Princeton's WWS and Stanford IPS

[sky_blue]

Hello all,

My first post in this forum. I know that Princeton's program is probably the hardest, but I am just going to get it a try and am looking for some advice. I don't have any formal work experience, so it is likely to be my greatest weakness. However, I do have quite an interesting internship experience by the time I apply, including at my country's overseas consulate, at a governmental economic agency as well as a stint with an NGO in a developing country that will hopefully be considered as relevant experiences. I come from an ivy institution with a 3.9 GPA and have four very good recommendations, all Economics professors. Is there anything else I can do to beef up my application for Fall 2010 admission? I am also studying abroad in my senior year.

I am also considering taking my GRE: 800(quan), 650(verbal) and 5(aw) because I think i can boost my verbal to at least 700 if I study for it. Not sure if it is worth it though. Should I be concerned with my AW score, given that it is only on the 77th percentile?

My second choice would be Stanford's IPS program which is a great fit for my interest. Is this school within my reach?

Thank you!

[linden]

sky_blue:

Hello. I was not one of the fortunate ones to make into WWS; I was only on the wait list. But, I think you sound like a strong candidate for WWS, although--as you already recognize yourself--the lack of work experience might be a problem. I guess my advice to you would be, give it a shot this year; you've got nothing to lose. If you don't get in, it's probably because of the lack of WE, and you can try again for the Fall of 2012. (Incidentally, the WWS admissions staff was the most outstanding of all the programs to which I applied in terms of responsiveness and feedback. If you don't make it in, I am sure they would be happy to confirm if the lack of WE was the problem.)

I probably would not bother retaking the GRE because I would not want to lose the 800 and the 650 is just fine. If it will boost your confidence, if you have the spare cash and time, and if you think you can bring the verbal up to the 700s and keep the 800, take it again. But, I don't think the 650 will affect your application.

Good luck!

[sky_blue]

thank you for the advice; really appreciate it!

[younglions]

You have an impressive academic profile. If Princeton does turn you down, it won't be on account of inadequate GRE scores or grades.

I'll be matriculating into WWS in just a few weeks, and I've read brief profiles on most of my future classmates. There's a decent percentage of students--perhaps 10%--who are coming straight from undergrad. A common trait uniting nearly all of them is that they've received prestigious scholarships or fellowships (e.g. Truman and Pickering). If you're eligible for these, and still have time to apply, I recommend doing so. Regardless, send in an application because you're at least competitive. Your internship experiences sound quite relevant and might be what gets your application into the admit pile.

As for IPS, I think you've got a great shot. They don't demand as much work experience and seem to appreciate academic accomplishment more than some other schools.

Good luck!