Masters in International Development/Economics

[Aida]

Hello,

I am considering changing career paths and was wondering the best way to do so. My undergraduate degree is in Accounting and I have worked as an Accountant for two years. I would like to work in the field of development economics but lack the experience or background. I was wondering, what should I do to make myself a competitive applicant to programs such as the one at SAIS and Fordham?

Thanks!

[coaks]

Hello,

I am considering changing career paths and was wondering the best way to do so. My undergraduate degree is in Accounting and I have worked as an Accountant for two years. I would like to work in the field of development economics but lack the experience or background. I was wondering, what should I do to make myself a competitive applicant to programs such as the one at SAIS and Fordham?

Thanks!

Well, the first thing I'd say you could do is to check out the hard stats for those programs. They should have a range of UGPA/GRE scores that they accepted in the previous year's class. That would give you a good sense of where you stand right off the bat. If you're above average for both UGPA and GRE, you're 100% competitive and stand a good shot to get in with average WE, recommendations and SOPs.

If not, it's all about balancing out any weak spots in your application. If your UGPA is below average, you can take courses at a community college to show that you can get As at the high UG or low Grad level. If your GRE is low, you can try to take it a second time before the end of the year. If you don't think you can find good recommendations or if your WE doesn't show your commitment to ID, you can start volunteering this year and get a good rec from whichever organization you join outside of the office.

There are myriad ways to raise your profile for grad school; it's all about coming up with a complete picture of you the applicant and show why, despite any blemishes, you're a great fit for the school.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered business schools for what you're looking to do? Many of the top MBA programs have great faculty for ID/Econ and lots of connections to get you started with philanthropic or profit-motivated organizations.

[Aida]

Hi!

Thanks for your response. I didn't think about B-School really because I wanted the opportunity to take the political/history courses that I imagine a B-school program wouldn't offer. I however have not really looked into it. Do you have any suggestions about Business schools with ID/Econ faculty? Thanks!

Well, the first thing I'd say you could do is to check out the hard stats for those programs. They should have a range of UGPA/GRE scores that they accepted in the previous year's class. That would give you a good sense of where you stand right off the bat. If you're above average for both UGPA and GRE, you're 100% competitive and stand a good shot to get in with average WE, recommendations and SOPs.

If not, it's all about balancing out any weak spots in your application. If your UGPA is below average, you can take courses at a community college to show that you can get As at the high UG or low Grad level. If your GRE is low, you can try to take it a second time before the end of the year. If you don't think you can find good recommendations or if your WE doesn't show your commitment to ID, you can start volunteering this year and get a good rec from whichever organization you join outside of the office.

There are myriad ways to raise your profile for grad school; it's all about coming up with a complete picture of you the applicant and show why, despite any blemishes, you're a great fit for the school.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered business schools for what you're looking to do? Many of the top MBA programs have great faculty for ID/Econ and lots of connections to get you started with philanthropic or profit-motivated organizations.