Buffalofan4255

Thanks for the responses and words of encouragement everyone. Just got another rejection, this time from imperial from business school (innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Management). Sent my application last week, and they haven't even received my glowing recommendation from my supervisor at NASA headquarters in DC, and got rejection email this morning. Probably either my GPA or its already filled, I don't know. Damn. Applying to my further safeties, Buffalo, Ohio State, and Edinburgh. Getting worried. I would really like to get into LSE, UCL, or Toronto though, as they've been my favorite programs thus far.

Check out UK and Canadian programs out there as well.... UToronto now has an MSc in Sustainability Management with either a management or science concentration - UT is top 20 globally Also check out Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, University College London, Kings, the LSE and Edinburgh...all also top 20 globally

Got rejected w/o an interview, despite having high marks in my upper levels as opposed to lower levels. Go figure...

UB has an outstanding engineering school with new state-of-the-art facilities. My father is a graduate and he's a Director at Raytheon. I'm an undergraduate in UB's economics and geography departments and just completed an internship at NASA Headquarters this summer. Faculty at UB are also incredible... and Buffalo as a city is going through a 'renaissance' and a huge comeback. Plenty of engineering jobs less than 15 minutes away from campus

I have a relatively low cumulative GPA coming out of undergrad, particularly because of my intro 100 level courses. My overall cum is 3.32. But my three majors (Economics, Geography, and International Trade) are 3.39, 3.77, and 3.77, respectively. However, I have 3 years of research experience in 2 labs and will be publishing a literature review under a non-profit student-run think tank I founded. Outside of other stuff (like 13 internships - one with NASA HQ, president of clubs, being a Senator of my student association, and being a student representative to my department), what is the typical breakdown of research experience vs GPA? Also - I applied to an Oxford MSc, which says they require a 3.7, but after emailing the PD, she said that high marks in relevant courses and research experience weigh heavily. But I don't know if that's just a saying to get me to apply. The program's acceptance rate is a little under 50%. Any thoughts?

Personally regard ETH as better than a typical ivy degree in the states actually. ETH is known for its quantitative research...and it shows diversity. I think an employer in the states would kill to have an ETH graduate (when thinking about name only) because ivy grads are relatively saturated. ETH as a brand is pretty damn kick ass. Also...you were in f*ing switzerland.

It's just bloody expensive, that's all. It's also not ranked very highly out of public policy programs (somewhere around #50 on U.S. News). It carries a name brand and has some good research, but it's largely focused on local policy stuff. If you're willing to dish out $90K over 2 years, go for it.

I'm going to post again, this time in particular for these 4 schools in order: Brown MPP, Penn MPA, Tufts MUEP (M of urban & enviro policy, planning), Brandeis Heller Policy Field Goal for Life: Global Food Security School: State University of New York - one of the 4 flagships Majors: Economics, International Trade, Geography (3) GPA: 3.30 Economics GPA: 3.30, International Trade GPA: 3.79, Geography GPA: 3.79 Research Experience: 3 years as an Economic Research Assistant in a planning/policy lab working under a $3.96 million grant from the USDA to connect farm viability with food access in the United States Teaching Experience: Undergraduate TA for ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory Work Experience: Intern - Center for Strategic and International Studies, Global Food Security Project Intern - Senator Chuck Schumer (regional) Intern - Massachusetts House of Representatives, created own legislation for farmers' market grants Intern - Congressman Joe Kennedy III Intern - Campus Dining & Shops Extra-Curriculars: President and Founder of 1 club, Treasurer of largest club on campus ($13,000), Vice President of College Democrats, 2 political simulations (MUN in Toronto, Canada, Model European Union in Brussels, Belgium) Awards: 1 Scholarship (awarded for leadership on campus), Campus Impact Award, Exemplary Leader Award LOR's: The head of our research lab who's a nationally award winning professor and researcher (particularly in urban and regional planning), State Representative of Massachusetts, and advisor at CSIS. Language: I have a language receptive delay, so I'm awful... GRE's are not taken yet. Should note...my GPA freshman year was a 3.0. Since then, it's been between a 3.4-3.7 - hence my 3.30. For example... My intro to macro & micro and calculus courses were low to mid B's. But my upper level macro & micro theories along with 2 econometrics courses (and public sector economics) are all A's.

