International Development/MBA newb has questions

[egpl21]

This may seem a bit far away, but I'd like to know if I am on the right track, so thanks in advance!

Well, first off, I'm a sophomore at a top liberal arts university, and I'm very interested in international development/development economics and microfinance. I'm half-hispanic, 3.67 GPA, and I'm double majoring in economics and global politics. I'm involved in our micro finance club, Engineers Without Borders (I deal with the money...casually the only non-science major in the club), and a number of other clubs (triathlon club, campus activities, model UN, volunteer clubs).

Before I go any further, I'm really interested in any advice that people who are applying to grad schools, are in grad school or have finished grad school have for me when it comes to graduate programs in international development. Right now, I'm very much interested in a joint degree program (3 years, MBA and masters in International development or similar).

Right now the one's that I have been looking at are Yale, Georgetown, Columbia and Harvard. I am also completely aware of the fact that these are challenging schools to get into, but any advice would be appreciated.

I am very open to opportunities that may arise, but I kind of have a mini action plan, and this is what it looks like:

-I'm already in a study abroad program in Ghana [spring 2012] (I'll be studying development economics for a month)

-I will be volunteering for a month in Bolivia with our EWB club [summer 2012]

-I will be spending a semester in Geneva studying international relations and I will be immersed in French which I've already been studying for a few years [Fall 2012]

-Although I was offered an international internship through my school for this summer, I had to turn it down for previously mentioned activities...when I'm in Ghana, my professor is going to help me get in contact with micro finance companies that I will be able to do this internship with[all Summer 2013]

-take GRE[sometime senior year?]

-After I graduate, I want to get an internship with Kiva (see kiva.com if you haven't heard of it, it's a micro finance organization), or at least work there or some place similar for a few months[summer/fall 2014]

-Go into peace corps afterwards [fall/winter 2014-winter/spring 2017] Hopefully small business development, or teaching economics

-Apply to grad schools near the end of peace corps

I have a bunch of random interesting facts about my life: I lived abroad for 6.5 years, dual citizen(although I could be a triple citizen if I wanted), built a bamboo bike (in highschool...it works...got the idea from http://bamboobike.org/Home.html), etc.

Do my ideas seem alright? Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? What I wonder is this: There are so many interesting people that want to go into this career field, so how does one stand out and make it known to graduate schools that he/she is an ideal candidate?

sidenote: I'm pretty set on peace corps. I've thought about it a lot, my family and friends are supportive, my professor is a RPCV and I've gone to info meetings.

Thanks for any information y'all may have! sorry this is long.

[Mal83]

It's good that you're thinking about this already, I kind of wish I had grad school in mind while I was an undergrad...but anyway, your plans are on track for sure. The schools you mentioned are the most competitive in the country and as stories go on this board people with 3.8 GPAs and above didn't make the cut. I would consider George Washington University and American University as well. These schools are also among the best International Affairs programs in the world but are slightly less competitive and a little larger than Yale (which is tiny I believe) and Georgetown. I don't know about dual degrees...I'm sure it's possible at GWU's Elliott school, but with ID you can concentrate in economics if you so choose.

For grad school applications, only activities that are relevant to the program and field will be helpful or considered interesting by admissions committees. All of the other interesting bits are cool and they will certainly round you out as a person but there really isn't space on applications for that type of thing. All of that study abroad experience will be a bonus if you do the Peace Corps. A semester abroad and a month here and a month there are nice, but that type of thing isn't really considered relevant experience unless you do an internship or volunteer stint of substance...as in for more than a month or so. For both American and GW, relevant professional experience is required for admission. So you'd be good to go on that with the Peace Corps. Three of us in the ID program are RPCVs from Ukraine, one from Nicaragua, and I know there are others. So it's a big deal and admissions considers it valuable experience. I mean the Peace Corps is doing development, can't get much more relevant than that.

If you're set on grad school then yes I would take the GRE your senior year, I know people who have taken it while they were volunteers and it seemed awfully stressful. Get it out of the way as soon as possible...maybe even the summer before your senior year because you'll need, generally speaking, 9-12 months for the PC application process...not that you'll be working on it that whole time, it's mostly waiting, but both the GRE and PC application at the same time also seems stressful...but if you really want to do it you will. I don't know how much you know about the application process for the Peace Corps but you'll have to be mindful of the fact that not all PC programs end in time for the start of a fall semester, it depends on the program you get accepted to and it's start date. It might not be a completely seemless transition from one thing to the next, but a lot of people did it and it works out for them. And pursuing grad school while in the Peace Corps will give you a plan for afterwards, I definitely wish I had done that instead of just hoping I'd get a full-time job in ID ( I also lived nowhere near DC at the time so that could have had something to do with it). So anyway, sounds like you're on the right track. Don't hesitate to ask anything else.

