Fall Admissions Webinar (November 2020)

Hello hello.

Good morning or good evening or good afternoon.

Can people hear me?

But if maybe a couple of you could post in the chat.

There should be a chat box, good lots of yeses hello Hello.

Thanks for being here.

Well, give everybody a minute to get connected.

Hopefully there is no trouble with that, so I'll keep my eye on that.

And yeah, this is great.

Love seeing people pop in.

Alright.

Well.

I am glad to see everybody let me see I love to see where people are from. We've got people goodness local in Connecticut, only in Korea and France, Denmark, Jordan, Nepal, Georgia, Texas. Good morning, Texas.

I know it's early in a lot of places we have a California wow. Kudos to California for being up so early, so thanks everybody for being here. So why don't I get started? Because we do have what seems to be the record number of registrants, so I want to make sure that I get to everything and I think I want to do this in an unorthodox way.

Normally we start with a little presentation about Jackson, but we did promote this as a.

Sort of, maybe a Q&A of sorts for people who want to apply, ideally by December 1st. So I think I want to start with some questions. So first I'll introduce myself. My name is Melissa McGinnis and I'm the assistant director of admissions at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University, and I am currently in my apartment just North of New Haven, CT, where we are. It's break week this week and.

We switched from hybrid to online that was pre planned and I do hope all of you are safe wherever you are safe and healthy. And thanks for being here. I know it's crazy time but I know a lot of people are still thinking about the future in grad school and we're glad that you're considering your Jackson.

A little bit about myself. I've been at Yale Jackson for just it'll be.

Two years in like a week. So I'm really excited, but I've spent well over 20 years in the public and international affairs space and doing graduate admissions, so I spent before coming to Jackson. I was actually at Princeton down in New Jersey and doing graduate admissions there as well, and I've done some graduate admissions consulting on the side, so I've got a lot of admissions experience.

And again, being in the public and international affairs, space global affairs, and so I want to hear to help you put together the best application you can. So there might be some new people here who aren't familiar with Jackson and Yale and the Global Affairs program. So I want to be mindful of that. And I do want to talk in general, but often when we have a large crowd we find I'm rushing at the end to answer questions. And because of the timing.

With our early deadline coming up, I want to make sure we get to the questions so.

Um, I think I will go over a couple things that I've been getting a lot of questions about and address those, and then maybe take some of your questions. Those of you who might have very application specific questions, maybe it could go first and then maybe I could give a brief overview for those who might still be kind of unfamiliar with Jackson. But I think when we start answering questions that usually prompts little mini diatribe of information about.

What yell Jackson is all about. So first, as some of you may know, we do have a an early December 1st deadline. Our final deadline is January 2nd, but we do offer fee waivers. They're automatic if you're applying the Jackson as long as you apply by 11:59 PM on December 1st if we don't have rolling admissions, that is really just for your benefit.

It does help give us a pulse on the applicant pool and the volume and sort of knowing what we're getting into for the the application review season, but so it can be helpful for us, but we don't start making decisions we don't start reviewing applications usually until January, so no worries about that. We still whether you apply by December 1st or by January 2nd, the decisions still go out in early to mid March. We promise we do them as soon as we can.

We are still part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Some of you may know that we are slated to become independent from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and becoming nails next professional school. So this is a really cool time to be part of Jackson. But for now, the application is the Jesus Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It's their application, so a lot of these things are, you know, we have to work with them, and I'll address some of the questions that might be confusing.

Because it's we are part of their application, but as long as you're applying to Jackson and apply by December 1st, your fee waiver is automatically waived. One major thing that I get lots of questions about is, well, what about the Jerry's? We do still for the two year MA in Global Affairs, we still do require the general GRE test. We have waived it for the one year midcareer program, the MASC in advance studies we.

If you choose to apply by December 1st, it is totally fine for your test scores, which includes the language test scores for non native English speakers, but also your letters of recommendation to you have to register your letters your recommenders before you can submit your application, but those recommenders hat can wait until January 2nd, you know.

Want them to wait? Encourage them to get them in early and I've had many prospects tell me that they are telling their recommenders that since they're applying by December 1st, they'd like their recommenders who get their letters and by December 1st, which is fine if you want to do that with your with your people, but just know that as long as they come in by January 2nd, even within a couple days after is fine because we've gotta compile everything and go through everything.

So that's one major thing. The other thing is I'm getting lots of questions about the. There's a number of individual short questions. Additional questions. I think they call them within the application and you know there's some about you know there's optional. There's a required diversity statement. There's a public service statement. There's an optional writing sample.

A lot of the questions about those are what? What are we looking for in those? Well, there's not really a prescribed formula for what those are about. Really. You could see any of the questions within the application as being another little test, an analytical skill, and we see what you're writing is and how you put yourself together. And I often say your whole application should be like a portfolio, like a big picture, and it should connect the dots. I think there's a question in the application about is there anything that?

You haven't answered in other parts of your application or something like that well.

That's an optional question. If you feel comfortable between your resume, your personal statement in which your letters of recommendation, say about you, then you really don't need that. If you want to use it, there's again people use it for all sorts of different reasons, so again, there's no really formatting or formula to these things. We really want to see what you're going to do with them. Another big question is about the writing sample, which is different than the personal statement that is required of everybody.

But there is an academic writing sample and again being mindful that we are part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences where most of their other graduate programs are PhD programs. They have a handful of Masters programs, one of them being hours.

Scuse me.

So we really don't need or require. We definitely don't require it. We don't really need a writing sample. I think of those for like PhD research kinds of things. Now again, if there if that is your main area of focus and you really feel like and that additional writing sample would be beneficial, you're welcome to submit it. But more is not necessarily better, right? So keep those kinds of things in mind.

