Decision: GW Elliott School, Washington D.C.

[PrattIAFF]

For those of you who have decided (or who are leaning toward) GW Elliott School of International Affairs, this thread is intended to get the dialogue going about the enrollment process, fellowships, financial aid, advisers, course selections, extracurricular and employment opportunities. GW's location and faculty make for some of the best professional opportunities of any f the DC schools, In my humble opinion.

So let's talk!

[Coloradical]

Great idea. GWU is looking like the most likely option, but it's definitely one of the places I know least about. I'd love to hear some alumni speak about Elliott's unique offerings.

Anyone attending the open house on the 13th?

[PrattIAFF]

Background:

Middle Tennessee State University - 2010

BS International Relations, BA Political Science

Minors: African Studies, Geography

Professional Experience:

Policy Intern, Constituency for Africa (3 months - Washington, D.C.)

Program Intern, International Bridges to Justice (3 months - Kigali, Rwanda)

Horn of Africa Intern, Human Rights Watch (6 months - Washington, D.C.)

International Experience

Kenya, Senior Year Abroad - United States International University (8 months)

Rwanda/Burundi, Internship - International Bridges to Justice (3 months)

Zanzibar, Swahili Language Study (3 months)

Tanzania, Research, Language Study (8 months)

Why I chose GW:

I have been looking at APSIA schools for the last four or five years. I knew I wanted to study in the Washington, D.C. area because I love the city and all the amazing opportunities outside of the classroom. The access you have in Washington is unparalleled, especially if you are considering a policy career. GW always boasts about its location, for good reason. Out of all of the DC schools, its proximity to agencies and institutions is unbeatable.

Georgetown and SAIS are always ranked #1 and #2, and for good reason. They have some of the most outstanding faculty found anywhere. They know how to attract and retain the top talent. However, there are some amazing profs at GW, which I really think is underrated as an institution. They often are constantly between the revolving door between practice and academia. My two draws, since I'm focused on African Security and Governance, are Dr. Paul Williams and Ambassador David Shinn. Georgetown may have Chester Crocker, and SAIS may have Princeton Lyman, but try getting some quality face time with either of them... go ahead... try.

Price: GW is 25% cheaper than SAIS or Georgetown, and if they give you aid on top of that, it's a bargain.

[CalSeeker]

I am a current Elliott School student and would be happy to answer questions. I am really enjoying my program and would recommend GW to people weighing their options. As others have mentioned, the location in DC and opportunities outside of class are key.

[Coloradical]

@CalSeeker: Awesome!

1) I notice you were accepted to SAIS and SFS as well. What made you choose Elliott?

2) What are your initial feelings about the GW network? Do you feel like there are strong alumni resources that you can leverage?

3) What's your concentration within Elliott and your thoughts on it?

[CalSeeker]

Hi Coloradical,

I actually orignally preferred SAIS due to the name recognition and emphasis on int'l econ. (I was never considering SFS as seriously because I wanted more of an econ focus.) In the end, Elliott offered me a better financial deal and I decided that I needed to work while going to school. SAIS would have been more expensive, it does not allow part-time students, and all of the classes are during the day. At Elliott the classes are in the evening, allowing me to work and go to school part-time. This was a huge consideration for me, but I think it has been a pretty big positive for my classmates that are not necessarily in the same situation as me. Almost everyone in my program is able to get a relevant internship/job during the day, which is absolutely key for both building resumes and making connections.

I think that the alumni network is pretty strong, based on my limited experience. I have run into several people through work that went to Elliott, and I think that Elliott has a strong reputation in DC. There have also been some events through my program (more on that below) that alumni also attended. They had a lot of good advice/info. My program at least seems to have good internship placement success, with agencies/companies actively seeking out students in our program. Obviously internships do not always turn into jobs, but it seems alumni have had pretty good success in the past. I have not gone to many of the wider Elliott School networking/career events, but it does seem that they always have a lot going on.

I am in the international trade and investment policy (ITIP) program, and I am very satisfied with it. I like that it is smaller than the more general IA program, and I feel like we get more individual attention. I do not have a lot of experience with the other programs, though, so that may not be true. We have had several ITIP events to meet other students and alumni from the program. Also, all of the incoming students each year have all of the core classes together as a cohort. I feel like all of this has helped foster a good sense of community for the ITIP students (including those in the year ahead of us). The ITIP capstone project seems like a great opportunity as well. I have not started it yet, but basically we will split into teams and work on a project as consultants to an outside agency/organization/company in our area of interest. Again, I am not certain what the other programs are like.

