Gettin' In

It was during January of 2010 when I started gathering the materials that I would need to get into one of the two institutions that I was interested in, GTI and KSU. Unfortunately for me, I was a bit two late in the year to polish my appearance enough to apply prior to GTI Fall 2010 deadline. In other words, I would apply for Tech's program starting fall of 2011 if I was not permitted into Kennesaw's program the first time around. As far as what you need to provide for eligibility you need the following: GRE test scores (or GMAT), fill out the application, provide a letter of interest to the institution, submit your undergrad transcripts, provide 2 letters of recomendation, and submit a writing sample. A real handy checklist of all of these items is available here: http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/checklists/IPM.pdf .If memory serves correct, a 900 GRE was suggested for competitive eligibility for KSU and a 1100 for Tech. I wanna say a 3.0 GPA was suggested for KSU and a 3.2 for Tech. Additionally, Tech requires 3 letters of recommendation. Make sure to check each institution's website (both are listed as forum favorites) for official information.

The first area that I focused in on was studying for the GRE. First I learned a bit more about the test and scheduling via their website: http://www.ets.org/gre . The scheduling for testing is VERY convenient and you can schedule to take the test about 48 hours out from when you would like to take it. So, I went off and bought some study materials from Barnes & Nobel. I went with the most inexpensive study guide available and some cheap flash cards for road trips. Don't waste and extra $30 on the "most successful and flashy study guide available that promises 150 point better score than competitors". My advice is to get familiar with the test layout. Also, learn about how the test scores. It is a bit funky, giving you harder questions the better you do (all computer based).

Now that I had my study mats, I proceeded to procrastinate until early April, when I really put my nose to the grindstone. I studied math, a LOT of math. A LOT of 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade math. I remember my teachers saying that I would use geometry in the real world. And I did. To take a test to learn more... Oh well, I picked up all the basics that I had long ago lost and did pretty well. I believe it was a 1260 I scored, but my memory evades me by about 10-20 points. I was aiming for the 1300s, but was relieved to see a competitive score (you get your scores before you leave your seat!). By the 1st of May my essays were returned. I got a 4.5 on a 6 point scale. I thought that my writing that day was better than a 4.5, but I am painfully aware of my misspelling and poor grammar. Thank you spell check!

I had also sent out requests for letters of recommendation in mid April. One of my professors, May Gao, was easy to track down and a pleasure to meet with again. Her recommendation was no less then shinning. My professional recommendation, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to obtain and was all sorts of disappointing. I tried getting my recommendation from my former boss/mentor/friend (a least I thought). We will call him Chris Cross. Chris and I worked together at a company that I came to leave because they were plain and simple breaking employment law. I, as the Human Resources rep., politely asked to make corrections of this "over-site". I resigned after being told that there were too many laws to be concerned with following them all. At any rate, Chris Cross was by that time my peer, but still mentor. We were friends enough for me to attend his wedding and occasionally visit outside of work hours. But when I left, he sided with the company. After a month of no reply on request for a reference and one polite nudge, I gave up on getting a reference from him. It is a shame too: He knew my skill-set very well. I ended up obtaining my second letter from another employee from the same company that I worked side-by-side with for approximately 2 years. Thank you Patrick, your reference was no less than flattering.

The letter of intent to the institution came with ease, given my passion for the field and appreciation for KSU. Finally, the writing sample that I chose to submit was my senior thesis from psychology. Although substance abuse and its relationship to behavior and personality does not speak directly to the specialty of international policy management, I felt that it highlights my ability to collect and interpret data while arguing a central thesis. I wanna say that all of my admission materials were turned in by the 24th of May. Accordingly, the deadline for receiving all submission materials was June 1st.

The next two weeks were nerve racking! I felt that my profile was likely to be accepted, considering that this was a start up program with little popularity (yet, it will get bigger!). However, I was worried that my letters of recommendation fiasco had put me in too close to the deadline. Additionally, I was self conscience about not coming from the poly sci  department. Fortunately I had a little bit of distraction while waiting for a reply about my admission. I was on a cruise to Cozumel from May 30th to June 5th. No reception, no connection to the mailbox, minimized worries. But the nervousness I felt as I booted up my phone after docking in Alabama only shared a likeness to that of a panic attack. "Did they respond? Am I in?" I contemplated quietly over and over again while standing with my girlfriend in our cabin. The silence was measurable. Then... Relief! Yelling, hugs, kisses, and excited phone calls. I was on a high for days. My passion was becoming tangible, my goals coming to fruition.

It was a long two months until our August 20th orientation. I kept hoping for an email containing a taste of what was to come. An assignment or recommended reading would do. Little did I know, I was about to be blindsided by a workload that cannot be described, only experienced, in grad school...