sonjad

I am considering a loan, but a small one to say the least. I do not want to be in major debt when I am done with my schooling. In terms of stats, I went to a UC for undergrad and graduated in 2007, published, 2 post-undergrad jobs at policy firms, lots of relevant internships/fellowships, and I am a PPIA fellow.

Hello everyone. I also received an email for 75% scholarship tuition. The most interesting thing is the special note that there will be additional funding for those selected to be Graduate Assistants or Teaching Assistants. For those that did not receive aid, I would call and ask about these/express your interest. I am curious how much money comes with these positions. I know that at Cal a graduate assistantship is essentially funding for the year. Good luck to everyone!

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I have never owned a car! However, I have lived in other cities, this is how they rate: Berkeley/San Francisco: I lived here off and on for the better part of a year. No car needed. The BART is marvelous, gets you anywhere you need, quickly. Transfers are lined up for you once you get out of the train. The only downside, they stop service at 12:30pm. The MUNI in SF is great, it runs late, some all day. I would carry my groceries from the train to my house, visit friends in the East Bay, shop all over, and walk the entire city. St. Louis: Transportation has improved greatly in recent years. If you live near WashU, SLU or in downtown, you’ll be able to walk to just about everywhere you need. The train will be able to get you to the airport and most universities provide a transportation pass for free or at a heavy discount. Buses and train run from 6AM to about 2 AM. Trains run every 5-10 minutes. A lot of students walk and bike. A car makes everything 10-15 minutes away. Ann Arbor: The University is so close to everything that you basically walk everywhere. However, I really didn't get around all that well. I am more of an urban voyeur and the city/town's buses weren't that efficient. A lot of students did have bikes though. Washington, DC Definitely no car needed. You can even get to all three airports via public transportation, for less than 4 bucks. The china buses that run out by the metro center get you to nyc, philly, baltimore, and the whole east coast on a dime. Santa Cruz, CA I did my undergrad here without a car. A car definitely has its positives, easy commute to the bay area, san jose, palo alto, etc. I did catch rides to SF/Berkeley from friends. The greyhound gets you around. The city buses are decent, not the best time tables, but they get you where you need to go. It's a little difficult since UCSC is up on a hill, a bit disconnected from downtown, but buses get you where you need to be. Los Angeles, CA A car is needed, but if you are poor, the public transportation gets you going. I live in Silverlake and commute to downtown for work-it is one bus and does the job. LA mass transit is a legacy of erroneous public planning, but recently the MTA has stepped its game up and hired more drivers and increased the frequency of its routes. The metro is awkward in terms of its stops, but it will get you around the urban core. Its good if you go to CSULB, USC, and a few of the private small schools. But a car makes everywhere in LA only 30 minutes away.

Hello everyone. I went to the Wagner event in LA last night. Funding decisions will not be sent out until March 30th. I am not sure if this is electronically or via snail mail, but I assume its the first one given the quick decision turnaround time. Hope this helps.

Hello. I was also accepted into the Evans school and am eagerly awaiting their financial aid package. I have a friend who was accepted last year and recieved full tuition and a stipend. Granted we both did a public policy fellowship in undergrad, I am assuming that UW's 1 billion dollar endowment carries over to student aid. I took some courses at the Ford school two summers ago. They also have great financial aid packages, but did cut back about 2-3 years ago. I believe they are called Rackam Fellowships, which are distributed by the graduate school to students in the various professional schools/departments. Both schools are great public institutions. For me it is definately a matter of being in an urban space.

Hello, I just want to respond as a native Angeleno. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and am very familiar with USC. I would say that the SPPD program teaches you to be a manager, administrator, or elected official. In that capacity, the tools you gain are a strong regional and statewide network (that may extend to DC and some other critical areas in the US), basic analytical and quantitative skill development, and leadership training. This is in sharp contrast to GPPI, which trains students to be critical thinkers, analytical writers, and effective in statistics/economics. I also was accepted by USC for the MPA and am most likely not going to go because it is not worth the price tag. The region is great-Los Angeles and the West Coast overall have a ton of professional opportunities- key industries are based here. I also lived in DC for a while and recognize the power of that area for government, think tanks, and scholarship. For prestige and critical skill development, Georgetown is steps ahead.

Hello Everyone. I called Wagner on March 3rd and they said funding letters would be sent out March 15th. Now that I think about it, I am not sure if this is via email or via US mail. I wish everyone the best of luck. FYI: My friend applied last year straight out of Berkeley undergrad and I believe he received less than 10k for the first year. Wagner is really bad with financial aid-they will never give you a stipend and you have to be a stellar student to get any tuition grants. Milano the New School and Columbia's SIPA are the same way. You might get some tuition help but never any living stipend. If you are a PPIA fellow they have to give you 5k a year, but I doubt it goes higher. Thankfully there are still open scholarships. I believe the Ford Foundation does have a scholarship for Masters students, it might be worth checking.

Hello and thanks for the constructive posts-I have been able to get a clearer understanding of the decision timeline via this blog than the actual program websites. In reference to the USC Dean's Scholarship, I received one as well, but for only $5,000. I am concerned that might be the total fin aid package-which is clearly not enough. Did anyone apply to the MPP at UCLA or University of Washington? I am waiting on the Harris School and WWS like everyone else, any notification posts would be much appreciated. If this helps, I have received acceptance letters from UPENN, USC, TUFTS, NYU, and the New School. Rejections in early february from Duke and Georgetown. Thanks for keeping this post up and everyone informed.

Congrats to all! I was also admitted to the MPA program and I am wondering if any of you applied to the Reynolds Fellowship-if so do you have any updates? Thanks!