biscuits

Tutoring. Best if you can go through one of the branded programs, as they already of a pipeline of eager young referrals, but you could also try freelancing. Dog-walking/sitting, depending on your location - people will spend enormous amounts of money to secure a safe and reliable companion for Fluffy, at least where I'm from. Also, is there any way you can break your lease with the landlord? If they won't have much trouble renting it out, it may be OK. Alternatively, sublet to someone needing a summer apartment and try to make a profit.

I'm not an expert on these schools, as I'm interested in domestic policy rather than IR. That being said, you sound like you've put a lot of thought into the decision. I would recommend visiting if at all feasible. Fit is a major factor in academic happiness - and if you're going to take out a lot of loans, you darn well should be pleased with the program.

Or rather, out of state waivers. Eh. You get the drift.

Hmm. I wonder if they hand out in-state tuition waivers like LBJ?

Congrats to those with good news! Sympathy for those with bad news. Have yourselves a generous pity lunch (if remotely near EST).

I'll drink to that!

What's the point of wasting aggression and energy on, for all intents and purposes, a collection of ones and zeros on the Internet? Save up your capital for when you can actually make a difference. Terrible attitudes will out themselves and make someone virtually unemployable in the type of work you are discussing. Besides, Revolution has made it clear that he has no interest in that type of work. You can argue that he's taking up a spot that should rightfully go to some paragon of social justice, but the fact is that different perspectives are infinitely more interesting (and useful) than a chorus of lock-step agreement. Dude may come off as something of a tool. (Sorry.) But these types of people exist in the world, and, like it or not, you'll most assuredly encounter them while attempting to accomplish your own policy goals. Pure and simple aggression is not the way to do it. Figure out the most efficient and productive path around them instead - or better yet, find a way to get them on board. Revolution here does not have a serious impact on your life. But imagine a key funder with a similar mindset, or a manager, a politician - any key stakeholder that's acting like a nakedly privileged ass. Calling him out on his assholery to his face is not going to get you where you want to go.

My ultimate decision is going to be made on different terms than many people, as I have a partner who is applying to graduate programs at the same time. Long distance isn't really part of our plan - especially as we are getting hitched in the fall. I will say that Michigan is very appealing - its curriculum is very much focused on practice and applied knowledge, and it has a reputation for being a good place for people focused on working in the public sector (as opposed to consulting, etc). The alumni network is very strong and probably matched only by LBJ in terms of breadth and reach. (HKS has an elite alumni network, but not necessarily the biggest.) Michigan also has a stronger quantitative focus than some of the other social/domestic policy oriented schools. However, that can be fixed by taking more quantitative electives at the other schools.

I'm not going to engage on this any further, but I think it's pretty clear from his general tone that he's quite angry (and thus perhaps not the best source of knowledge out there). I respect your intentions, but trust in people to do their own research and fact-checking. If they can't do it now, how are they possibly going to cope in grad school?

I'm also in at the Ford School! I think the reason for some of the silence is that this particular forum feels very IR-focused, and the Ford School is more known for domestic policy. I am very eager for them to release funding awards - at this point, that will make or break my decision.

That may be true, but bad behavior is only encouraged by retaliation. If you want to work off stress by engaging him - and somehow I don't think it's going to work - it's best to counter him on factual grounds rather than personal attacks.

Easy now, everyone. Don't feed the trolls. I know this is a very stressful time for the folks waiting on these last few schools, but presumably we are all above flinging toys from the sandbox in each others' faces. The silent treatment works so much better, anyway.

This is very encouraging! I'm definitely planning on notifying the right folks as soon as I get a course schedule set up. We'll see what happens, but I can't see anyone throwing a massive fit about it.

I would bet that HKS is going to stick to the 5 pm release schedule. That way they can flee the office and avoid panicked phone calls.

Here are the U.S. News and World Report rankings for best social policy schools: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/social-policy-rankings The rankings for policy schools are rather notoriously subjective, as they rely on feedback from deans and department heads. There's also not a great response rate - Michigan said it was about 39%. Nevertheless, the list will give you an idea. You may like Heller if you are particularly interested in women's policy issues - there's a dual degree option for an MPP and a MA in Women's & Gender Studies.

Yup. Those buses are the unicorns of the T.

Ford School decisions are out!

Heh. Due to some quirks of planning, I will be getting married very early on in my program. We're postponing the honeymoon until the following summer, but I'm looking forward to the range of reactions if I need to take that Friday/Monday off from classes in order to travel to the wedding site. "Well, see, I'm getting married.."

