nviswa92

Are there actually schools in this list that might accept me, or should I set my sights much lower, or even focus on looking for a job? Program MPP/MPA Schools Applying To: UC Berkeley, U Wisconsin, Syracuse, Michigan, U Texas, U New York, UGA, Ohio State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, American University, University of Maryland Undergraduate institution: Georgia Tech Undergraduate GPA: 2.5 Undergraduate Majors: Biomedical Engineering, Pre-Law Minor GRE: 168 V, 159 Q, 4.5 Essay Age: 24 when entering Years of Work Experience: None Published Work: "The Bridge over the Abyss", a fantasy novel Languages: English, Spanish, and basic German Describe Relevant Work Experience: All are internships or part-time. Developed the Speakeasy, an interface that allows paraplegics and amputees to control touch screens with their breath for less than 200 dollars, and reached the semi-finals of the Georgia Tech Inventure competition Technology and Development Intern at Vendormate - GHX Implemented a project to automate manual reports through Tableau Dashboards, added extra measurements to gauge company performance, and saved the company over 200 man-hours per month with this project. Business Analyst at Eviday Inc. Researched competition for a start-up Android loyalty program Created user stories to capture the eventual experiences of the customer, the clerk, and the business manager. Analyst at Dundora Inc. Conducted analysis of group-buying products such as Groupon and their various merits and demerits. Staff Writer at the Georgia Tech Pioneer 2012-2014 Wrote articles on the current and future state of the biomedical industry as seen through economics, the "America Invents" patent law, manufacturing techniques, software and healthcare, politics, and nanotechnology. Wrote profiles on the research activity of professors at Georgia Tech. Quant Experience: Frequentist Statistics, Quantitative Modeling, Fluid Dynamics, Physiology, Bio-mechanics, Organic Chemistry Strength of SOP: My SOP will be focused on my desire to apply engineering and design principles gained from my undergraduate experience to help craft policies that can benefit inventors, and encourage the formation of more alternative energy start-ups. Strength of Personal Statement: I intend to address my low GPA here through my serious and periodic bouts of depression, compounded with a loss of direction in my life midway in my undergraduate career, and the late discovery of the field of public policy as an area where I can apply both my quantitative skills and general creatively to impact people's lives. I also intend to touch on my struggles with severe hearing-impairment, and possibly mention the lessons learned from my immigrant parents from India. Strength of LOR: 1) I have a letter of recommendation ready from my orchestra director, who was in the closest position to view my aid in the transformation of Georgia Tech's orchestra from a side note to one of the strongest ensembles on campus. 2) I intend to earn a letter of recommendation from my American Government professor, who currently works at the Center of Non-Proliferation, and in who's class I did very well. 3) I will have a letter of recommendation from people I've worked for in start-ups. Concerns: I have an embarassingly low GPA and no research experience, and only decided I wanted to work in policy the summer before my final year. These are my two worst qualities, and I am not sure if the difficulty of my degree at Georgia Tech, my life experiences, GRE scores, and written samples will be enough to overcome my setbacks for schools of this level. My quantitative skills are polished from my years at Georgia Tech, and I have shown facility in analyzing statistics, especially in lab groups, but I consider these abilities inferior to my reading comprehension and writing skills. Other: I elected to pursue one of the toughest engineering majors at Georgia Tech, one of the toughest engineering schools in the world, without enjoying the subject. Honestly, I chose the major because I wanted a steady job, even though my parents were happy with funding me to study at a liberal arts school. Most of my time at Tech has been characterized with struggles with depression and resulting lack of motivation and direction, which I only overcame at the beginning of my final year. That being said, my depression can't cover up years of bad school performance. I am mainly posting this to get a feel for how much of a long shot my applied schools are, and to decide whether to put a hold on these applications, aim for lower ranked graduate programs, or go find a job. Thanks.