Chances at Yale Master's IR and HKS

[beaverish]

just posted this in government affairs section as well... sorry if you end up reading this twice...

Hi! I am applying to Yale IR and HKS straight out of college. I went to a top ranked liberal arts college and spent my junior year abroad at the london school of economics, then transferred to the LSE. i'm a senior now, majoring in international history. i have also taken a couple intro level political science classes, no econ yet but am proposing to take intro micro and macro next summer at georgetown summer school. my american GPA is 3.7 - probably 3.9 in my history major - and my british GPA is roughly equivalent (a 66.5 overall, or medium-high 2:1, and i'm predicting myself at least 2 firsts this next year).i have very clearly-defined academic interests, namely the rise of china and american grand strategy. I have some chinese heritage, speak fluent chinese and have taken several courses about china... in general my course selection is very coherent and supportive of IR study and my specific IR-related interests.

would the fact that i have lived overseas for years - including in china - and gone to school abroad outweigh the fact that i am applying straight from undergrad and have no work experience in foreign policy? i have had 2 internships and worked for the obama campaign, but i have done nothing foreign-policy related... that said i should have a great personal statement (just wrote it) and great recommendations from at least 1 very famous professor who likes me quite a bit...

my GRE's were 680 math/ 710 verbal / perfect 6.0 on writing. could've gotten upper 700s in verbal (not math) on GREs but was simply too fatigued at the end... could re-take and get high 700s if necessary.

alternatively, do these stats look decent for georgetown/hopkins/columbia? specifically i am keen on getting into SAIS global history/theory course as that looks pretty interesting... i am very doubtful i have any shot at HKS - i really have neither interest in nor quantitative background/work experience for an MPP degree at all - but the chance to take classes with stephen walt, joseph nye, graham allison et al. is worth a wasted application.

thanks!

Edited September 28, 2010 by beaverish