campussartorialist

If the personal reasons are medical or family related, perhaps you can look into options to enroll and take a leave of absence?

Very interested in hearing about admitted students weekend.

Some notables are missing (NYU Wagner, for example) but overall, a very strong overview here: http://www.fandm.edu/government/graduate-school-information/graduate-programs

Having a hard time making a decision between Heinz and Michigan. I've been doing research on my own but would love some feedback from others familiar with the domestic policy strengths of the program. If you're deciding between the two... who are you leaning towards and why? I've spent the last year out of undergrad in Washington doing a prestigious government fellowship and have now received two great offers from Michigan (tuition + stipend) and Heinz (tuition). With interest at the intersection of domestic health and women's policy issues, the Michigan program seems like a great fit... strong in social policy, ability to take courses across departments, women's policy certificate program, etc. I am worried, however, about the strain that the distance will have on the DC network I've built and the prospects for employment in federal government. Timing-wise, this administration will be lame-duck by the time I'd be back in Washington (2015)... most folks will be gearing up for a new election and many of the connections I've made will be in transition themselves. Would hate to come back and have to completely rebuild. The Heinz program, though more "generalist" than I'd like, does allow for a DC apprenticeship. I have met Heinz students with entry-level paid positions at the State Department and still balancing their Heinz coursework. Though practical experience is an asset, I am unsure if this would be distracting from my studies... my ultimate goal is to receive a sound and reputable policy education that will give me access to mid-level government or think-tank positions over the entry-levels that I currently have access. Both programs are solid, but my gut says that if I am going to do the Master's than I REALLY need to do it. Go for the rigorous program that is a better fit and that I can point to for real analytical growth... even if it means less security in my job networks when I return. Thoughts are appreciated.

Thank you everyone! I hope you all hear back with good news soon! The most useful information I received was that incoming students can TA their first semester for the undergraduate courses. If you are proactive in reaching out to departments now you may be able to secure tuition + health benefits. You are able to TA as many semesters as you can secure, but most incoming students don't do it because they need time to get acclimated with their programs. There is also a strange acronym that Michigan uses for TA's.. GSI (graduate student instructor). My caller and I had similar interests, so I was able to ask her about careers and employment in Washington following the program. She explained that Ford arranges a trip to DC for job and internship networking. In addition, the career office is small (3 staff members) but familiar with all of the students and develops strong relationships with them. Career staff won't hand hold you but are definitely a strong resources for proactive students. Michigan alumni network is key in the job search. She estimated rent in Ann Arbor at $600-1000 based on proximity/quality and 20-30% less expensive if you have roommates. Making sure that heat is included is important because of the cold winter. And as the Ford site suggests, it is common to join a dual degree program and for MPP-only students to take classes in multiple schools. Program stresses interdisciplinary learning, but the quantitative classes are challenging. Learning from your peers is key... first year students often tackle economics courses through group study. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks! An email at 11:15am from fspp-admissions@umich.edu.

Full funding + stipend. So incredibly grateful... to Michigan I go.

My two cents: Attach your SoP to recommendation requests so your readers have a sense of the package you are trying to sell. Start EARLY. HKS app is first and my SoPs to other institutions were noticibly stronger and more concise because of revising. Take your GRE during or straight out of undergrad. Once you enter the workforce, if you're working the heavy schedule of a policy position, studying gets harder and harder.

no clue how many are on waitlist, but i was told by current student that each cohort ~100 students.

I cannot speak to SIPA, but I was a Duke undergraduate public policy major. I was also accepted to MPP/MPA programs at both of the schools you've mentioned with similar offers of funding. Are you accepted as MPP or MIDP at Duke? Sanford is an incredible place that gives, as you mentioned, specialized attention to its students. The career services department is phenomenal (they will remember you and you can make appointments whenever you'd like). Duke has a very strong and active alumni network in NYC and they will give access to an alumn database where you can match with those in your field. The alum network is also huge in DC if you have public sector interest. I also found the Global Health department a great resource for international nonprofit work. Duke's Global Health Institute is top in the country and most of its faculty cross-list at Sanford. Many, many of them are doing research abroad and frequently invite students to tap into the nonprofits they are collaborating with. I also found the research triangle area surprisingly rich in international policy organizations, though these are almost always research oriented. Please let me know if I can answer any questions!

How does Heinz compare to Duke, Ford, and Harris for MPP/MPA?

Accepted with 15k fellowship. Will likely turn it down for Duke, Carnegie Mellon, or maybe Michigan due to cost

"After all these weeks of waiting for news; some of you will be pleased and others… well there is always next time." In fairness, this is partly true. but what a rude thing for SIPA to say to applicants

Method, this is all a lot to process... and I mean that in the very best way! I am getting more and more excited by the possibility of attending Michigan. Hoping the financial aid makes the dream possible!

Thanks! Full time, MPP.

I visited Wagner for a merit finalist weekend, and this was their big selling point--- community. From the panels I sat in on and students I met, there seems to be a lot of professor-student mentorship and an open door policy with deans and advisors. Granted, students are living off campus and all across the city and boroughs. Despite this, they say they have academic and social clubs for just about every activity, organized study abroad available over holidays, and a very strong presence in the city. I recommend you visit if you can.... Isnt Wagner funding travel for admitted students weekend?

Also in at Ford, and would love to hear from current students or grads. How generous is funding? What was your experience like and how is job placement? Insight on international vs domestic focus?

Georgetown designated me an "alternate" merit fellow today and said that we should be notified IF it becomes available on April 19th, after admitted students submit responses. It was also kind of the school to extend alternates' response deadline to April 26th. I speculate second round funding will only be offered when they know who is coming (ie after April 15), though I would try to negotiate a deadline extension if you haven't heard by then.

In the SIPA thread, we are discussing how rankings can be misleading, and especially wrong on MPA/MPP. Could anyone give feedback on the strongest schools for social policy and human rights issues and their reasoning behind the answer? Folks mentioned that WWS, HKS, SAIS, SIPA, SFS, and Fletcher are generally regarded as the top IR schools.. while I have a bit of international background, I am primarily interested in a domestic career in public service that advances women's policy issues. Would also love to hear what you generally regard as the top schools for non-IR MPAs/MPPs. Thanks all!

I agree that the rankings are silly, especially when US News is obviously confused by the MPA and MPP labeling. It's still interesting that SIPA is such an outlier on US News compared to other respected programs... 23? Doesn't seem to match up.

did more research and see that SIPA is 3rd in environmental and 6th in foreign policy... that makes much more sense. so SIPA is a no go for domestic, non-environemntal policy?

i have a question for SIPA applicants, or maybe even those who decided not to apply.... how does SIPA match up to policy programs at duke, carnegie mellon, michigan, uchicago, nyu, Berkeley, WWS, HKS? I ask because I've noticed many of the applicant to these programs are waiting on SIPA, but at surface, the program isn't as well ranked. is this a case where rankings don't reflect the strength of the program? or is it the NYC factor?

So sorry to hear--- this is tough and my heart is breaking for you Unsure if you are a minority or international student, but if so it could be worth reaching out to the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion. They are very warm and the director, Alexandra Martinez, is a former admissions director.

Welp, time to go teach English in Korea

Out... disappointed but thanking the heavens for other options.