washdc

*But then I have a school in europe not coming back until May That's what that should say. It's 4AM here, brain is totally fried

Oh wow that is extraaaa long! Do you worry that other programs will make you decide before you even hear back from them? I'm a little anxious because I applied to an NYU program (but not liberal arts, it's abroad) and I'll hear back from them next week, and they want us to kind of respond/let them know within a few weeks of receipt. But then I don't have a school in europe not coming back until May.. so.... It's tricky! But, I agree. I consider this my fun MA, since I'll actually enjoy it. My current MA I have to give myself a pep talk while laying in bed everyday trying to wake up. "You can do it!" "One foot first!" "Coffee only take 2 minutes to make!!"

WHAT!? Then it's almost like they thought "hm.. how to raise some extra money, how to raise some extra money.. oh let's just say no, no spots available this year and keep it all!" Insanity.

I think the problem with this however is you run into the exact same problems. Jobs at the UN for instance.. you're not going to get in with a BA alone, sorry you won't. You can have your 5-7 years work experience and it would do 0 for you. How do you remedy that? You get an MA, but then you have no work experience.. you're semi screwed either way. The best you can hope for is someone takes a chance on you. Or you can work and go to school.. that's an option as well. I know plenty of people who are simultaneously holding down jobs at like DHS and trekking to class at night.

DualCitizenIR, well if you get into SIS you can study abroad or even spend a summer interning abroad. Does Korbel have those options? SIS is also cheaper than most schools, so if you get funding you'd be all set.

Not trolling here, but genuinely curious.. if employers don't know about Notre Dame and Tufts in Asia then what schools do they know? Only the ivies? Those are both really good schools.. esp Fletcher. I am not sure if you're applying for a PhD or Master's, but for a Master's Fletcher is ranked 5th in the nation for international affairs. Anyway. I agree with everyone else.. why were you in finance/banking if you're applying for IR programs? It would make more sense then if you apply for perhaps ID, or International Economics.. something that fits better with your background.

Wow.. I can't believe SAIS is like that. Agree with the other poster, try contacting someone else in the department.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions about SIS please let me know! Like I said I'm an IP student, 2nd year, 2nd semester.

I'm currently here IP student, last semester, and I can't wait to get the HEL* out of here. For a number of reasons. However, on the bright side.. we just got a new Dean, they're changing a lot of the requirements for the incoming class. For instance the incoming class won't have to defend their theses, you'll have the option to do a practicum instead of a thesis, etc. Hopefully they improve things for the better. Another positive is it's the cheapest of all the IR/IP grad schools out there (Master's). And according to the new TRIPs (Teaching, Research and International Policy) survey, AU's SIS program is ranked 8th (only 1 spot behind Elliot school) and actually above U Chicago and LSE for a Master's in International Affairs. In DC most people agree SIS and Elliot School are practically the same thing, when you start talking MSFS or SAIS then you're getting into a different category.

Wait, are we talking about the guy who only had a BA? Or whether coming out of grad school w/ zero work experience will help land you a job? If it's the former, in government.. of course his prospects for promotion will be limited. He's competing with individuals with MAs and PhDs. If it's the latter, I mean, it might be tougher to get a job right out of grad school w/ zero experience.. however that's what career tracks are for. One can sign up for the FS exam, or a fellowship, etc. to get a foot in the door of government work.

I did.. I took a year off. My school was really lukewarm about the idea.. I guess they think they're incredibly amazing or something because they're in DC and I'm in a Master's for IR; they basically told me to reapply next year (I fought the decision and won; so instead of having to reapply I was given the year off), also I had to pay the entire semester's fees anyway (because I missed the deadline for withdrawing with partial refund, I don't even want to get into that part..). I feel like my issues have a lot of stigma in society as it is, because for mental health issues most people just assume "get over it" or that I have any control over it or that "it's all in my mind".. it's not really viewed as a "medical" problem per se, even though it definitely is (hell it took me a good year to realize it really IS something that I have no control over) So, I mean, that's something I've struggled with. After the year and getting a lot of help and recovering, I teeter totter on being okay most of the time and not okay sometimes. It seems like the support for grad students is different than for undergrads. My hand was help through a lot of my undergrad years and I had the full backing of my professors, the medical staff on campus, etc. for turning in work late or what have you - but in grad school it seems like no one wants to really provide the support? I don't know. It could just be my school.

