The American SIS Fall 2012 Thread

[rose1]

Rejected. Not even wait listed. I'm pretty devastated; I've been living in Japan for the past 3.5 years and I was hoping to get into the SIS/Ritsumeikan University dual degree program. I even visited the campus this past summer and met with the person in charge of the program. What's worse, I waiting to hear back from schools that are more difficult to enter than SIS. Ugh.

At least you already have an acceptance so you know you're going somewhere!

[m4g1c0ff3]

has any one heard from American about funding yet?

[Slopo]

Thanks Charlotte!

Just throwing in a question to the forum...wondering if this is the right thread.. but please direct me to another if it doesn't suit here..

Given the option between Josef Korbel School of International Affairs (Uni of Denver) and American SIS ... any ideas on which would be the better option and why? (not considering the funding here.. just the program and state) ...

any help would be appreciated!

I'm in the same boat you are. I luckily received a $12K scholarship from the Korbel School, but that merely makes it roughly the same price as SIS.

Given the fact that I applied to the US FP program at SIS and that my intention is to get into a career in Int'l Relations, I am likely going to choose SIS.

I guess it would depend on your program. For instance, I know that Denver has a tremendous Human Rights program and if that were my interest, I would chose them.

[Raayah]

I'm in the same boat you are. I luckily received a $12K scholarship from the Korbel School, but that merely makes it roughly the same price as SIS.

Given the fact that I applied to the US FP program at SIS and that my intention is to get into a career in Int'l Relations, I am likely going to choose SIS.

I guess it would depend on your program. For instance, I know that Denver has a tremendous Human Rights program and if that were my interest, I would chose them.

Thanks Slopo! Yup.. its is for human rights and right now inclining big time towards Korbel. Although still waiting for first choice SIPA to send in decisions... guess it will be between SIPA and Korbel..

[Futurelawyerchick]

Hi guys, I got accepted to the dual degree JD/MA Int'l Affairs program at SIS and Washington College of Law. I'm excited but I want to know the reputation of SIS. Is it overshadowed by Georgetown, GWU and other top notch schools or does it hold its own? Why would or wouldn't you choose it over another school?What are its strengths? I know a lot about the law school but not a lot about the grad school.

[legallyproper]

Hey futurelawyerchick I visited and have several friends there I'll pm you once I land!

[judymac]

Hi all!

I also got into SIS, but apparently with no funding :/ However, SAIS is offering me a pretty good fellowship (20K) for my first year in Bologna. SAIS is my dream school, but I would still have to come up with A LOT OF money (loans) to cover everything else.

Even though SIS din't offer any funding, I can continue to work full-time and attend school at night. Additionally, SIS is not as pricey as SAIS......mmmm still don't know what to do

Any thoughts??

Edited March 28, 2012 by judymac

[adorius]

I am new to the grad cafe.

I have been waitlisted for AU's SIS International Development masters program. I am wondering if anyone else is in my same boat, what are the chances typically of getting in off a waiting list, and if anyone knows roughly when I should expect a decision.

Thanks.

[legallyproper]

Hi all!

I also got into SIS, but apparently with no funding :/ However, SAIS is offering me a pretty good fellowship (20K) for my first year in Bologna. SAIS is my dream school, but I would still have to come up with A LOT OF money (loans) to cover everything else.

Even though SIS din't offer any funding, I can continue to work full-time and attend school at night. Additionally, SIS is not as pricey as SAIS......mmmm still don't know what to do

Any thoughts??

I would follow the one that is going to better prepare you for the career you want to pursue? Fo example, if your goal is to work with US State Dept or USAID, etc. in their Foreign Service then American would be your choice because they are the top producer of FSO's (regardless of department) in the nation. SAIS is great and is going to be heavy in economics focus, but Bologna is beautiful (visited in 2011) so if you think 20K can suffice a bit of the loans and for the last year you can hope to get one of the current student fellowships then go for it. Just ask within yourself does it matter to incur debt for what you want or go to the cheaper and more cost efficient university that will allow me to work during the day to remain level. That's the best advice I could give anyone and what I am utilizing too!

[judymac]

Hey legally proper,

Thanks for the advice! I currently work for USAID (not related to my career interest though). While I've considered becoming a FSO, I still want to try the my luck at the private sector. The SAIS fellowship is renewable...given I meet their requirements.

I am attending both open houses to get a better feel of the school and incoming class. I hope to have a better idea of where to go by then.

ps. congrats on being a Rangel finalist. I also applied, but didn't make it that far :/

[charlotte_asia]

I would follow the one that is going to better prepare you for the career you want to pursue? Fo example, if your goal is to work with US State Dept or USAID, etc. in their Foreign Service then American would be your choice because they are the top producer of FSO's (regardless of department) in the nation.

I don't buy the argument that one school is better than another for going into the Foreign Service The FS does not take into account where one attends graduate school (it doesn't even require an advanced degree), and what one learns in an MA program has little impact on how one performs on the FS test. The written and oral tests cover basic American history, reasoning skills, basic oral and writing abilities, and performance in a group management/problem-solving setting, skills and knowledge that can be acquired in undergrad or any basically any professional field. (Most FSOs aren't even politically coned, and come from management, journalism, etc backgrounds).

The USAID FS process is a bit more dependent on higher education and substantive job-related knowledge, but I doubt that one solid IR program over another would better prepare a candidate. More important and relevant is professional experience.

