MalenkiiMalchik

Hey! Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to help. My girlfriend majored in Russian Lit at a great school back in the day, but she wants to go into animal behavior now, and a humanities BA doesn't count for a lot. We're trying to figure out what the best way is to get her into a graduate program and could use some advice. What she has going in her favor: - Several interesting internships/volunteering stints with conservation orgs, wildlife vets and a zoo. - She's completed quite a number of online (non-credit) courses that probably won't do much to bridge the fundamental skills gap, but show a pretty substantial dedication. - She went to an excellent school (UChicago) and graduated with a great GPA. - She's super smart and is capable of doing whatever work needs to be done to get where she's going. What might be trouble: - Her GREs were good, but not great. I don't remember the specific scores, but I think they were ~55th percentile in math, ~70th in reading and a 4 in writing. She could probably take these again if they're really necessary. She hasn't done the Biology GRE, but I've heard that this might also be useful. - There are probably some pre-requisite courses that need to be completed, but the school's she's researching don't appear to be very upfront about what those are. - She's hoping to work with mammals, which is difficult. What we're considering: Basically, she could go straight for a Master's, which seems more likely to take her than a PhD program. I think that, eventually, she's going to want a PhD, but I suppose most of the credits from the Master's would feed into the PhD anyway. What's not clear is where she should apply or how qualified she is for any given program. If she were going for something in Russian, say, she would be a pretty clear fit for very competitive programs. It seems likely that the switch from humanities to STEM is going to make her a less competitive applicant though. Alternatively, she could try to get a second bachelor's degree and then use that to go straight into a PhD program. I'm not sure how that works, what financial aid looks like for that, or how many of her previous credits would transfer, but if she could do just the science courses she needs in, like, a year of full-time schoolwork, it might actually be cheaper (because PhD programs tend to be free). This might also give her access to professors who could help her navigate the advisor finding process for grad school, which is pretty much Kafka-esque from what I can tell. Any advice on this decision or any part of the process would be really appreciated!

Hi, I'm hoping that this is the right place for this. I'm planning on applying to an MPP program, and while I'm sure that there are some schools out there that would take me, I'm having a hard time 'placing' myself. That is, I'm not sure which schools are out of my league, which I should apply for, and which I shouldn't bother with. Any advice on this or on otherwise bolstering my profile would really be appreciated. - Program: MPP Education: Undergrad at Oberlin College, 3.2 GPA, Major in Russian/Eastern European Studies. (Bonus: Middlebury Summer Language Intensive, studied abroad at the Bard/Smolny program in St. Petersburg) GRE: I haven't taken it yet, but my most recent practice test score was 166 quant, 162 reading. None of my essays have been judged, but I'm fairly confident in my writing. Work Experience: I'm a little worried that this lets me down. I spent ~1 year in ESL administration (in the US), ~1 year in marketing and 5 months in a FOIA journalism internship. After this, I lived abroad for almost a year in New Delhi (with my folks), doing a little bit of freelance journalism, a brief internship with Reuters India, volunteering at a dog shelter, travelling, and preparing for the GRE. I'm moving to DC now, and plan to find a job doing policy research or (ideally) writing for a policy org. The only plus is that a lot of my (handful of) published work is mostly policy oriented. Language: I speak and read decent Russian, but it would be a stretch to call me fluent. I also took a little Hindi in Delhi, but my Hindi isn't even conversational. Additional Questions: 1. First and foremost for me is getting a sense as to which schools I'm qualified for, and how qualified. (i.e. Which programs are a reach? Which are safe? Where would a student like me normally find himself?) 2. I'm particularly interested in innovation policy. I read Mazzucato's The Entrepreneurial State when it came out, and it really helped to solidify what I want to accomplish with public policy. Are there any schools that would be particularly well-matched for this focus? 3. I've read that I'll need economics and probably statistics. Really kicking myself for not planning my career better while I was still in school. I've heard that some schools will accept you provisional on your completing pre-req courses before matriculating. Is that something to bank on, or should I take the classes first and apply in a year? (I'm already 26 and looking at starting a program at 27, so I'm a little unhappy at that prospect, but if I have to...) 4. It's been a while since I graduated, and I haven't stayed in touch with my professors. Any advice on getting back in touch with my professors and convincing them that I'm a good horse to back? 5. Does anyone know anything about the RANEPA public policy program in Moscow? I met the head of that program and he encouraged me to apply. I'm attracted to the idea of studying in Moscow, but I'm a little uneasy at how new the program is. - Thank you so much in advance for any advice you can give - it means a lot.