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Great, thanks MaxiJaz! Is there any way of knowing what the LORs will include, if they are questionnaires? Not that I think it's a big deal to find out before, but just curious.

It does, thank you! I see what you're saying about the fact that schools want to be sure that an applicant will have a high likelihood to graduate. With that in mind, I am going through all of my classes (at least the ones that weren't 500-person lectures) and picking out a few professors that I think might remember me. I might as well reach out and see, even if it is a small chance. Do you know how early I should start reaching out to them? I'm planning on applying in December. Thanks again for your help.

I'm compiling a list of people I would like to ask for Letters of Recommendation and have hit a bit of a road block. I've read here and on most MA program websites that the standard is 2 academic recommendations and 1 professional. The problem is, it's been 4 years since I was in school and I didn't really have a close relationship with any professors. And by "close" I mean that I didn't really go to many office hours or communicate much. Anyway, what I'm wondering is if it's really important to have academic sources or if I can just use professional sources. I have really strong recommenders when it comes to professional sources but want to know if it's an unwritten rule that I should get 1 or 2 academic recommendations. Any advice is appreciated!

Right, I need to look a little deeper into UMich's offerings. As I'm crafting my SoP's for different schools, I'm starting to really put more thought around exactly what I want to do. And that exercise has started to get me to think broader about what my real options are when it comes to MA focus. I originally was focused solely on Int'l Development, but the more I dig in I'm realizing that I might be better suited for programs focused more on Economics and Business. So thanks for the advice! In-state tuition would obviously help out a lot. I've been trying to find out-of-state tuition for some of the other schools, anyone know where to find a good resource for that?

Thanks for the perspective! Helps give me a much better understanding of the entire arena. Good luck in the Fall, and congrats!

Great, thanks for the advice. I've thought about getting my foot in the door with a smaller organization to get some real-world, international experience before applying. If you have any suggestions of organizations to apply to or places to start looking, I'd appreciate the help! I'm still a bit of a greenhorn and want to learn as much about the international arena as possible (whether related to Development or not). Obviously I will also be looking at companies with offices in other countries. Thanks again.

I'm in the application process, hoping to make it into a masters program to study International Development. I'm hoping for some advice from people who have navigated through the process and might have had similar backgrounds (or just have insights). I feel that I might have a different background than most applicants, and I'm wondering if/how that will affect my chances, and if there are things I can do to potentially mitigate some of the risk or fill in some gaps. A little background: I graduated in 2008 from Michigan State University's business school with a BA in Marketing (3.35 GPA) I've been working for the past 3.5 years in marketing/advertising (mostly US automotive), at large agencies in Detroit. I have worked on a few global projects for our clients, but no travel, just pulling and analyzing data and research. I have traveled a lot for leisure (2 weeks at a time), but I'm not sure how much of an effect, if any, this will have on my application I have very little language experience (French) but am taking classes and plan to continue through grad school to ensure I can pass the language proficiency req's I want to switch from consumer marketing to international development because I am passionate about it. I feel that selling a few more cars will have a limited effect on people's lives compared to building a sustainable economy of supply and demand in an underdeveloped country. My focus would be on consulting for small businesses and entrepreneurs in developing markets. I know I probably don't have the same qualifications, education, or experience as most applicants, but I'm wondering if you think my background has any merit to going into a field steeped in economics and business. And more importantly, how I can tighten up my story to make me seem more palatable for schools. I'm also wondering if there are programs I should consider that I'm not. The ones I'm considering right now are: Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva) - Masters in Development Practice Sciences Po - PSIA (Paris) - Masters in Int'l Development GWU - Elliot School - Int'l Development Studies U of Denver - Korbel - Int'l Development Tufts - Fletcher - MALD Brandeis - Heller - SIS Any and all advice would be great! I'm trying to navigate this process and just wanted some advice as to where to "turn up the dials". Thanks!

Thanks! I'll consider other focuses as well, but I guess I didn't convey my objectives very well. I'm really interested in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed. But it helps to know that I should highlight some of my Econ. and Quant. background.

I'm in the application process, hoping to make it into a masters program to study International Development. I'm hoping for some advice from people who have navigated through the process and might have had similar backgrounds (or just have insights). I feel that I might have a different background than most applicants, and I'm wondering if/how that will affect my chances, and if there are things I can do to potentially mitigate some of the risk or fill in some gaps. A little background: I graduated in 2008 from Michigan State University's business school with a BA in Marketing (3.3 GPA) I've been working for the past 3.5 years in marketing/advertising (mostly US automotive), at large agencies in Detroit. I have worked on a few global projects for our clients, but no travel, just pulling and analyzing data and research. I have traveled a lot for leisure, but I'm not sure how much of an effect, if any, this will have on my application I have very little language experience (French) but am taking classes and plan to continue through grad school to ensure I can pass the language proficiency req's I want to switch from consumer marketing to international development because I am passionate about it. I feel that selling a few more cars will have a limited effect on people's lives compared to building a sustainable economy of supply and demand in an underdeveloped country. I know I probably don't have the same qualifications, education, or experience as most applicants, but I'm wondering if you think my background has any merit to going into a field steeped in economics and business. I'm also wondering if there are programs I should consider that I'm not. The ones I'm considering right now are: Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva) - Masters in Development Practice Sciences Po - PSIA (Paris) - Masters in Int'l Development GWU - Elliot School - Int'l Development Studies U of Denver - Korbel - Int'l Development Tufts - Fletcher - MALD Brandeis - Heller - SIS Any and all advice would be great! I'm trying to navigate this process and just wanted some advice as to where to "turn up the dials". Thanks!