Teach me about grad admissions

dallas808
Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:18:30 +0000

Are we all trying to say the same subtle point? I happen to believe many IR programs, with the exception of the top ones, may not make sense from the ROI perspective. So buyers beware.

As for jmleadpipe’s imaginative scenario, I would like to offer some real world cases which I know personally. I am not affliated with Fletcher/Tufts in any manner. However, I used to share a house with a few Fletcher grad students (MALD) when I was logging my time at Cambridge. One of them is a Fulbright scholar from China who studied sino-american relationships and now trains the next generation of Chinese diplomats in Beijing. Another, an American, did a few undercover-type ops in Middle East for a professor and now works for a MNC in Dubai. Another, a British, was really into international conflict management and now heads one of the UN missions in Africa. As far as I can tell, they are all well compensated (by local domicile standard) and never regret taking the loan. In fact, it was Fletcher that made it possible for them to make the jump careerwise. Are their experience typical by Fletcher standard? I don’t know for sure. But in my book, they speak a lot for the school.

Back to my original point, anyone who is seriously thinking about getting into a IR program should talk to the students and alums to make certain that the move makes sense, both financially and careerwise.