junebug62

July 1? Geez that does seem late...I suppose if they only just transferred your app its possible they haven't had to to review all the other transferred MA apps. Still, tons of people ignore those "don't call us" guidelines and badger the adcoms on the phone. They probably just tell folks that to discourage everyone from calling them all the time. I'd ignore that and call them anyway if you are that concerned. You could phrase it as "oh just wanted to make sure all my materials were in place since my app was transferred and stuff" and at least get a status update from them that they are working on it.

I'm considering this route too. I know I don't want to be a professor, but from what I have seen a PhD will give that extra edge on certain positions or promotions in the public and consulting sector. Professional MA/MPA/MPP programs just don't seem rigorous enough and are de rigeur nowadays. (I'm lucky to have any job with just a BA...) It might be hard to compare Public Policy Phd to Political Science PhD placement because there are many, many more Poli Sci than Public Policy grads. Looking at a handful of job postings for my own anecdotal research, most jobs specified candidates with a social science-type PhD as a qualification rather than specifically requesting one field or the other. I get the impression that Public Policy is more quantitative than Political Science (sometimes) but not as quantitative as Economics. Posters at the TestMagic Econ board have claimed that Policy Phds have disadvantages when looking for academic positions (not many Public Policy teaching slots and traditional departments don't know what to do with you) but no discussion of the private sector... I found it interesting that one of the Ivy Policy PhDs had a student who specifically stated in her public profile that her goal post-graduation was to start her own thinktank. I've always thought it would be unthinkable to admit you don't want to go into academia when applying for a PhD in most fields. I wonder if this example is common?

I'm very interested in Columbia's Quantitative Masters in the Social Sciences program. Are there any non-PhD programs out there similar to it? The mixture of quant+social science seems like a win, plus they seem to place all right in PhD programs and jobs. I only hesitate because (1) I fear the "what the hell is a masters degree in quantitative social science?" reaction, even if it is from Columbia. (2) the quality of the thesis papers on their webpage seem like a mixed bag, suggesting uneven advising and student quality and (3) It doesn't seem all that competitive to get in. The program FAQ and GradCafe Search results note many acceptances past the deadline. Yes, I'm a status whore when it comes to grad school, but I do care about program substance as well. I'm on the fence about getting a PhD, and a masters program like this at least seems to offer marketable job skills should I change my mind. My priorities are to get academic research experience, better math/stats/programming skills, and cultivate better letters of recomendation for a PhD application in Public Policy or Political Science, with an exit strategy being return to my same old government job. http://qmss.columbia.edu/ Any one out there been in the program, applied, or know of alternatives? Chicago's MAPSS springs to mind, but it seems less rigorous and more cash cow than this program, which from what I can tell is not a PhD-reject pile...But even Chicago's thesis papers on the website looked better than Columbia's...

What are some good think tanks and government consulting firms that hire MPP/MPAs and MA IRs? Which firms are most respected/competitive? Is there a "McKinsey" of government consulting? Is there competition between non-Phds and professional degree holders for jobs, or a glass ceiling for non-Phds? Grads with quant and computer science skills also seem to be in demand, at least when I perused a few postings myself. For all the main prof. degree schools, which tend to place the most grads or highest percentage of the class in public sector consulting or think tanks? Clearly, I could google this but I'd like to know what posters here have to say and drum up a discussion. A few that come to mind are Rand, Brookings, LMI, SAIC, Booz Allen...I also get the impression that the world of government consulting and government think tanks in the US isn't nearly as cutthroat competitive as private sector business consulting for hiring. Think tanks positions also seem to about who you know, or hire based on the reputation you already built as a high-level government figure.