sky_blue

GPPI's website states that the personal statement should be 500 words. I am finding it very difficult to keep it under 500 words..does anyone else here have the same problem? is 600 words still too many?

in my opinion, take option b because option a will ruin the flow of your essay and make your personal statement seems full of excuses and option c is not really an option. if you noticed, the medium gpa for top schools is about 3.5 and a gpa 3 is too far below the average gpa. however, you obviously have a good reason for not performing well, and you have proven that you can do well with your 3.8 semesters. address it. it is necessary. schools like HKS have those optional essay sections for a reason.

One of my recommenders has yet to submit his letter and the deadline for my applications is 3 Jan. Is it alright for the letter to be a couple of days late, provided that everything else is submitted on time? I have a feeling he is just too busy enjoying his holiday and would be able to submit his letter within the next week or so. Thanks!

i agree with cosmike. GRE is but one factor taken into account and your verbal score is really not low enough to be cut off automatically. Moreover, adcomms know that not everyone is good at taking standardized tests and everyone has their off-days. SOPs are of paramount importance so instead of worrying over your scores, do all you can to sell yourself through your SOPs!

found this article by Jose Ochoa, Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School, and Christine Omolino, Syracuse University Maxwell School great material for anyone still trying to add the final touches to their applications (especially the application tips)!

right! i was initially very concerned that there isn't a faculty member's reserach that is aligned with my specific interest in international policy. but one of my recommenders, who received his phd from chicago, strongly advised me to apply there. he said that there will be othesr in the university i can work with and i am not limited to the harris school. what i should be concerned is the rigor of the program. strange to say this, but I actually appreciate how quan- heavy the MPP program is at the harris school.

I share the same dilemma as you, but in a different way. for me, I am mainly interested in international policy. although the Harris School has an international policy concentration, I haven't found a faculty who has the specific regional focus as I do. I would definitely mention that if I could find someone. I wouldn't worry about research being reserved exclusively for phd students. My sense of Harris is that they are really committed to imparting the analytical tools and there is no better way to do this than to work with faculty members. Moreover, if you compare the size of incoming class, it is way smaller than many other programs. I am sure faculty members would be happy, even excited, to guide students who are interested in their fields of expertise.

i also mentioned a specific area that i want to focus on and how this topic would be linked to my plans after school. i actually think that being specific is necessary. As opposed to just saying that you are interested in say, international trade, being focused shows that you have a clear purpose for going to grad school. my take is that just don't make it sound like you want to finish a phd dissertation on that topic. btw did you mention the faculty you would like to work with? others have strongly recommended this....

I am applying to both programs too, so great question. any one familiar with either program? My understanding is that MSFS is a multi-disciplinary program with a very strong international component. Graduates go on and work all around the world. In contrast the MPPi is, well, a public policy program. It will definitely have a heavier focus on analytical/quantitative skills ie cost-benefit analysis etc. I think there will be many more people in the MPP who are interested in domestic(US) policies as opposed to MSFS. Oh and there isn't a language requirement for MPP. look at the curriculum for both programs and see which one have more classes you are more interested in. Do you know that you can take a dual degree in MSFS/MPP? It is a three years program if I remember correctly, so you can combine the best of both worlds. Btw, you can send up for one of the online chats with MSFS admission. I attended one of them and they are extremely helpful. you even get to chat with faculty members, so maybe you can ask them this question. All the best!

I have finished the first drafts of my SOP. Basically I discussed my experiences in the public sector in the first half of the essay, and then explain why I want to do a MPP at X School in the second part. One of my friends who read my essays point out that PS question for Harris School is phrased in the way that seems as though the adcomms is much more interested in why I want to attend the harris school and what I hope to gain from it, instead of why I want to do policy. Specially, the question is: "Why are you seeking a public policy degree from the Harris School? What do you hope to experience and contribute? Be as specific as possible in describing how your course of study will enable you to attain your career objectives." What do you guys think? I am now thinking if I should be spending more time discussing why harris school. I am now uncertain if the structure for the rest of my essays is actually what the adcomms are looking for. Help!

no answers? I am curious too!

thank you for the advice; really appreciate it!

Hello all, My first post in this forum. I know that Princeton's program is probably the hardest, but I am just going to get it a try and am looking for some advice. I don't have any formal work experience, so it is likely to be my greatest weakness. However, I do have quite an interesting internship experience by the time I apply, including at my country's overseas consulate, at a governmental economic agency as well as a stint with an NGO in a developing country that will hopefully be considered as relevant experiences. I come from an ivy institution with a 3.9 GPA and have four very good recommendations, all Economics professors. Is there anything else I can do to beef up my application for Fall 2010 admission? I am also studying abroad in my senior year. I am also considering taking my GRE: 800(quan), 650(verbal) and 5(aw) because I think i can boost my verbal to at least 700 if I study for it. Not sure if it is worth it though. Should I be concerned with my AW score, given that it is only on the 77th percentile? My second choice would be Stanford's IPS program which is a great fit for my interest. Is this school within my reach? Thank you!