socaljournalist

Besides my senior honors thesis in an unrelated field (I majored in English and am now applying for MPP/MPA programs), I do not have a 25-page writing sample. What should I do in this scenario? Should I submit the first chapter of my thesis and just hope for the best? Only one of my ten schools requests a writing sample. Also, to what extent should I try to make it better? I graduated four years ago in 2005, and although I made an A on my thesis, I'm not really that proud of it. I feel my writing samples from my work as a journalist are more reflective of my ability and also the kind of writing I would do with the degree. Do I absolutely need to send an academic sample? Or can I send three long newspaper articles? Guess I need to call the school.

Can anyone recommend resources for writing a CV, whether books or websites?

I'm applying to The Fletcher School at Tufts for a masters in international affairs... The application's scholarship section requests pretty specific financial data, including a 10-line financial plan of how I plan to finance my graduate degree. Anyone have any knowledge or advice about this? I have a decent chunk of change in my Roth-IRA/40lk and I'm not willing to withdraw all of it to finance my graduate education. I'd rather qualify for scholarships or low-cost student loans (to the extent that they're still out there). But anyone know the protocol for writing a financial plan for the graduate application? Will I look stingy or unrealistic if I don't offer to pay my way with a decent amount from my retirement savings? I'm uneasy with the idea that all of this financial data is part and parcel of the application, and I'm not sure how unrealistic expectations of aide will influence their admissions decision. And a huge pet peeve: they're asking about my parents' financial assets and liabilities, as if they're in a position to help me when they're nearing retirement with their savings wiped out from the financial crisis.

Hey, I am applying to the same programs, and I too am concerned about the cost. (It's not like we're going into public policy to make a ton of money, here.) I'm definitely applying to Princeton, and I know of a person who got a full ride to GWU. Other than that, I know Columbia is stingy (my friend graduated from SIPA with 95k in debt). I have a feeling Stanford is generous to Masters recipients, cuz a friend chose it for her Masters in Journalism in part for the funding. My strategy is apply broadly (I'm applying to 10-11 programs), and once I get that out of the way, apply to scholarships/fellowships. Did you come across any notably generous schools in your search?

I posted yesterday about concern that my recommender was not going to mail the letter in time for the school to which I'm applying by the early notification deadline of Nov. 15. I had asked her to FedEx her letter to my letter service by YESTERDAY, and FedEx now tells me the letter is not in their system. After initially agreeing to update the letter she wrote for me last year, she has been unresponsive to my emails and phone message yesterday. I know intellectually that this is not the end of the world, because the letter she wrote for me last year (which I still have on file) is intended for the same graduate programs and I can easily use it. But I feel hurt that she - for whatever reason - is not able/willing to help me out this year. It's leading me to have snowball negative thinking about the entire application. Rationally, I know my admission does not hinge on my thesis adviser submitting a letter she wrote in 2008 versus an updated one (I have been out of school for 4 years), but it's hard not to freak out. Can anyone offer some consoling advice?

Kiebelle, another thing we both have in common: I also abandoned the application process (once before). Is it possible that our rec writers don't have much respect for our deadlines this time around b/c we've flaked out before? Damn. I hope not. I have no intention of abandoning the process this time. My professor is acting out of character and maybe it is because she's annoyed by my second request? Who knows. No sense in worrying about it, I guess.

Awww, I'm so sorry! Try to remain calm, and if you need the letter no matter what, then maybe the calling everyday method is the way to go. Do you have his letter from two years ago on file somewhere? Worst case scenario, can you use that? I'm going to resort to that if my recommender does not respond by next Thursday, which is the drop dead deadline for me. Like you, I have been out of school for close to 5 years, and I doubt my thesis advisor's letter is going to change much in substance from what she wrote last year.

Thanks for responding. I do live near the recommender's current university, although I'm not sure how professional or even fruitful that would be. No guarantee she'll be in her office the day/time I show up; in fact, I'd say it's highly unlikely she'll be there. She's the type to only be there during scheduled office hours. I guess I could try to look up when her office hours are next week... Alternatively, maybe I could send her one final email next Tuesday saying I hope she's okay b/c I hadn't heard from her, and that although I had hoped for a current letter, I will use last year's letter for now. Hopefully, she can get the new letter together by the later deadlines for other schools.

