ThePope

Previous Schools: A small, liberal arts college in Maryland. Previous Degrees and GPAs: BA in Political Science and History, 3.8 GPA GRE Scores: 165 Verbal, 145 Quantitative, 4.5 Writing Previous Work Experience: 2 years on Capitol Hill, 1 campaign cycle as a Field Director, 1 year interning at a political consulting agency. Math/Econ Background: NONE! HAAAAAAA, I suck. Foreign Language Background: Um, I'm pretty good at one of Tolkien's Elvish dialects. Intended Field of Study in Grad School: MPP in Program Analysis with a concentration in Environmental/Energy Policy. Long Term Professional Goals: Legislative Aide. Schools Applied to & Results: George Washington (accepted), University of Maryland (accepted), and American University (accepted). Ultimate Decision & Why: GW. Because it's the highest-ranked school of them all, with the highest-ranked program, but moreover, simply because it felt like a truer fit. They take a very pragmatic, career-oriented angle to their curriculum, not all Ivory Tower academia, which I tend to appreciate at this point in my life. Advice for Future Applicants: Okay, listen guys. Everyone else has give some great practical advice, so here's something less useful but equally important: DON'T FREAK OUT. Go back up and look at my quantitative score. GO LOOK AT IT. Yeah, you flinched, didn't you? That uncomfortable feeling in your gut is called pity. I pitied myself too, once I saw it. But guess what. That sad, pathetic demonstration of math delinquency didn't stop me, and neither will one bad aspect of your application stop you. Whatever your stats, do not let yourself get hung up on them. They're what you have, so stop stressing over them, and focus on the parts of your application you can currently control, such as your Statement of Purpose. Put your heart and soul into that statement, and it will make up for a great many things. It certainly did for me. It's very easy, amidst all the expectation and the pressure, to second-guess yourself. It's very easy to start questioning whether you're really a competitive candidate, or whether you're just faking it extraordinarily well, which very easily spirals into an existential crisis of "what the hell am I doing?" and "what the hell am I doing if this doesn't work out?" Every single one of us has been there. But don't let those thoughts eat at you and erode your conviction. Your intuition has led you this far, so trust it. You know what you're doing. You will be okay. Chances are, you will get in somewhere, and if all else fails, trying again the following year is becoming more and more commonplace. And it demonstrates to the admissions committee that you're serious, which increases your chances. My friend applied to Georgetown 3 years in a row before he was finally accepted, and his program coordinator told him his tenacity is what gave him the edge. I know waiting another year and trying again is approximately no one's idea of an ideal scenario-- but it isn't a death sentence for your career, either. You have that option, along with a slew of others, even if it's hard to see that through the fog of stress this process induces. So don't freak out. Assuming you've applied to multiple places, the odds of acceptance to one of them are in your favor, and even if the unfortunate comes to pass, you'll be okay anyway. You really, truly will. And remember: you don't want a place that doesn't want you. If they reject you, they obviously weren't a great fit, so you probably would not have been happy there anyway. Give them the finger, move on, do amazing somewhere else, then send them your resume a few years later so they can see the kind of alumni they missed out on having. Lastly, when it comes to making a final decision, block out all the noise. You will have a profusion of opinions with which to contend, and you should heed exactly none of them. Hearing them out is fair, but then sit yourself down and forget every word. You will be the only one who has to live with your decision. You will be the only one there, putting in the work, and paying down the loans. Not your mother, not your cousin, not your sister or your friend or your undergrad adviser. You. Just you. This is a party of one. Kick everyone else out. And good luck.

