<p>So while I’m waiting on Graduate school admissions decisions I have to also look at possible alternatives. I’m wondering if anyone has gone through the Graduate Gateway program at American University and if you thought it was worth it? It’s pretty pricey but you are guaranteed an internship in DC and you take graduate level courses, meet the faculty and so on…</p>
<p>But what do you guys think? Worth the time and money?</p>
<p>I am not familiar with this program specifically. But I looked it up, and it looks like you take two classes and intern 3 days per week for a semester. The program is about $11,000.</p>
<p>Basically, it sounds like you would be paying American U to find you an internship. I don’t think that’s worth it at all. Yes, you do take a graduate-level seminar and one undergraduate class. But unless you are lacking prerequisites and/or changing fields, undergraduate classes taken after you graduate from college don’t help you get into graduate school. A graduate seminar could (potentially), but you could just as easily find a full-time job and take a graduate seminar at a public university for a fraction of the cost. To be really honest, this program sounds like the brainchild of the New Corporate University - like some administrator who is paid far too much money to bring additional revenue to the college thought this up in an effort to raise revenue.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the ‘alternative’ to getting into a graduate program should be work. In most professional fields - and it appears this program is attempting to attract people going into professional fields - the more work experience (as opposed to more academic experience) is what’s going to help boost your application and make you look more attractive. Even in many academic fields, a few years as a lab technician/research associate/research coordinator will be a better proposition than an expensive one-semester academic program, and for the humanities, I would imagine any job that got you writing and analyzing and gave you the time to work on your writing sample and think about scholarship would be far better than this.</p>
<p>Lots of good points. Thanks for your input Juillet! I’m just having trouble finding a job without having a Master’s degree already since I didn’t graduate from a top school for my undergrad. But you’re right. Professional experience would be better than that program. Thanks!</p>
<p>I doubt that it’s your lack of a degree from a top school that’s hurting you (government workers have degrees from all kinds of schools), but rather just lack of experience. I know that sounds weird - how can you get experience if everyone wants you to have it? The answer may be starting outside of the federal government and then transitioning into government work later. For example, a friend of mine started working in our city’s health department with an eye towards CDC work later. You may need to pick up the skills first, because a lot of GS professional jobs require experience in order to get considered and because the feds are competitive.</p>
<p>If you don’t get into a master’s program, try to find something to pay the bills and reapply again. Then when you’re in grad school, apply to one of several programs that are designed for fed work! If you are interested in languages, there’s the Boren fellowship. If you want to do foreign affairs, consider the Pickering (one of my friends had that and works in foreign affairs now, and travels a LOT). Both of those require federal service.</p>
<p>Another option is to join the military. You will obviously do federal work, and after your commitment you get veterans’ preference for federal jobs. Of course, you should only do this if you actually want to do military work (which will be supervisory/managerial because you will be an officer). For your interests, intelligence could be a good potential specialty.</p>
<p>Yeah definitely. I’ve been looking for jobs everywhere, not just for the federal government. I have well beyond lost count of the number of resumes I sent out. Maybe it was because the economy was just horrific when I was applying, or maybe I just didn’t stand out enough to warrant an offer. I look at the profiles of so many people in my field and I am just blown away. But I can’t really afford more unpaid internships to get my foot in the door. I ended up moving to South Korea to teach English for a year (and here I am!) so that I could gain a working knowledge of Korean. </p>
<p>THANKFULLY though I just got my acceptance to American’s Graduate program in International Relations, so I don’t have to worry about their gateway program anymore. I will say that I wish I had found out about Pickering like…two months ago at least. I dont know why I never came across it. But it’s too late now unfortunately. That would have been the perfect program. Alas, unless I turn down graduate school and wait a year, it is out of my reach.</p>
<p>As for the Boren fellowship, I am definitely going to go for it, as my second year at American (if I go) will most likely be spent abroad. I am rather frantically looking for other funding options/programs/fellowships etc that I can still apply to but the pickings are slim.</p>
<p>I almost joined the military a few times. I could never choose which branch and then I worried about so many other things… I dont know. There were a lot of people, I think, that steered me away from it. Current and former military from several branches. I still consider it a valid option sometimes, though. </p>
<p>Thank you Juillet for all your awesome advice. I wish I had talked to you sooner! haha.</p>