Two more practical things, and then I'll see if there's questions popping in funding. Some of you may know that Jackson actually provides pretty decent funding. We provide something for everyone who asks for it. This is for the tier MA we currently are not offering funding for our one year midcareer program, so you'll see if you look at our student BIOS that most people are externally funded for that program. Whether they are military or international government or what have you.

And we do have some of those in the two year may as well.

But for those who want funding from Jackson, you just need to ask for it. And there's some confusion, I think, with the way the question is written within the application. Again, were when we become independent from Jesus, we will have our own application and hopefully will be able to tweak these questions to make them a little bit more clear for us and for our purposes. But I think the question says are are you applying for financial aid or for funding and.

It is simply that there's no application necessary. I think there is one for the Graduate School, which you can check that if you are hoping to maybe apply for loans later, or whatnot, both the Jackson funding you check the box and if you are offered admission, we will offer funding based on checking that box. It's as simple as that. There's no additional forms that will be required.

At a later date and currently the minimum award has been about half tuition, so you know we'll see what that looks like going forward, but that's what it's been the last couple of years, but we are. Funding is on top of that is merit based, so you know there are different tiers in addition to have tuition. Usually about 1/3 of the class gets full tuition and maybe another third gets full tuition. An full stipend, so Jackson's funding is pretty.

Is pretty robust in comparison to some other schools, so yeah, so keep that in mind. But it really is as simple as making sure you check that box. There have been cases where people don't check the box and maybe they're offered admission and they don't get any funding in their life, but I didn't get any funding like you didn't check box, so it's really as simple as that, so hopefully that makes sense and the final prepared question that I want to address. And then I'll take your questions is about joint degrees.

Um Jackson's program is very, very flexible, and we also offer a number of joint degrees within Yale's professional schools. So again, there is a checkbox right right in the beginning of the application where you indicate which joint degree you are applying to.

Keep in mind that the application processes are completely separate, so we do want to know that you're applying to the joint degree to a degree. Applicants will have an additional 500 word statement on top of their regular personal statement, so, but some questions that I do get are.

What if the program isn't listen? They listed there. Sometimes there's different unique joint degrees that people want to pull together. Or maybe they want to do it with an external school outside of jail, which we will consider on a case by case basis.

Those are cases where there's not another option, so you won't be able to choose from the dropdown, but I would say you definitely still need to submit an additional statement like the joint degree statement. You can do that in the additional documentation section, I think. I don't think there's a limit to how many additional documents that you can submit with your application, so I hope that makes sense of those. Were my questions that.

You know, I've been getting a lot of lately and I wanted to make sure I addressed, but I'm going to check and see here if any of you have questions. There are some. This is great, so maybe it's clarification of what I've already said. Or maybe there's some new ones and then we will.

Keep going, let me grab a little bit of coffee before I go here.

Alright, thank you for your patience, so I think it's idea. Thank you so much. Pickering Rangel. Congratulations Anne Anne wondering if finalists are eligible for application fee waivers after after the December 1st deadline. Thank you for that. We actually just learned of the wrangle finalists and sent an message about that. Just I think yesterday the day before and were supposed to find out about the finalists for Pickering tomorrow, I believe.

So we do have and. For those of you who aren't familiar with Pickering and Rangel, they are US fellowships where you're basically on the fast track in the foreign service, and we have a partnership we're not required to do application fee waivers, but that is part of our agreement. Each pool has their own sort of series of things and and we if at all possible, would like to provide an automatic fee waiver. But the Pickering or Rangel decisions have been pushed beyond our December 1st.

Fee waiver deadline. So that's the long story too. We are going to handle those on a case by case basis, so when if you don't apply by December 1st for Vera for whatever reason.

Ann, you are awarded as one of the fellows. We will consider a fee waiver so you would just need to email us. Let me put my email address in the chat box so you.

And you probably have this because you were here on this webinar.

So, but I'll put it in there again. So an oh, just a quick practical thing. I am monitoring the chat myself, so if you don't see your question, don't feel like it's not there. I've just kind of going through them 1 by 1.

He is asking what's the essential difference between the NBA Global Affairs Joint program as opposed to being a global affairs student taking classes at Somd? That's a great question, and that's something that joint degree applicants really need to make very clear, because, as I mentioned that our program is very flexible, Jackson only has three required classes. Stats class Nikon class in history class, and the rest of the classes can be taken at Jackson or anywhere else at Yale through any of their professional schools.

And many, many people given the obvious overlap, take classes at the law school at the School of Management, which is Healds Business School, the School of School of the Environment. So it's very, very common for people to take courses at the other professional schools. And it's encouraged. The other schools like to have our students because we pull together a very unique and interesting cohort of people were professional program. So people are coming from all sorts of different.

Backgrounds within the realm of global affairs, so they really like to have those voices in their classrooms.

So it's yeah, it's it's something that you need to decide. You know the law school is the easiest comparison. Do you want to be a trial lawyer and then maybe go to law school? Or do you want to take some humanitarian law classes or whatever the case may be? And the same thing with SLM. There are some people you know. We only have the three core, but maybe some people want to sort of bolster up their their toolkit a little bit more people take.

It's more advanced econ classes at a swam room. They may take language classes, Python And R and whatnot, so there are many opportunities and obviously Yale has a very robust social entrepreneurship program, so there are ways to take those classes. What happens is if you want to do a joint degree.

It's shorter, right, by shorter, usually by year, 'cause each program agrees to count the semester towards the others electives, so you know a lot of people like to stay around and be in an academic environment for that extra time, but maybe that's not the case for different people, so I hope I hope that makes sense. It it really does end up being sort of philosophical on your sign. We and I mentioned we do encourage joint degree candidates because it really makes sense in the interdisciplinary.

Nature of global affairs. But we can't have an entire class of joint degree students, so I I will mention for those who don't know our, our cohort is usually about 30 to 35 students, so we're intentionally small and that really enhances the community life. The family atmosphere in the tight knit group that we have and also with everybody having that thread of commitment to global affairs, but.

