Sources used in this document:

Personal Statement

Right from high school, I have been passionate about understanding the multifaceted relations among states, and the problems posed by issues of mutual concern such as nuclear proliferation, climate change and terrorism. My geography teacher in high school always said that the last thing she wanted was to see her students living as ignorant teenagers, oblivious of what was going on in the world around them. I am particularly interested in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian war, and would love to understand exactly how states leverage power and engage with each other at the national level. I would also love to expand my knowledge on how international players such as the UN and the EU work in influencing relations between countries. These factors and many more drove my decision to study international relations.

I specifically chose NYU because it offers one of the best international relations programs in the world, with the School of Arts and Sciences ranking number 7 in the World Report's 2013 list of 'Best International Politics Programs'. I would love to be associated with a university of such recognition and world-class prestige. I also admire the NYU because of its small class size. I understand that the average seminar in the School of Arts and Sciences has only 9 students, which allows lecturers to offer personalized attention and respond to the individual needs of all students. Moreover, one of my siblings who took IR at NYU and currently works at the UNHQ explained to me that the NYU runs some form of partnership with the UN, with majority of the students interning there during their studies and proceeding to work either at the UNHQ or other UN agencies upon graduating. My long-term career goal is to occupy a high profile position at the UN, and the NYU certainly offers better prospects for this goal than any other university. I also admire the fact that IR students at NYU are given opportunities to interact with, and be taught by development workers, intelligence analysts, press secretaries and high-profile diplomats, which basically helps to bring the real world into the classroom. Finally, I chose NYU because of its high-level of diversity. I read from the college website that 59% of students in the School of Arts and Sciences are from outside the U.S. This richness in diversity is the very epitome of international relations, and offers invaluable opportunities for students to interact with people of diverse cultures, and to consequently prosper in the globalized world.