[legallyproper]

I understand that you don't buy it but it's what is falling into place in contemporary times.  Yes, it focuses on these qualities on the exam.  But, the number of students getting admitted to A-100 without a graduate degree is less than 5%.  Also, the vast majority of cones that they are coming from literally vary from time to time but your data from the past two A-100 groups is false.  Majority of the cones represented are from economic and political, and public diplomacy cones.  I hate to respectfully disagree with you but with the current times for both economic figures and degree holders I think the State Department is giving a higher preference to those with masters or advanced degrees believe it or not.  They may not state it but majority of those being admitted on a yearly basis have completed degrees above a bachelors

If you are going into the field know that 6 months after you graduate from GWU, Fletcher, SIS, Georgetown or Hopkins that those loans payments begin regardless of what you are making and FSOs beginning out even with their language bonuses are making about $58K-$65k per year.  Consider if it's worth gaining large sums of debt for an education that you probably could've received from another institution with a cheaper price tag. Unless, you want to do research with a certain teacher or that you must be in this program because they have exactly what you want to focus on.

Most of your schools are in DC and know that you can go to any of the other schools functions. One of my best friends attends Howard for a MA in Int'l Relations and she is always attending events at SAIS, SIS, and Georgetown, including conferences, speeches, and sometimes lectures.  Just weigh all of the possibilities out and make the best choice for you, your future, etc.

Good luck with your decision.

Edited March 29, 2012 by legallyproper

[charlotte_asia]

I understand that you don't buy it but it's what is falling into place in contemporary times. Yes, it focuses on these qualities on the exam. But, the number of students getting admitted to A-100 without a graduate degree is less than 5%. Also, the vast majority of cones that they are coming from literally vary from time to time but your data from the past two A-100 groups is false. Majority of the cones represented are from economic and political, and public diplomacy cones. I hate to respectfully disagree with you but with the current times for both economic figures and degree holders I think the State Department is giving a higher preference to those with masters or advanced degrees believe it or not. They may not state it but majority of those being admitted on a yearly basis have completed degrees above a bachelors

I completely agree with you that a master's degree is advantageous in getting into the Foreign Service. What I don't agree with is that where that degree is from matters.

And I agree with you that most officers are pol + econ + pd. I didn't say they weren't. What I said was that most officers are not politically-coned. We in the IR field often forget that a lot of FSOs do not have formal backgrounds in IR- many are former economists, bankers, teachers, journalists, lawyers, army officers, middle managers of companies, etc, meaning very few of them have formal degrees in IR/public policy. My fiance is an FSO and this is what has surprised me the most- that he and I are actually in the minority in terms of being IR-oriented, public policy/IR-grad school bound. It's actually refreshing to find such a diversity in the FS- having folks with very different experiences and educational backgrounds makes for a stronger diplomatic corps.

Anyway don't mean to get off on this tangent- I think someone wanting to into the FS was just a hypothetical scenario posed anyway/ Just wanted to share my two cents for anyone eyeing the FS

[Azrou]

Maybe I am misinformed but I think that compared to the vast majority of NGO/public/private jobs available coming out of an IR program, a FSO is much better equipped to handle high loan payments. You either have free housing or an additional housing allowance - no mortgage or rent. The cost of living is almost always much cheaper than in the US. You may not need/have a car, so no car payments, insurance, gas, etc. I'm sure you could find things to spend money on, but realistically speaking, your income after necessary expenses will be significantly higher than if you were at a run-of-the-mill federal position in DC. But it also goes without saying that an FSO position is not something you can count on and it may take several tries even for the most dedicated people.

[charlotte_asia]

azrou, I totally agree. Not paying rent (except for domestic posts in DC) is huge. So too is hardship or COLA pay, which is the percentage differntial in pay received for serving at expensive posts or more difficult posts. It can be a pretty sizable increase to one's base salary. Language pay, as legallyproper referenced, is good for folks who score well on critical languages. FSOs with kids also save a lot on education, as tuition for children is covered overseas.

The FS also has SLRP (student loan repayment program), which apparently is a huge help for FSOs trying to pay off student loans.

[legallyproper]

The best solution for any of those worries is to apply for the graduate fellowships (Pickering, Rangel, and the new Payne with USAID FS) they deplete the worries of loans as long as you are smart with your school choice. I went to an extremely expensive undergraduate school and refuse to pay for my graduate education. It is possible because I am headed overseas with $0 to pay with an extremely generous stipend. So, I conclude by saying I'm sure millions of people worldwide will do it no problem, however I refuse to pay to continue my education and there are means out there to make that demand possible. Azrou, you must understand that yes you are provided amazing benefits as an FSO, however when you incur loan payments from HKS, Columbia, WWS, George Washington your monthly payments will strip you alone of majority of your paycheck. Also, you are on the money with the acceptance rate of the FS it's hard to get into the FS with the amount of Veterans headed back to America from the Middle East, it is only incurring more troublesome ways to get into a federal government position for those who hadn't already had their place. It's all a horrid thing to worry about but again fellowships, etc. are the solution to the woes of financial debt! I hope you all applied to some, or have them from your accepted schools. Don't let the story of thousands of graduates from top tier, ivy league schools who are still unemployed with $100K+ in debt because even a SLRP won't save you in that case because the interest on your monthly payments are dreadful. I have a friend enduring it now and he's with USAID and he's struggling because of the monthly payments. Think smart, choose wisely! Good luck with your endeavors.