Hello, and asses my chances?

[FluffMeister]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking in this forum for a few weeks now and I wondered if I could get some feedback not only on my chances at various schools but, more importantly, things I can do between now and application time to strengthen my application. Here's my info:

Application season: Fall 2010

Undergraduate: BA in Art History and BMus in Music Performance both from a Tier 1 (according to US News and World Report) small liberal arts college, 2007

Undergraduate GPA: 3.78

Languages: English (native), intermediate German (but unfortunately getting rusty fast!)

Study abroad experience: 9 months in Vienna studying music and art history, 1 semester in Germany (Fall 2007) studying only music

Work abroad experience: 3 months as an au pair in Germany

Post-undergrad community college work: Macroecon, Microecon (in progress), and Stats (in progress)

Work experience: 1 year in a medium size book publisher as a Contracts Assistant and 1 year in another medium size book publisher as a Business Coordinator (this is a general assistant position where my responsibilities are very diverse)

GRE: Have not yet taken but began studying in the beginning of January. My practice test scores have been improving and they are currently around 590V/640Q. I do not expect stellar scores by the time I take the exam but I'm hoping to hover slightly north of 700 on each section.

Volunteer experience: I began volunteering this month with an agency that helps refugees in the US. I am tutoring two Nepali teenagers in English. I plan to volunteer with them until June, when I will move to the east coast (unfortunately not DC or NY).

I would like to apply to top IR master's programs and it seems to me, based on what I've learned so far, that Georgetown and SAIS are the top two. I don't know how competitive I am for them at this point but I figure that I've got some time in which to bolster my application. Specifically, I'm hoping to get a summer internship of some sort at an IR-related agency where I'm moving in June. I will also need to find a job there but I'm afraid that I'm not qualified for any IR-related job--at least, not that I have seen on my searches of Monster.com so far. What kind of work experience is useful for IR but also attainable for someone with a background such as mine?

My professional goals are a bit hazy at this point but I'm hoping to go into the private sector after IR-master's school. However, working for the government has been growing in its appeal to me, the more I read about it. Although my quantitative background is severely lacking I'm curious to try out work in finance or banking. A more quantitative, business-focus is also leading me to turn to SAIS as my top choice (as I understand they have a more quantitative focus).

Thanks for reading and your help with this! I'm very eager to learn more about the ins and outs of this crazy ritual. And, naturally, please feel free to mercilessly disabuse me of any notions expressed in this post that are faulty.

Thanks,

FluffMeister

[boblong]

um if youre planning on applying for fall 2010.....sorry to tell you but the deadline for most top 10 programs already passed.

[LifeIsGood]

I had assumed the OP meant s/he'd apply in Fall 2010, which would mean entrance to a program in Fall 2011. Is that right?

[i can't help myself. You said "asses." ]

[FluffMeister]

Oy, how embarrassing. Yes, I plan to apply this fall for to begin in Fall '11. Sorry for the confusion!

[thombo]

Oy, how embarrassing. Yes, I plan to apply this fall for to begin in Fall '11. Sorry for the confusion!

As you've probably gathered, these professional masters degrees place a large emphasis on relevant work experience. It's great that you have time working/studying abroad and have a solid foundation in a foreign language. What you seem to be lacking, and what will help your chances most, is that relevant work experience. It's tough to break into the IR field without an MA (it's been discussed at length the paradox of "i need a masters to work in IR, but I need to work in IR to get a masters"), but there are certainly ways around it. A lot may depend on where you live. I live in DC where, though highly competitive, there are many opportunities for work in IR... and you're not going to find these positions on Monster.com, I'm afraid. In the meantime, you're doing the right thing by compensating by doing volunteer work and looking for a relevant internship, and since you're looking to apply in less than 1 year, it will be difficult to get a real full time job and gain meaningful experience there.

I guess the point I'm making is that you seem to be in a good position, but there is that one area that you should really really look to improve over the next year. It will be important for you in your SoP to discuss the value of your volunteer and internship experiences, in light of a full time job that isn't directly relevant. And of course, study study study for the GRE.

[kevinmac]

Remember on your application that spelling can be very important. "Asses" has a slightly different meaning than "Assess."

EDIT: Oops, I missed that this had already been pointed out, didn't mean to beat a dead horse.

Edited February 1, 2010 by kevinmac

[FluffMeister]

Thombo, thank you for the helpful ideas. So is there any solution to the "I can't get work experience without an MA and I can't get an MA without work experience" issue? Seems to me that Peace Corps is one good solution but it doesn't really work into my life's schedule at this point (although I do keep coming around to it--maybe I should force it to work with my life's schedule). Are there any other ways of getting relevant work experience with an unrelated undergrad major? Also, I'm not absolutely committed to beginning in Fall '11 but would only want to put off my grad school experience for a good, relevant job.

Kevinmac, thanks for the reminder! I think I spell-checked my post itself but unfortunately I overlooked the subject line. Sertuoslye thoguh, i casn sprell rilly rilly goodf.