[Is a MPP or MPA degree a realistic possibility for me?]

Hello all -

I'd like to ask your opinions on my stats as well... I tend to be overly critical of myself, but it's always hard to judge (especially, as you mentioned, based on the student profiles they highlight).

In short, I graduated in 2011 from a top 15 school with a 3.8 GPA/Phi Beta Kappa and major in International Studies. GRE scores were 800 Q, 600 V, and 5.5 W. I've spent the past year working in economic development/microfinance in SE Asia, and I expect to stay here for at least 8 more months. As an undergrad, I studied abroad 3 times in S. America, India, and W. Africa, and I speak Spanish and French well and Khmer conversationally.

I'm most interested in MPP at HKS or MPA at SIPA, but I'm still sorting through options for applications this fall.

Any advice is appreciated!

I think you'd be a shoe-in at SIPA, and would likely get into HKS.

Be warned, though, that while the HKS MPP is a top-notch policy program, it's nowhere near as international as it purports to be.

Yes, HKS as a whole sends as many students to international jobs as its peer institutions (as represented by the aggregated list of employers posted publicly on its website), the employment data disaggregated by program that they handed out at the Admitted Students' day reveals that the jobs in international org's are mostly from the MPA/ID and mid-career graduates, the latter of which I'm assuming were already in the field; the MPP employers for the last few years only included a few international organizations. I was frankly put back when I realized that they play up their IGA concentration to the point where it's their most popular concentration, when the employment prospects for students in the area isn't so great.

[Advice for Fall Applicant: Focus on GMAT/GRE or Take Classes?]

Could you do both? I got into WWS with a 3.28 with several (though admittedly not as many) poor grades in relevant classes also due to personal reasons at a non-HYP Ivy, and I think what made me competitive was the fact that I compensated through high GRE scores and A's my junior/senior years in advanced classes (some at the graduate-level) in the areas that I'd previously performed poorly in.

Also, I made sure to include a succinct, fact-based statement addressing this head-on in the "additional information" sections of each application. I think you would benefit from this, too. You otherwise seem to have a strong profile, so, with a strong statement of purpose that tells a compelling narrative, I think you might be competitive.

[MPA/MPP/IR 2012 Applicants]

I made a thread for final decisions and leave-behinds for future applicants a few threads down ("Wrapping It Up").

[Wrapping It All Up: Government Affairs 2012 -- Final Decisions!]

As most of us have received most or even all of our admissions and financial aid decisions, I figured I'd start a thread for final thoughts and decisions as in previous years (though making it more generally for everyone on this forum, as opposed to just IR). This is intended as the authoritative thread where next year's applicants will look back, so please share as much of the following information as you feel comfortable, after you have made your decision. [N.B.: Since posts seem to become no longer editable after a certain amount of time elapses, make sure to only post once you've made your final decision. That way, you also have a single post to which you can link in your signatures. ].

Previous Schools (Name, type, or tier):

Previous Degrees and GPAs:

GRE Scores (Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Writing):

Previous Work Experience (Years, Type):

Math/Econ Background:

Foreign Language Background (if applicable to your program):

Intended Field of Study in Grad School:

Long Term Professional Goals:

Schools Applied to & Results:

Ultimate Decision & Why:

Advice for Future Applicants:

[Official HKS Thread]

I'm sitting on a big 0 as well here.

Thoughts on this dilemma:

Cornell CIPA with $30,000/year

Fletcher with $14,000/year

Yale Jackson with $20,000/year

Harvard with $00,000/year

I was also wondering if it'd be worth trying to leverage the above offers with Kennedy. I expect they'll tell me to go to hell, but have any of you seen a successful extortion of HKS in the past?

They have a paragraph on "requests for reconsideration" on the "messages" tab. Unfortunately, the gist of it is "oh hell no!".

[Official HKS Thread]

Just wondering will HKS release funding information today? Let's come to share!

Aaand zero! Princeton it is.

Did anybody get the Belfer IGA and/or Charles Edison Fund?

[Official HKS Thread]

Hi greendiplomat,

Congratulations to your offers! Seems you also have an offer from Princeton with full tuition + stipend, will you choose to attend this one and drop HKS if there is no funding from HKS? Just curious since Princeton WWS is also a very good program.

