should i reject my offers and reapply?

[sky_blue]

I am still in college and have no full time work experience (but plenty of policy related internship). I appplied this season to Stanford IPS, Harris MPP, Georgetown MPP and Georgetown MSFS.

I got into Stanford, GPPI($15k) and Harris, but not MSFS (did not receive any email from them). Now i am thinking of not attending any of these schools because i did not get sufficient funding. At the same time, I have already passed my country's FSO test and will be joining the equivalent of the state department. My dream school has always been WWS, but I didn't apply this time because I know i stand no chance without full time work experience.

so, should i go ahead and reject these offers? i was thinking of reapplying after a few years of work experience...would i then be more competitive for a fellowship? some of my friends told me to work first, while others said i should get my masters. in my mind, the worst case scenerio would be getting rejections from schools that previously accepted me. also, i am thinking of completing a part time degree in asian studies while working, does getting a masters help or hurt when i apply again in say....5/6 years?

all advice appreciated!!

[HopefulIR]

It seems like you're leaning towards declining them.  So for the sake of argument, I'll list why you should accept them.

Are you really so sure you'll come back in 5-6 years?  Things change.  I've seen many people that claim they'll go back to school after 2-3 years of work, only to continue working.  They work because they meet a 'special someone' in their lives and the need for money arises because they want to start a family.  Or, their jobs become so fulfilling promotion after promotion (especially FSO; they keep getting better and better placements. Do you think you can turn down being a political officer in Paris/London/NYC?)

There is no accurate way for you to predict your academic future in 4-5 years.  You can, of course, fight against being a statistic and swear to leave all obligations behind then, but I think that's unrealistic.  

[egmpp2010]

Not to say you wouldn't be successful at these programs now, but if you have a job lined up that is in line with your goals, I think working for a few years is only going to make your grad school experience better. I think getting away from academia and into the working world (which just isn't the same being a summer intern) is going to clarify for you what you want out of graduate school and -- perhaps more importantly -- what you need out of graduate school. Everyone has gaps in their skills and their knowledge. Which gaps are most important for you to fill on your way to your dream job can be hard to see from the classroom but it becomes clearer when you are out there, working every day to build your career. Maybe its turns out that knowing budgeting will be really important for your dream job or maybe your need more statistics than you thought. Heck, even just being on the side where you are hiring interns or other entry-level staff helps you understand what great resumes look like in the field you want to work in. I've been working for a few years and it's been great for understanding what skills I need to get the jobs I want to do.

I don't think a part-time Masters will hurt; I think it can only help. Policy degrees are about a specific toolkit of skills so I don't think ad coms see it as repeating anything to get a policy degree when you have a content master's (although I don't know much about the IR field, so maybe I'm wrong). In general, I think working for a few years and having more things on your resume just makes you a more competitive candidate. And clearly, you are already competitive.

Finally, more so than your friends, talk to people who went to these programs or who are in jobs that you want to hold someday. At least for me, pretty much everyone I talked to said "work for a few years; the people in my classes who had worked for a few years seemed to contribute more and to get more out of the program." I would also add that my friends who went straight to grad schools in general (be it law or medicine or Phd or master's program) were more likely to feel burned out at the end of their first year whereas those who worked for a couple years seem to be relishing the chance to go back.

And to counter the post-er above who said don't become another statistic, that just doesn't seem true to me to be an accurate statistic in this case. Most people in any of these programs have a couple of years of work experience. Just like very few people get MBAs straight out of college, it's a minority who get MPPs or MPAs straight out of undergrad. Most work first. And I have the feeling that some people who don't go back just discover that they didn't need the degree for what they wanted to do anyways, which beats spending thousands to only to find that out later.

Edited March 19, 2010 by egmpp2010

[HopefulIR]

I understand that the majority of applicants do have work experience before getting their masters (especially in MPP I feel).  What I was referring to are the amount of people that regret not attending a masters program when they had fewer obligations.  Nowadays with the economic downturn, it's possible those obligations are kaput, thus allowing them to come back to school.  

I agree, however, that perhaps it's best to re-evaluate if you need this degree at all.  If you become a FSO in your home country, it's possible you can learn all you need for advancement on the job (they probably have their own language/skills training program before you deploy.)

