GRE RESULTS/GRAD SCHOOL UPDATE

For those of you who didn't know, I've been silently (and at times quite loudly) been beating my head against the wall as I try and prepare myself for grad school. My dear friend Matt Schuh recently recieved his LSAT scores and published a similar report on his pursuits of post-baccalaureate happiness on his site.

I took my GRE on Monday, and did much worse than I thought. Matt ventured to tell you his score, but I don't even want to do that with mine. This may seem "radical" to some, but if I'm to be judged on test scores as opposed to academic performance, community service, foreign languages, and work experience, then those schools can bugger off. I'm much better than what those paltry test scores present me to be.

Like Matt, I have also finalized a list of several (if not too many) schools to apply to:

:: Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
:: Columbia University (New York City)
:: The Fletcher School-Tufts University (Medford, MA)
:: Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
:: University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
:: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (Washington, D.C.)
:: Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
:: University of Missouri-Columbia (Columbia, MO)
:: Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)
:: University of Texas-Austin (Austin, TX)
:: The University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
:: Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)

There it is...12 schools, 5 of which may actually accept me in all reality...if I'm lucky. And think of all the cool mascots of these schools! Two of 'em are Tigers, then you've got Orangemen, Lions, Jumbos, Panthers, Blue Jays, Hoyas, Hoosiers, Longhorns, Wildcats, and of course...Sun Devils.

But what is it you're looking to study?
There are three programs among all of these schools I'd be interested in applying to: a Master of Public Administration, a Master of Public Affairs, or a Master of International Affairs. In the case of the Fletcher School, it would be a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy.

Are you going to retake the GRE?
Hell no...you think I have time or money?

Do you think now is the time to continue your academic pursuits, or would you be more inclined to work for a while?
Ummm, yeah. If I don't carry through with it now, I'll never do it. God forbid I could, at least, get into ASU's program.

What are some of the more appealing programs?
I like Syracuse because it's only a year. I like UT because it's got a great program, much like Pitt. I like UofA and ASU because it's home ;)