HOUBMA

@Fadeindreams- Correct! I totally agree with that statement. What I was trying to say was that schools like Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown might look nice when it comes time to apply for jobs, but everyones needs are different. If Yale has the program, location, and price you are looking for then apply and see what happens. If a smaller state school is what you fancy, then it seems that ivy league schools such as Yale do not meet your criteria. In all, everyone has a different opinion about "what a good school is."

I am not saying that experience does not have its own fulfilling state, I am saying to judge based on that is somewhat stereotypical. I know 22/23 year olds straight from college that have a better sense of knowledge about how government organizations run, the logistics involved, and have a higher degree of professionalism than some people with 5+ years of work experience. This is not always the case, but to simply assume someone holding a public job, any job, is more inclined to learn and succeed than someone that is self-motivated through grades and continued high academic achievement is a bit of a stretch. I can see where the experience comes in, but I would be assume that schools would be leery of these types. Since this degree is earned through mostly classes (not working a job) I would assume they would look at people who have better grades ( indicating better study patterns, or capabilities to succeed in a classroom setting), rather than those who did mediocre to poor in a classroom setting before (which MAY indicate bad study habits, or capabilities not to succeed in the classroom setting). I know everyone has a story (ie: student x has a 2.3 because she was dealing with issues her first 4 semesters) but isnt that factored into good time management? I had issues my second year of college, but still maintained a respectable GPA in all my classes. I agree with you that it is not black and white, and that it is a professional program, however it also is in a classroom for the most part. If one did poorly in a classroom setting before, why would something like work experience make adcomms thinks that a change could be made in that field? I know they do have some similarities, but lets be honest, the classroom setting and the workplace are two totally different things.

I would have to respectfully disagree... Personal experiences don't lie... Had a 3.79/1390 and failed to get in the four schools listed below (NYU, CMU, ONU, DePaul). My references and personal statement were reviewed by highly regarded historians and capable writers. In all, my credentials spoke for themselves. I noticed others that gained admittance to the same schools I was rejected from that sported a 2.5/1200-1400GRE portfolio. I do not know their (or the adcomms) story, but feel outraged at this. I believe that adcomms will take real world experience over a decent GPA any day (ie: 4.0/0 yrs experience will get rejected in favor of 2.7/5 years work experience).This is a trend that I have noticed in the MPP/MPA field. I hear it go one a lot more in the ivy league setting than in the state school setting. That is why ivy league schools always say "we do not have a minimum GPA requirement but expect a 3.0" That opens the door for 45 year old people that bombed college and have been in the workforce for 10+ years to have a chance to get into an ivy league school ( or any school for that matter). This is no joke. I have seen a 4.0/1370 student (friend of mine) with stellar supporting documents get a rejection to Penn, while another gentleman gained acceptance with a 2.8/1210 and 8 years of work experience. So, please, do not say that my statements are false!

Through my experiences in a real world setting. Though this differs greatly in New England, or maybe even in other parts of the country, internship supervisors that I have had declared they have real reservations about hiring ivy league graduates. I had experience clerking with a judge, working for a NGO, and also working for a state agency. I specifically asked them about if it mattered where I went to graduate school and they all three stated they had reservations about hiring ivy leaguers. One of them (working for an NGO) stated that he noticed that many ivy league graduates he had interviewed in the preceding three year period were arrogant, and did not fit in with the "mood" of the office and organization. Therefore, I don't think statistics can back up anyone on this page, however experiences can.

Yeah, no one cares about the GPA as long as you have good GRE scores. I mean, you could technically blow off all four years off undergrad and still get into Columbia, Yale, Princeton, etc. I don't know why I was so worried about grades in undergrad when I could've simply gotten "real world" experience for a year or so and sported my 2.5 GPA all the way to my Ivy League school. That would have been a lot easier than studying my butt off 24/7... The moral of the story is schools care about one day, the day you take your GRE... They could really care less about the past 4 years... lol

Yes and No, mostly no... Most people realize that the quality of education you will receive at Harvard is the same that would be offered at State University X. Most employers know this, and therefore treat everyone equal in that regard. However, connections are what can be made from going to a certain college that can make Harvard better than State University X. For example, if you went to Michigan State University while another student attended Harvard, the Harvard grad would probably know the employer through different connections if the job was in Massachusetts. If this job were in Lansing, Michigan then probably the MSU grad would have made some connections through profs and alumni, making getting a job there a bit easier. However, in general the education is the same but it is the connections you make.... Therefore, your education is what you make of it....

Congratulations!

Thats good! I think you will get better treatment, and service elsewhere. If you wouldve been accepted, you probably wouldve been number 900000120176 to them, and nothing more...lol

Thats pretty ridiculous... Are they offering you any type of consolation? A refund, perhaps? In retrospect, I don't know why I even applied there...lol... They are a great school, but they seem very impersonal...

