Seeking Advice

[gutrot]

I just finished up my junior year of college, and have found myself at odds with how I should be occupying myself this summer.

It has been recently decided that before applying to law school (or a PhD program), I will be pursuing an MA, most likely in International Relations. It is my goal to make myself the most convincing candidate possible for top schools such as Columbia (SIPA), UChi, etc.

I'm a double transfer (and am unsure if this will have any bearing on admissions), but currently have a 4.0 at my state university (while overloading on courses, which I will most likely being doing for my two remaining semesters), and previously went to BU and Emory (nominated for undergraduate research award) where I maintained a ~3.8. My majors are both History and International Studies, and I am pursuing a history thesis meaning I will graduate, at minimum, with magna cum laude honors.

Currently I am taking courses to make up for lost credits, however I have a choice of either going to Germany to do an intensive language course and some research (the research is not necessary, however) for my thesis topic OR pursuing an internship at the end of my summer session. I have applied to several non-profits and almost definitely have a place working with a department of a larger energy company (although not really related to my studies).

So my questions are, should I be going to Germany or taking the latter option which is also cheaper. I am personally of the mind that an internship would be most beneficial, especially considering I have no other work experience.

Are there any other options or steps I should be taking in order to give myself a chance at top-tier schools?

Unfortunately I am not a great standardized test taker when it comes to math, so taking an internship in the states would also allow me more time to prepare for the GRE. What should I be shooting for?

Does overloading classes have any effect?

I will also be taking classes after my senior year to complete my degrees. Should I wait an application cycle and do another internship?

Any advice is really appreciated, thanks a lot.

Edited May 18, 2012 by gutrot

[BrokenRecord]

should I be going to Germany or taking the latter option which is also cheaper. I am personally of the mind that an internship would be most beneficial, especially considering I have no other work experience.

Do you have any other study abroad or foreign experience? It is my understanding that for IR that may be a crucial piece of your application. Assuming that you want to continue to the PhD at this stage the research may matter more. Considering you are only a junior in college, I'm also leaning toward the internship in this case especially if the research is not applicable for your thesis topic and $$$ is concerned. Your mind can change within two years so its always good to have some work experience behind you should you wish to work after graduation.

Are there any other options or steps I should be taking in order to give myself a chance at top-tier schools?

Too much of a crap shoot to truly 'prepare' yourself for. The best students with the best marks across the board get rejected at top-tier schools every application season. Best thing to do is really hone in on your honors thesis with a possible publication to stand out. You went to a great school not too known for grade inflation so your 4.0 will really matter to the adcoms. My best advice to you---apply to mostly PhD programs and masters as backups. Don't shortchange yourself. Masters degrees especially in the non-stem fields are generally cash cows for the university as they are unfunded and should only be pursued (unfunded) if you are seeking to build upon a crappy undergrad--which you do not have. You have the GPA, research background w/ your honors thesis and hopefully great letters from your research mentors in order to be in a competitive position for some of those programs. IR is very...VERY...competitive, but I think if you work hard on establishing a research agenda and bang out your honors thesis to send as a writing sample you should be a pretty strong candidate if you cast a wide net in your applications ( = $$$$ make sure you save up!).

Unfortunately I am not a great standardized test taker when it comes to math, so taking an internship in the states would also allow me more time to prepare for the GRE. What should I be shooting for?

The revised GRE just launched last fall so there is changes made to the grading scale. Percentiles will count much more in this case. For IR, I would shoot for 70% percentile on all sections minimum to be on the safe side. Again, your other metrics matter way more to the adcoms by far, but a strong GRE score could help for funding purposes.

Does overloading classes have any effect?

Effect as in 'impressive' I should say not. Adcoms tend to know roughly how much work goes into a course for students particularly if it is an upper-level course. If they see a 4.0 on 21 hours of all advanced coursework in your major it might send a red flag as to the rigorousness of the courses that you took. If that is the case, I definitely wouldn't highlight that fact in your statement and draw attention to it.

I will also be taking classes after my senior year to complete my degrees. Should I wait an application cycle and do another internship?

I would start applying for programs the fall before the year I am scheduled to graduate (assuming you will be graduating in the spring). If that is the case, the summer after your fourth (senior) year I would definitely do another internship and apply for programs when you get back in the fall.

[OregonGal]

As someone going into an IR MA program, I would differ from the previous poster on a few points.

Your GPA is great, and will be very helpful in your applications. However, the top-tier IR graduate schools usually have less than 10% of their incoming class coming straight out of undergrad. They are very focused on bringing in people with professional experience, international experience, who have proven that they know enough about working within the IR field to put the degree to good use. These programs highlight that the average age of students is 26-28 and that they only take people with stellar GPAs and very relevant international/intern experience straight out of undergrad.

While these MA programs are "cash cows" in that they generate cash flow for their parent universities, I would disagree that they are of less use than an IR doctorate. Most practitioners do not advance beyond the MA because it is a professional degree program, like getting a Masters in Engineering, Architecture or Social Work. I think IR doctorates are more for those who want to stay within academia, for which you still need practical, professional experience but where the focus is more on research/publishing/teaching.

Since you're taking at least a partial fifth year to finish up, I would recommend waiting until the next application cycle. That way, you can get some professional experience whether through nonprofit work or internships. I would also recommend going to Germany, especially if your intended regional concentration is Europe, unless you have a significant amount of previous international experience.

[gutrot]

BrokenRecord and OregonGal, thank you very much for the thoughtful responses and making sense of my mess of questions.

I actually just got back from consulting my thesis adviser on this, and he seems to be in agreement with both of you regarding my international experience.

Besides some leisure travel and a program in highschool in which I traveled to Russia and had a home-stay, I have not been abroad.

I was advised to either do the program in Germany or take up an internship with Oxfam (a nonprofit) if they accept me, however the cutoff date for Germany is getting close nor I am sure if one would be preferred over the other. I had just assumed that work-experience, even if not related to my field, would be more valued.

Additionally, I'll be traveling with my advisor to Munich in the fall.

I'm in agreement that since I will certainly be taking classes in Summer 2013, it would be best to wait a cycle to apply, especially if the average age of admitted students is so old. I'll be able to focus much more on my thesis topic now and the GRE later. Also, the idea of applying for MAs as a back-up plan never occurred to me, and is certainly a route I may pursue. Although I feel my chances at a top program may decline substantially. It sounds like I will be in school past my 30s if I end up doing law after, but I'm okay with that.

And I will not overload again then, man that was hell.

Once again, this help has been very valuable, and any other comments are appreciated. Thanks a ton.

Edited May 22, 2012 by gutrot