Major for a kid who wants IR but is average student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few thoughts from a returned Peace Corps volunteer who’s worked in international development for 20+ years:

Where you go to college truly, truly does not matter for Peace Corps. Being motivated, resilient, and a speaker of a second language do. Having an undergraduate degree in a relevant field (ag, environmental science, public health) and strong college GPA is also important. Peace Corps service is a great entry point to working in development (or related fields like international education or training) and getting into a graduate program relevant to that type of work.

As others have said, many of the fields discussed in this thread tend to be wonky and highly competitive. Ultimately, grades will matter - although your kid can work towards that in college and grad school. Undergraduate major is much less important - although most of these fields prioritize excellent writing and analytical skills.

Would your son be interested in working in international education/study abroad? I’m thinking of some of the more immersive, international studies type organizations like the School for International Training. It might be worth him exploring this area, not just in terms of study abroad but future employment. An organization that does great work in this vein and hires college kids and new grads who speak Spanish is Amigos de las Americas - recommend he check them out.

OP here. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

You don't pay $$$ and go to a college to learn a language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ROTC. The military has a lot of opportunities that are akin to diplomatic roles. We've know a few families who were attachés and they lived in great places and were really only back in the US for language training

Many places are not desirable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Let me clarify. I KNOW my kid won't excel in IR, that is why I am asking what OTHER major should someone with this profile look at besides hospitality.
He's not a Stem kid, he has high social intelligence, interested in social justice, and travel, and is a mediocre student but a hard worker and very practical.

I’m the “completely wrong” poster above. Again, bluntly, if he doesn’t want to major in STEM it’s just fine. Good for him. It really doesn’t matter what he majors in. IR is no better or worse than any other non-STEM major, and if it keeps him interested in his studies then great. Get him through school, then count on his “high social intelligence” and practical thinking for his landing a job. And he can always travel and work / volunteer abroad doing something fulfilling and interesting. It just won’t be the Peace Corps.

One final piece of advice: no student loans if at all possible, even if it means going with a lower ranked and cheaper school. This is NOT a kid you want to weigh down with student loans, because he will have trouble paying them back.

NP here. I had no idea it was so competitive to get into the peace corps.

Yes, the Peace Corps is competitive. They are investing a lot of time recruiting and training applicants before dropping them off - often in isolated locations in middle of nowhere - in developing countries and expecting you to make significant contributions while living like a local and with very little supervision. They don’t just take anyone. It’s not a study abroad program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ROTC. The military has a lot of opportunities that are akin to diplomatic roles. We've know a few families who were attachés and they lived in great places and were really only back in the US for language training

Many places are not desirable.

Desirability varies by personal preference. I didn't like being posted in Paris, did like it in Dushanbe. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, that was me!

I studied Agricultural economics, worked at USDA during the summers in their paid intern program and joined the foreign Ag service shortly after graduating with my MS (I worked at USDA and got my MS at Mason at night in public policy), which was a wonderful career until I retired in my 40's. I work in the industry space now like a lot of my former colleagues on policy issues in DC (mainly to support my spouse who was a trooper while we were overseas).

It was a fantastic career and really the best of the jobs in the embassy in my view. You did real policy work, worked on real issues (we all gotta eat!) and managed yourself because your issues were so niche no one cared (which is wonderful not having political bother you).

Your kid should 10000000 percent apply. I was initially an econ major and then changed when I learned about the program.

OP here, I’m unclear what program you’re referring to. Peace Corp? Or were you responding to another post? But I appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement!

OP this is the agency I worked for. https://www.fas.usda.gov/

Peace Corps is always helpful but they hire and recruit directly from their intern pool, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

With AI and advance translation gadgets, its not nearly as important now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

Languages might not be the most important thing for getting to top managerial positions, but OP has made it clear her kid just wants to get his foot in the door & have a modest career.

If you want to get into the IR field & aren’t getting top grades or going to an elite college, an in-demand language might be the only thing you have going for you.

[Anonymous]

There are a ton of colleges at all levels that offer international relations and similar majors. University of Delaware and University of Alabama among them. Hard work as a college student can more than compensate for lackluster adolescent years.

Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

You don't pay $$$ and go to a college to learn a language.

No, nobody ever does that. And nobody is looking for someone who speaks Arabic or Farsi these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is crazy for being a DC area focused forum.

Come on - if you've worked in this space you know that the IR area skews much more t20/umc background than say - public health or housing policy or infrastructure.

there are underemployed SAIS grads in this town.

I cant believe multiple people aren't throwing up red flags on this idea

Secondly, where you go to school matters.

That’s why learning languages is so important. If you can speak an in-demand language, nobody will care where you went

This is so not true. Learning languages is the least important aspect.

You don't pay $$$ and go to a college to learn a language.

No, nobody ever does that. And nobody is looking for someone who speaks Arabic or Farsi these days.

But aren’t those “critical languages?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the Peace Corps is competitive. They are investing a lot of time recruiting and training applicants before dropping them off - often in isolated locations in middle of nowhere - in developing countries and expecting you to make significant contributions while living like a local and with very little supervision. They don’t just take anyone. It’s not a study abroad program.

I served in the Peace Corps in the early 2000s, and while I have no way of knowing how competitive admission was, the people I served with were generally extremely ambitious, type A folks. When I look at my cohort 20 years on, many of us are professors, doctors, in leadership positions in NGOs, high-level policy folks, etc. These are not chill hippies who just wanted to see the world and do a little volunteering.

[Anonymous]

I would switch gears. Consider hospitality and hotel schools —tech and Penn state for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ROTC. The military has a lot of opportunities that are akin to diplomatic roles. We've know a few families who were attachés and they lived in great places and were really only back in the US for language training

Many places are not desirable.

Desirability varies by personal preference. I didn't like being posted in Paris, did like it in Dushanbe. YMMV.

Central Asia is massively underrated

Not a fair comp