I'm trying to apply by the early notification deadline for one of my schools, by Nov. 15. Two of my three recommenders have already completed the letter. The third, my thesis advisor, has not submitted her letter yet. I need her to overnight her letter in the FedEx envelope I provided by today, if it's going to get processed and sent to my school in time. I emailed a "Friendly reminder on upcoming letter deadline" email on Monday night. No response. I called her office and left a polite message this morning. Here's my worry: she somehow drops the ball, which is totally out of character for her, and doesn't mail the letter today. There is also an option to upload the letter, which she could still do next week. But here's my question: How much more pressure do I apply on this woman? I do have a letter she wrote for me last year for graduate school that I never used (b/c I decided not to apply). Worst case scenario, I can use that letter. Although, of course, I'd prefer her updated letter with a current date. Is this not a big deal or do I have a reason to worry?

Applying to The Fletcher School (at Tufts) and other IR/Public Policy programs, the application says: Though not required, hard copies of short writing samples or relevant articles may be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions. As a journalist, I was planning to submit my best two articles, one an op-ed that was published in the International Herald Tribune about gay Muslims (a topic vaguely related to international relations) and the other, a front page story for The Orange County Register (with little to do with the field). Does this sound appropriate? Should I send more, less, something different? Thanks for the feedback!

Thanks, comrades! This forum is a Godsend!!

I posted earlier this week about anxiety over the letter of recommendation... My undergraduate thesis advisor just responded to my letter request. She's appears ready and willing to write the letter, but says she's not going to send out a letter to each of the schools to which I'm applying (10) and requests that I use a dossier service. She didn't specifically say that she wouldn't fill out those annoying recommendation forms that each school asks the recommender to attach to the letter, but I'm guessing that if she's not willing to mail ten letters, then she's definitely not willing to fill out ten one-page questionnaires and staple it to the letter. I am applying for MPP/MPA/Masters in IR programs. Do you think the failure of one recommender to fill out this form is going to present a big problem? I would rather use her letter (which I know will be strong) than ask another prof who might write a weaker/less detailed letter but fill out those forms. Also, I am pretty confident that my other two recommenders will do the forms. Also, I'm thinking I need to call admissions offices and let them know that this is the situation. I can't imagine any school saying, you must ask someone who will fill out that form. I feel like they would say, "We prefer that form. But if your recommender refuses, she refuses." And I also think a respectful clarification email is in order to the prof in question, saying I will use the dossier service and asking whether she can do the questionnaires or not. But I highly doubt that these dossier services are going to attach a recommendation form filled out by my prof to the letter. Advice?

How crucial is it to contact professors who share your interests for these professional-type programs? I have only been in touch with one prof at one of ten schools so far, after a suggestion that came out of a campus visit. But I haven't been very aggressive with scanning school websites and emailing profs. Do I need to get on this ASAP? Seems like a great thing to include in a personal statement about why a particular school would be a great fit... I know it's vital for h.D. programs, but what is the thinking for MPP/MPA/Masters in IR programs? Thanks, fellow applicants!

I posted this in the govt affairs section, but I'm really hoping to get some advice, so here it is again: I have been stressing out about the number of graduate programs to which I'm applying (10) and asking recommenders to fill out the required forms. Is it unreasonable to expect them to be able to fill out 10 different recommendation forms? (I'm expecting them to use the same letter of recommendation for each school.) Do I need to cut down the list of schools to which I apply? Or ask 4-5 recommenders so no one person is overly burdened? I really don't want to do that, since the 3 recommenders I've chosen are strong. I am giving them a lot of lead time (I'm asking for the recs this week but most applications are due in January). I think the reason I'm stressing is because my college thesis advisor has cautioned me in the past that she has "numerous" people who ask her for recommendations this time of year, so I need to use my university's dossier service for recommendations. But how can I use the dossier service if each school has a separate recommendation form they want the recommender to fill out and attach to the letter? Please advise! Thank you!!

Hello all, I have been stressing out about the number of graduate programs to which I'm applying (10) and asking recommenders to fill out the required forms. Is it unreasonable to expect them to be able to fill out 10 different recommendation forms? (I'm expecting them to use the same letter of recommendation for each school.) Do I need to cut down the list of schools to which I apply? Or ask 4-5 recommenders so no one person is overly burdened? I think the reason I'm stressing is because my college thesis advisor has cautioned me in the past that she has "numerous" people who ask her for recommendations this time of year, so I need to use my university's dossier service for recommendations. But how can I use the dossier service if each school has a separate recommendation form they want the recommender to fill out and attach to the letter? Please advise! Thank you!!