Almost all 30 of them being from completely different backgrounds really makes for has a lot of depth and breadth and so.

You know it, and when you're a joint degree student, you need to defer the other program and then the second year is split. So if we had two too many banana quotas, but if we had too many in our cohort, then we wouldn't really have anybody in the second year class, so we have to sort of balance that. So I hope that makes sense. And while I think of that, let me really quickly make sure I post in the student BIOS because I think you know this will show you a lot of them. I think do talk about.

Sort of what they're doing. You know, some might mention they're doing joint degrees or just taking classes and so and the other thing too. While we're on that subject, and this can be an overwhelming prospect, but.

This is the course database at Yale. the Jackson classes are GLBL and then you know the rest should be pretty intuitive. You can do a keyword search, whether it's a regional area, some sort of subject area, our language, you will see that hundreds of classes might come up in some cases and so.

That means you can really build your own curriculum and you get help with that. As an enrolled student, you know there's sample matrices on our website, you meet one on one with staff and the Student Affairs Office, but you really need to formulate that in your application and tell us up front. Not necessarily. I want to take this class this class this class, but you really need to have a good idea of what you want to get out of the program, because you can do just about anything. So anyway, let me.

Keep going given current circumstances. Will admissions take this in an account regarding Jerry scores?

Thanks for the question. Yes it is. We're very aware that.

There's different formats we're accepting whatever formats like ETS and whatnot. We don't formally waive the grem, so if there's extenuating circumstances, you are welcome to submit, usually in the additional information section about reasons why it can't be taken, and then it just becomes up to the admissions committee members whether they are willing to.

You know over look a missing item. You know having an incomplete application or whatnot, but we're very we're obviously going to be very hyper aware of.

Things going on in the world and that applies not just test scores, but it applies to transcripts. I think most of our students do. Our master applicants do usually have, you know, around three to five years of experience. But you know, for some Pickering strangles and other people might be coming right from undergrad. They might have only pass fail on their transcripts this past year. Obviously internships and jobs are going to look very different, so I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of those.

Additional information, statements about explanations and, and that's usually where people address, maybe resume gaps or weaknesses in their applications. So yeah, we're very aware of it, just I think, make it clear what you've been doing with the time that you have and with the resources that you have, I think that's important.

OK, let me keep going. So do the juries have to be submitted officially or is it enough to self self report them?

Ideally officially they they will not be considered.

Your application wouldn't be complete until they were submitted from ETS and get loaded from the Graduate School and all of that, and they show up in the back end. But if you have a test date in December and ideally you know what that is, you should put that in your application. Or if maybe you've just taken the test and you wanted to apply by December 1st, feel free to do the self report, but again, your application will show up as incomplete.

And we won't have access to it right away. We do focus on all the complete applicants first, but again, don't let that worry you too much, because we I mentioned before. We don't have rolling admissions, so it's just sufficient. Obviously for us to make sure we're reviewing complete people and then you know, we get to the incomplete people and that buys people a little bit more time. Like I mentioned, especially for test scores and letters to come in a little bit later date. And we do review incomplete applications towards the end of the process.

So hopefully by then things have come up, so we will presumably see that maybe somebody took a test very, very end of December and it's January 7th and we're reviewing applications and we get to the incompletes and Oh well, technically this is complete enough and we can review it with the self reported test scores. So if you have them, feel free to submit them, but they're not enough. Try to get them submitted from ETS by that first week of January.

Alright Taylor, good morning, um, if I cannot get to my application by January 1st but still needed fee waivers, there's still some sort of documentation in order to waive the fee. Jayden less, you're one of the pickerings or angles there is. There's no other fee waiver option. Again, we are part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Their fee waiver deadline to request a fee waiver is November 20th, I think, so I think their fee waiver deadline has passed.

So our Jackson fee waiver is a little bit later right. We have till December 1st and they yeah so there are no other forms. I think there. However they do it on their side which I don't pay attention to because we don't need it because we have it automatically. If you're Jackson student applicant. So yeah there.

There isn't any formal process for that.

So.

Yeah, I mean if there's something extenuating and you get to January 1st and you can't submit, you know you could always email us, but I think there's no guarantees. And also with Holidays and recess and whatnot and getting approvals it just, I think while we're part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, that's not really possible. It might be something we'll be able to consider in the future when we are when we manage our own application, but as of right now, December 1st is the latest for a fee waiver.

Alright, let's see. Actually is asking about if two years of professional experience is going to hurt chances of acceptance or less two years or less and I will see them more work experience. You have the stronger your application will be. I mentioned our average is about 3:00 to 5:00. It is average which means there are people coming from underground and there are people with seven to 10 years of experience. Even people who might be eligible for the masc maybe seriously and genuinely interested in the Tier MA.

So keep that in mind. I think when somebody is coming with sort of two years or less or none, that's a case where you are internships and things that you did during undergrad will play much more heavily than they would have otherwise. And you can. Also, I mentioned this before you incorporate your recommendations and ask your recommenders maybe to attest to various skills in the reverse can be said of that people have been.

Out a while we do still say we'd like an academic letter reference if at all possible, but people have been out for a significant amount of time. You know, may not.

Have you know maybe their academic letter wouldn't be super substantive and we really are looking for substantive? So it's more that somebody can address your academic skill and your your.

Analytical skill and you know how you could handle an academic program, so it doesn't necessarily have to be a faculty member or professor precise, so keep that in mind so that I think I answered two questions in one there, and I hope it helps. I'll keep diving in the questions are pouring in, so this is great. I'm glad I did this and so I don't feel like I'm. Yeah, I want to get to your questions, but hopefully you're still those of you who are new are learning about Texan as we go.