thanks for replying and giving such a detailed response!! Would you or anyone else happen to know my chances at Fels, UPenn for MPA or Brown's taubman? From penn's website I saw the average GPA is a 3.48 and GRE's in the 70th percentile. I haven't taken my GRE's yet, but I score about 70% correct on practice tests...(I just started doing research on GRE's)

Hi all, I'm David and I'll be applying to HKS, Columbia, Berkeley, NYU, Brandeis, BU, University of Edinburgh, Oxford, and a few others for M.P.P. for the fall of 2015 (only a junior here). Can someone tell me if I have a shot? School: State University of New York at Buffalo - UB (a flagship of SUNY) Majors: Economics and International Trade GPA: 3.30 Economics GPA: 3.30 International Trade GPA: 3.79 Research Experience: 3 years as an Economic Research Assistant in an award-winning lab working under a $3.96 million grant from the USDA to connect farm viability with food access in the United States (currently working on my own paper focusing on food venue choice theory) Teaching Experience: Undergraduate TA for ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory Work Experience: Have interned for Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, a State Rep in the Massachusetts State House (where I'm creating my own legislation to create a farmers' market grant program), and doing Marketing for UB's Campus Dining and Services Extra-Curriculars: President and Founder of the Undergraduate Geography Association, Treasurer of the largest club on campus handling a budget of $13,000, member of Delta Sigma Pi (professional business/economics Fraternity), College Ambassador of the College of Arts and Sciences (Liaison to the Dean), International General Board of United Synagogue Youth, Treasurer of Model European Union, have participated in 2 political simulations (one in Brussels, Belgium for model EU and another in Toronto, Canada for Model UN) Scholarships and Awards: J. Scott Fleming Scholarship (awarded for leadership on campus), Pillars of Leadership Medal LOR's: The head of our research lab who's a nationally award winning professor and researcher (particularly in urban and regional planning), State Representative of Massachusetts, and possibly Senator Schumer but that would be weak. Language: A little bit of spanish and hebrew but pretty much nothing Relavent Coursework: Macroeconomic Theory, Microeconomic Theory, Econometrics I, Econometric Applications, Dynamics of International Business, Geography of Development, Mathematical Analysis for Management, Calculus and Its Applications 2, Topics of International Economics, Public Sector Economics, Undergraduate Teaching in English, Bases of World Commerce, Earth Systems Science 1 + 2, Geography of Economic Systems, Urban Economics, Money and Banking My weak point is obviously my GPA. Will that hurt me tremendously?

Hi all, I'm David and I'll be applying to HKS, Columbia, Berkeley, and a few others for M.P.P. for the fall of 2015 (only a junior here). Can someone tell me if I have a shot? School: State University of New York at Buffalo - UB (a flagship of SUNY) Majors: Economics and International Trade GPA: 3.30 Economics GPA: 3.30 International Trade GPA: 3.79 Research Experience: 3 years as an Economic Research Assistant in an award-winning lab working under a $3.96 million grant from the USDA to connect farm viability with food access in the United States (currently working on my own paper focusing on food venue choice theory) Teaching Experience: Undergraduate TA for ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory Work Experience: Have interned for Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, a State Rep in the Massachusetts State House (where I'm creating my own legislation to create a farmers' market grant program), and doing Marketing for UB's Campus Dining and Services Extra-Curriculars: President and Founder of the Undergraduate Geography Association, Treasurer of the largest club on campus handling a budget of $13,000, member of Delta Sigma Pi (professional business/economics Fraternity), College Ambassador of the College of Arts and Sciences (Liaison to the Dean), International General Board of United Synagogue Youth, Treasurer of Model European Union, have participated in 2 political simulations (one in Brussels, Belgium for model EU and another in Toronto, Canada for Model UN) Scholarships and Awards: J. Scott Fleming Scholarship (awarded for leadership on campus), Pillars of Leadership Medal LOR's: The head of our research lab who's a nationally award winning professor and researcher (particularly in urban and regional planning), State Representative of Massachusetts, and possibly Senator Schumer but that would be weak. My weak point is obviously my GPA. Will that hurt me tremendously?