As far as Elliott School classes go, I like that most have given a strong focus to real-world policies and issues. Of course that is what you would expect from a professional program.

Overall, I Elliott has been a great fit for me, and I have had a great balance of academic, professional, and extracurricular opportunities. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to offer my thoughts.

[Waffle]

What about the international recognition of GWU?

I also got in the ITIP program. I am an international student so I'd like to know if Elliott's name can be "exported" outside of DC and/or outside of the US?

[PrattIAFF]

What about the international recognition of GWU?

I also got in the ITIP program. I am an international student so I'd like to know if Elliott's name can be "exported" outside of DC and/or outside of the US?

For anyone who pays attention to rankings of international affairs programs in the Foreign Policy Magazine top 10 schools of international affairs, GW Elliott is ranked #7.

One of the reasons I like the Elliott School is that it is a good balance between theory and practice. As Calseeker says, it allows and encourages students to gain practicl experience during the day while attending courses in the evening. Of course, as a student you are limited on the amount of time you can dedicate to work, and the number of part-time opportunities are limited. However, GW advisers have experience with placing students in these positions, and I would imagine that employers would seek GW students for the positions that are available.

My question would be, what is the best way to go about seeking part-time work that is relevant to your professional goals? Advisers and teachers would be helpful to an extent, but it seems it would also entail a bit of self-directed searching. I intend to apply for several internships (some paid, some not) and part-time jobs (the State Department has a great program for working students, and it is only an 8-minute walk from Elliott's doors. NGOs and Think Tanks (CSIS, USIP, NED, NDI, WWICS etc.) are a few blocks or metro stops away.

Also to support GW's focus on professional development, an internship is required, as are three of their 1-credit "skills courses" which teach skills directly applicable to the workplace. I am planning a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, so State Department internships, as well as skills courses such as "Formal Briefing," "Political Analysis," and "Policymaking" are a nice addition to the full courses (http://elliott.gwu.edu/assets/docs/acad/Fall_2011_Skills_Course_Descriptions.pdf)

I am entering the MA International Affairs Program, with a concentration in International Security. My focus area is U.S. interests in security and governance in Africa. This is a very interdisciplinary inquiry, and the flexibility of the MA International affairs program allows me to encompass this. While Elliott does not have an explicit regional focus in Africa (like AU-SIS, or JHU-SAIS have), there are plenty of relevant courses to study conflict analysis and resolution, governance development, energy security (increasingly relevant for Africa), and U.S. security policy and foreign policy.

Since I mentioned flexibility, this is really the biggest draw for me. Not only the flexibility that allows employment, but flexibility in curriculum, with few pre-determined core requirements (three core courses and a capstone). The three skills courses, the courses within the concentration, and electives, are up to you. . I found the AU-SIS curriculum to be too rigid (2 required research methods course, too many core requirements). SAIS requires half of the courses to be Econ, which is not a priority for me. Of all of the DC schools, I think MSFS is the one that offers an appropriate broad core, while really allowing some flexibility. It seems like GW really wants its students to determine what courses they take... after all, it's our education, right.

Just my two cents.

[CalSeeker]

What about the international recognition of GWU?

I also got in the ITIP program. I am an international student so I'd like to know if Elliott's name can be "exported" outside of DC and/or outside of the US?

I don't really have any firsthand knowledge about international recognition of GW. However, there is a very significant proportion of international students in the ITIP program. Based on conversations with people in the group, my feeling is that many of them plan to work in business or government in their home countries upon completion of their degrees. That would suggest to me that they feel the GW degree is effective internationally as well.

If you want an international student's perspective, I would encourage you to contact the ITIP program. They can put you in touch with international students directly, who may have more insight.

[CalSeeker]

My question would be, what is the best way to go about seeking part-time work that is relevant to your professional goals? Advisers and teachers would be helpful to an extent, but it seems it would also entail a bit of self-directed searching. I intend to apply for several internships (some paid, some not) and part-time jobs (the State Department has a great program for working students, and it is only an 8-minute walk from Elliott's doors. NGOs and Think Tanks (CSIS, USIP, NED, NDI, WWICS etc.) are a few blocks or metro stops away.

In my experience, the program staff send around a lot of relevant internship opportunities. Also a lot of students in the program send out emails to the group to find replacements when they are leaving an internship. Some students have gotten jobs as research assistants for their professors. I have not tried the career center/advising services. Some individual research on internship possibilities is probably necessary from time to time. There are so many organizations in DC though that there is bound to be something in your area of interest. I see a lot of internships that look interesting to me, though I am already working in the field full time.