Does the Global Affairs program require you to upload a writing sample to me? I think I answered that yeah, we do not. It is there in the application. It's optional, but I mentioned that it's really, I think primarily for people who have PhD focus. Also, the application asks for keywords to describe our academic interests. What is meant by this question? Actually another great question and I.

You know, not really. Sure, I think the Graduate School uses that. It can be helpful for various lists and whatnot, but I I don't think there's anything necessarily that we Jackson use it for, but it can be helpful, like if you have interest in the environment or regional studies, but presumably you're talking about that in your application overall, so.

However, you want to use that. I don't think you need to worry about any sort of formality or what that's going to hold you to the recommendation needs on the application page sound very academic. Is it OK to ask a professional recommendation for this work? Question? Just actions seek to answer about the application through recommendation letters. You have a thank you Ann. I didn't answer that in in its purest form. Again, being part of the Graduate School and most of their programs being PHD's, they they usually do say they want 3 academic letters.

That is not what we want. We are professional program at Jackson and we I think there's some FA cues on our website. But say we want at least one professional letter. We do ideally want an academic like I just referenced, and we want a third an A majority of people are going to be submitting another professional letter. And of course it's going to be case by case. Like I mentioned, depending how much time you've been at work are you pivoting? Are you where are your weaknesses, are you?

You know, have a real rock star global affairs job, but maybe have an academic weakness. Maybe that's a case where you want two academic letters, but really at least one professional and one academic, and then the third is is your balance. So thanks for asking that another clarification.

Jada you mentioned something about brain fog. I don't even remember reading it, so I have the same brain fog you do. Excuse me.

I took my TOEFL test into 2017. Does it still work? Maria good question. Will accept scores as long as ETS releases them and I'm Fortunately I believe that they are only good for two years. So you might either have to take it again and that's another case where and again the TOEFL is is required in less you attended an undergraduate institution that was taught in English so.

Those that's a case where it can be waived if this is another story I mentioned the jury, if it's somehow absolutely impossible to get such a test in time.

You can take your chance an submit an explanation as to why and see what the admissions committee thinks. Often. One aspect of an application is not going to make her break it, but do keep in mind that these are requirements for reason and again applications will be incomplete until they all all the materials come in, so those will be reviewed later. But another reminder, it's not rolling admission so.

Good question, I hope that helps. Higgins asking Fulbright candidate.

And delegating IE to handle my application. Yes, that is a great question. We often we have many, many Fulbright applicants who are somebody else is applying on their behalf, so that's common and we're aware of that. It is ideal that your personal statement is directed towards Jackson. I know it would be easier for those of you who have someone who is applying to maybe multiple schools on your behalf to submit one.

It really is and this goes for all of you really, we know that you're all applying to all of these top IR programs, and so we're very, very mindful of that. But every program has just enough difference, just enough nuance that.

In many cases you can't just take one paragraph and copy and paste it or change the names of schools, and that's sufficient. There's enough differences about each of these programs that ideally we want you to write your personal statement for us, right so?

We want you to tell us and then let me make sure I mentioned this, that your personal statement should really have these three major components right? Tell us who you are, your background a little bit about yourself. Why grad school? Why Jackson specifically, and how you're going to use this Jackson degree to do whatever your long-term career goal is, which you need to tell us what that is as well. So with those three components in mind, how you're going to use this degree?

Would likely be a little bit different depending on the different schools that you're applying to write. Like my previous life at Princeton, it was really about the tools. They're very highly intensive quant background and a lot of the toolkit. Whereas Jackson, you've got the flexibility in the access to foreign diplomats and US foreign Service officers and all sorts of different things in all of VLS professional schools. So you really build your own curriculum. So in just those two examples you see they're very different. Focus on.

How focus on how you want to use this to get what your long-term career goals are? So whether you're applying yourself or somebody else is applying on your behalf for a fellowship, ideally the they should be addressed for us, and that would be the same for recommendations which I know is very difficult when your recommenders are very tapped out. If your recommenders can speak to why Yellen, why Jackson, or whatever school you're applying to.

That's ideal, but obviously, depending on your recommenders, many will want to be like can I do just one letter, please? Just you know, work with them the best you can, and but that's just a recommendation from as a general, not just Yale hat, but my general graduate admissions had traveling for many years, recruiting with a lot of the New York and DC IR schools, so we this is what we all sort of preached. So keep that in mind.

Alright, how we doing? Alright, we still have time but I also see lots and lots of questions still. Hopefully this format is going OK for you. I feel badly if anybody is very, very new to Yale Jackson, but hopefully you are learning. But this is feels really helpful. I'm not feeling stressed and anxious that I'm not getting your questions and I think especially given the time of year and that the application deadline is around the corner, I want to make sure we tackle some of these. You're welcome for arranging.

This man, you have a question, let me see. Art has a question about the MAS, which is our midcareer mentioned. The GPA is optional. For example, my prior University scores were not in the 90% range were offset by professional experience. Do you recommend taking the Jerry? That's a great question, um.

You'll see that some schools are going grem not required. Jerry optional grem there. There's all different names for it, some rgre blind, some are not sure what grem optional means are we still considering it? It does. It still disadvantage certain people or advantage. Others it's a loaded question and we're very aware of all of that. But that being said.

If somebody has a weak academic record.

Could a AGR E that is stellar help the application? I can't deny that it won't. That that would definitely balance and I go back to that big picture balance connecting the dots things and how you how you sort of want to.

Look at your weaknesses and strengths and how you want to present those to us so.

But you know it's not required for the masc, so I can't tell you to take it. But if you choose to take it, we do have access to it. So that's the short answer there, and again, there's no reason that we've over these last few years made a decision to waive it for the midcareer program. The minimum work experience requirement for the masc is 7 years, but our average is about spend about 11:50 or 15 or so.

So.

People are coming with a really robust professional background, but that goes through the AMA as well, right? Like you know we have people and hopefully you've seen when you get a chance to look at the BIOS that where are people are coming from or really from lots of unique professional experience. So it's definitely the work experience is very important to us.

