MJA87

All I can think of is to make sure he double checks his spam folder, and make 100% sure his email is typed in correctly in your SIPA application.

I just wanted to bump this because I didn't get a definitive answer on if it's a mistake to have two LoRs from the same office/organization. I've been working here in multiple roles for over 3.5 years, it would be a stretch to go to a previous employer and ask.

Do you think I'm being unrealistic with the schools I listed? I REALLY want to go to GSPP, but I'm not applying because I think it would just be a waste of the application fee.

I would recommend doing flashcards for vocab and, most importantly, a lot of time practice sections. It helped me a lot to develop a strategy too, for example I found I always scored better when I answered all of the vocab/complete the sentence questions first and saved the reading comprehension questions for after. I would say building up your vocab and drilling as many timed sections as you can will probably be your best bet.

This is a repost because I just took the GRE yesterday and got some real scores to work with: Schools: All MPP/MPA: USC Price, UW Evans, UChicago Harris, UT LBJ, CMU Heinz, Duke Sanford, GWU Trachtenberg, and considering either Cornell CIPA or one additional school TBD Career goals: Build on my experience in the energy sector to work at an NGO to promote the use of clean and/or renewable energy Institution: Large state school Major: Political Science GPA: 3.3 - 3.4 cumulative (depending on how it's calculated) GRE score: 154 Quant 162 Verbal Work experience: ~1 year as a Legislative Aide in the state legislature. 3.5 years in the energy policy office of a very large, diverse state. I've managed energy grants, written rules for and administered a very large energy program, and am currently a policy analyst. I'm also currently halfway through an 8 month Natural Resources Leadership Institute course that is put on by a somewhat prestigious state university. Quant. Coursework: Micro ( A ) Macro ( A ) Statistics ( B ) Statement of Purpose: Work in progress, but I think it will be clear, demonstrate a good fit, and overall be effective. Letters of Recommendation: One former professor and two bosses at my office (Director of the office and my direct supervisor) Concerns: My measurables (GPA/GRE) aren't stellar, but I'm hoping my work experience serves me well. I know Duke and UChicago are reaches, but I hope I'll get in one of the two and maybe get a funding offer from one of the lower tier schools. Chances of that?

PowerPrep I: 161V / 150Q PowerPrep II: 167V / 152Q Actual score: 162V / 154Q I literally just walked in the door from taking the test and I'm SO relieved it's over. I'm happy enough with my score and shouldn't need a retake.

Could you give us your profile and what (if any) funding you were offered? Undergrad Institution & Degree: GPA: GRE (V/Q/AW): Work Experience: Foreign Languages: Funding Offered:

Though this isn't really the right place for this question, I'd say your quant is too low for a top CSE program, but the rest of your profile looks very impressive.

I'm applying to 6 - 8 depending on a couple things for the last two. I was worried that my letter writers would think that's too many but the didn't seem to think so.

I don't have much to say about what your chances are as I'm a first time applicant myself, however your measurables look very good. I would caution you about getting a LOR from an elected official unless you worked directly with them for a good amount of time, otherwise the chance that you'll get a form letter is pretty high. It's my understanding that a more sincere/descriptive letter that shows a true understanding of your work from a lesser position is much better than a generic letter from a big name (like an elected official).

I agree with publicaffairsstudent, definitely don't go over. Think of it as a test of your writing ability: how effectively can you describe something with restrictive word limits?

1) What organs have you had to sell so far to afford tuition/living expenses? 2) Can you tell that I'm jealous?

Thanks for the help. Your suggestion is interesting, are you saying I just structure the statement differently and start it in a different place, but keep the information in it? I guess I wouldn't know how to continue from the starting line you suggest. Thanks again!

Thanks a lot for the input. Yeah, the MPP programs are terminal masters and more professional than academic degrees; in fact one of the universities I'm targeting suggests that someone with my amount of experience ONLY submit professional references, none academic. The one professor I have writing me a recommendation will be more than enough academic letters for the programs I'm applying to. I just didn't know if it was a big faux pas to have two LoRs from the same office or organization.

Sorry for the bump, but I'd like to give whoever I need to ask as much time as possible. TL;DR: Is it bad to get two letters from the same office (direct supervisor and executive director) if I've worked there for 3.5 years?

I agree with Gov2School. I'd say it's more like getting a credit card application in the mail than it is them clamoring over your good score and trying to lure you in.

Cool, it's nice to see someone with a similar profile! My top choices are probably Chicago Harris and Duke Sanford (I replaced Cornell with Duke), though I really really wanted to apply to Berkley. I just didn't think I'd have a chance and talked myself out of applying I'm starting to worry less about my GPA and more about my GRE, which I am totally not feeling confident about with only 3 weeks left to study. Anyways, best of luck to you this cycle. I'll definitely be checking in to see how you do.

I'll be applying to MPP (public policy) programs and have secured a LoR from an undergrad professor and the executive director at my current office, but I don't really know who to ask for the third. I've been at my current office for 3.5 years and could very easily ask my supervisor for a letter, however I'm worried that it might look bad to have two letters from the same office. I haven't kept in contact with my previous employer and honestly wouldn't want a letter from him anyway. My only other alternative would be someone from the leadership course I'm in, but that course only meets once a month for three intensive days, and we'll only have completed the third session by the time I have to ask for a reference. It's a small group that composes our leadership course and we're becoming close with the professors that are putting it on, I just don't know if it would be appropriate to ask after such limited experience with them. So those are currently my third letter choices: A second letter from my current office, or the chance of getting one from a professor whom I've only worked with for 9 intense days. What do you think?

As long as you have the classes complete (typically with a B or better I think?) before enrolling, I believe you should be fine.

Yeah, that's in part what David said. My experience is absolutely the strong point of my application so I wanted to highlight that in my SoP, but it's difficult to do that without retelling my resume like you said. I'll paste what I'm working with now after receiving David's input, but I think I'm still running into the problem you mention: Despite the poor state of the job market following my graduation in 2010, I remained steadfast in my desire to secure a position that would challenge me and allow me to contribute through public service. Within one month, I was hired as a legislative aide in the <state> House of Representatives, which enabled me to build on previous experience as an intern with a Tallahassee consulting firm and exposed me to an incredible variety of engaging and challenging policy areas. Although the experience allowed me to gain perspective I might otherwise not have, I found myself wanting to immerse myself in a single area of focus. Shortly thereafter, I applied for and was accepted to a position with the Governor’s Energy Office. Even from my first few days in the Energy Office, I knew I had found the policy area I was looking for. Currently, I’ve been with the Office of Energy (renamed and moved to the <state> Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by the state legislature shortly after I joined) for three and a half years and have been promoted to increasingly responsible positions twice in that time. Beginning with the 2011 iteration, I’ve assisted our office in hosting the annual <state> Energy Summit. During our 2013 event, keynote speaker Dr. Michael Levi (senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations) pointed out that the next day would be the 40th anniversary of the OPEC oil embargo. He categorized it as the event that defined the modern energy era. With the shale gas revolution providing abundant cheap, domestically produced energy, and both renewables and alternative fuel vehicles gaining mainstream momentum, I believe the paradigm is shifting again. During this important time of transition, it is my goal to influence national energy policy towards the stable domestic production of clean energy, and I believe a Masters of Public Policy (MPP) degree will help me accomplish this goal. In my current role as a policy analyst specializing in bioenergy and transportation energy, I’m required to generate policy documents such as white papers and analysis reports. I also contribute to our office’s policy recommendations, for example I’ve recently submitted bill language that would update <state>’s statutory definitions of “renewable energy” and “biomass” to be consistent with current technologies, as well as language that would create an alternative fuel advisory board comprised of key stakeholders from industry. In addition to policy analysis, many of my day-to-day duties revolve around my administration of the Natural Gas Fuel Fleet Vehicle Rebate program, a six million dollar per year program that I was chosen to write the administrative rules for and oversee. I’m also currently part of a team writing a $500,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant that will help fund an exciting electric vehicle demonstration project in Orlando. I’m proud that most of the programs I’ve been involved in have served to promote the use of cleaner, domestically produced energy at the state level. It is incredibly rewarding work and I hope I am able to realize similar results at a national level. Through my professional experience, I have acquired policy analysis tools that have allowed me to be effective in the energy policy arena of one of the nation’s largest and most diverse states. I believe an MPP would enable me to hone and supplement my existing analytical abilities, as well as equip me with the research methods and management skills required to have an effect in a national capacity. With the education and competencies I would gain with an MPP, I would seek to influence national energy policy through employment with the United States Department of Energy or through an energy focused NGO, such as Securing America’s Future Energy.

That's really my last hurdle to having a good application. I struggled with algebra when I was 16 and school was my life, it's going to be tricky to master it now with such limited free time but I've got to figure it out. Do you mind if I ask your scores? I have a 3.4 GPA as well and I always like to see what stats other people have applied with to the schools I'm targeting.

Thanks David! Anyone else want to take a crack?

Looking through the collection of posted LBJ results, I'm thinking you're an exception. It doesn't look like they give a ton of money, let alone the amazing package they offered you (make sure to read that with a very jealous tone).

I think, like a lot of experience, it depends on how you frame/sell it through your resume and statement of purpose. Did you cover any stories dealing with policy? Did you have to do a lot of research into those policies you covered? All the adcoms know about you is what you tell them, and while I would never recommend you stretch the truth on an application, I do think it's to your advantage to highlight areas you know they're looking for. As for the the second question regarding limiting your choice of concentrations, I would say no it won't. Please take this answer with a grain of salt as I'll be a first time applicant to grad school, but I would be very surprised if, after admitting you, the school didn't let you choose a concentration because they didn't think your experience lined up.

Yeah, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. The only problem is you have to get in first I don't think I'd stand a chance: I'll have ~4.5 years of okay policy experience (state level policy analyst, state legislature, ect) but my weak academics would keep me out.