jdreisba

Great, thanks so much for the feedback, went_away. That's a great idea--I've had my hesitations about applying to U of C, but it probably is in my best interest to apply regardless. Thanks again!

Program/Institution: MPP (Michigan - Ford, Wisconsin - La Follette, Washington - Evans, Minnesota - Humphrey) (ranked in order of interest) Interests: Social Policy, Homelessness, Poverty/Income Inequality Undergrad Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Undergraduate Majors: Political Science and Creative Writing Undergraduate GPA: 3.5 GRE: 164 V, 155 Q, still waiting on my essay scores, but I am anticipating a 4.5 or 5 (knock on wood). Age: 26 Years of Work Experience: ~2.5 Work Experience: Currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Mayor's Office in Chicago, working in resilience and tasked with building a volunteer program in the city. Previously served another AmeriCorps VISTA year with an education advocacy organization in Denver, and completed two environment-focused internships in D.C. and Detroit before that. Volunteer Experience: Many years volunteering at the homeless shelter in my hometown. Currently a contributing member of the Chicago Continuum of Care. LORs: Will be from my current boss (a city employee with "Chief" in his title), my former supervisor in Denver, and my writing mentor at U of M. Concerns: My quantitative scores are very average, wondering if I should take the GRE again to try to improve them. I also have a 1.5 year gap on my resume, which I hope won't hurt me (after I finished my AmeriCorps year in Denver in 2014 I took time off to move home to spend time with family after my father had a couple strokes. While I kept busy working odd jobs, those don't warrant inclusion on my resume.) I need funding to attend any of these schools, and without a sizable offer I will likely have to turn any offers down.