Georgetown SFS - Fall 2021

[Me213]

2 hours ago, GradProsMPP said:

Congratulations! Did you just get notified? 

Yesterday afternoon really but away from my email since then. Now waiting to hear back from HKS 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Me213

[szadah]

6 hours ago, Me213 said:

In to MSFS with 32k aid! 

Is that per year?

[Me213]

1 hour ago, szadah said:

Is that per year?

There wasn’t any information about renewal, but from other posts I’m assuming so, as long I maintain a GPA minimum 

[Ajo1797]

Hey!

I have been following this forum for long. Wanted to know if the waitlisted applicants have received an informal letter from the director of admissions after the official status update.

[RealistPalan]

Anyone still not heard back from SSP?

[Adhd-1995]

3 hours ago, Ajo1797 said:

Hey!

I have been following this forum for long. Wanted to know if the waitlisted applicants have received an informal letter from the director of admissions after the official status update.

Not sure if you’re referencing SSP or MSFS. I was Waitlisted at SSP on 3/12—I haven’t received anything since that status update. 

[Ajo1797]

I was talking about MSFS.

[Kole_Kolt]

1 hour ago, Adhd-1995 said:

Not sure if you’re referencing SSP or MSFS. I was Waitlisted at SSP on 3/12—I haven’t received anything since that status update. 

Curious what your stats and work experience were like, if you don't mind me asking?

[Boddy24]

1 hour ago, Ajo1797 said:

I was talking about MSFS.

I was waitlisted for MSFS and got an email from Ja’net the morning after the status update basically saying the same thing and that the waitlist is not ranked and usually they are able to admit students from it but they never know how many 

[ladiesman217]

Asking the audience on this one, would love to hear your thoughts - full ride at Yale Jackson, SAIS, and MSFS, which would you recommend?

 

My thoughts: Georgetown has a clear advantage with DC connections with State, DoD, and other government agencies. SAIS has experts in certain regions possibly better than their counterparts in MSFS. Yale has the possible advantages of smaller class size, ability to cross-reg at YLS/SOM, and IVY league name-recognition. Other pros/cons? 

Edited March 17, 2021 by ladiesman217

[Kole_Kolt]

12 minutes ago, ladiesman217 said:

Asking the audience on this one, would love to hear your thoughts - full ride at Yale Jackson, SAIS, and MSFS, which would you recommend?

 

My thoughts: Georgetown has a clear advantage with DC connections with State, DoD, and other government agencies. SAIS has experts in certain regions possibly better than their counterparts in MSFS. Yale has the possible advantages of smaller class size, ability to cross-reg at YLS/SOM, and IVY league name-recognition. Other pros/cons? 

What do you want to do career-wise?

[Adhd-1995]

1 hour ago, Kole_Kolt said:

Curious what your stats and work experience were like, if you don't mind me asking?

No problem, this is me lol. Lots of info but this is the detail I was looking for when I was choosing where to apply based on my stats. Can’t be sure, but I think I would’ve been a comfortable admit were it not for the period of low performance that dragged down my gpa. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Adhd-1995

[SassyQ]

4 hours ago, Palan_Show said:

Anyone still not heard back from SSP?

I haven't heard anything at all and my status hasn't changed on the application portal. I'm wondering if I should call.

Edited March 17, 2021 by SassyQ

[ladiesman217]

1 hour ago, Kole_Kolt said:

What do you want to do career-wise?

Thinking State department but also interested in working in local/state politics domestically. So basically unsure but something in US gov

[howyagoing]

Hey everyone, not sure if this is the best place to ask but I figured that people are somewhat familiar with Georgetown here, so it couldn't hurt...

I'm facing a tough decision:

I got into the the MA in Asian Studies at Georgetown SFS (focusing on South Asia) but received no funding.

But... I also got into the MSc in Modern South Asian Studies at Oxford (scholarship information pending - but even without funding it's less than half price of SFS).

I always thought Oxford would be my dream school - and its global brand is top notch - but the professionally orientated nature of SFS and the networking/internship opportunities in DC seem hard to turn down - even with the higher price tag. 

I hope to one day work in my country's foreign service or department of defence, but if not possible, then work as a policy practitioner in some capacity (maybe with IOs), hopefully focusing on South Asia. I may one day consider doing a PhD, but not now, and I certainly don't want to be a career academic. 

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by howyagoing

[howyagoing]

2 hours ago, ladiesman217 said:

Asking the audience on this one, would love to hear your thoughts - full ride at Yale Jackson, SAIS, and MSFS, which would you recommend?

 

My thoughts: Georgetown has a clear advantage with DC connections with State, DoD, and other government agencies. SAIS has experts in certain regions possibly better than their counterparts in MSFS. Yale has the possible advantages of smaller class size, ability to cross-reg at YLS/SOM, and IVY league name-recognition. Other pros/cons? 

