SAIS-SFS-Fletcher-Yale, Career Plans post SAIS

[Darwinian192]

Hi all,

Somewhat new here. I'll try to keep this short. 

I've just been accepted to SAIS (MAIA/Bologna campus) with €25,000 funding per year which comes out to about a solid 50% scholarship. I've had my eyes on this program for years and have essentially been doing my best to keep my life and career in Europe (hence the European campus). I am fluent in German/French with intermediate Russian/Italian. 

The "problem" is that I'm not sure if I realistically have "better" options long term. Here's a quick look at my profile: 

GPA: 3.8/4.0 

GRE: V: 162/Q: 158/W: 5.5 (I think I can realistically get up to 325 combined with preparation, although I've already taken the GRE twice...)

In addition, back to back Fulbright ETA years (Germany/Austria), 1 year peace corps service (Eastern Europe), graduate level coursework in German (Middlebury) and--here's the kicker--a potential research/coordinator position at a top business school (first initial with "H" and includes "B" + "S"). 

While I was pumped to get my offer at SAIS, I'm feeling a bit of reserve in the event that an additional round of apps (undesirable) might produce offers at schools I simply did not have the time/LOR's in place to apply to this last cycle (i.e. SFS/Jackson).

Complicated matters further is that my career plans have become a bit more fuzzy since undergrad. I'm definitely an "academic" at heart and feel somewhat ambivalent towards the Econ concentration at SAIS (I am not envisioning a career in consulting), however I'm not sure that additional acceptances even at Georgetown etc. would yield equal funding while simultaneously setting me back by an additional year (currently 25).

Hope this isn't too much info. I'm really just trying to get more insight, so all input is welcome. Thanks!

 

[went_away]

I would strongly urge you to give it another shot and try to get into Jackson or Wilson. Much better schools than SAIS and much, much, much better funding. Also, your offer at SAIS is better than anything you'll ever get from SFS. 

Edit - just re-read it and see you may have a research coordinator offer at HBS. In that case it truly is a no-brainer. Put off grad school for another 1-2 years, build the resume and savings and get a better offer next time around.

Edited March 30, 2019 by went_away

[Darwinian192]

I appreciate your reply. Frankly, I never focused too much on Jackson/Wilson as

1) I assumed I was not competitive with my scores/undergrad institution (run of the mill private lib arts)

2) I assumed I would receive no funding and

3) I was more focused on the SAIS curriculum/location (which I am now re-considering as potentially short-sighted). 

EDIT: Yes. This HBS job is a godsend. I count my lucky stars and shall sacrifice a figurative goat in some great deity's honor. I'm pumped!

Edited March 30, 2019 by Darwinian192