is this: There are so many interesting people that want to go into this career field, so how does one stand out and make it known to graduate schools that he/she is an ideal candidate?
sidenote: I'm pretty set on peace corps. I've thought about it a lot, my family and friends are supportive, my professor is a RPCV and I've gone to info meetings.
Thanks for any information y'all may have! sorry this is long.
