BJT

Hi folks, Last week, I took the GRE and ended up bombing the quant section (149). My verbal score was ok (163), but I expect that quant score to be a major liability for my SAIS application. I'm only applying to SAIS's M.A. program and that deadline is coming up on 1/7. I realize I'm an idiot for not giving myself room to do a retake before the deadline... The thing is, I really do think I can do better. Not a ton better, but I was practice testing in the mid-150s and think a combination of test day nerves, fatigue, and a failure to prepare for certain types of questions really got the best of me. I've registered to take the test again in three weeks and thanks to a generous work schedule, have a lot of time over the holidays to hit the books. Like I said, my deadline is 1/7, so I'm stuck with this score on my application. That said, if I end up getting the 155+ I think I'm capable of in three weeks, is there any chance the admissions committee would take that into account? I realize these things probably vary from school to school and if they review and reject me soon after the deadline, I doubt they'd be willing to reopen my file. I'm hesitant to broach this topic with the admissions office but realize asking them directly might be the only way to get reliable insight.

I echo what's already been said about Virginia. It's really not worth it to live in any of the Orange Line Arlington neighborhoods. Yes, they're very accessible from Foggy Bottom but on average, your options there are just tad bit less expensive. The exception to this might be Ballston, the last of the metro-accessible, car-not-necessary Orange Line stops (though even here, still firmly within the Arlington city limits, is pretty suburban) I live in D.C. and spend very little time in Virginia but I know some people who have great deals in Ballston (2 BR apartments around well under 2k, group houses of four people where each person pays 700ish). I don't know anyone in places like Clarendon and Rosslyn, though, that don't pay less than or around what they would at a comparable place in D.C.

Thanks, I have a few colleagues and friends who went to both American and Trachtenberg (some full-time with funding, some part-time without) and they have very mixed things to say. I was just trying to get another perspective if you had one and appreciate what you have to say. Thanks again for chiming in and the very best to you!

That's all great advice and I appreciate the thoughtful response. I'm glad to hear that everything worked out for you! Since you've also been in D.C., do you know much about the American and GWU MPP programs? They're very, very expensive but might be doable for me on a part-time basis (unlike Georgetown, which is simply insane). Depending on savings, my (very) modest investments and some possible help from family (emphasis on possible--this is nowhere near a guarantee or something I can plan for), my loan burden could end up being a little more manageable. Trust me, I hear what you're saying about these part-time degrees and I'm coming around to your perspective on them. With that said, I could see myself hitting that "masters degree ceiling" in a big way but wanting to hedge by holding onto my current job in case things don't work out (much like your tourism friends). While I am in the broader politics/policy arena, it'd be tough for me to get the kinds of technical policy jobs that I want without going back to school. It's hard to describe what my current work entails but it's much closer to communications/PR type-stuff than actual policy (not trying to bore you with a full biography, just some details to give you some insight into my train of thought here). Do you eventually want to come back to D.C.? If I were to move elsewhere for a full time program, I think I would ultimately want to come back (although I realize a lot can change in the coming years) and I'd be interested in programs that have a good pipeline to the District. Thanks again for the great advice and all the best to you as you begin grad school!

Hey all, Doing an MPP has been in the back of my mind for a while but I haven't started the process of applying just yet. The earliest I would shoot for is Fall of 2015. As I think everything through, I'd appreciate some feedback from you all about financing the degree. I'm in D.C. and for the most part, I'm quite satisfied with my career. I've bounced back and forth between Capitol Hill and the campaign side of politics in the two years since I've graduated and I enjoy my work. I've established a good professional network here so my interest in an MPP has everything to do with beefing up my skill set and nothing to do with networking (If I could do undergrad all over again, I definitely would have taken some econ, math and maybe even some business classes..I was a Government/PoliSci major and most of my electives were in other liberal arts disciplines). For this reason, I'm very interested in policy programs that have a strong quant curriculum and to prepare, I plan on taking some elementary econ classes on my own. Since I have a pretty good network here in D.C., the thought of dropping out of the workforce to become a full time student and part time intern does not really appeal to me. I'd love to just do the coursework at night while I continue to work full time. The problem with this plan is the astronomical amount of money that I'd have to borrow to pay tuition at places like Georgetown (mid 80s total) and to a lesser extent, GWU and American (55-60ish). I don't make a ton of money now (I probably make a little bit less than the average 24 year old in Washington) and an MPP would give me access to higher paying positions that I'm not eligible for right now. With that said, these types of jobs wouldn't make me rich and the 60-70k salaries that they offer would be tough to keep up with 60k-90k in loans. I should add that I was not a legislative staffer on the Hill. It was a great gig but I was not responsible in any way for directly or indirectly advising my boss on policy. The work I've done in my campaign and advocacy jobs has actually involved more substantive day-to-day work. While I like what I do, ultimately, I'd like to either work for a federal agency or a consulting firm that does business with public sector clients and an MPP would definitely put me on this path. Should I just forget about this part-time plan and be thankful for having a career I enjoy? Would it be worth looking into full time programs and shooting for funding? I had just over a 3.5 GPA in undergrad and while I realize that that's nothing to feel embarrassed about, I have a hard time thinking that I'd be competitive for a significant amount of funding at a decent program (or at least an amount that, when taking living expenses into account, would ultimately cost less than the part-time programs I mentioned). Anyways, this ended up much longer than I had intended so I appreciate anyone who is still reading and thanks in advance for the feedback!

Hey everyone, I'm a recent graduate who's looking into M.P.P programs. I'd be applying for Fall '14 at the absolute earliest so I'm in no rush to go and haven't even started preparing for the GRE yet. Right now, I'm just trying to learn about different M.P.P programs and assess my chances as a future applicant. Right now, I'd just like to know how valuable my work experience is. Since graduating, I've worked on a political campaign and recently started working in an entry-levelish job on Capitol Hill. While I'm in the right arena, I worry about the quality of my current work experience. In my current job, I have a lot of administrative responsibilities and am pretty disengaged from the actual policy work that gets done around here. I'm thrilled to be working in Congress and if I play my cards right, there's a good chance that I will move up to doing more substantive work. With that said, in case things don't go according to plan and I get "stuck," a part-time MPP program here in D.C. sounds like a good way to advance my career. But that's beside the point--I'm pretty sure I want to pursue an MPP regardless of where my career takes me. In order to be competitive for D.C.'s MPP programs, however, I'm concerned that my work experience will look weaker than it needs to be for GWU, and American, and Georgetown in particular. I was an ok student and graduated with a degree in Political Science/Government and a 3.54 GPA from a top 20 USNWR-ranked university but have a very weak quantitative background (I took macro and stats as an undergrad but that's it). I didn't write a thesis, do research with a professor, or any of that stuff, either. Since my academic background isn't exactly stellar, I'm especially concerned about the quality of my work experience. For whatever it's worth, I'm mostly just interested in part-time D.C.-area programs, although I haven't ruled out moving to other areas. Thanks in advance for the feedback!