Hi HomeGrown, I'm sorry to hear about your results - that can be very disheartening. I would definitely follow nason's advice regarding contacting admissions - but I would wait until the end of March, when they are less busy. If you are lacking quant courses from undergrad, it may be useful to take some (calculus, economics, statistics) - but work hard to get an A. This will demonstrate that you do have some quantitative ability. For comparison, I have a 159 Q score and it hasn't seemed to hurt me much - but I did well on the quantitative courses I mentioned before. As for your difficulty in breaking into non-profits - I'm sure you've heard this before, but the best way to get in the door is to volunteer. Alternatively, do AmeriCorps where they can pay you (relative) peanuts. If the organization likes the work that you do and feels as if you can make a good contribution, they will most likely extend an offer. AmeriCorps service is also looked upon favorably by grad schools. If nothing else, the commitment that you demonstrate through volunteering at one organization will make your applications more enticing to other non-profits.

Sending all of the WWS hopefuls good thoughts today. Deep breaths!

Debt is a significant concern for me. I'm lucky enough not to have any current student debt, and have generous enough offers that I won't be incurring any debt for tuition. However, I would still need to come up with funds for rent, food, etc at several of my choices, and I'm loathe to tap into my savings if I can avoid it. This makes LBJ's offer of full tuition plus a stipend quite appealing. Emerging from grad school with no debt will give me a lot of flexibility in terms of job choice and timelines. I also have a whole other set of calculations going on, as my partner is planning to start grad school at the same time. This means that location is also a big deal, as neither of us want to make the relationship long distance. Hlove: keep in mind that, ideally, you should be spending no more than 30% of your income on rent. Your current numbers put you around the 50% mark. This gives you far less wiggle room in terms of savings and building up an emergency cushion. What happens if you unexpectedly lose your job, or if you are furloughed as a government employee? As I'm sure everyone knows, you can't get rid of student loan debt through bankruptcy. It'll be there, lurking, forever. As hopefulodi mentioned, large debts make things like buying a house or starting a family - even if that family consists of furry friends - quite difficult. (Wait until Fluffy eats the remote and has to have a $3000 surgery.) It's also vital to start saving for retirement in your twenties, thanks to the wonders of compound interest. I spent a few years helping low-income individuals and families try to stabilize themselves, and the experience gave me a healthy respect for how easy it is to tip into poverty. Without savings or enough of a cushion in your paycheck, a series of unfortunate events can land you in a hole very quickly. I recognize that I'm in a very lucky position in terms of my offers, and that many folks will have to go into debt. Debt, by itself, is not the worst thing in the world. But every time I see someone proclaim that they don't care about debt, that they would sacrifice everything for the noble pursuit of education, I wince. Debt is a beast that should not be discounted. Most of us will not be going into academia, where your degree-granting institution can make a significant difference. Sure, a shiny name can help with the first impression in our line of work, but it's not going to be the be all/end all. You and your work will be. In my opinion, a smaller amount of debt outweighs relatively small differences in "rankings" by a great deal.

Khaled: I'm not pears - clearly - but I do drive an outback sport. Basically, this is an impreza with the bigger outback engine. Vroom, vroom. We are very happy with it and it does great in the winter weather. I recommend the winter weather package if you can afford it. Heated seats are very comfy, and heated wiper blades/side mirrors come in very handy.

Alkalifly - yes, Allston and Brighton are generally filled with the raucous undergrad crowd. I'm fairly sure you could find a good deal in Cambridge/Somerville, though, with roommates more your speed. There are certain buslines that connect the two areas much more efficiently than the T's rail lines. You could also try Brookline, which abuts part of Allston. Brookline tends to be more expensive but it also skews more toward the adult crowd. The key for you will be snagging enough sane roommates such that you can affordably rent a larger apartment. It's often more affordable to split a three or four bedroom than to divide the rent on a two bedroom. Try looking with newly admitted or current students. The latter in particular may know of openings in quiet apartments/houses.

No mention of a background check in my email. Might be different for an acceptance email!

One more thing: the waitlist is not ranked (at least not officially). The admissions committee is going to be using the waitlist to replace "holes" in the class as people decline offers. So if they are turned down by Suzy Q Sunshine, the crusading human rights activist with a deep interest in alpacas and labor relations, chances are the committee will be looking for a similar profile off the waitlist (as opposed to, say, an ex-banker interested in international policy).