Also to support GW's focus on professional development, an internship is required, as are three of their 1-credit "skills courses" which teach skills directly applicable to the workplace. I am planning a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, so State Department internships, as well as skills courses such as "Formal Briefing," "Political Analysis," and "Policymaking" are a nice addition to the full courses (http://elliott.gwu.e...escriptions.pdf)

For the ITIP program, I do not believe an internship is required (though, as I mentioned, everyone that I know of is doing one). Also, I am not required to take the skills courses (I could take one extra 3-credit course instead). That said, the two skills courses that I have taken so far have been very good. They are generally taught by practitioners with a lot of experience, and are very hands-on.

[MYRNIST]

Bump. Anyone else heading to Foggy Bottom in the fall? I can't make the open house, but would love to connect with some future classmates.

Edited April 4, 2012 by MYRNIST

[sengpatt]

I don't want to call it early, but all signs are pointing towards GW for me.

I've gotten a little bit better funding from a couple lower-ranked, non-DC schools, but I'm thinking that it might be worth paying more for GW's location and generally strong reputation. I also won't be able to attend the open house, unfortunately. I would be in the International Affairs program, so I don't know how much overlap we would have in terms of classes, but I'm always happy to make a new friend!

[rzkp]

Same with me @Sengpatt and @MYRNIST, all are pointing to GW. I'll probably taking the IA in Int'l Econ Affairs.

It is good to know both of you in this forum.

[Coloradical]

I fluctuate daily between GW this fall and reapplying in 2013. I am definitely going to the open house though and I can report back with thoughts and feelings.

Some top of mind questions:

1) What portion of classes are taken at night and at what times? (I'm moving in with my fiance and would actually like to be around)

2) What routes did current FSOs and GW alumni take and what advice do they have? (I think the 'skills' classes might be a big part of this)

3) How can career services help place me in a position this fall?

4) Notable, young up and coming alumni?

[CBRrr]

I fluctuate daily between GW this fall and reapplying in 2013. I am definitely going to the open house though and I can report back with thoughts and feelings.

Some top of mind questions:

1) What portion of classes are taken at night and at what times? (I'm moving in with my fiance and would actually like to be around)

All the classes are evening/night classes and I believe the earliest ones start around 5-5:30ish

2) What routes did current FSOs and GW alumni take and what advice do they have? (I think the 'skills' classes might be a big part of this)

IDK

3) How can career services help place me in a position this fall?

From what I recall, there are 4-5 peeps in career services who focus on securing internships/jobs for Elliott grad students. However, they are swamped this time of year with the soon to be graduates, so they can’t do that much to help incoming grads secure an internship for the coming fall.

4) Notable, young up and coming alumni?

Hey, I attended an information session so I can answer a few of these. The one thing that impressed me the most is how career oriented the school is. I know some grad programs tell their students not to work, but here they encourage you to always have, at least, a part-time job/internship!

Edit: I'll be in Foggy Bottom this fall.

Edited April 4, 2012 by CBRrr

[OregonGal]

Agreed. They emphasize that the timing of the classes allows students to work, and also allows them to get all those field practitioners to come in and teach classes because they can literally walk over a block or two from the World Bank or State Dept. The only exception is if you were taking a class from another graduate program (public health, management, etc) or a language class.

At the info sessions I attended it was more current students than alumni present. There's a dedicated career services department for Elliott but I've found that to be the case at all the top schools (certainly it's the case at all the places I applied to).

[sengpatt]

Online confirmation sent and deposit ready to mail on Monday! (I don't know why they don't accept online payments...)

[rzkp]

Online confirmation sent and deposit ready to mail on Monday! (I don't know why they don't accept online payments...)

Same with me. I've sent my deposit three weeks ago.

Next week I'll start processing my I-20 and visa request.

I hope we'll meet at the campus this fall.

[disintegrate]

I got my official confirmation of the deposit received by the Elliott school.

Is there any facebook group?

Do PM me to get in touch.

[Waffle]

For those who have deferred, did you send the Tuition Deposit Form or is an email sufficient?

[PrattIAFF]

For those who have deferred, did you send the Tuition Deposit Form or is an email sufficient?

If you've already sent the tuition deposit ($500) that was due on April 20, I think an email is sufficient. And if you're deferring for a whole year, you have to sent another $500 deposit by December.

[Coloradical]

100% on Elliott. Stoked about the opportunities to work. Love to hear others' thoughts.