mppgal55

I LOVE the size of Heinz. We have enough students to provide some great diversity, but it is small enough to really get to know people, get faculty attention, etc. There is a ton of groupwork at Heinz, too, so it's nice to have variety and closeness with my peers. We regularly comment on how well the adcomm did in selecting students - no two students have exactly the same interests, and everyone has such interesting backgrounds. I didn't have a quant background coming in, which is part of why I chose the program. They really do fit you to your level. If you are behind by quite a bit, you can do the summer prep program. There are also beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of stats, and beginner/intermediate econ. If you want more of a challenge, you can take econ classes in Tepper or stats with the PhD program across campus. Really, it is the classes like management science that are really the core quant in the program, and they teach you how to do optimization, linear programming, forecasting, queuing theory, etc. from step 1. Again, there is an advanced option, but while it is challenging it is possible for students of any background. Have faith that if you were admitted, you can handle it as long as you are willing to work hard. In general, Heinz isn't easy AT ALL. It's tough. That said, I'm learning a ton, I'm still managing to have a decent amount of fun, and I definitely feel like I'm getting my money's worth. I also have 0 doubt that I will find a job after graduation.

It isn't possible to do MBA and DC-track at Heinz, but you can take Tepper courses during your first year on campus. At CMU, the MSPPM has more of a management focus anyhow; it is known as the MBA of policy. I'm currently in the DC track, so if you have any questions feel free to send them my way. I will point out that Heinz regularly has 2 students do their apprenticeship with Deloitte, and usually place a few students with smaller boutique consulting firms as well. If consulting is your end-goal, the connections from CMU are incredible. Just this week, we had PWC come in for interviews, before break we had a DC event with BoozAllen, Sapient, and DRT, and Deloitte has been on/off all year for summer/full-time hiring. I know students who are graduating this May who already have jobs working at economics consulting and engineering consulting firms in Chicago and NYC as well. I'd suggest visiting both, talking to program directors, and seeing how the fit is in person. Both schools have great reputations, will provide a solid education, and will help you find a job, so it's more of what technical skills you want coming out, funding, location, and overall fit.

One thing to keep in mind is that at Heinz, there is also a Masters in Arts Management degree (2nd best in the country for that program), and you can take classes from their program as well. (Such as nonprofit management, accounting in nonprofits, governance and corporate boards, grants and sponsorship, fundraising, etc.) That's just on top of the strong PPM curriculum options. I'd suggest keeping in mind where you want to end up post-grad as well. Heinz has very strong DC connections, as well as a strong presence in LA, Silicon Valley, Chicago, NYC, and of course Pittsburgh. LBJ would have stronger southern connections, and NYU would be more NYC/DC oriented. Don't rule out fit - visit the schools, call faculty members who seem interesting, etc. - that made a HUGE difference in my decision.

The PMF requires US Citizenship. I am a current Heinz student, so if you have any questions feel free to send them my way. As to your specific dilemma, I was in a very similar position last year, only I was looking more at Maryland than AU. I chose CMU for a variety of reasons. 1 - I am in the DC program here, and the individual program aspects appealed to me. 2 - I went to a little-known undergrad, and wanted the name/prestige/reputation that Heinz brings. I have felt this reputation SO much this year (internship offers, interviews, connections, networking events, career workshops w/employers, etc.). 3 - I liked that Heinz had more private-sector connections, which opened up an additional field that MPP schools rarely bring. 4 - The MSPPM really gives you a quantitative edge, as it is skills-based and puts out policy analysts. We take courses like management science where we learn how to use linear programming to solve policy issues, and this is something only CMU teaches. This not only gives a competitive edge over MBA students, it also is a unique feature that can help in research and professional jobs. 5 - Pittsburgh is great! I fell in love with the campus, faculty, and city when I visited. Everyone reached out to me, I felt at home, yada yada yada. So yeah, it costs more money than other programs...but never once have I regretted paying the money or felt like it wasn't worth it. I feel like I'm getting my money's worth every day in a multitude of ways. I too turned down full funding and partial funding at well-known but lower-tier programs, but again, I'm very, very happy with my decision. I don't know if that will help at all, but again, if you have any questions, feel free to send them my way and I'll do my best to answer. Congrats, and best of luck making decisions!

To my knowledge (which, on this subject, is limited), not all notices have gone out yet. I know that different programs admit separately. The DC program, for example, will admit first, and refer non-admits to the 2 year program. Things like that can delay the process. I would anticipate hearing back soon, though. I know I heard this exact time last year, and they are gearing up for the admit weekend.

Congrats to everyone getting in! Heinz is usually pretty good about money, they may not give much but they give to a lot of people. If anyone has any questions, I'm a first year Heinz-DC student and an admissions ambassador. I'll do my best to answer what I can. My specializations are in energy policy and policy analysis, so if you have Qs on that or IR/ID, I can speak more to those than other concentrations.

They're very clear on wanting as close to 25 people as possible in the DC program, and usually they only admit that number. Some people choose not to come, and then there are some open DC spots. They then accept applications from the 2 yr/3 semester folks. This year, they admitted 5 people from the other programs about 1 month into the academic year. It isn't a guarantee - the demand to switch is much higher than the number of open spots - but it is certainly possible.

