What calibre of school should I aim for?

[Original501]

I have been out of school for a year and am thinking of going for a master's in international affairs or security studies. My focus is European security. However, I want to be realistic and would like to apply to programs I have a realistic chance of getting into, since I don't have the best grades. I majored in European politics at a strong state school (e.g., Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington). I have a 3.2 GPA and managed to gradaute with honors because I wrote an honors thesis. My grades are mostly As and Bs, as I could not truly focus on academics because I worked through college and didn't have enough time to study. This is what makes me most insecure. I work in international development in DC and many of my cooworkers have master's degrees from HKS, Georgetown, SAIS, Tufts, LSE, etc. This also makes me feel insecure, since I feel as if I have to get a master's from a school of that calibre to stay competitive. In my previous position, I wrote about European security for a news agency. Although my GPA is rather low, I managed to pull of an "A" on my honors thesis and in the thesis course, which was taught like a graduate seminar. I have international experience as well. I am a European national and have lived in European countries and speak a handful of European languages proficiently. If I manage to do well on the GRE and get good recommendation letters, what types of schools should I be aiming for? I plan to work for a few more years before going back to school. I don't want to waste time and money applying to a school I have no real change of getting into.

[coasts]

I had a sub-3.0 GPA, which made me so nervous that I avoided applying to school for years. In the end, I got in most places I applied and am attending a well-ranked program with a large scholarship. Working for a number of years really helps -- the admissions committee will focus more on that than your grades from 5+ years ago. High GRE scores can reassure them that you can perform well academically. You might want to consider taking an econ, math, or stats class at a local college to demonstrate your academic abilities. And you can submit a supplemental statement explaining why your grades were low during college. There might be a couple schools that you're out of the running for in part because of your GPA, but you can certainly get into a good program still! Don't be discouraged

[SenNoodles]

I was in a very similar boat! 3.25ish GPA, but had 5 years of work experience (mostly in DC) and good GRE scores. Ended up getting into SAIS with a massive scholarship, full ride to Georgetown, plus admitted to Michigan and Chicago. No luck at HKS and WWS but in everywhere else. So don't sell yourself short - I'd suggest getting a few more years of real world experience and then applying to the top and see what happens. I definitely had the same fears as you and am so glad I still aimed high. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat further. 

Edited August 20, 2016 by SenNoodles

[Original501]

Thanks to both of you. I'm going to focus on getting more work experience and prepping for the GRE. 

[went_away]

You're acting way too insecure - you got the cool job WITHOUT the mega-expensive degree and now work side-by-side with all those ostensibly brilliant co-workers who went to those big expensive schools and now may have big expensive loans. If I were you I would just chill and focus on your career - in a few years, you'll be interviewing and hiring desperate entry-levels and interns, graduating from all those top schools. 

If you want to go back for the intellectual sheen and stimulation, then for sure go for it (you should be targeting the usual suspects - SAIS, Fletcher, SIPA, Georgetown MSFS). Otherwise, you might be better off getting an EMBA from Yale/Wharton or a more specialist degree. Finally, I would recommend you check Fletcher's GMAP program - it just might be your cup of tea.  

Edited September 12, 2016 by went_away

[Original501]

8 hours ago, went_away said:

You're acting way too insecure - you got the cool job WITHOUT the mega-expensive degree and now work side-by-side with all those ostensibly brilliant co-workers who went to those big expensive schools and now may have big expensive loans. If I were you I would just chill and focus on your career - in a few years, you'll be interviewing and hiring desperate entry-levels and interns, graduating from all those top schools. 

If you want to go back for the intellectual sheen and stimulation, then for sure go for it (you should be targeting the usual suspects - SAIS, Fletcher, SIPA, Georgetown MSFS). Otherwise, you might be better off getting an EMBA from Yale/Wharton or a more specialist degree. Finally, I would recommend you check Fletcher's GMAP program - it just might be your cup of tea.  

Thanks! That's very sound advice. I'm going to wait it out and focus on my career for now.

[went_away]

Cool, cool; best of luck.