[egpl21]

Thanks for the in-depth response, I really appreciate it! I do know about the peace corps application, but I guess I didn't really think about the stress in studying for the GRE and filling out the PC application at the same time, so thanks for highlighting that.

I checked out American and GWU on the apsia site (My professor, an RPCV told me about apsia.com and he's helping me set up internships), and they seem pretty legit. So who are the type of people that get into these top tier programs? I've been looking at student profiles, and I've been trying to incorporate some stuff that they do...do you have any other suggestions?

[tt503]

This may seem a bit far away, but I'd like to know if I am on the right track, so thanks in advance!

Well, first off, I'm a sophomore at a top liberal arts university, and I'm very interested in international development/development economics and microfinance. I'm half-hispanic, 3.67 GPA, and I'm double majoring in economics and global politics. I'm involved in our micro finance club, Engineers Without Borders (I deal with the money...casually the only non-science major in the club), and a number of other clubs (triathlon club, campus activities, model UN, volunteer clubs).

Before I go any further, I'm really interested in any advice that people who are applying to grad schools, are in grad school or have finished grad school have for me when it comes to graduate programs in international development. Right now, I'm very much interested in a joint degree program (3 years, MBA and masters in International development or similar).

Right now the one's that I have been looking at are Yale, Georgetown, Columbia and Harvard. I am also completely aware of the fact that these are challenging schools to get into, but any advice would be appreciated.

I am very open to opportunities that may arise, but I kind of have a mini action plan, and this is what it looks like:

-I'm already in a study abroad program in Ghana [spring 2012] (I'll be studying development economics for a month)

-I will be volunteering for a month in Bolivia with our EWB club [summer 2012]

-I will be spending a semester in Geneva studying international relations and I will be immersed in French which I've already been studying for a few years [Fall 2012]

-Although I was offered an international internship through my school for this summer, I had to turn it down for previously mentioned activities...when I'm in Ghana, my professor is going to help me get in contact with micro finance companies that I will be able to do this internship with[all Summer 2013]

-take GRE[sometime senior year?]

-After I graduate, I want to get an internship with Kiva (see kiva.com if you haven't heard of it, it's a micro finance organization), or at least work there or some place similar for a few months[summer/fall 2014]

-Go into peace corps afterwards [fall/winter 2014-winter/spring 2017] Hopefully small business development, or teaching economics

-Apply to grad schools near the end of peace corps

I have a bunch of random interesting facts about my life: I lived abroad for 6.5 years, dual citizen(although I could be a triple citizen if I wanted), built a bamboo bike (in highschool...it works...got the idea from http://bamboobike.org/Home.html), etc.

Do my ideas seem alright? Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? What I wonder is this: There are so many interesting people that want to go into this career field, so how does one stand out and make it known to graduate schools that he/she is an ideal candidate?

sidenote: I'm pretty set on peace corps. I've thought about it a lot, my family and friends are supportive, my professor is a RPCV and I've gone to info meetings.

Thanks for any information y'all may have! sorry this is long.

If you're set on Peace Corps, then you may want to look into Cornell's MPS International Development/Peace Corps option. They seem to really like Peace Corps applicants (or those wanting to go into the PC) and the acceptance rate is ~50%, so it's at least a good back up option. It is usually entirely self-funded though (no scholarships/fellowships), unless you can find it through other avenues.

[Kinga Neder]

Dear All!

I accidentally bumped into this thread. I am doing an Msc in International Development, Int Econ Pol and Global Health at Sciences Po Paris (toujours l'amour...). I just got my "admissions" news to AU SIS for a semester abroad. I'd LOVE to hear about your experiences on the AU SIS Int Dev program! I admit, I don't know much about it, and I find only little info online (student profiles, alumni career info, actual course list, etc.). Although I still need to survive this semester first, and next semester is far, but I would appreciate any stories from AU Int Dev! Who are you, what are you up to, what have you been up to, what do you like about AU SIS Int Dev? What you don't like about it? How does AU SIS Int Dev fare compared to other Int Dev programs?Best professors/courses? Courses that one should not take? So, just anything! Thanks in advance and I am excitedly looking forward to next semester!