Georgetown SFS - Fall 2021

[river1216]

I'm not surprised about that. Looking back, I'm happy I got waitlisted, going against quality applicants. 

[Kole_Kolt]

2 hours ago, dchang11 said:

I'm not surprised about that. Looking back, I'm happy I got waitlisted, going against quality applicants. 

Did you get off the waitlist yet?

[river1216]

1 hour ago, Kole_Kolt said:

Did you get off the waitlist yet?

Not yet. Haven't heard anything. Just really blessed that I made it this far. Hopefully I can bring this home, but we'll see. The COVID pandemic re-sparked desire to pursue a career in national security (infectious disease), being an Asian-American, and seeing the events in our country in recent weeks; I felt like I have something to fight for... for my family and community. 

I would've had made this far without SSP's support during the application process. There's something special about this program and community. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by dchang11

[Rheana Gray]

Got a little post card thing in the mail that says applications to SSP were up by 35% this year. So while SFS as a whole experienced 40% increase, the SSP specific increase is 35%. Also in an admitted student session they had mentioned that roughly 160 students were accepted this year.

[IDstudent]

Is anyone considering Georgetown vs. GW (or another similar school)? I'm wondering how much "better" Georgetown is compared to other schools, AKA is it worth the money? I'm going for international development.

[Rheana Gray]

6 hours ago, IDstudent said:

Is anyone considering Georgetown vs. GW (or another similar school)? I'm wondering how much "better" Georgetown is compared to other schools, AKA is it worth the money? I'm going for international development.

My friend just turned down GWU with full-funding to attend SSP instead (with no funding) and he's pretty confident in his choice. It's a very personal decision so you should really try your best to understand and get to know the communities and alumni networks of the programs you're choosing between, SSP has such a strong community that I knew right off the bat that it was the only program I was seriously considering (I went to GWU for my undergrad).

[IDstudent]

6 minutes ago, Rheana Gray said:

My friend just turned down GWU with full-funding to attend SSP instead (with no funding) and he's pretty confident in his choice. It's a very personal decision so you should really try your best to understand and get to know the communities and alumni networks of the programs you're choosing between, SSP has such a strong community that I knew right off the bat that it was the only program I was seriously considering (I went to GWU for my undergrad).

Thank you for this perspective! I love love love the community and experience of my program at Georgetown, but I don't know if I can justify paying $35k more if the career outcomes are relatively similar. Agh!

[Kole_Kolt]

5 hours ago, IDstudent said:

Thank you for this perspective! I love love love the community and experience of my program at Georgetown, but I don't know if I can justify paying $35k more if the career outcomes are relatively similar. Agh!

What's the financial aid offer at GWU vs GT for you and what do you want to do career wise? 

[IDstudent]

9 hours ago, Kole_Kolt said:

What's the financial aid offer at GWU vs GT for you and what do you want to do career wise? 

I received $17k/year at GWU (approx. 42%) and $13.6k/year at GT (25%). So I'd be paying around $45k and $82k for tuition and fees respectively. I asked GT for to reconsider my scholarship but they won't be able to give me a response until after the decision deadline. 

Career-wise, I'm interested in working with USAID or a non-profit development organization. Current students and alumni I've spoken with said I can expect a salary of mid-50s to low-60s when I graduate (although of course that can vary). 

[Kole_Kolt]

59 minutes ago, IDstudent said:

I received $17k/year at GWU (approx. 42%) and $13.6k/year at GT (25%). So I'd be paying around $45k and $82k for tuition and fees respectively. I asked GT for to reconsider my scholarship but they won't be able to give me a response until after the decision deadline. 

Career-wise, I'm interested in working with USAID or a non-profit development organization. Current students and alumni I've spoken with said I can expect a salary of mid-50s to low-60s when I graduate (although of course that can vary). 

If you want to work for lower paying NGOs or aid-focused government positions, I'd just keep in mind how debt will affect your willingness to take on jobs. That great gig working on an amazing project, but making less than desirable salary, may not be feasible if you have 82K in debt. Plus you have to consider how much living costs will stack on top of your tuition.

I don't know as much about the ID field or how highly GT is thought of among its professionals. BUT, with a lot of these programs in the D.C. milieu, the differences between them are marginal, especially after your career gets going. 

[IDstudent]

12 minutes ago, Kole_Kolt said:

If you want to work for lower paying NGOs or aid-focused government positions, I'd just keep in mind how debt will affect your willingness to take on jobs. That great gig working on an amazing project, but making less than desirable salary, may not be feasible if you have 82K in debt. Plus you have to consider how much living costs will stack on top of your tuition.

I don't know as much about the ID field or how highly GT is thought of among its professionals. BUT, with a lot of these programs in the D.C. milieu, the differences between them are marginal, especially after your career gets going. 

Thank you for this perspective, I really appreciate it!!