Wow, this thread got some unexpected responses! CreamTea-- First off, nice username. Secondly, thank you for the reply. I've visited both as well, and SPP was really nice. That's what makes it such a tough call. And you're right, a lot of the professors did seem to be practitioners. I need to look into whether the same can be said of GW's. Flyingjellyfish-- Thanks for responding, I really appreciated what you had to say. It's good to know there are other people out there taking the more expensive route for the sake of their overall experience. Money is a leading factor, but I don't think it's the only one. I don't even think it's the most important. And I'm broke! But this is too big of an experience to be a total cheapskate. Awphenomenally-- Yeah, that's a REALLY good question I didn't even think about until very recently. I'm doing research on that now, and I actually think that's going to be the deciding factor for me. Thanks for your insight! I think, in general, I'm leaning slightly more toward GW, but not by much. It's just been my dream school for a while, so it's hard to let go of that, but I'm making every effort to assess this objectively. I only have this weekend to decide, so it'll be an interesting few days. Thanks everyone.

Maryland is a serious contender for me, but George Washington is still my frontrunner. It feels like an impossible choice between the two. I only have two weeks left to make the decision, and am no closer to making the call now than I was a month ago. I attended GW's admitted students' day the other week, and will be at UMD on April 4th. Anyone interested in meeting up beforehand so that we're not wandering around alone, don't hesitate to message me!

As a DC native, I can tell you GW does have a better reputation. It's also ranked higher; US News and World Report had it at #50 nationally, and American at #77. Also, GW has an average acceptance rate of around 33%, whereas acceptance rates hover around 44% for American, making GW notably more selective. And everyone knows that, so people do tend to view it as the better school. Generally, DC universities are thought of this way (best to worst): 1. Georgetown 2. George Washington 3. American 4. Catholic 5. Howard 6. University of DC The difference between GW and AU isn't enormous, and the two schools certainly share some faculty, so there's no denying American is great. I've visited them a lot, and they've got a very organized and friendly staff. You really can't go wrong either way, and I agree with Flyers that you should go to both Open Houses and get a feel for them. Whichever place you choose should be the one that feels like home, that has the best curriculum and connections for your intended career. Particularly given that the two schools aren't HUGELY apart on the ranking scale, fit and comfort matter most here. That being said, GW does have name recognition that American doesn't, it's considered to be a better school, and GW's proximity to the White House is a nice bonus. If you've never been to DC, or if you've only ever been as a tourist, there are INFINITELY more networking and social opportunities around the White House than anywhere else in the city. Not like American's campus is super far away or anything-- but GW's campus couldn't possibly be more centrally located.

Flyers-- Yes! I'm going on the 23rd. Send me a message if you want to meet up or anything. Also, I started a thread elsewhere but want to ask you guys: is GW's public policy program worth 20k more than University of Maryland's program? I got into both, but didn't get funding for either. Maryland would cost me 20k less given in-state tuition rates, which would allow me to live on campus if I chose. Whereas, with GW, I'd have to commute from home given the crazy expense. What would you do? 20k extra in debt for GW, or spare myself with Maryland? GW is my first choice, partly due to them having better/more powerful connections, which better positions them to help me with employment or internships. Plus they have a career services element built right into their curriculum, whereas I didn't see that mentioned anywhere at Maryland. Thoughts? How much better is GW than Maryland? 20k better, or no?

I'd really love your insight here guys. My time is quickly running out to make this call. I've been accepted to several Public Policy programs, but didn't get a dollar of funding from any of them. So I'm looking at sticker price wherever I go. I've narrowed it down to either George Washington University's Trachtenberg School, or University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. GW's tuition would cost about 60k for the whole program, whereas Maryland's would only cost me 40k, since I'd get in-state tuition. That's a savings of 20k. With that savings, I could afford to live on campus at Maryland for a year, which I could not afford to do at GW (I'd have to commute from my parents' house). Or, of course, I could simply spare myself the extra 20k in debt. So the question is, does GW have enough of a leg up on Maryland to warrant an extra 20k? My financially responsible side says "absolutely not," but I'm ideally looking to work on Capitol Hill. I don't see myself happy anywhere in the bureaucracy or at a think tank; the legislative body is where I've found my home. And Washington, D.C.'s job market is very much based on who you know, and what connections you have. That in mind, and from what research I've done... GW has more powerful alumni than Maryland; GW has far better guest speakers and open forums than Maryland; GW is right next to the White House; GW's program has a whole aspect devoted to job placement, without which they won't even let you graduate, whereas Maryland's curriculum doesn't mention anything about employment assistance or career counseling. Which way would you go? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of either school that could help me make this decision? I'd appreciate any and all insight!

