erin85

I'm actually now going through the same issues, but its Georgetown vs. UChicago as I did not apply to Berkley. Cost being roughly equal (about 10,000 cheaper/yr for GT), and my goal is to work in program evaluation/policy analysis in the Fed Govt or non profit sector, focusing on poverty reduction/economic development... primarily on the domestic level. I also want to do State Dept, but where you get your degree seems to make little difference, moreso just your test scores and language ability for them. I expect to live/work in DC, or at least for DC based organizations once my career starts. If I want to do abroad work, I'll do State Dept... and as I said I know where you received your degree from means very little overall there. My questions with Chicago are: are they too quantitative heavy for me? Econ is NOT my strongest suit, but I am passable in it...I've taken a 101 course though, and that is it. I've also never gone past mid-level college algebra. Stats I'm fine with, no worries there... its mostly the very high level econ work at Chicago which worries me. They stressed in their admittance letter that furthering my knowledge over the summer in calculus and econ would be needed if I planned on doing well. I've never touched calculus, so it'll be... rough to say the least. Rumor has it they are also a "center right" program. I'm a left-leaning person on the political spectrum, and come from a "almost falling over it's so left tilted" undergrad program. I want a centrist viewpoint in my grad program. Pretty much I find their program intimidating as all hell...but as I was told by a friend "I don't think they'd admit you if they thought you'd flunk out..." Georgetown I am overall more interested in, due to the fact I find their courses to be ones that would challenge me, but wouldn't be impossible. Plus their listing in the social policy sector has quite a bit of cross over with their international development sector, on topics such as poverty reduction. I have a feeling if I want to do more quant. work I can take classes through the washington contortion, but I'm not 100%. Some of it also has to do with my desire to live in DC as well, and start the internship and job search as early as possible. Chicago is a HUGE name though. And I decided Georgetown over UMaryland because of name brand value mostly. So is this worth it? I also saw from Chicago's brochure they are quite good at private sector employment... Most employers on their list were private sector I believe. Not something I'm very interested in though, but it's good to note a shift from the other programs in job placement...GT seems to have a good mix of govt placements, non profits, and private sectors though... UGH, I think for me the visits (GT on the 28th, Chicago on the 11th) are going to be the make-or-break its for me. I've heard some nasty things about Chicago students from friends in other programs who visited, but it could just be stereotypes and not true! K, this post was much too long. I've been a bit anxious about the GT vs Chicago issue for a few days now though, so I guess this was just my release -Erin

Usually the dual degrees are 3 year programs... usually. Law/MPP=4. I'm guessing this one is 3. What they do is combine a year of electives more or less, and double count those for both programs. For sure at Ford it's 3 years. Its not so much how the school is viewed, its how the individual programs are viewed. Ford offers some great dual degrees, in part because the other program is very highly ranked (eg their MSW program is top in the country, law is top ten, etc). Although Chicago also offers many similar high ranking programs... I haven't heard a word on the MA in middle eastern studies here at UMich though. If its low ranked, its not likely viewed very highly. If on the other hand Chicago is highly ranked in Middle Eastern Studies, go there for sure, as both programs are therefor pretty high.

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Almost impossible to tell. Some schools will boast very low acceptance rates per amt. of applications, but might not be that their applicants are better-they might just get more based on their reputation. Some schools also go for different types of people. Over at the Ford school there are some Gtown rejects, and vice versa. Just means admissions at both schools have different standards. Perhaps admitted student averages/means? Although to be honest, I found programs from top 3 to 20 claiming almost identical gpa/gre/work experience... Some can be a touch lower (eg UMaryland vs Georgetown), but usually not by a huge amount...

I had someone within the field I was applying to read my statement, and work with me on revisions. Since different fields have different writing styles they want, finding someone who knows exactly what the program you are looking into desires and how to write in that format is very helpful.

good luck! Really, I totally got knocked down by the school I felt the same way about (and I know they knew it too!). GTown right now is looking more and more like where I'll go... I don't think they have an issue with not enough students going, so not sure if it will help. You seemed to have already emailed them asking when the decision will arrive... hopefully you put something in there like "I'm really interested in your school blah blah blah" or something... but I don't think a random email will help Good luck, seriously. Programs need people who are excited to attend them. When I did fall grad school visits thats what I felt was missing from the programs I looked at--everyone was like "well it just seemed like the best option, I wasn't really sure but I came here anyways...I got a bad feeling from this other school so this just seemed like a good idea...". And thats from a top school!

