thevillagersid

@yhh2008: Thanks for the clarification--I'm sure it'll be very useful for future applicants! Has anyone heard anything about financing for Yale? Did I have not been able to find *any* information about when to expect an announcement.

So... someone's claiming on the results page that there were "10,000" applicants for Yale Jackson this year. I suspect there's an extra zero in that number, but even 1,000 seems quite high. Where is this number sourced from? Seems like it would be enough to make prospective students panic... @marwansim: I got dinged by Berkeley yesterday, too. I like to hope that the admissions process really does help filter students into the places that will be most rewarding for them. Best of luck with the rest of your apps!

I'm in at Jackson for the MA in Global Affairs! Honestly, I didn't even think I had a shot at this program, so this admit came out of left field. Just received the notice via e-mail about an hour ago. No word yet on funding. Who else got in?

Waitlisted! As a California native, it's hard not to take this a bit personally. That said, it kind of makes me believe in the karma of 'fit'. My sincere congratulations to all those that got in!

Harris admissions tweet announced that results will be released Mon. March 10th. https://twitter.com/HarrisAdmission/status/440964443594162178

It might be a bit early to start this one... but looking at results search today, I noticed someone has already posted a rejection from the Goldman School for a combined MPP/MSW. Has anyone received happier news from Berkeley?

Is there any practical advantage in doing the combined MPA/MAIR? The school doesn't report separate employment statistics for students doing the dual degree, but I'm not sure that they would be particularly different from the stats for those who just did the one year program. Any chance there are some current Maxwell students lurking that could give some advice on this?

Here's the link to the employment stats, including salary information, for HKS: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/degree-programs/oca/employment_overview.pdf The reported salaries for HKS grads moving into the private sector ($130k+) seem to be much higher than for other schools, where the average seems to be closer to $70-80k. (It seems like this might be partly due to the large number of HBS co-degree students attending HKS.) I think if you're only looking at the money, an MBA will offer better prospects in that regard. I'm also interested in a possible career in the private sector, but only because I believe there is public sector work that can be more efficiently done through collaboration with the private sector. Salary is important, of course, but it's not the number one concern for me--and I think the same will be true for many people applying for MPPs.

I never like to rain on anyone's parade, but as someone from a neighboring field (Korean literature), I would strongly encourage the mod to take a realistic view of what is involved in learning a difficult Asian language. Even with two months of self-study to get started, six months of intensive language courses will only scratch the surface of Japanese. Even if you remain committed to studying the language for the next two years after going to a PhD program in the States, you will almost certainly not be at a level to read source documents or academic treatises. (These things are far beyond what any language course will teach and will require significant self study.) If you intend to study periods before the language reforms of the 20th century, heaven help you. As for admissions, most of the East Asian Studies PhD students from top schools (Harvard, Columbia, Chicago, UCLA) I have met at conferences (I studied here in Korea) already had "advanced" level proficiency in the primary language of their topic of study and were pursuing second languages. This isn't to say they were fluent--having studied primarily in the US, many of them had limited ability to express themselves--but they could at least work their way through reasonably accurate translations of advanced texts. I'm not sure that you could get into a competitive school without being at least at that level. Having seen acquaintances from even top schools struggle to find jobs after graduation, I'm also not sure what might happen to the people who go to second-tier schools. Apologies for the negativity, but (as I hope you're already aware) Asian studies, and Japanese much more than Korean, is actually extremely competitive when looked at over the course of a career. If you have the commitment, I think it can be very rewarding--but I would second Skylarking's suggestion that taking a year to work on your language in Japan would make you much more competitive, not only for PhD admissions, but later in your career as well. Specifically, you could look into Fulbright fellowships and grants/fellowships from the Japan Foundation. I'm not sure about time frames, but both of these programs offer money for people interested in pursuing Japanese studies related research and/or for learning the language. Anyhow, don't get discouraged--but do make sure to think about the long game and where you hope to fit within the Japanese History establishment.

Syracuse definitely has some unique advantages with the one year program and location outside of a major city. Given that some admissions staff have been known to visit this forum, however, I'm reluctant to declare a favorite until results are in. I think I might be circumnavigating the globe during the last week of March (literally... 72+ hours on an airplane in a week ) -- but feel free to send me a PM if you need any recommendations for travelling in Seoul!

I'm in Korea and got my packet on Monday.

@ArtsyGril: I submitted my app to Syracuse for the MPA program on Jan. 15th and they replied on the 31st, so 15 days. I'm hoping response time is a predictor of funding--but applying the last day might just have left my app at the top of the pile. I've also since received a kind e-mail from a current student inviting me to write if I have any questions (although this seems to be pro forma at most schools). @TimB: Thanks for the info! After a decade in a city of 20 million, I'm totally ready to go someplace greener for a year before diving into my next megalopolis. (I'm way too lazy to live outside the city for long. ) Where else did you apply? I think my choice in the end is going to come down to job prospects after graduation, especially the ability to keep working abroad.

Just the same e-mail that everyone else received re: completing the financial aid app. Did any American students get the e-mail regarding the 'dedicated financial aid adviser'? I'm feeling a touch jealous now--but I hope it's a good sign for those who received it.

Admission e-mail received from Maxwell on 1/31! Still waiting on the financial aid announcement and results from other schools, but getting this first acceptance letter back so quickly has me cautiously optimistic. Who else got in?

“In our lives we know joy, anger, sorrow, and a hundred other emotions, but these emotions altogether occupy a bare one per cent of our time. The remaining ninety-nine per cent is just living in waiting.” - Osamu Dazai