JohnJ88

I have been admitted to the Georgetown MA in American Government and the GW MPS in Legislative Affairs. Is anyone here familiar with either of these programs or departments? I'm trying to decide between them, but there isn't much out there related to the program other than their respective websites. I want to get into Legislative Politics/Affairs after completing the program. I'm considering a PhD later on. Would it be advisable to do both Master's or would that just be overkill? Any input you all can provide is welcome. I'd love to hear from people at these schools about their experiences with the departments and the schools in general. Thank you.

Does anyone in this forum happen to be familiar or know someone familiar with either the Georgetown MA in American Gov't or the GWU MPS in Legislative Affairs? I'm accepted to both. I'm trying to figure out which would be better for me. It's hard to find anything about either program other than their websites. EDIT: moving to the advice forum.

Happy for all of you who were accepted. I was rejected, but I still have 2 great schools to choose from. My hat's off to the HKS admissions people for their candid, insightful posts.

I'm not a faculty member, but I was in the same boat these last few months sending in applications. I went to a non-flagship public university and I got into a top-tier master's program.

I'd list it. No reason not to. It can only help.

I applied to the Legislative Affairs program. While visiting DC, I met with the director of the program. He said that while it's built for working professionals, some people come straight from undergrad to their program. Typically, they look for people with work experience (~3.5 years, preferably in a supervisory role). I asked if I would have to do master's work en route to a PhD in Political Science/Public Policy later on if I did this program, he said it wouldn't affect it. I'm excited about the program, though I may be deferring for a year to do a 1 year MA at another school. Hope that helps.

I went big and applied to some great schools, but all different programs. The only MPP I applied to is HKS and that is my #1 choice. Other programs were Georgetown's MA in American Government and GWU's MPS in Legislative Affairs.

Hi all. I applied to the MA in American Government and I am aware this is the wrong thread. I just received a recommendation for admission from the Dept of Gov't. Waiting for the official email/letter from the GSAS. The email I received mentioned nothing about funding. What I gathered from other forums is that typically you receive your financial aid package about a week after the official acceptance letter. Did you all submit anything for financial aid other than the FAFSA? I was unable to find any additional forms for Graduate applicants. Can any of you guys help me out on this real quick?

Georgetown's MA in American Government requires 2 semesters of internships during the 1 year program. The right placements along with strong performance will probably help get you where you want to go. GWU's GSPM offers the MPS in Legislative Affairs. It's all course work with a thesis option. It's designed more for people already working than those looking for career placement help, although their office does offer that kind of assistance.

Same. The school I was most recently accepted to doesn't even list all of the necessary forms you have to submit for graduate financial aid other than the FAFSA. Does anyone know if it is common for schools to only look at your FAFSA when determining how much aid to award? Will this affect my competitiveness for scholarships/fellowships/etc?