Hi everyone,
I already applied to a couple of schools but I am still unsure if I am aiming too high. Please let me know what you think.
Program: MPPs / MPAs
Schools being considered: Applied to: Princeton Wilson MPA, Harvard Kennedy MPP. Will apply to: Georgetown Mc Court School Masters in International Development, NYU Wagner, Columbia SIPA MPA, Tufts Fletcher MALD.
Undergrad Institution: University in a developing country. Studied abroad in small but well ranked liberal arts college in Michigan.
Major: International Relations. Minors: Political Science, International Human Rights Law
GPA: 3.75. (4.0 for the last four semesters)
GRE score: 162V, 154Q, 4.0 AW
TOEFL: 116
Years since undergrad: 2 (graduated 2012) Work experience: World Bank in Washington DC for 2 years (3 years by enrollment) working directly with development issues related to my interests, 4 month internship at the OAS also on the same issues. Volunteering at Model UN organizations for 10+ years with leadership positions, co-founded a Model UN organization in my home country. Teaching assistant positions for 2 years and taught Model UN classes at a high school for 4 years.
Career Goals: Return to the World Bank, or in other development bank or the UN.
Quant Coursework: Principles of economics (grade. A), Microeconomics (grade:B ), Macroeconomics (grade: C), International Political Economy (grade: A), Accounting (grade: A). Pre-calculus (grade: A), Calculus (grade: C)
Language skills: Fluent in Spanish, very basic German
Statement of Purpose: Oriented to a particular development issue directly related to my experience. Lots of specific stories/examples
Letters of Recommendation: Former program director at my university, my World Bank supervisor, and a World Bank Director. I worked closely with all three, so they will be able to give me strong letters. Publications: A few publications on international affairs/development issues for a non-profit. An article in a semi-academic magazine in my home country on Web 2.0 and the Arab Spring.
Concerns: GRE quant score. Cs in calculus and macroeconomics and no statistics background. Undergraduate institution from a developing country and not recognized internationally.