Still deciding, to be honest. Will probably have more clarity once I visit on Monday, and have funding info. Basically it boils down to funding at Princeton versus presence of the top professors in my field at HKS.

[Official HKS Thread]

Hey guys,

If you were offered a full Scholarship from Stanford but zoro/partial funding from HKS (MPA2), which one will you choose? Do you think it is worthwhile to pay out of your pocket for the high costs at HKS? Especially when you have the choice to get a free ride at Stanford which is a good school as well? I am struggling at these thoughts so any opinions are welcomed! Thanks!!

I don't know, guys. Getting funding from Zorro seems like a sweet deal (though I hear the tyrant-vanquishing work requirement is a bit of a burden).

[MPA at SIPA or NYU Wagner?]

I am also choosing between SIPA at Columbia and Wagner at NYU. I've been working in the field of social and economic policy in NYC for a while and want to use this degree to expand my work beyond nyc nonprofits to public-private partnerships, national orgs, etc. I also want some really technical skills in policy/quantitative analysis...Does anyone know which program would give me these types of connections and offer me rigorous training in quant analysis?

Knowing both Wagner and SIPA students, I'd say that if you're looking for more analytical rigor and a broader geographical scope, then SIPA might be the better choice.

[MPA at SIPA or NYU Wagner?]

Go to Wagner (and this is coming from someone who went to Columbia for undergrad). Wagner and SIPA are probably on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as MPAs are concerned, both in terms of domestic vs international, as well as management vs policy analysis. You're right to say that there are options at both, but I think there is a right choice here, since nonprofit management is definitely NYU's strong suit, and especially since it's cheaper.

[MEM 2012 applicants]

Just got into the other half of my dual degree at Yale (the MA in International and Development Economics). I really wasn't expecting this one, given that non-professional programs tend to consider GPA more heavily... Was ready to turn down my FES offer, but I think I'm considering it now. See some of you at the Open House!

[WWS -- this is the week]

Got my packet in the mail this morning (I live in NYC, though, so I'm sure it'll take a few days longer for most). Naturally very satisfied with the package. There was also a nice hand-written, personalized post-script on the admissions letter, which was very nice of them.

In high school, I dreamed of going to HKS for grad school, so I knew that turning them down would be tough, but the Princeton admissions committee's making this an increasingly easy decision.

[How big of a drag are criminal records for MPP or IR schools?]

I don't think you have to report misdemeanors, only felonies.

Yeah, I don't think you need to report misdemeanors, but do check. Either way, I vaguely recall there being an "If yes, specify" text box on applications, so if "drinking beer" was it, I don't think you should have a problem.

[MEM 2012 applicants]

Financial aid at Yale is mostly need based. They do offer financial aid to people who gets accepteed from the wait list. They don't give full tuition, average aid is 15k/year.

Last year they accepted 20-25 people from the wait list but no idea out of how many. And they said these numbers change every year.

To those accepted at Yale, did you hear about financial aid packages yet?

Just got my financial aid offer. $20k/yr + assistantship.

[Stanford IPS vs. SIPA MPA-Development vs. reapply?]

Any thoughts on the two programs? I have been accepted to Stanford for the Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law track within the IPS program, and SIPA for Development Practice.

I was applying straight out of undergrad, and am also contemplating working for a year or two and reapplying to other schools..

That being said, you got into two highly-regarded programs, so I wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that you should reapply. If it's money that you're worried about, Stanford allows for your tuition to be completely waived if you get an assistantship (which most apparently do) one or more quarters. SIPA also has a number of assistantships for second-years that get above a 3.4 their first semester (as the assignments are made during your second), but those that pay full tuition are limited and highly competitive to get (smaller awards, though seem to be more easy to come by).

As for the academic differences, I'm sure you've noticed that SIPA's MPA-DP is definitely more development practitioner-oriented (as suggested by the name of the degree). Stanford's concentrations are appealing because they essentially allow you to take any relevant class throughout the university, and they're apparently very lenient (within reason) about counting things not listed under your concentration.

I reapplied after having only gotten into SIPA last time and was more successful than I ever thought I would be. So, it can definitely pay off if you can line up experiences relevant to your intended course of study (I would guess development work, in your case). Given your choices, though, I would have a long thought about whether it's worth putting it off for several years.