Hey abusbyPhD, please tell me Rice refunded your app fees.. that can't be morally right on their part.

This.

Hey everyone! I applied to one Liberal Studies MA program, but at Columbia and the app deadline isn't even until 15 March. Suffice it to say, I have a looooooong way to go in terms of waiting (sigh). I also went to a liberal arts for undergrad. Yay.

I think the better question is whether you want to take out the loans or not.. Not only is your tuition going to be unfunded, but London is a more expensive city to live in. So you'll have high rent, food, transportation costs, etc. I don't know, that's just my opinion. I didn't look at LSE or any schools in the UK for that reason alone (and I have a scholarship which provides a $1450 stipend/mo and $18K in tuition per year, USD from an outside scholarship). Especially because you don't have professional experience.. you'd be funded, Amherst has a cheaper cost of living, you're late 20s.. I would go the PhD route.

Once they send out letters, just give them a couple of days and call by phone and let them know you're an international student and you'd like to know your status by phone since you're not sure when/if the letter will actually arrive. I did this for both GWU and AU and they were really friendly/nice about it (a few years ago).

When did you take the GRE? Most of the schools are kind of unsympathetic because they say in the applications to allot for a lot of time in between taking the GRE and them receiving the scores.. Otherwise, obviously this is an emergency, you need to wake up, regardless of the time, regardless of how many hours it takes to get ahold of them - to speak with ETS on the phone. They answer right away. And speak with each school individually.. if they won't consider incomplete applications there might still be time to get on the wait-list. But set your alarm clock and wake up to get on the phone!

I have one tomorrow morning, so I will let you know how it goes! But thus far, for practice.. I've met with a friend three times to go over practice questions/answers (along with him asking random questions I have not practiced for, or just conversational topics like "how's the weather?"). They only gave me a week's notice before the actual interview date, so three times was all we had time for. Do you have anyone you can sign with? That will be the biggest help I believe. Also if I don't know the answer because I haven't practiced, I plan to give a short, simple answer. Mine is via skype and the possibility of my internet crashing is also giving me a minor heart attack. But I know what you mean, immersion for me is also the best way to pick up a language. I've been three years out of practice for this language.. And it's in linguistics (of the language), so I'm quite nervous!

This is my second Master's (first is in IR here in Wash DC), so I am applying to a random assortment of universities. However I'm applying to the University of Hamburg, program is entirely in English.. I picked up German as my fifth language so I am super uncomfortable with doing a Master's-level education in it. European Studies! Specifically focusing on the EU as a political actor and its relations with international orgs and other states. I agree w/ lecorbeau.. Tuition is SO cheap. I thought about LSE, Imperial College and King's College.. however the cost of living in London is insane. Plus the tuitions are x1.58 (is that the current exchange rate?).

SAT, are you in high school?

I agree with what everyone else stated. You need to pick a language now and focus/stick with it. You technically should have started freshmen year, rather than switching mid-studies. Farsi is a difficult language to learn, but the Boren scholarship will be excellent and I think it's great you're going to apply to that in the future. Arabic is also good. Which country specifically are you interested in? Arabic has a more over-arching appeal in terms of being able to study anywhere from Morocco to Egypt to Saudi. And don't stop with French, continue it.. even if informally. You can always learn German later. I speak 5 languages. Once you get three down you're pretty good to go. The rest are a piece of cake.

Hey everyone! Has anyone applied to NYU's Madrid program? It seems like most everyone is applying for MAs/PhDs in-country rather than out of the country. Just curious! I turned in my app last week (rolling admission deadline), have an interview next Wed.

I called them awhile ago,, and they told me that they don't have a ranked wait list- they'll see if they have any spots available and then relook the applicants on the waitlist and go from there. But they definitely said we would hear by May 18th, and that deadline is obviously fast approaching.. I'm going somewhere else though, I just wanted to see if I'd get off the wait list and see if I felt the slightest bit inclined to attend but I doubt it.

I am wait listed too- but they told me I could hear up until may 18th- and you had to notify to stay on the wait list by April 24th. Didn't hear anything about May 1st. (and I still haven't heard anything)

Wrong- which is why he agreed, only ones who catcall him are idiots. Nice try though.