Just received my rejection... Congrats to all those accepted!

I look at the percentiles and see, for example, that a 750 or above would be in the 90th percentile for the quantitative section. Therefore, chances are that 9 out of 10 people will have scores below that. Its weird because hardly anyone on this message board has a score below that. Either people are fudging numbers or we have a smart collection of applicants!

The have changed their deadline for notification at least once or twice, so technically they could always change it to fit into their time frame. They had it at March 29th, then March 30th, and now it is March 31st... How long is it going to be?

All I have to say is.... UUUGGGHHH!!! I hate schools that can wait until the last minute to send out acceptances. It is comparable to the professor that assigns a ton of reading like their class is your only one...

Ok... Now I know I should be worried at this point with concern to getting accepted. BLAH!

I am in the same situation. I even called to see if my application was submitted or completed since I received no email. The gentlemen told me it went through. I am assuming to everyone else that we are on a pseudo-waitlist at this point (or maybe they are releasing another set of acceptances soon.

I am in the same boat here. I applied to a few schools more than 8-10 weeks ago (my application was complete in mid-December) and I still have not heard anything! I am starting to think NYU died, UPenn should be contacting me this week, and DePaul I have no clue. So I am right with ya

I am applying to the M.A. in Global Development Policy at Boston University. It combines International Relations and Public Policy. In my case, this program is perfect!

First, I think its better to question what your ideal occupation would be. I am a history student, and the best thing any of my history professors told me was to not go into history unless I wanted to become a professor or scholar in the field. Therefore, if this is your aim (which I am assuming it should be), then I would definitely tackle the Ivy League educational opportunity. This is because you would have better access to scholars and professors, which would lead down a path to achieve your goal of attaining your PhD.

All this waiting is killing me! I just wish I knew if I was accepted or rejected... Of course, I think that is a common dilemma on these forums.

I second that! The Whitehead School's communication is second to none. Every time I have emailed or called they have always replied within 24 hours. Therefore, I would definitely say that they are more personable than other schools. Personally, I am 22 (one of those fools applying right out of undergrad), but I would agree that most are in their mid to late-20's. Like I said, there were some 22-23 year olds, but most waited a few years to apply. Being from Ohio I have always known Seton Hall, 1. because of their basketball, and 2. I am Catholic. I would say (leaving those two biases aside) that Seton Hall is a very respectable school with a well regarded IR school that is up and coming.

Hello again! Glad to answer your questions! When I sat in on classes I met two or three students that were 22-23 years old. One of the girls I met had to leave class early because she was flying to Tunisia for spring break! Pretty cool... There were also a few students in the class that were in their late 20's-early 30's (I met one guy that was 33). Therefore, to answer your question, there are a wide range of different aged students there. The student I sat beside was from Morocco, so they also have students from around the world as well. Needless to say, their diversity is probably similar to what you would find at an NYU Wagner or UPenn. Funny you should mention financial aid, since when I was visiting Seton Hall last Thursday they told me that decisions were forthcoming. The lady I spoke with said that they were sitting down this week to finalize the decisions, and they should be out either this week or next week. Hope this helps! Ask any more questions, I am glad to help!

Ugh... This feels like a high school party where everyone gets invited except for you. I still haven't heard anything yet. Oh well...

I am from a small rural town about one hour south of Toledo, Ohio, and I found Seton Hall to be the perfect match for me! I just got back from a tour, class, and meeting with a couple of professors in my specialization. It was amazing, and I am probably going to choose it over NYU. I am wanting to specialize in Africa and NGO's, so I attended a class with one of the professors in my field. Needless to say, she was a remarkable prof that lead intense, thoughtful discussions. Secondly, the campus and town seem very serene. I know where many folks get the idea that the campus is "crime filled" and nasty. However, if you are from a smaller town like I am, you will find it to be a breath of fresh air considering when I was in NYC visiting NYU I could barely hold my sanity for the length on the tour (let alone getting there on public transit). There are many nice places to eat and visit downtown. The previous poster is correct that there is a bad section of South Orange. However, if anyone on this earth can name a town without a bad section please show me, because utopias do not exist. Last, I felt that talking with a lot of the students gave me a real idea of what it was like to be a student. After the class I asked a few of them in the hallway to be honest about if they liked it at the Whitehead School. They said they thoroughly enjoyed it, and they felt a sense of community with every person there. I was shocked, since at my undergrad school (a small christian university) people will bash the school to perspectives whenever they get the chance because they dislike food, dorms, etc. I feel as though they truly enjoy it there. I am pretty decent at picking out authenticity from bs, but I could sense that these students were a community, the professors in my field were amazing, and the surrounding area was different from the noise and bustle of NYC. Hope this helps!