riz1

SdeS, do I really need to echo everyone else? Of course, I have a natural bias -- but truthfully you couldn't go wrong either way. There are benefits and drawbacks to each school, but zourah is right in that you can always cross-register either way (did you know that Fletcher, when first started in 1933, was a joint Harvard-Tufts initiative? And the two universities share a very close connection at the graduate level to this day). I say: Welcome to the Mafia.

To all of you receiving good news: congratulations! To those who have been waitlisted, keep your head up (I was waitlisted for fall 2009 and was then pushed back to spring 2010) ... it's tough, I know, but you must. And to those receiving not-so-good news: it's a very difficult season for admissions, and I hope you are accepted elsewhere. Unless your heart is set on Fletcher, in which case you can always apply in October, to begin studies next January (we do take a small 20-25 person class each year in Jan). Best of luck to all!

You've laid out a very thorough analysis of each school's pros and cons (you were spot-on about Fletcher's flaw in that we would not be the place to go if you want to do domestic analysis), and now it's up to you to decide whether that higher price tag is worth the benefits. In the end, any of these three options would be a great place for your post-grad degree; with that said, I do of course think Fletcher is the best option, particularly if you're heavy into i-dev work. It often helps to do site visits, if you haven't done so already. A visit to Fletcher is what really sold me over HKS. Best of luck!

You can full details here, but very quickly: Incoming class was 262 students across six degree programs (MALD, MIB, LLM, PhD, MA and GMAP). The overwhelming majority is MALD. Perhaps around 200? That's just my personal, unofficial guess. So I suppose your chances at Fletcher are statistically the same as MSFS.

As I type this, I'm sitting in one of my classes this semester at Fletcher, and the Admissions Office is right down the hall. For the past three days -- and I'm sure it will continue through next week -- the Office has posted a large sign on the front door saying it's closed from 9am to 1pm every day for application processing. As someone who was in your shoes last year, and having seen the Admissions Office's tremendous undertaking every year when applications are due, I want to echo the voices of people above and reassure all of you waiting to see updates on the GAMS system that everything is coming together, slowly but surely. Unofficially, and this is only what I've heard through the Fletcher grapevine, somewhere in the ball park of 1800 applications were received this year. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. I don't share this for any other reason but to help you all understand how many applications need to be read, evaluated and decided in two months. That's a tall order. Hang in there, and best of luck to all of you!

Sorry, here's that link to the Foreign Policy school rankings. Guess it didn't work off a mobile phone =/

Foreign Policy magazine puts out an annual "Inside the Ivory Tower" ranking of the world's best international relations programs. I know you've been accepted to the MPA program, but perhaps some common resources are shared at LSE. Take a look at the FP rankings here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower?wasRedirected=true Forgive me, I'm on a mobile device, so the site may seem different. Congratulations!

No problem. Fingers crossed!

yelly -- email the Fletcher admissions office. If there's one thing I learned from my admissions experience, it is that Fletcher as a school is very personable. Go to this site ... you might find your answer there. http://news.fletcher.tufts.edu/admissions Good luck!

I suggested something might be less excusable -- that isn't the same as it being inexcusable altogether. At any rate, the OP cleared up the question I had.

I agree with the Diplomat in that you don't have much time, and you should worry less about your GRE score and more about making your SoP and other writing samples pop. I disagree, however, in that your major may not compensate for your lower V score. If anything, an adcomm might wonder why your V score is so low if your major was so writing-intensive. If I put myself in the shoes of an adcomm member, here's what I would be thinking: in addition to the above, you've listed your GPA here as a 3.9 -- is it fair to understand that's your cumulative GPA? I would definitely look into your major classes to see how well you fared in those ... perhaps your major GPA is lower than near perfect, and your overall GPA is buoyed by non-major classes. If that is the case, your lower V score would be more understandable -- though not any more excusable. So my feeling is that if your studies for four to five years were writing-intensive, your GRE should have been a relative walk in the park, and your V score would have reflected your natural facility with the English language. I apologize if this all seems pessimistic ... I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer. But I know adcomms and understand how they think -- especially those at HKS and Fletcher. If other "top MPP / MPA programs" think the same way -- and I think it's safe to believe they do -- you should really focus on your statements. Diplomat is also right in that you can demonstrate your English competency through those statements -- but if any of your schools require or even offer interviews, be prepared to discuss your V score then. Best of luck, and remember to breathe!

My policy brief was a set of recommendations for the incoming Obama administration to implement as part of its approach to South Asian (Indo-Pak) relations, particularly in light of those two countries' nuclear arsenals, the Mumbai attacks of November 2008, and broader security implications for the region and other areas of strategic US interest.

Hard to squeeze that much material into a two-page policy memo ... perhaps you can mention those as challenges, and design your analysis and recommendations around broader implications of those challenges.

longbright: Congratulations!

Just to confuse you further, James Bond, let me add one more option for you: Fletcher's Master in International Business (MIB) program. It sounds like you want to take a middle road between b-school and IR, and this program might be a good fit. Read up on MIB student profiles here, and check out the BusinessWeek ad on Fletcher's "MBA Alternative" here. Applying to the MIB does require taking the GMAT, not the GRE, so be aware of that. Good luck!