I was just notified this morning that I was wait listed at GW for the MPA. *sigh* Does anyone have any experience with this? How likely it is to be accepted off the wait list?

I've been wait listed at George Washington University for their Master's in Public Administration program. Does anyone have any experience and/or insight into GW? How likely or not likely is it that wait-listers get accepted? Or even approximately when we might know for sure, either way? I've never been wait listed before. Highly nerve-wrecking, but you guys are always so helpful so I figured I'd ask. Thank you!

I struggled with something similar just a week or so ago. If you're worried about her phone call reflecting poorly on you (which was my concern, in my own case), you might just express that to her. You could put it as a question so that it doesn't seem ungrateful. Like, "Do you think there's any chance that a phone call would make me appear desperate or needy to the admissions committee?" And maybe she's had some experience with this in the past that might alleviate your fears. Can't hurt to ask! Also, in the same conversation, you could simply ask her if she'd be willing to outright TELL the committee, "Listen, I want it on record that the applicant did not ask me to place this call. She doesn't even know that I am. I just personally feel strongly enough about her that I wanted to give my added recommendation." If she said something like that, chances are pretty slim it would reflect badly on you. The WORST case scenario would be that it would reflect badly on her. But I doubt even that. I wouldn't worry about whether you'll end up accepting or rejecting the offer, though. You cross that bridge when you get to it. For now, you want to give yourself as many options as possible. Even if she does make the phone call, and even if you get in and then ultimately deny admission, you would be able to speak with your professor and do damage control. You could just kindly explain, or even fabricate, a reason as to why you denied their offer. She sounds like a cool, empathetic person, and if that's the case, she is likely to be understanding of whatever decision you end up making. At least that's my thinking. Good luck!

Yeah, I agree, my only concern with LSE would be finding a job afterwards. Like I said, it's a really amazing school, but everyone I know who went to grad school in London is still unemployed. There's just a major disconnect between the UK schools and the U.S. job market-- at least insofar as politics/IR/policy is concerned. But if LSE has a truly great career services center, that would help a lot. University of London and King's College didn't really help my friends with their job placements afterwards, so maybe LSE is different. Just be sure that LSE's career services department isn't only successful with placing people in the UK. They might be really awesome and really well-respect, but maybe only within the country, or within Europe. Make sure they have a track record of success, and connections with, U.S. agencies/companies too. Honestly, if I were you, I would just call them. Call LSE's career services department, tell them you're an admitted student who is weighing their options, and you have some questions about their career services help for students who plan on working back in the U.S. Be honest and tell them you love their school, but want to make sure they have the experience to help you find work back home. It also wouldn't hurt to call around to a couple of think tanks and/or consulting firms-- call their HR department, specifically-- and just openly ask whether a degree from a UK school such as LSE would be detrimental to your goal of working with them someday. I've found that if you call places, and are really respectful and friendly, 9 times out of 10 they're willing to help and answer questions you wouldn't think they'd answer. Tell them you're a prospective graduate student whose dream it is to work with [company name here], and you are trying to decide which program is best for you, and "do you have any relationships with UK schools, such as LSE? Or does your talent tend to come primarily from U.S. schools?" Phrase it gently, just like that, because if you're too upfront and ask "Would a UK degree hurt my chances?" they're not going to tell you the truth, because they won't want to seem biased or unprofessional toward foreign universities. Asking about relationships, or employment statistics, on the other hand, is just asking for facts as they currently stand, not for subjective opinions on employment prospects. Does that make sense? I hope so, lol. Best of luck either way.