I'd like to say that all of the requirements are sort of equal at the you know right off the bat, but then everybody's individual case everything's you know very simple handle things on a case by case basis. You're reviewed on your individual merits and we don't have cutoff for that reason because of the importance of leadership profiles and whatnot. So keep those things in mind, Savannah, you're welcome for the overview. Do you have any tips for applicants coming directly from undergrad? I think I answered that a little bit.

I'm really.

And I keep mentioning where this professional program I've sent the student BIOS. We only have about 30 to 35 students, which means in a professional program again no quotas. But usually we'll have maybe 1 two or three or so who are coming right from undergrad or me with only a year of experience. So you have to think about.

How you stand out, not just among the entire applicant pool, but also how you're going to stand out among your your right from undergrad peers, right? So what is it that is your unique story, right? So we're looking for everybody in our applicant pool has solid academics and a commitment to global. The global Good is a perfectly acceptable candidate, but because we only admit maybe about 50 or so students to get our yield.

We're looking for those 50 people to be completely different from each other so it goes beyond.

A lot of the different just data components, right? Like this. Many years of experience. This GPA, this Sherry it does go into well. What is your regional area of study? What are you bringing to the table? Because it's not just about what you need to learn from us to go on and start that illustrious global affairs career, but it's also about what you bring to the table and the cohorts over the years have noticed when the the average age trends down a little bit.

So it's great to have a couple of fresh academic.

Maybe I'm what's the word. You know you're not yet jaded by the working world or the bureaucracy of government or whatnot. So it's great to have those kinds of things in the classroom. But again, being a professional program, we can't have too many. So really, you need to play up.

You know what you did and your internships, your volunteer work, your community service, how? What kind of leadership skills you have, and again, utilized your recommenders for that kind of thing to corroborate your story.

Alright, hopefully this is helping actually in your personal statement defined it best to focus on your own personal interests or academic professional work that has led you to Jackson. Both the short answer is both. We really want to know who you are, what your story is, but also how you got to this point where you want to do grad school and why. Jackson. Good morning, Holly, thank you. Notice your curriculum includes a thesis component. Would you say this program prepares students to pursue a PhD?

Actually, our curriculum does not include a thesis component. You may have stumbled across the undergrad global affairs major. We do not have a capstone or thesis requirement. Some people do pursue that, right? So there are whether it be taking a class that requires an additional paper or doing an independent reading or directed reading, I think they call it where you work one on one with a faculty member and create your own class and.

Maybe that has a thesis component. Again, you work one on one with the professor for that. So there are ways to do that. If a PhD is in your long term goal, but keep in mind it's pretty where there are handful that do go on the PHD's, but it's it's not the main focus of our program. We're not meant to be a stepping stone. I'll reiterate where a professional program. We see this as a terminal degree where you will get this degree and you can go out and do global affairs. Do international policy.

So that again, some people might be going on to do PHD's and overworking think tanks and do Policy Research. Jaypal went out and whatnot. There are many things and maybe people go into academics, but it's it's less. It's it's much more rare that people do that.

Natalie is asking about the cover Del which for those of you who don't know what that is, that is a fellowship that some schools offer in partnership with the Peace Core. So returning Peace, Core volunteers which we love by the way cover Dallas side. There's a very symbiotic relationship with the Peace Core because of what the commitment admission to the Peace Core is in perfect alignment with obviously Jackson's commitment to global affairs. So we usually have.

Way too many to Count piece cars. RC Peaveys who are applying 6070 a year. We can't have all class of them though I always joke with him that you know maybe we could do a test someday and see what an entire peace core class would look like. But I think you might see from our student BIOS. Usually we have 7 or even more and in a given year peace core, returning Peace Core volunteers who are part of our Co board. They're not all covered else.

Um, we we have. We're still figuring out how to work the Coverdale Fellowship into that. Some universities, I think, provide.

All their Peace Corps students covered all but we wanted it to be a little bit special in the agreement means we only have to award one we've awarded one than two. I think we even three last year, so we're still figuring out the nuances of that. But people who want to apply for it's a named fellowship.

And you have to do an additional internship, which is usually in addition to your required summer internship between your first and second year, so that's something that's important for you newbies out there. We do have that required summer internship, but because that usually is a global affairs internship in the peace Core Coverdale Fellowship requires.

You to work with an underrepresented US community.

It often can't be the same thing, so a lot of our covered else will work locally. We have great organizations. We have Iris, which is an integrated refugee services. Something like that right in downtown? New Haven? New Haven reads, There's there's a handful that are covered in his work with. We have a page on our website, maybe even an old webinar where maybe we talk about that a little bit more.

So it's a little bit confusing an I every University out there does it differently, so I don't envy you trying to figure out how to navigate, how to do the cover deals, but there is an additional memo statement that is required if you're interested in the covered L 500 words. I think so small, but it's really where you go into how you want to fulfill the internship requirement and whatnot, so I hope that helps. We are getting down to the last 15 minutes and.

I am seeing lots of lots more questions. Anna is asking about international students at Jackson who get financial aid. So yes, it's the same whether international or domestic. To check the box, you check the box on the application asking for financial aid, and that's fine. There's no additional paperwork required if you don't get full funding from Jackson and you want to apply for external funding or loans or whatnot, that's a different story. But our our loans are our funding is grant based.

So it's open to all. What's the minimum Jerry score for the MA? There's no official minimum.

So what can make you a good competitive applicant? Some of you probably seen the let me find the page.

Um, which has the overview for the MA most of you have probably found it, but again it is. You're right, those are not minimums. There averages their medians, so do keep that in mind. Again, it's going to be case by case. Each applicant you know if you have a solid academic record and your undergraduate program.