[thombo]

There are too many advantages to getting some work experience between undergrad and grad to list (ESPECIALLY if you have a job lined up in your intended career path). Yes, it will certainly make your future applications far far more attractive (most top schools as you know only admit a select few straight from undergrad). Beyond that, though, you will have so much better of an understanding of what you want to do and why if you take a few years to work. Then, not only will you stand a better chance of getting into better programs, but you will be able to get more out of them once you are there. Oh and finally, I know plenty of people that went straight into MA programs from undergrad and upon graduating they were fighting it out for the same entry level, low paid, paper pushing jobs that undergrads were fighting for. You are infinately more attractive to grad schools and employers if you have that work experience.

Of course nothing is black and white and everyone has their own personal circumstances to consider, but speaking from my own experience, I am VERY happy i got the work experience I did before applying. Hell, when I graduated I didn't even think I wanted to go into IR programs in fact I'd never even considered it (I was leaning toward MBA or Law School), but after getting experience in the field, working with people in the private and public sectors, I came to realize what truly interests me, and I am now confident that I won't be going into debt by going to a grad program I will ultimate not like (ahem, law school).

[egmpp2010]

I understand that the majority of applicants do have work experience before getting their masters (especially in MPP I feel). What I was referring to are the amount of people that regret not attending a masters program when they had fewer obligations. Nowadays with the economic downturn, it's possible those obligations are kaput, thus allowing them to come back to school.

I agree, however, that perhaps it's best to re-evaluate if you need this degree at all. If you become a FSO in your home country, it's possible you can learn all you need for advancement on the job (they probably have their own language/skills training program before you deploy.)

I don't know about regretting having fewer obligations, but it is a fair point that you do pick up obligations as an adult. I know my decision about where to go this fall for an MPP is way more complicated personally than it would have been on graduation day from college. On graduation day, everyone is moving around. Now I have a life in the city I've been living in and it's tough to think about moving far from it. Then again, if you are wanting to be a FSO, maybe moving isn't as an unappealing for you as it for a home-body like me.

Edited March 19, 2010 by egmpp2010

[RH7]

I am still in college and have no full time work experience (but plenty of policy related internship). I appplied this season to Stanford IPS, Harris MPP, Georgetown MPP and Georgetown MSFS.

I got into Stanford, GPPI($15k) and Harris, but not MSFS (did not receive any email from them). Now i am thinking of not attending any of these schools because i did not get sufficient funding. At the same time, I have already passed my country's FSO test and will be joining the equivalent of the state department. My dream school has always been WWS, but I didn't apply this time because I know i stand no chance without full time work experience.

so, should i go ahead and reject these offers? i was thinking of reapplying after a few years of work experience...would i then be more competitive for a fellowship? some of my friends told me to work first, while others said i should get my masters. in my mind, the worst case scenerio would be getting rejections from schools that previously accepted me. also, i am thinking of completing a part time degree in asian studies while working, does getting a masters help or hurt when i apply again in say....5/6 years?

all advice appreciated!!

I'm in a similar position. I have some really cool jobs waiting for me as well, but just on a one year contract. Does anyone know anything about the possibility of deferring entry for a year and maybe how I could go about this?

[biglawl1l]

Dear OP: You are in a great position here. I attended a HYS and had the same dilemma you did; work or go straight to school? I chose to work for two years and am now heading back to school next year. You are a strong candidate having gotten into Stanford's IPS and other related programs. Given that you already have diplomacy work lined up, I would personally choose to get some work experience under your belt. It was assuredly make you a more competitive candidate for fellowships (you have the numbers with those acceptance--just not the we) and allow you to put some money aside for school.

In addition, even a few years of work experience can do wonders in adding perspective to the application process and what you want to do. You will also have a much stronger chance at Gtown, Kennedy School, WWS, etc.

[pea-jay]

Go for the job. Related, professional job experience can only help. Enough experience will eliminate the need to take whatever school you attend's equivelent work for those straight from undergrad. As for other "adult" obligations, yes, that can occur, but even those can be accomodated. It is possible to return to school with a spouse or even a family. Its harder though