linden

This is not an application killer. I got into HKS and was wait-listed by WWS last year without any academic LORs. Most applications are bound to have a weak spot; if this is yours, it's not the end for you. Good luck!

I would work for a few years and use that GPA and your work experience to try my chances at other programs.

carpecc: You mention you live abroad. If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, you should look into taking the class through one of your state's universities. It's cheaper that way, and I cannot imagine that the class content or quality will vary greatly from school to school. Good luck.

steiner-5: I think your GRE shores up your GPA, which I find to be okay anyway. I would not worry about the academic references. Like you, my only academic LOR came from a continuing education course, which, in my case, was only tangentially related to public policy. I managed to get into HKS and GPPI. Reading your profile, I think the only hiccup you might face is showing commitment to the public sector, and I think that might only be an issue for HKS. (Maybe GSPP?) Perhaps you can address that in your resume and SOP with through volunteering experiences... But, you should apply anyway because you otherwise seem to be a competitive candidate, and you will never know unless you try. Good luck!

It is probably best to assume that every part of your application (SOPs, LORs, resume, etc...) is terribly important, including the GRE, and you should try to do your best on every portion. The GRE might help overcome a weak GPA; it might help validate a strong GPA from an unknown school; and regardless of what schools say, it is sometimes used as a preliminary tool to eliminate candidates (see link below). And, if it turns out the GRE does not matter, well, a good score won't hurt you. You might also want to take a look at this posting from another grad school forum; it is a discussion on how the GRE is used, at least by some programs. http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/t ... 544.0.html That said, I am not trying to discourage you from applying if your scores are less than stellar. There are many cases on this board, like fes_alum's, where the candidate was so strong that average GRE scores did not matter. You should certainly send in an application, regardless of your GRE scores or other numbers, if you can articulate why an MPP and why a particular program and show a commitment to public service. But, do take the GRE seriously, like you would any other part of your application.

red5: Why do you think Georgetown is out of the question? I was not sure if your comment implied you are not interested in the program or if you think you would not be a strong candidate for the MPP program. If it's the latter, I think your GPA and work experience certainly make you competitive. As for the amount of econ classes you have taken, I think you're okay. Some other candidates might have more coursework in econ, but (if I remember correctly) in this forum you will see there are a few cases where people had not taken any econ coursework. Good luck! Linden

sky_blue: Hello. I was not one of the fortunate ones to make into WWS; I was only on the wait list. But, I think you sound like a strong candidate for WWS, although--as you already recognize yourself--the lack of work experience might be a problem. I guess my advice to you would be, give it a shot this year; you've got nothing to lose. If you don't get in, it's probably because of the lack of WE, and you can try again for the Fall of 2012. (Incidentally, the WWS admissions staff was the most outstanding of all the programs to which I applied in terms of responsiveness and feedback. If you don't make it in, I am sure they would be happy to confirm if the lack of WE was the problem.) I probably would not bother retaking the GRE because I would not want to lose the 800 and the 650 is just fine. If it will boost your confidence, if you have the spare cash and time, and if you think you can bring the verbal up to the 700s and keep the 800, take it again. But, I don't think the 650 will affect your application. Good luck!

The public sector and the private sector are different, and you might not be able to to benefit as much from a program (or be able to contribute as much during classes) if you do not have public sector experience. That said, I don't think most programs will reject you because you only have private sector work experience. (The only exception is probably Princeton; if you look at their student bios you will see all have had a public service career focus. I also read somewhere earlier this year that HKS is focusing more on public sector work experience in determining admission.) Indeed, there are examples on this board of people who were accepted into respected MPA/MPP programs without work experience in the public sector. I would, however, avoid calling public service a "backwater" career choice in your essays; it might not sit well with MPP/MPA admissions committees. You might also not want to mention that the private sector is the domain of ambitious and talented people. If you truly feel this way about public service and about the people who will surround you in class, you will probably be more comfortable in an MBA program and in the private sector.

I agree with policy_applicant's assessment. If a candidate is deemed good enough to be the alternate for fellowships/scholarships, that candidate is by definition stronger than candidates who were not named as alternates. Shouldn't that candidate have been admitted initially instead of applicants who were not offered funding? Again, HKS' administration--by admitting therunaround, zourah, and others and wait-listing don--implied that they think that the former are better candidates than the latter. If we believe that don was an alternate for funding as a wait list student it also means that if the initial recipient declines admission, but the school does not have to turn to its wait-list, that the scholarship would go unused. That seems odd, and it's the reason most schools pick alternates from the pool of admitted applicants. So, yeah, if this award was really given to a wait-listed candidate, it seems to me that this decision reflects HKS' pursuit of a high yield and a full class.

Actually, about 85 percent of HKS aid is merit based; need plays no role in the allocation of these fellowships and scholarships, according to info I received from the financial aid office soon after funding offers were released. And, I am sure most applicants--including most of the initial admits here--don't have 37K in savings that would render them ineligible for need-based aid. Given that, it kinda honks that waitlist admits are getting money when initial admits did not. (Don, nothing against you.)

I think Bobby put the kabosh on my application and got me wait-listed. Good luck at Princeton, sisepuede.

younglions: Thanks for your kind words. I am indeed sure I will have a great time with policy_applicant and traveler06. I think I am just hung up on the money Princeton could have saved me. I think it is better that I will be in DC, since I will be able to start interning and rebuilding my resume. I have to be honest with myself: I am no longer a spring chicken , and another two-year hiatus (even one in Princeton) is not the best idea for me. Good luck with all your future plans!

dagger: Michigan is a great policy school, and the university also has a solid name. Good luck!

So, did anyone else on the wait list receive the letter? I guess it's nice to bring this to an end on April 22, rather than stretch it out until May 15. But, still, I had been hoping for a miracle. Is anyone planning to reapply?

Oh, come on people. I think the sour grapes are starting to show. We have all managed to be civil and even supportive. Let's not turn thegradcafe into autoadmit.com. The bios are just fine. (No one can ever come close to Bobby, of course. )