Last year, I applied to 10. Looking back, I wish I'd had more confidence in myself and not applied to 2 of them. Overall, though, I'm glad I applied to that many - financial aid is never certain, and I liked having a lot of options when I was deciding. Just to clarify... (I'm in the DC program at CMU) That unpaid student is the exception, not the rule. All but I think 3ish students in the last 3 years have been paid, and paid well. Apprenticeships have been at World Bank, Institute for Defense Analysis, DoE, EIA, State, EPA, B&D Consulting, NCIS (unpaid), and Deloitte. The apprenticeship is largely dependent on student's interests and background. If you have a focus area going in, and know where you want to be, they have many connections and ways of helping that happen. If you are unclear in your path, or too general, than the positions are less prestigious. If you want to be in a think tank or on the hill, you may have to take an unpaid position - but there is federal community workstudy for that, too. I know this year, USAID, State, DoE, RFF, Deloitte, and some charter schools are the big focus, because that is where student interest lies. There is also a 100% employment rate for the DC program. We have our own career services person who used to direct the whole Heinz career center, and they work with us one-on-one. I don't want you to have the wrong impression of the program! The 3 semester and 2 year Pittsburgh programs are great too, though - Pittsburgh is an amazing place to live, and there are certainly enough class options to fill your time.

I was talking to a professor here about this the other day, and his insight was that WWS has no faculty specifically for the MPA program. At schools like CMU and Ford, we have a lot of professors that are "owned" by the policy school. At WWS, they bring professors from other departments on campus to teach policy courses, and don't "own" any. This likely affects specialty rankings quite a bit. That said, WWS is extremely well-connected, it is highly regarded in DC (and Princeton is highly regarded globally), and they pay for you. It's easy to get caught up in the rankings - we all do for a little bit - but fit is important, and once you get in, that will be the decision-maker. Visit the schools. WWS, Heinz, Harris, and Syracuse all have extremely different feels, and different types of students will feel at home in each of those places. You have to find the program that matches you.

The University of Maryland has a great reputation for intelligence studies. Also, the Monterrey Institute I believe is highly regarded. GSPIA (UPittsburgh) often makes the list.

I will suggest you look at CMU Heinz school's Master in Health Care Policy and Management. It is a two year program, and has great career connections. There are three tracks on it, 1) economics and policy, 2) information technology and operations, and 3) management and organization. We have extracurricular groups in Health Policy, Health IT, Consulting, Nonprofit Management, etc. We have a LOT of faculty who are experts in health systems, health econ, historical accounts of health issues, etc. Many courses are project driven. Plus, the degree is transferable, teaching real skills that would apply in a variety of fields, which, combined with Pittsburgh's stellar-ranked UPMC hospital system and CMU's incredible policy and technology reputations, makes a great combo. http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/school-of-public-policy-management/healthcare-policy-management-hcpm/index.aspx For the record, I'm in the MSPPM, not the MSHCPM program, but I have friends in this program who love it.

I think you've got a high chance of getting in, especially if your GRE Q goes up a bit. As for money, it's hard to say. SIPA is super stingy, WWS does full money to all admitted I believe. SAIS and American are touch and go. If you are dependent on funding, I'd suggest adding one or two schools where you'll have higher chances of it, like Korbel or GSPIA, just in case. I have to do the obligatory plug for CMU too, since I love it here . You can cross register with GSPIA, and we have some great faculty in IR/ID around Heinz and campus.

Who's to say you can't discuss both? Mention your broader interest, then you can provide the hyper-specific as an example (to show you know what you're talking about, possible options, you've done your research). Then go on to talk about the courses and program aspects that you plan to use to help narrow down your options. You could talk about how a particular thing will broaden your perspective, or provide grounding skills, etc even though you aren't certain precisely where you'll end up. Everyone will change course during grad school, no matter how certain you were going in. It's just important to choose a program that will help you no matter what your eventual end goal ends up being, and for the adcomm to know that their program is a good fit for you in all scenarios. They don't want you transferring or dropping out, and they want to know that your background, combined with their program, can get you where you want to go. I had an advisor tell me the more specific, the better - down to agencies you want to work for. I went with that, but managed to keep a pretty broad perspective despite my uber-specific examples.

I would be rather specific in your application, at least in how you relate your interests to the program. For example, if you were looking at Heinz, mention Jendayi Frazer and the center she directs, CIPI. They focus on electoral violence in Africa, and she is a former ambassador. Mention how your experience led you to this interest, and how the work there would inform you. Talk about the international development group's participation in the harvard ID conference. Etc, etc. For each school, find faculty, courses, extracurricular groups, research centers, etc. that relate to specific interests you have. Some schools will have more for elections, some more for conflict resolution, some more for general ID, etc. Incorporate your experience in that area, discuss your vision in that area, and use the program's specifics to tie the two together. You won't necessarily need to know what you want to do exactly, but the more clear you are with your vision, the more solid your statement is. Treat your app as a "package," and the specifics are the bow making it all hold together. Again, some schools won't have what you want, so work with what they do have and treat that as your major goal. Don't be afraid to discuss how you think many aspects interrelate - I did that with energy, economics, international relations, and security studies, and it worked out pretty well. Just make sure everything is clear. Hope that helps!