I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt, but if you have a full ride and are aiming at state department, MSFS seems pretty damn good. It certainly won't be an inhibiting factor!

Unless, for example, you plan to focus on a specific region for which SAIS is particularly famous. 

[musicaflores]

25 minutes ago, howyagoing said:

Hey everyone, not sure if this is the best place to ask but I figured that people are somewhat familiar with Georgetown here, so it couldn't hurt...

I'm facing a tough decision:

I got into the the MA in Asian Studies at Georgetown SFS (focusing on South Asia) but received no funding.

But... I also got into the MSc in Modern South Asian Studies at Oxford (scholarship information pending - but even without funding it's less than half price of SFS).

I always thought Oxford would be my dream school - and its global brand is top notch - but the professionally orientated nature of SFS and the networking/internship opportunities in DC seem hard to turn down - even with the higher price tag. 

I hope to one day work in my country's foreign service or department of defence, but if not possible, then work as a policy practitioner in some capacity (maybe with IOs), hopefully focusing on South Asia. I may one day consider doing a PhD, but not now, and I certainly don't want to be a career academic. 

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

 

If your focus in South Asia, I would attend Oxford. I've heard that their South Asian Studies faculty is very knowledgeable and recognized. Georgetown is pretty limited but you have DC as a networking site. I imagine Oxford being cheaper than Georgetown so that's already a plus. Oxford has a widely recognized alumni as well. I feel like Oxford is more academia/research focused and Georgetown is policy-focused. I would definitely attend Oxford if I were you.

[Kole_Kolt]

47 minutes ago, ladiesman217 said:

Thinking State department but also interested in working in local/state politics domestically. So basically unsure but something in US gov

I would personally recommend MSFS or SAIS then, since it will provide the easiest opportunity to intern at State. Of those two, MSFS seems more intimately connected to the Foreign Service than SAIS, which has a reputation for placing grads in roles like the World Bank and IMF. Ultimately, though, a lot of these differences are negligible and if the price for each program is the same, I would say go to the one you will be the happiest at. If Yale is free and you're in love with the program, then that's the best choice for you. No need to have a cookie cutter resume. 

[Kole_Kolt]

2 hours ago, Adhd-1995 said:

No problem, this is me lol. Lots of info but this is the detail I was looking for when I was choosing where to apply based on my stats. Can’t be sure, but I think I would’ve been a comfortable admit were it not for the period of low performance that dragged down my gpa. 

Sorry that happened to you with the GRE and ETS. It might be worth gathering more work experience and reapplying down the line. I was accepted, but I also have double the work years you do. My GPA was similar to yours, and my GRE was middling. The defining factor may simply be your work years, honestly. I think SSP prioritizes that. 

[Adhd-1995]

14 minutes ago, Kole_Kolt said:

Sorry that happened to you with the GRE and ETS. It might be worth gathering more work experience and reapplying down the line. I was accepted, but I also have double the work years you do. My GPA was similar to yours, and my GRE was middling. The defining factor may simply be your work years, honestly. I think SSP prioritizes that. 

?Oh, well that’s a bit encouraging, thanks for elaborating.

[howyagoing]

1 hour ago, musicaflores said:

If your focus in South Asia, I would attend Oxford. I've heard that their South Asian Studies faculty is very knowledgeable and recognized. Georgetown is pretty limited but you have DC as a networking site. I imagine Oxford being cheaper than Georgetown so that's already a plus. Oxford has a widely recognized alumni as well. I feel like Oxford is more academia/research focused and Georgetown is policy-focused. I would definitely attend Oxford if I were you.

Thank you for the insights! I'll take that on board! Oxford certainly has a lot to offer in these areas. 

My issue comes from the fact that I want to do at least some work in policy... Which is why I am even considering Georgetown (although overall I'm leaning towards Oxford). I guess Oxford probably won't prevent me from working in policy, I might just have to work a bit harder to build a network...

[EscapingBrexit]

I really wouldn't take on 100k in debt to attend Georgetown though...

[howyagoing]

5 minutes ago, EscapingBrexit said:

I really wouldn't take on 100k in debt to attend Georgetown though...

Yeah very reasonable point. It's a lot 

 

[EscapingBrexit]

23 minutes ago, howyagoing said:

Yeah very reasonable point. It's a lot 

 

I really think 100k is too much, especially if you intend to go into government service due to the low-ish salaries. Oxford is excellent too! 

What is the price difference? 

[howyagoing]

12 minutes ago, EscapingBrexit said:

I really think 100k is too much, especially if you intend to go into government service due to the low-ish salaries. Oxford is excellent too! 

What is the price difference? 

SFS is approx. $85K USD

Oxford is £25.9 GBP (approx. $36K USD)

+ living costs