Reply to Masters degree- Georgetown>George Mason

Forum Index » Jobs and Careers

Reply to "Masters degree- Georgetown>George Mason"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I have an IR-related (area studies) MA from Georgetown so here is my 2 cents FWIW:

Assuming you are in the exploratory stage now, when you decide on applying, I'd apply to the program of interest at all the big local schools (GU, GMU, GWU, American--maybe not SAIS if you are not interested in a super quant-heavy program). It's more $$ and hassle, but you never know what the admissions pool will be like any given year and it's best to maximize your chances of getting in somewhere.

On GMU vs. Georgetown: In the long run, it probably doesn't matter too much, so if GU is out of reach financially, then you shouldn't feel like you're never going to get the job you want. However, in my experience, the school name counts in the short term, when you are applying to your first few jobs after graduation. Typically the desirable jobs have hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants, many of whom have an MA and little job experience. Employers have to narrow down pools of very similar applicants and they will typically choose applicants from top schools, all other things being equal. This means grads with GU/SAIS degrees often land the most coveted IR-focused internships/entry level jobs, which puts them on the path they want a little quicker. A few years out from graduation, experience counts much more and the name advantage diminishes significantly, though not perhaps entirely--if you're looking at extremely competitive jobs (World Bank, etc.).[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics