mppbluedevil14

Makalani: Sanford usually doesn't have classes on Friday. Or at least that is what I've been told. I don't have classes on Monday or Friday this semester, but I had classes Monday-Friday last semester. First semester tends to require more class time, so it's hard to say with absolute certainty what the schedule will look like next fall. We will know the fall schedule towards the end of the month. I know a first-year student who is active duty military. The army required him to finish his program in a year and a half, and Sanford is working with him so that he can graduate early. That's a different situation, but Duke tries to work with students who have extenuating circumstances, especially when it comes to the military. I'd recommend shooting Duke's admissions team an email. Also feel free to PM me, and I can try to get an answer for you.

TimB: Ditto with what Dukempp1 wrote. Duke can help you get your foot in the door with State. I visit Carmella and Donna for career advice, and both are super helpful. Carmella really knows State well, so she can help with reviewing your essays for the application. I'm actually going through the Foreign service application right now (along with two other first-year students). I think three more first-years are going to take the test in June. I totally agree that you want to take the test as soon as possible. Knowing languages definitely helps once you pass. It's not easy working foreign language classes into a full grad course load, but it is doable. The students Dukempp1 mentioned are intent on working in international development, and they've positioned themselves well with their language training, quant-heavy coursework, and teaching and research assistantships. Sanford strikes a good balance between a providing a structured core and allowing students to tailor their studies according to their interests. Hope this helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to shoot them our way!

Chocolatecheesecake: Well, let me admit straight off that I'm biased . Our cohort has 64 students. I feel that the program's size is large enough to justify diverse course offerings (letting people concentrate in their policy areas of interest), but small enough that everyone knows each other. One thing I like about the program is that promotes cooperation rather than competition. No one's grade comes at the expense of someone else. They don't make it easy to get an A (and by no means everyone receives an A), but they don't curve down. You get an A if you earn it (as compared to there being a 10% cap on number of students who can receive an A, for example). We do a lot of group work, so it's important that people be able to work together. For the second semester, you are assigned to work on a consulting project with three other students. It gets pretty stressful because it is a lot of work. However, we can set aside work and just hang out when we're off the clock, so to speak. I had dinner with one of my teammates yesterday, and we didn't talk about our project at all. I don't have too much insight into the Duke undergrad thing, partly because we rarely interact. I personally haven't had a bad interaction with undergrad students. Some Sanford students are teaching assistants for undergrad courses, and I've heard mostly nice things. Grad and undergrad students are rarely in the same classes, so there isn't a whole lot of interaction. I'm sure there are some jerks out there, but that's true of any place, right? The best way to get a feel for Sanford's culture is to come for Open House. I think it'll give you a good feel for what life is like at Sanford and in Durham. Hope you guys can make it!

TimB: That's right. My understanding is that assistantships are guaranteed your second and third semesters. As I understand it, there's no guarantee that you'll get the assistantship your 4th semester, though plenty of people do. If you get assistantships both semesters of your second year, you'd receive $8,000 for that year. Hope that helps!

Hi Spat and Arbitist! Since your questions are sort of in the same international vein, I thought I'd try and answer your questions together. I am interested in international affairs, too, though I am not an international student. This summer, I'll be interning at the State Department, as will a number of other first-year students (at least 5 others). Many others in my class are in the process of solidifying their internships for this summer, but I know a second-year student who interned at the UN, another who interned with FAO in Chile, another who interned in Jordan (I forget with what organization), and another who interned with USAID in Rwanda. Duke also has the Geneva program, which allows Sanford students to work at UN agencies over the summer, and a summer program that combines school with working at a local NGO in Rajasthan, India. I also know of two first-year students who will be doing research with a Duke professor in India this summer. I would say that between 10 and 20% of MPP students are international. There is also the Masters in International Development Program that is located at Sanford. This is a mid-career program geared towards international professionals (90%+ are international students). Even though no first-year MPP students are from India, there are multiple MIDP students from India. Not only do MPP and MIDP students get the chance to hang out (when we aren't studying!), but MPP students can also take MIDP courses. I know many first and second-year students who are taking advantage of this. There are a number of professors who work on international issues. Dr. Manoj Mohanan works on international health care policy, Dr. Subhrendu Pattanayak works on international environmental issues, and Dr. Robert Conrad works on tax policy in developing countries. The cool thing is that all three of these professors teach first-year core classes, so there are plenty of opportunities to get to know them. I'm currently working on a project with Dr. Conrad and three other first-year students to harmonize investment laws in Myanmar. Arbitist: That's great that you've been in touch with Dr. Krishna! I'm not sure what RA-ships Dr. Krishna offered this semester, but I know at least one first-year student who is working for Dr. Pattanayak. The application process for RA-ships goes through Sanford's Program Director (as compared to through individual professors), but you're more than welcome to email Dr. Krishna and find out the kinds of projects he's working on. I hope this helps, but let me know if I forgot to answer something!

Hi folks! Since I see some of you have questions about Sanford/Duke, I thought I'd jump in and introduce myself. I'm a first year MPP student at Sanford. I can't speak officially for Sanford, but I'm happy to give you my perspective about the program, Duke, life in Durham, etc. Admm.noops: I honestly do not know how many people are waitlisted and how/when Sanford starts admitting from the waitlist. I recommend contacting the admissions team, as I'm sure they can give you some idea of how the process works. I see you've applied to a lot of great programs, and it's still early. I'm sure something great will work out! Good luck! Arbitist: Do you mean Research Assistantships, or Resident Advisors? Research and Teaching Assistantships opportunities are sometimes included in students' award letters. That said, if you weren't guaranteed an assistantship, you can still apply for one in your second semester. I wasn't guaranteed an assistantship, but applied and got one this semester anyway. Sanford prefers for students to wait until their second semester to begin an assistantship anyways, since the first semester can be pretty stressful in terms of schoolwork. As for Resident Advisors, I know of two first-year students who are RAs, and another who is considering being an Resident Advisor next year. The two who are currently RAs seem to enjoy it. I don't know the application process for being an RA, but I can find out for you if you'd like. I know that this is a stressful time with a lot to consider. I'm happy to answer any questions I can. There is a lot coming up this week in terms of schoolwork (the week before spring break), but I'll do my best to get back to you quickly! Best, MPPBluedevil14