[prospectivegrad2020]

On 4/7/2021 at 5:12 PM, Rheana Gray said:

My friend just turned down GWU with full-funding to attend SSP instead (with no funding) and he's pretty confident in his choice. It's a very personal decision so you should really try your best to understand and get to know the communities and alumni networks of the programs you're choosing between, SSP has such a strong community that I knew right off the bat that it was the only program I was seriously considering (I went to GWU for my undergrad).

Sounds like your friend just made a really bad decision.

[Rheana Gray]

19 minutes ago, prospectivegrad2020 said:

Sounds like your friend just made a really bad decision.

He’s already making decent money in private sector tech which is admittedly a unique situation as well. I don’t think it’s a poor decision given the context and the terms of funding that GWU had tied to it (the CyberCorps fellowship for GWU requires 2 years of work in a government position post grad so there’s opportunity cost for higher earnings in private sector that were at stake as well.) 

[went_away]

On 4/7/2021 at 5:27 PM, IDstudent said:

Thank you for this perspective! I love love love the community and experience of my program at Georgetown, but I don't know if I can justify paying $35k more if the career outcomes are relatively similar. 

IMHO, you've made the right analysis - similar/same career outcomes, nowhere near worth the extra cost + living in DC is $$$. 

[river1216]

On 4/5/2021 at 3:49 PM, Rheana Gray said:

Got a little post card thing in the mail that says applications to SSP were up by 35% this year. So while SFS as a whole experienced 40% increase, the SSP specific increase is 35%. Also in an admitted student session they had mentioned that roughly 160 students were accepted this year.

Just watched Rocky the other night, and the blessing of getting waitlisted started to sink in. Five years ago, I had doubts whether pursuing a national security career was right for me, largely because my undergraduate performance dissuaded me to even look at grad school. I don’t think prospective applicants would’ve applied to SFS with my numbers. Most don't even try. 

Thanks to a recent SSP graduate, whose inspiration brought my ambitions back on-track, my sights was set on Georgetown. My undergraduate GPA won’t change, but I did have control over my application essays. Realizing how my newfound purpose would have an impact on others, especially those that helped me, I felt I had something to fight for, and confidently knew my application would be competitive from the start.

For those on the waitlist, you are still a winner. You went the distance against the largest application surge in program history, and probably the cream of the crop. I want to share this story, hopefully to inspire the underdogs that doubted themselves in the past. You belong at Georgetown.  

Edited April 16, 2021 by dchang11

[jellyana]

On 3/12/2021 at 2:16 PM, goodvibesonly said:

haha congrats! 

Are you going to attend MAISA? I didn't get any funding but I'm sure I'll be attending!!

In the end, and after receiving additional financial info, I did decide on attending MASIA!

I am excited to meet you and the rest of our cohort come fall~ 

[goodvibesonly]

53 minutes ago, jellyana said:

In the end, and after receiving additional financial info, I did decide on attending MASIA!

I am excited to meet you and the rest of our cohort come fall~ 

omg!!! It's so great to hear that you're attending MASIA! hopefully we have our own group chat or something so that we can ask and answer questions! 

[jellyana]

6 minutes ago, goodvibesonly said:

omg!!! It's so great to hear that you're attending MASIA! hopefully we have our own group chat or something so that we can ask and answer questions! 

i wonder if theres any way to search for people...

hopefully the program heads will send out an email soon-ish organizing a meeting for us to chat with one another, or at least know each others' contact information. 

Edited April 16, 2021 by jellyana

[goodvibesonly]

On 4/16/2021 at 2:26 PM, jellyana said:

i wonder if theres any way to search for people...

hopefully the program heads will send out an email soon-ish organizing a meeting for us to chat with one another, or at least know each others' contact information. 

Hi! Just wanted to ask if you've received any information after accepting the offer! ?

[musicaflores]

Just got unofficially accepted to MALAS today!!! I'm waiting for the official letter. Do you all know after how many days they send the official letter with financial aid info? 

[Lily98]

Has anybody waitlisted heard anything yet?

[river1216]

On 5/4/2021 at 3:51 PM, Lily98 said:

Has anybody waitlisted heard anything yet?

SSP contacted me. The Fall 2021 cohort is already set. I didn't get off the waitlist myself. 

[Lily98]

18 minutes ago, dchang11 said:

SSP contacted me. The Fall 2021 cohort is already set. I didn't get off the waitlist myself. 

Thanks! I was sfs but figure I’d have heard by now if it was good news lol 

[river1216]

I was bracing for a denial when admissions told me about the huge application surge. You went the distance against the best competition in school history. Your a winner in my book.

If you are not going anywhere, devise a Plan B to achieve Plan A. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by dchang11

[Lululemons]

Is anyone who gained admission to MSFS (particularly for IDEV) willing to give my SOP a read and provide feedback?