I'm interested in the answer to this question too. I've also applied for my MPP but would love the option to pursue my PhD down the line. For similar reasons as OP. Would this really be that weird? I know the MPP is a professional degree and not research-oriented like a traditional Master's in Political Science. But in many ways, the MPP is the application of political science, as opposed to merely the research of it. Would that be enough to get into a PhD program?

I don't know too much about the Conflict Resolution program in particular, but of course, Georgetown is an incredible school. And they're very well-known for their politics/international relations/public policy expertise, so I would imagine that their Conflict Resolution program is well-respected. It falls in that same general wheelhouse. Also, if you're looking to work in D.C., it's hard to go wrong with Georgetown in any capacity. It's an especially good school to go to if you plan on making a career for yourself in the nation's capital. That being said, I wouldn't go ANYWHERE just because it's a good school. Make sure the program and the curriculum fit with your career goals. These days, degrees in social science-y things like "international relations" and "conflict resolution" are not quite as marketable as they once were. Depending on what you want to go into, it might be tough to find a job with a degree like that. However it's probably perfect for getting into consulting or academia. Either way, if it's the right program for your career, it's hard to go wrong with Georgetown. Great school, very well-regarded in this field. Good luck!

I've studied abroad at a UK university and have some experience with this. I'd need more information from you to really be of any help (namely, what kind of work are you hoping to get into, how important of a factor is the cost of attendance, etc). But here are some general thoughts: 1. LSE is a better school than American. Hands-down. It isn't even a contest. LSE is ranked top 20 in the world, whereas American University is only ranked 77 within the US. So, globally, it probably doesn't even break the top 200. LSE is like Ivy League in the UK. It's a big deal. 2. That being said, just because a school is incredible, that doesn't mean their program is the right fit for what you're looking to get in to. If American University's program suits your career perfectly, but LSE's program is only vaguely relevant, then I would probably go with American. Ultimately, it's less about the name and more about which program is going to launch the next step of your career. 3. In a similar vein, if you plan on living and working in U.S. politics, I can assure you now, attending a U.S. school-- particularly one in Washington, DC-- is almost always the better way to go. Because it's about connections. American University is going to have professors and staff who know all the right people. They're in the nation's capitol, they work with policymakers and politicians, and hell, policymakers and politicians are employed there. American University will have far better connections than LSE, insofar as the U.S. is concerned. I say this from experience. I had two friends get their graduate degrees from the UK (University of London and King's College, both very good schools). And neither of them have been able to find work in the U.S. since graduating. Their English professors had no connections and there was no job placement and no internship help. So it's been very rough going for them, attemping to find work in DC. Please keep in mind, however, that this ONLY APPLIES if you're looking to get into politics and/or policy. The UK is a fantastic place to go for lots of professions, even a superior place to go in some instances. But in my experience, if you want to get into the federal government in any way, shape, or form, it's best to go to school in the same country as the government. That's my best insight, I hope it helps, and if you decide to share any other details of your decision-making process I'd be happy to comment further. Either way, good luck, and congratulations on getting into those schools! That's no easy task!

My ApplyYourself account currently says, "your application is under review." It used to just say, "your application is complete." Anyone know how long it usually takes to go from "under review" to a decision? I know that depends on the school, just curious what your guys' experiences have been.

Kingofqueens-- Thanks, I'll go look at that forum now. I noticed the "3-4 weeks" estimate on their website as well, but it doesn't seem anyone has actually had that experience. I suppose we'll see. Good luck to you, as well! Faraday-- Thank you! I hope you're right; I've had friends who didn't have all their acceptances/rejections back before April 15, and it really threw their whole academic career for a loop. I appreciate your reply. PubHist-- I've never applied to UMD before so I can't say for sure. I know that, this year, decisions will be posted to our applications under "check your application status" as soon as they're ready. It seems the whole school is taking a bit longer than usual this season, though. My best friend applied back at the end of December and was told via phone not to expect a decision until the end of March. Crazy.