Maybe a week or two you're really not manner or depending on what your work experiences, maybe you are handling. Maybe you swore not as high in the quant section, but you're dealing with numbers or economics or statistics in your job. Those kinds of things balance each other out, so keep that in mind.

Brett, you're welcome to questions. Is there an average age for the masq and is there a fixed class size? Or you somewhat flexible? Great question. Average age and may ask. Gosh I haven't run that our average MA is about 2526, so rmas would run higher and I think I mentioned average has been about 10 to 12 years of experience. So whatever the math is on that.

And it's a very very the midcareer problems. Very, very small cohort used to be only one to two, but we've increased it a little bit and we're usually now about four or five, so we have. I think there's five in this year's cohort, and if you look at it, it looks like it's all military US and international military. And that's just the nature of the beast of not providing funding. So you know most military or sponsored, so they have a lot more freedom and flexibility as to where they can go.

So that's why it looks like that. And that's not the goal of the program, but where with us becoming a school? That's another question. We get a lot of people are like are we going to grow the program? And our goal is to keep both programs intentionally small. It really does add to the atmosphere that we're looking for in the community and whatnot, so we we will be the smallest school weren't. Again, we're not a school yet.

But I think school of Public and International Affairs of Princeton will have that has that record right now. But when we become this school, we will be the smallest school board SMS program. And we like that about ourselves.

Anna is asking about decisions for next year regarding in person virtual classes. None of us know, right? Like that's the answer. I think you're going to get that from everybody. We have not made that decision. I'm sure people way above my pay grade or talking about that and making those decisions. Course the spring semester we're doing hybrid again. That is what we did this wall and it worked the graduate. I don't understand how the undergrad program is doing it, but I don't have anything to do with underground. So being each graduate program handled things individually and it was really nice.

Because our program is so small and we have this great big Victorian mansion, where are we reside? Normally there is a big room on Horsham Hall in this beautiful tree lined St and Hill House Ave in New Haven, CT and it's you know can have. I think 16 people and the professor or socially distanced in that room easily enough, so that's usually the size of many of our seminar classes, so it's been.

Fine and safe to have.

You know a lot of our classes in person, and I think a couple have been online or having opportunity to do both, but we're hoping to go back to fully in person in the fall, but nobody knows, right? Only the coronavirus knows.

Hagen is asking if they can apply to a joint degree in first year at Jackson. I'm not sure if I want to pursue another degree besides Jackson. The moment that's a great question. Yes there are people who as current students apply to the joint degree with another of Jackson's professional schools and vice versa. There are people at management, forestry, whatnot who.

You know or are students there and want to apply to Jackson? It would have to be done in your first year because you can't have completed your other degree. Otherwise wouldn't be a joint degree. You would have finished one degree before the other. So yes, absolutely that is possible. You do still need again. It's all separate, so you would still need to. You know, somehow request from your school or vice versa, how to get.

Your scores and what not. Ideally you'd have new letters of recommendation.

One nice advantage for those who are applying from. If they're at the School of Management over law school, we will accept the lsat's or the Gmail. It's if you've taken them, so that's one sort of Jerry waiver. If you will. Current yelles Omn law school students. We will accept those in lieu of the Jerry, so I hope that helps.

Are there academic services available for students whose native language is not English? Yes, and I think the ground. It's cool if you don't. If you score too low and one of the sections of the grem, there are English services that you I think are required to take so they would have more information on that. So yes, there are things available, and as far as other languages, Yale's language program is completely robust. Do keep in mind that we also have a language requirement you have to complete.

You have to meet proficiency by graduation, so those whose native language is not English can waive that. But if you want to take additional languages, you can. And if you take your proficiency, you know even the summer before enrolling orep on enrollment and don't meet proficiency, you will take classes during your time at Yale and just have to meet it by graduation. So it's completely robust and very language intensive so you can use the same course database to check out.

Languages again, hopefully I'm answering more than one question while answering one question, trying to get it all in. So OK, we're coming down to the wire here. I did not even give a general presentation and I'm running out of time. Hopefully that's a good thing, and hopefully your questions are getting answered. ***** is asking. I saw that master students have several years of work experience behind them. I would like to know if this is really necessary come from France and it's impossible to find a job or internship without having a Masters degree, meaning that's.

That is definitely, you know, I've addressed that already. Ideally, you know work experience definitely strengthens an application, but there's also things that were aware of, and I think those who don't have the work experience, even though we're aware that a lot of different countries, a lot of different cultures, that sort of is the norm that you've got to just go through and pound out all of your different degrees. You make that clear in your application. Maybe that's the case for the additional information where you explain that so are aware of that.

So keep that in mind, but the the other philosophical things apply. Still apply right about promoting the kinds of things that you did. You know we see work experience as evidence of commitment to global affairs, so that's why it's really important, because you can tell us this is what you want to do, but we need to see some teeth to that right, and that usually comes in the form of work experience. So you know, that might be a case where your recommenders really need to.

Corroborate your story as well, and that this is what you really want to do an you will be doing it because we're going to invest two years in you, right? And we we want to invest literally, like we're going to be providing some funding, so we want to make sure that you're going to go out and do this international policy degree, and you know.

That could contribute to the global good is as I love to hear alumni say so.

Just figure out how you can convince the admissions committee of that, and you might have to get creative if you don't have the work experience. So, but again, unique stories are important too, so people's families of origin where they grew up in the kind of experiences they had can be relevant. So keep all those things in mind. Ann is asking about the admissions rate for the MA program. I think I addressed that, you know, we admit about 50 or if we usually get 400 or so applications. No idea if that's going to be more or less this year with covid with the election.

And with everything, no idea will be. It'll be a surprise to all of us, so hopefully that makes sense. Camilla is asking. Thank you. You're welcome. I you were informed about the Jerry date.

Can be done after submission. I was also told him he can be accepted into Jackson before submitting my grem an IF accepted I would need to be need to complete my Jerry. I am not sure what that means. I don't think we really say that. That sounds like conditional admission that people would get admitted without the Jerry. I don't think we've done that.

