loveglove

Thanks! Awesome. I didn't apply for the MPA but it's very encouraging how you come to gradcafe to give us updates. Thank you!

No updates. Feel ya bro.

Thanks for the AMA, kb6! A few questions: - What were you deciding between and how did you make the decision? Now that you're out, how do you think SAIS has helped you? How would you compare that to people you know in other similar programs? - What is something you wish you knew when applying to graduate school or starting graduate school that you know now? Such as misconceptions, etc... - How was the DC vibe at SAIS?

I agree with Poli92. In addition, once you have news about financial aid from the other schools you will also be able to use them as a bargaining chip (ie: "NYU gave me 15k, can you bump up that 10k to match it?")

Yeah as long as your whole essay is not full of mistakes and they're few enough to understand the original meaning, I wouldn't worry. You can see people in this forum freaking out about this issue for years and still getting into top programs.

Your profile seems strong. WWS is always a shot in the dark, but I think you can get into several of the other programs you listed. Your essays and the way you present your experiences in order to fit your goals will ultimately be what impacts your app the most. My only comment would be that your career goal seems a tad vague (I would include a particular area within what you mentioned), but that might just be because you're omitting information here.

Chill, this happens all the time. They'll likely notice it too and figure out your original meaning. If you contact them more you might annoy them. I had a friend get into Harvard spelling it Havard in their essay.

Had you already sent your financial aid application?

No funding news so far (that I know of). IDEV concentration.

What was the subject of your funding letter?

You could get there through any of the three, to be honest. Not as familiar with Fletcher but SIPA is known to have a lot of UN connections--not sure to what extent this is exaggerated or how much effort you actually have to put in to get them. Also, I suggest you repost this in the government affairs forum, as more people will be able to answer your question there.

I did a comparative analysis on two countries in a specific issue--some policy recommendations, but more focus on analysis than concrete recommendations. It was pretty different from what I did for my policy memo for WWS, in which I focused more on recommendations for a very small and specific issue.

Got in!

Defer means that they will reconsider your application with the regular action pack. This means you still have a chance, but will ultimately find out in March. Ask them first if they accept revised essays or extra materials to reassess your application. If they don't, then there's nothing you can do. If they do, then prepare them and update them with your latest accomplishments.

Got in too! Congrats!

No news on SIPA or SAIS on my end. Maybe we'll find out about SIPA today/this week. Fingers crossed!

Not yet. Which schools did you apply to early?

Hi Sipa2017, Thank you for doing this. SIPA definitely gets a disproportionate amount of hate here and it's good to have someone set the record straight. I have a few questions for you myself: - I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about your decision process. In addition to money, what other factors did you consider when choosing SIPA? - How would SIPA differentiate itself from other IR or MPA/MPP programs in your view? In other words, why SIPA? - Was there anything you were positively/negatively surprised about when starting school? - Do you think that there are factors that applicants tend to overlook that are actually important to having a positive experience in grad school, particularly SIPA? - Things you like best/least about the program.

Thank you for this. I really appreciate it (as I'm sure all other lurkers and members do).

I've lived the vast majority of my life abroad. Most of the people I know are not American. Would this be viewed positively or negatively by the state department? Edit: Also, what about multiple citizenships? Would this factor negatively?

1. quietman, unless you bomb the GRE I think you should have a pretty decent chance. With a 99% in the LSAT you should be able to do well in the reading comprehension and writing, and quant is actually pretty low for public policy degrees (GRE scores in general are a bit low compared to other programs since the focus is more on experience.) Usually the "average" scores for these programs are around 162-166 for verbal, and 157-162 for math. 2. If you're applying to MPPs and not IR degrees, then time abroad isn't as valuable unless your goal is to work in an area that would require international expertise, so it shouldn't destroy your chances. As for quantitative experience, I would make up for it as much as you can by taking online courses, especially micro/macro. Studying for the GRE should help you refresh the math basics. 3. There is no way to say what your biggest drawback is without knowing why you want to get an MPP in addition to your JD and what you want to focus on more specifically. How you articulate what you want to do specifically, how your past experience supports what you want to do, and how the program will help you do it will either make or break your application.

Thanks, ajak! As a long time lurker, I like that this forum is slowly moving away from the GPA/GRE score purists.

Hello - planning to apply this fall. Feedback appreciated. Program: MPP/MPA with IR/Dev focus/IR Masters with Dev focus Schools being considered: SFS, SAIS, SIPA, HKS, WWS, Fletcher (...I know) Major: Government GPA: over 3.4, higher in major, upward trend, graduated with honorable mention GRE: 160/160/5.0, don't want to retake UG school: Top 5 LAC Years since UG: 4 Work experience: 1 year consulting (not the fancy type), 2 years (non-English) teaching at a university in China through a fellowship, 18+ months worth of relevant internships (think tanks and NGOs mostly, some big names, some lesser-known ones), have published over 10 articles directly and indirectly related to my field. Lots of experience across continents and in various countries. Coursework: minor in economics so I have all the bases covered, calculus and algebra, all around the B range Language: fluent in 3 UN languages, advanced Mandarin. I play with duolingo and rosetta stone to learn the "less useful" languages for fun. SoP: non-existent as of now, should be able to figure something out. LoR: not 100% decided yet, but should be 2 recent supervisors who can speak to my research interests and commitment to public service, 1 college prof in my field. Should be strong Other: I'm a minority?