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I'll whine here about a school rejecting me...its the same school I did my bachelors at. Today I found out the rejection was based on "lack of work experience". I guess its relevant for an MPP program, but after meeting some of their current students, I'm surprised that's what I was knocked on... On a positive note... Georgetown accepted me, and even offered me a small scholarship. They were my 2nd choice, so its very good news. The more and more I learn about the school the happier I am to go there. I want to move to DC anyways, as Michigan is much too cold and I've lived here pretty much my entire life... Plus their calender of events has a very impressive amount of seminars and career services events on it...even more than my top choice schools! Their course offerings are also exactly in line with what I want to do (program evaluation and policy analysis)... so I think its all working out well... So yea, I'm sad I was rejected from one school, but the more I look into it the better I think it was that I go to DC. Better for my future career, better for me to finally move more than 45 minutes away from my family... But yea, that rejection hurt to read...

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Anyone here planning on going to Georgetowns or UofMarylands visit days? I finally requested work off, and will buy my plane ticket this week... I think the March 26th Maryland day and the March 28th Georgetown day are what I'm planning on... Might be fun to explore DC finally, I've never been there!

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Sent you my email address through private messaging, so just throw me a line there if you want. its quicker to get ahold of me there, and easier to answer/respond to specific questions. GT gave me a small scholarship I found out this morning (the day after they said I'd know... ). So they are still in the running... GT's is only a 5K scholarship, but it at least makes the school worth looking into... I think I prefer their program to Marylands, but the debt factor makes it hurt...UMD I have the same offer as you--the half grad assistantship... UofM just sent me a rejection, so looks like I'm moving to DC for sure this fall... scary!

also uofm places alot of people at the world bank/state dept... Very strong and well known for federal govt. placement.

ugh, I'm ultra-nervously waiting to hear from Umich, as they are my top choice... Personally as an in-state student I'd give up a financial offer from almost anywhere else to go there, but I have a bit of a cheaper ride. They let you take any undergrad course for free, so awesome if your a language-geek and want to take a language course.

When I looked into USC I ended up not applying based off of "jobs our graduates hold". Simply because most did have a more regional nature to them (California Govt and such). UCLA had less of that, so I choose them for my "California application" I have a friend in the MPP/MPA program (joint) that they have there, and he LOVES it though, and told me he knows plenty of people that moved on into the federal govt from there. So maybe they just choose to advertise a more regional feel???

well ok, give it I'm hearing alot of back and forth, my goal is to work in the DC area, and likely with the Federal Govt., possibly moving later on into the non profit sector... UMaryland gave me about a 50% scholarship plus a stipend, so I'm basing it off of the other educations at full cost, vs theirs at 1/2 cost...

Does anyone have info on what the "average" salary of graduates leaving UMaryland's MPP program vs. George Washington? Georgetown is the only school that I can see it posted... If it's posted anywhere, or you know where to look/who to ask, can you give a fellow MPP applicant a hand ? I'm just trying to sort which school would be best when you calculate in cost of tuition, location, and final job salary. If I can go to UMaryland for 1/2 the cost of GT or GW, but the ending salary is that much less than a GW or GT grad, is it worth it? And for the record, although I'm only looking into the immediate results, I'm actually interested in evaluating it on the long term (eg if I go to Georgetown and make $5,000 a year more than maryland, how many years would it take me to pay off that extra loan, if it is not that much, GT would be worth it). and yes, I know much more goes into salary than just a school, but the averages and means can be pretty helpful... If it offers any help, I'm looking into policy analysis and program evaluation (with a social policy focus) for the program I'm going into... Thanks!!!! -Erin (who is nervously feeling her chances of a GT scholarship fade by the minute, but is still holding out for the Ford School...)

same here Ugh, my top choice program likely wont tell me until late next week, and since georgetown told me I had until Thursday to hear about funding... and its tuesday evening, I think I didn't pull it off there (fingers crossed though) I think outlook is going to explode if I click "send/receive" one more time!

Although I'm not, it might be good to know that the SNRE program "automatically admits" undergrad UofM students with a 3.65 or higher GPA into their Masters program... even in a major (sociology) like my own. A friend in the econ dept got the same deal. Oddest letters and emails I received from them, congrats on being admitted... to a program you never even considered applying to... Hope you enjoyed Ann Arbor though I'm looking forward to (possibly) being out of here... but I may stay if their MPP program lets me in... I swear, the town gets VERY lovely come spring/summer/fall. The winter is just miserable though. Live close to campus if you can!

Yes, its College Park... I heard that the green line is a pain (with the train then bus route)... and not the safest at night...but I could be wrong?

I would agree... from what I can tell I received my email about admissions fairly early in the rounds... But who knows. Argh, I hate the waiting game!

something tells me they do it in batches... Did you get a reply soon after?

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hum, i most definitely got an email (13th Feb), and another a few days ago about a scholarship committee meeting... so thats interesting. They have contacted me perhaps 3 times with info on admissions/visit days. I'd say don't give up hope, as alot of schools I've been told deal with applications in batches. There is no way I was a "top choice" candidate for GTown...