IR Graduate School Applicant Profile (Matriculate Fall 2014)

[Billy the Mountain]

I've followed this site for awhile in my obsessive quest to land at a top IR graduate school. Alas, the time to apply has come and I want to start a thread to compare profiles, offer advice and pass along news/rumors.

I'll begin:

Schools Applying/Applied To: Georgetown SSP, GWU Elliott, Johns Hopkins SAIS, American SIS, Chicago CIR, Princeton WWS, Denver Korbel

Schools Admitted To: n/a

Schools Rejected From: n/a

Still Waiting: all

Undergraduate institution: Top 5 Pulic Affairs undergrad program

Undergraduate GPA: 3.9

Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable):

Undergraduate Major: Policy Sudies- International Policy, minoring in Economics and Buisness

GRE Quantitative Score: 156

GRE Verbal Score: 166

GRE AW Score: 4.5

Age: 33

Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): Finishing undergrad now.

Years of Work Experience: 8 years in the Army, including 5.5 in Military Intelligence. Two years in Iraq collecting intel, including one year working for SOCOM.

Languages: I once spoke pretty good Farsi, but it has gone downhill in the past few years. I still know the language, just need work on my vocabulary.

Econ: 5 classes: Micro and Macro, Stats, International Trade, and History of E

conomic Thought.

Strength of SOP: Not written

Strength of LOR Not written, but should have one from a former Army Commander, and two from Professors, including one from a world-renowned IR Professor.

I have high hopes, but ultimately it all comes down to funding. I have the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, so I'm hoping to go for free, but we will see about that.

Please contribute what you like. Let's make this a place to sweat it out together.

[TheGnome]

I wish you the best of luck in the process - though with this profile it does not seem like you will need too much of it. One thing though is that people who are applying to similar departments like the ones you listed tend to congregate at the government affairs forum, so you might find stronger solidarity over there.

[Billy the Mountain]

Thanks for the tip.

[cooperstreet]

get your GRE higher.