[Negotiating Aid Packages]

Oh, I thought the OP was talking about the situation where your top choice doesn't give you as much money as a peer institution. Could be wrong though.

[Negotiating Aid Packages]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I think 2 years ago when I got into SIPA, Matt Clemons (now at HKS) made a blog post that they couldn't do that, but I'm not sure how it is at other schools.

[Official Admitted Thread]

Got into Stanford IPS YAYYYY!!!!

Me too!

I really seem like a trophy-seeker now, which I'm really not. Only got into 1 place last time around, so I was just trying to get into a program I liked with a financial aid package I was comfortable with, only expecting to get into 2-3. Hopefully future (re)applicants with imperfect GPAs take my case as encouragement!

[Fletcher vs. SAIS vs. SIPA]

Basically I feel like there is no wrong decision since they're all amazing schools, so i might as well go to the one that puts me in the least debt and feels like the best fit for me, which seems like Fletcher. That being said, I still will be at the SAIS and SIPA admit days!

Yes, exactly the approach you should be taking, and while I didn't make it explicit in my post, I also think that Fletcher seemed right for you (esp. given the funding), barring intuition telling you otherwise after the admit days.

Remember--the ball was in the admissions committees' courts to let us in based on what we presented them; now it's in our court while the admissions committees try to win us over. Enjoy it!

[WWS -- this is the week]

They told me they couldn't send via email for security/confidentiality reasons. I really just want to know exactly how much the full stipend really is!

Also, they're subsidizing 75% of my intl ticket for admit weekend. Incredible.

Awesome about the travel reimbursement! Fenderpete, you should ask too!

As for the stipend, according to the FAQ document posted in the Google Group today:

"Some logistics: stipend checks arrive in monthly installments as a direct deposit to your checking account on the last business day of the month. If you're living on campus, room and board will already be deducted.
 It's been my experience, and I think most people's, that you can live very
comfortably on the stipend. Some folks even save a little, although that changes very quickly if you
 like to eat out a lot or if you go to New York every weekend."

Not an exact number, but it does make me less nervous about the next 2 years!

[MEM 2012 applicants]

I just got a phone call from the Assistant Director of Admissions and FinAid from FES, and she said they are trying to have finanial aid packages out and available by tomorrow. Which means, for you waitlisted folks in limbo, hopefully you'll hear some good news in the next couple weeks - sooner rather than later.

Yay! Unless FES really surprises me with funding, likely turning this one down, so I hope the spot falls into a deserving person's lap.

[WWS -- this is the week]

There was that bit in the admission email from the Graduate School mentioning that we would be contacted by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) about an account that will give us access to "admission information and forms". Not sure whether this will include financial aid, but either way, the email from WWS mentioned that the snail mail with financial aid info would be sent in the mail today.

I'm not worrying about funding, though, since the financial aid page of the viewbook (p.16) says that "When admitted students do not have significant savings and assets, we award full scholarships for tuition and a 10-month stipend for living expenses". So, It looks like once you get in, your aid package just depends on your resources, with 67% of students receiving "Full Tuition and Stipend" and another 25% receiving "Full Tuition and Partial Stipend". Unless you're in the top 8% of the class in terms of wealth, we're pretty much guaranteed full tuition at the very least.

[WWS -- this is the week]

I think it's possible to hang out on campus Sunday and continue living with the hosting student, but that's a good question.

If you haven't already, join the Google Group. An FAQ document was sent out today that was pretty useful and comprehensive. The group also includes the email adds of a bunch of current students running the Hosting Program, so I'm sure they'd be good people to ask.

How was the FAQ document circulated? I don't think I've received it yet.

EDIT: Never mind, found it on the Google Group.

I haven't asked I guess because I still can't believe I got in and am waiting for them to say "sorry, we made a mistake"!

YES. I'm having the same worry!

[WWS -- this is the week]

Return ticket from Kathmandu anyone?

Do ittttt.

[Fletcher vs. SAIS vs. SIPA]

Oh yay! Thank you for +ing me. I was so sure I would be -ed. If I could, I would + you all back. *wink wink nudge nudge*.

OK... this one's going crazy and needs to go to bed! Night, guys, and I hope you all end up happy wherever you end up (which you will be, since, at this level, it's about using the resources at your disposal, not which exact resources you get).