wooldogg

This is ambitious. What programs am I missing?

Thought this would be interesting. Please participate!

I'm facing the same questions. I'm not aware of any grants from the government for either an MEM or MPP, so I think the answer is that you'll pay for it by taking out loans. For Duke, that's a lot of loans. It's a tough call because most grads don't seem to make that much after graduating. On the other hand, having a degree from Duke would help you *get* a job. I'd also like to hear the perspective of any current/former Duke Masters students...

I had similar issues. Maybe I'm too late for you, but I'll take a crack: 1. If you were eligible to fill out a 1040EZ or 1040A and your income is less than 50k then your assets are ignored in the EFC calculation. My income is way less than 50k but since I live outside the country, I have to file the regular 1040 return so I can claim Foreign Income Exclusion (to say that I already paid taxes in another country). The spirit of the question is to give a break to people with low work income and no alternate sources of income. So can I say 'yes, I was eligible to file a 1040EZ'? No, you can't say you were eligible to file a 1040EZ if you weren't eligible to file a 1040EZ. 2. Should I pay off my undergrad loans? Then my assets (savings) will be lower. I've heard that you can get credit if you already owe student loans, but is there somewhere to put that down on FAFSA? I also had this problem. There is no way to deduct student loan debt from your assets (based on my reading of the fine print and an online chat with a Federal Aid rep.) I'd say it's best to pay off all the debt you can before filing the FAFSA.

I just got an email acceptance earlier today. I'd guess you'll hear very soon.

Regarding Duke: that's my impression too. Solid name, solid environmental program. The dual degree looks good.

I started a similar thread about a month ago. You might find it helpful: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18539 I have similar questions about tradeoffs between overall strong MPP programs and more environmental-specific programs. My impression is that, if you're really keen on an elite DC position, a place like KSG or WWS is going to get you further than Indiana or Syracuse. You might take a look at the "Public Policy Analysis" rankings also, as those are slightly different from the Public Affairs rankings and maybe more appropriate depending on your interests.

That's a tough call. I think that the analytical/writing score is the weakest part. I agree that if you already studied and practiced writing the essays before taking it the last time, you might just sit tight with that quant score. Also, it's good to think of your whole application. Are your grades, LORs, work experience etc. solid, or are they borderline too?

I'm almost certain I'll apply this fall to MPP programs. I'm looking for highly analytic programs with strong environmental policy emphasis. I'm still a little torn as to whether or not I should go for an econ phd. My background: GRE: 770Q, 700V, 5.5W. 3.86GPA from a top 20 university (econ major). A couple years of think-tank research assistant experience. 1 year travel/volunteer. 1 year research assistant to an economist. I think I'll apply to Duke (dual Nicholas/Sanford), Goldman School, and WWS. On the maybe list there is HKS (too much $$$!), Indiana (not very quant-heavy), Michigan (dual degree?) and Bren-UCSB (not an MPP). Any advice about programs with a strong quant-strong environmental combo would be appreciated. Looking forward to sharing tips/insights on schools with everyone!

PoliticalGeek, Did any of your classmates receive financial aid while at KSG? I'm trying to decide whether to apply or not. It seems like no one really gets help and there's no way I'm going 100K in debt for policy school. Thanks

I'd be careful about taking it again. Quant scores between 670-690 on 3 scores is a pretty good indication that that is your true aptitude. Also, you already boosted your verbal, which is important, and you don't want that to fall below 500 just for 20-30 more points on the quant. Good luck.

Tough call. You'd definitely be more competitive boosting the quant above 700, especially given that your background is in banking. But don't get a lower score the second time around. Did you study for it the first time?

I'll give you my 2 cents, but I'm by no means as experienced as some of the posters I've read on here. I think the PhD programs are much more selective. They seem to be small and, at least for the top programs, look for much more quant skills than the MPP programs. I assume this is because you will be expected to do more rigorous modeling work. It also seems like they often take applicants who already have completed an MPP. I've been thinking about the tradeoffs between a Phd in Public Policy and an MPP too, but I'm really not convinced about the value of a PhD. There are few academic positions for such a degree and the econ phd's are always going to have a leg up. With opportunity costs, it's probably better to get the MPP at a top program, or get a PhD in a more traditional field (econ is best, it seems).

Thanks stiles, it would be great to hear more about the program from your friend, and to know what she is doing now. I'm from california so the ucs are attractive for financial reasons - and for their location, of course. As an update, I asked a number of faculty involved in public policy and environmental policy at several schools what programs they thought were notable. There wasn't as much overlap as I'd hoped in their answers. Mostly the responses varyied based on the person's background (env. science vs public policy vs economics etc). The names that came up most often were Berkeley, Duke, Indiana and Yale. Also mentioned were a couple of UCs (SB, SC, Davis), Michigan SNR, Washington Evans, UMD, Wisc LaFollete, Minn Humphrey, Chicago-Harris, UT Austin. Notably absent, I thought, were the big names in more straightforward public policy: Harvard, Princeton, SAIS, Georgetown, Syracuse, and Colombia. But, I was urged once to choose brand name (eg Harvard) over a specialized curriculum (eg Ind SPEA). Also, the consensus was that the MPP was far more versatile than a MEM and therefore probably better, unless you're certain you want to do environmental management and not policy analysis. What do people think about that list of programs? Does it make sense to apply to KSG and WWS if I want to work on env policy?

After undergrad I worked for a couple years, then I took a year off to travel. I volunteered for a small part of the year, but mostly I was just traveling. Since I returned I have been working again in a policy research position and plan to apply for MPP/MEM programs this fall. How badly does the year off hurt my application? I think I'm pretty solid apart from this (good GPA, GRE, recommendations, experience). Does this knock me out of running for the very top programs? Does anyone know of examples where a year off has or hasn't hurt someone's app?

Thanks stilesg, that's really helpful. I guess I already had a small list of schools in mind, but I wanted to see what people said. Anyone else that can add their perspective? I surprised that you don't see many GSPP grads in the env. area and you do see Princeton folks. Also, could it be the result of alumni networks that everyone on your project comes from Nicholas and SPEA? What have you heard about the Bren school at UCSB?

I am just beginning to look at graduate policy programs in depth and I stumbled across this site, which seems like a great resource. I'm new here, so I apologize if this has been asked already (I searched but couldn't find the answer). I'm interested in environmental policy programs. My questions are: 1) What are the top env. policy programs? 2) What are the pros/cons of an MPP vs and MEM for env policy? 3) I have strong undergrad econ background and work experience in (non-environmental) policy research. Do the top env. programs require work experience be environmental policy-related? Strategically, am I better off applying for an MPP and then focusing on environment later, rather than going for a MEM straight away? Thanks in advance for any advice!