We I mentioned that before. If it's incomplete, we might consider an applicant who doesn't have it.

That will be on a case by case basis. I would still say that your Jerry's need to be for the MA, the Jerry's need to be in by the 1st week of January, so that's that's really most ideal. If you think it's going to be later than that, you need to.

Include an explanation as to why an hope that the admissions committee will take that into consideration. I hope that helps.

The IT is asking about admitting people with few to no work experience. I think I've addressed that. It's rare it happens. We want to balance a nice mix, usually a couple people are there on campus housing opportunities. Yeah, great question about housing. Yes where it keep some things to keep in mind too is New Haven is very very affordable, affordable, very different than your where your other schools are your your Cambridge or Princeton. Your DC. Your New York City. We are much more affordable. I think we do have.

On campus dorm housing for graduate students, but a majority of our Jackson students choose to live. Just you know nearby knew him is actually very residential city, and so a lot of people choose to live in the residential neighborhoods, running houses together, and things like that near community called East Rock. With. There's hiking and trails and all sorts of things so, but there are on campus options as well. You could probably just Google it from the Yelp page. We're running out of time. I still see lots of questions.

Unhappy.

And stay on a little bit long. I think I've learned that this does not cut me off or cut you off, so if anybody wants to stay on as I continue pounding through these questions, I'm happy to do so.

Erin, can you speak about the way Jackson is adapted so far to the pandemic learning environment? It's a great question. I addressed it practically, but I will say we're getting a lot of questions about mental health and stuff and and what I've learned from first year students who I've yet to meet in person, which is crazy, right? They've been on panels for us. I've met them well, obviously virtually or via zoom and whatnot.

We in there, at least until just this week, had a tent in the backyard where there was dedicated just for Jackson. Where are Jackson students? Because the lounges were closed in our building where people could come and socialize it pumpkin carving or had class discussions and small groups wearing masks.

Because of the community nature, an when I've learned is that our current students. They don't have anything. First years don't have anything to compare it to, but they seem the ones I've talked to her completely satisfied an handling this in very gracious way and they're really getting to know their cohort, even virtually, and I think because we as a programmer, working very hard to to promote that sense of community and the students themselves, or continuing with their with the call Jackson salons where they.

Each talk about their their topics of interest and their expertise and share with their class and their classmates. So those things continue to happen and it's so great to hear that those the overall feel is still really positive, so I hope that's the same for many of you out there and your different circumstances.

I'm not asking about applying for a fee waiver after December 1st, I answered that we don't have that possibility. Can we submit Jerry scores after the January 2nd deadline within a week? No more than a week, I would say.

Comma you're welcome. What recommendations do you have for submiting competitive personal statement? I think I've addressed that. Make sure you talk about those three components, who you are, why Jackson and don't forget to tell us what you want to do in the future and tell your story. Again, I mentioned this unique. We love a unique story and what what's different that you bring to the table? Michael is asking about what you look for in a CV is one page of sufficient or do you prefer something more comprehensive? Ideally that one to two page? We're not looking for a CV. One traditional resume.

So that one to two page but at the same time we do want to know not just your professional work, but we'd love to know what your community service volunteerism all of that kind of stuff is so good luck trying to get that in the 1 three pages. But yes, we don't want like the Four 7 page CV save that for PHD's, so ideally the 1 two resumes perfect.

One of my recommenders doesn't submit their recommendations for the fee waiver. Adriana, I think I addressed that it's fine. You have to register them by December 1st before you can submit your application, but they can submit by January 2nd.

Idea, I know some schools accept longer resumes. Oh, I just answered that one or two is ideal. I wouldn't go much longer than that. More is not necessarily better, but we also want a comprehensive resume, so keep that in mind dealing good morning. Thank you. You're welcome. Could you speak about Jackson's career development office? Yes, perfect. That's a great question. Thank you and I'm sorry I'm getting to this right after hours. 'cause that's a really important part.

About us we are a member of apps and the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. And with that, Jackson has its own career development office, so there are many students, you know. We also have access to yields, career services, but you I'm trying to find the link here. I want to make sure I get it to you.

That goes into all of the resources. There's weekly newsletters you meet. Actually one on one with the Director of Career Services as an enrolled student.

You have.

I.

After they help you with your internship, finding your required summer internship as well as your first job and that's what I was doing and wanted to give you this first jobs. That first job link I would say so. Make sure you scroll all the way down to the bottom because it's not just the sectors, but if you go all the way to the bottom you see the actual jobs that people do. So again you get personalized help and.

And that personalized attention as needed, so they think that's really important to your experience and they offer resume writing things and they bring in speakers and alumni and all sorts of things that happen. So yes, great.

And here's another resume question answered that how? How strong quant background is required encouraged to apply again. I'm not. Thank you for that. We there is no minimum requirement, but if somebody has quant experience, that will definitely strengthen an application. So do keep that in mind. Play that up if you can, but there are people who are admitted without it and we know our classes are core. Classes are amenable to that.

As well.

Work experience in the UN viewed favorably, yes. Human experience is very common. An right in alignment with global Affairs Ashley how to people fulfill the language requirements, classes and study abroad experience. Are there any options? Usually it's done through courses.

Again, I mentioned the Yale's robust academic course language offerings.

So.

There are also informal ways to do it through language tables and whatnot, and people get together with the native language speaker and only talk in those languages, so there's all all different ways to do it, but most people do take classes, especially being in IR type program like that's pretty common that people would want to do that anyway. Aaron says the application doesn't require a resume. No, there's not reporting correct. We require a resume.

Addressed the statement of purpose.

Dylan, same thing even with three to five years of experience that ideal wanted. Two page CV resumes fast. He is asking about the jury. If you've taken it more than once. Great question. Yes, we will obviously will have all your scores, but we report on the highest section regardless of the test date. So we will. We will look at your highest score. I've never heard it called super Score, but I like that.

Um?

Aaron's as amending a question are you looking for one page, professional resume or more comprehensive document? That might be a little longer? You know? I keep addressing that, ideally both if you can, we want it to be comprehensive, but again, not like a CV. So again, that one to two page resume is ideal.

Caroline, you're welcome with your research opportunities look like. More specifically, are students able to create their own projects or the more like to join in a professor's existing project? That's a great question.

There are people who are always for faculty, for senior Fellows, and we didn't even get to talk about the senior fellows who are a very integral part of our curriculum and not just the curriculum, but their mentoring. And they they hire students. And I know there's somebody writing a book for with one of them, and so there's all different opportunities. You can also pursue doing them with non Jackson faculty so people do that will help you with Jackson faculty and Senior Fellows. You might do a little of your own research if you want to.

Work with a faculty member outside. You can do a directed reading, and if you have, if there's a professor or senior fellow who you want to work with and maybe can come up with a directed reading course that counts as credit and you're doing research project for them, that can work. So again, there's the flexibility of the program that makes it super unique, so I hope that helps Natalie asking about the cover Dell, I answered that. Good morning, Kevin. There's a section asking if we haven't. We've had a discussion with the faculty member. I see. Yeah, there's a list of names.

I don't, I think that's more important for the other department's of the Graduate School and PHD's and meeting advisors and dissertation advisors and whatnot. I see my name sometimes mentioned, I think, as I've had conversations. If you have had a conversation, it could be a trigger. We do involve our faculty in our yield recruitment, so people who are admitted. Usually we will connect with faculty member or senior fellow. So if there's someone you know.

That you might like seeing you share a lot in common with. We can try to hook you up. Maybe that's a good way. But also we can use the personal statement for that. Good morning. Is it alright if it's almost 910? I know a lot of people have dropped off, but I still see there's about 30 people on. There's a few more questions. I'm happy to keep going on if that's helpful. Again, I'm very mindful that the deadline is coming up that I want to make sure that I get to some of your questions.

Um, if you have to go, there's no shame. Good morning Vincent on the application there's a section. Upload additional certifications and awards.

More is not necessarily better if those things are listed on your resume, that's fine. We don't want 30 pages of you know things that are done. However you want to utilize. That is fine, it's it can be helpful as long as we know, but it's you know. Clear and concise and less extemporaneous stuff is also is also good.

Is there a place to upload a statement of interest in the scholarship section? It seems only necessary for students, global health and national security. You and that's a great question. No, you did not miss understood, there's no additional except for the covered all the National Security Fellowship in the Global health. Those are the only three that have special.

Statement and that has to do with.

The funding it doesn't change the funding, the It's just. There's a couple named fellowships that come from different pools of money, and when we're awarding those, it's helpful to have that additional information about those three particular, but otherwise note we just check that box for funding.

And there's the question about the Super Gerry Arons asking about one were slated to become a separate school. We're shooting for fall 2022, so that's the goal. Fingers crossed as far as we know, the pandemic is not delaying that.

So we are. There's talk of maybe changing the degree name to an MPA, there's or an MPP. So there's different things that again are above my pay grade and happening, but that's that's the plan 2022.

Uh, another resume question that I answered goodbye. People had to go to work.

I'm glad this was helpful in getting thank yous, so I think I might be to the end of the questions. Over here is a new question Josh was asking about the opportunities for students to care initiative and World Fellows. There's a tremendous opportunities working as as liaisons with those programs, and one question that may not be asked that I had this morning is like will we have the Kerry initiative going forward now he's been tapped as part of the administration I was like.

Oh no, so we'll see you know, only knows you know it's something with these IR programs is with administrations and a lot of changes and turn over that you know you could have people rotating in and out so. But yeah, there's a lot of opportunity in the World Fellows and Care Initiative, senior Fellows or very tide to the whole overall experience and people in our course assistance and teaching assistance in liaisons. So it's definitely an opportunity.

You're welcome, you're welcome. Tips for the diversity statement. Kirby, thanks for asking that it. We had hoped it would be optional. We got some feedback that it was ideal that it was optional, but the Graduate School required it again. Just to you know, whatever again, I would say it's the same idea that we want it. See it, sort of as how you address it. We don't want to give. We don't want to lead you to anything. So however you address it is fine, whatever that looks like to you.

Let's see, will there be other opportunities to apply for the Global affairs program if not in 2020? Yeah? I mean, we're obviously going forward. You know, every year, so the deadlines will probably remain the same. So thanks for those of you are on who are thinking about the future and I hope you still found this helpful. I think I still see some more questions. We're down to the last 20 people, but I'm hoping this is helpful in this is better than me not able to answer multiple phone calls.

So good morning.

Is a repeat question. You're welcome, you're welcome. Do you apply to the Care Fellowship before? After that happens after usually over the summer, the the.

Kerry Initiative sends out all of the information about that. You're welcome heading out. People are saying goodbye.

Fulbright question again, don't submit anything via email. You must submit them through your application and go into your portal. If there's something new that you need to submit later.

Yes, that's it. I got to the bottom of the questions. There's 20 people left. You've helped out. I hope this was helpful and I got a lot of thank yous for the Q&A format, so I'm glad this is helpful. Normally I'll do a presentation and probably in this you know, summer and fall will do those again, but I think this seems to be a helpful thing for those of you who are specially, I think, given the time of year who might be applying now. So and this is our last virtual session of the season, we're going to shift.

Into reviewing applications and getting all of that set up and so thank you for your interest. Stay in touch, be safe and hopefully if not this year, maybe in future years will get to see your applications. And yeah, stay stay, stay good and keep doing what you're doing and living your best Life OK, alright, take care, thanks for thanks for stopping by.