Cornell is a smaller program, so if you get in they'll likely give you good funding (from what I've heard). CMU gives money to almost everyone, but gives full money to almost no-one. Your tech background would appeal to the adcomm, but you'd have to have solid reasoning for your transition to policy. CMU allows cross registration with GSPIA, which could be helpful for some development courses. We also have a very active international development group that cosponsors a conference with Harvard Kennedy School each April. We have some great faculty in the field, even though the curriculum is more skills-based and has a few less ID electives. I know that this year, most people I know claimed SIPA was stingy. Some people who were guaranteed scholarships (based on summer programs like PPIA) actually were denied that money, even though they should have received it contractually. Not many people got money from them, and NYC is very, very pricey.

The CMU Heinz Curriculum (MS. Public Policy and Management) has a core requirement in organizational design and integration. We have two experts in organizational design, social networks, and organizational change: David Krackhardt (http://heinz.cmu.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/faculty-details/index.aspx?faculty_id=50) and Denise Rousseau (http://heinz.cmu.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/faculty-details/index.aspx?faculty_id=81). We also have Laura Dabbish, who along with a few PhD students, are focusing on organizational design and networks as well. We have courses in Performance Management, Organizational Change, Evidence-Based Management, Social Network Methods, Int. Social Network Methods, Power and Influence, and Adv. Power and Influence. Ever since I've started my program, people rave about these professors and these courses, and how both Rousseau and Krackhardt are nationally renowned in the field, etc. I'd recommend getting in touch with them about options for study, at the very least. They may be able to recommend which type of program would be a good fit for you, if not Heinz. I know that as a student here, you can be their research assistant, and they are both very accessible. Also, at Heinz you can take courses with GSPIA at UPitt, which has a top-ranked security studies program. Combining elements from the Heinz MSPPM and the GSPIA MIA might be a worthwhile combination for your interests.

CMU Heinz school has a very well respected PhD program in public policy. http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=1277 They also have an Engineering and Public Policy PhD that is mainly aimed for those interested in energy policy. UMD -College Park is another great policy PhD program, as is UNC.

Just for informational purposes: Carnegie Mellon's MSPPM (Public policy and management) includes coursework in management science, optimization, managerial methods, quantitative analysis, decision modeling, financial analysis, etc. It may be worth looking into for you.

You will have trouble finding programs that focus specifically in Energy. I know that BU has a program, but it is a lesser-known one. Delaware has a relatively strong energy MA program (http://ceep.udel.edu/academics/masters/ma-req.htm) that is very selective and well known, especially regionally. You may be better off trying find a program that has strong econ and energy/environmental programs separately, and work to combine the two. At Michigan, for example, they have good econ/environmental programs and you could likely create your own program. At Wisconsin (Madison), they have an energy certification you can get. Many faculty members at Maryland have strong environmental/energy research backgrounds, you may be able to find some kinship there. At Heinz, I work a lot with their engineering Masters programs to add in the energy, and the program is naturally quantitative.

Many MPP/MPA programs value work experience extremely highly. Seeing as how you have a lot of WE, and a seemingly solid application in general, these scores should be more than ok. Relax! Focus on letting your passion show in your essay - make the adcom understand why you want to pursue this degree, and how their program can specifically do that, and you'll be good to go. If that passion and knowledge shines, the standardized scores won't matter nearly as much.

At Heinz (CMU) you can do a dual program with UPitt's JD.

This is going to sound totally biased, since it is my program, but you should consider Carnegie Mellon's MSPPM-DC program. It has a second yr in DC with an apprenticeship, and it is much more personal than the DC schools with a great reputation and great DC connections. There's an alumni mentoring program when in DC, and the DC program has 100% employment rate within 3 months of graduation (not including those who chose to go on for med/law degrees). That aside, your chances are great for the DC schools. HKS will be a reach, but it is possible. If you have a unique perspective and a solid background, you have a decent chance. For the Truman - random side note - make sure your future job selections are positions that have real potential to effect change. For example, working as an employee at a government agency is not as change-inducing as working on a congressional committee or for a lobby group. Also, make sure your entire application follows the same thread with similar goals and cohesiveness throughout. That application process is grueling, so hang in there! That said, if you don't get it, don't be too disappointed - you can just as many things with just as much $$ money without it. Best of luck, mppgal55

In my opinion, an academic recommendation would add a LOT to your application. Oftentimes you can submit more than 3 LOR (everywhere you're applying except CMU and Michigan allows more than 3), and in those situations I would give all 3 of your professional letters in addition to the academic one. Since you have a downward trend GPA and have been out of school for a while, they will want to see that you are prepared and equipped to do well in the classes of the program you are applying to, and professors can best attest to your attributes in that respect. Just my 2 cents!

The GRE will matter a lot, especially at Harris and Ford. Apparently this year Duke only accepted students with work experience and that is their new trend, so I would probably skip the application fee (though there are some Duke students roaming the boards that probably could better advise you on that). I was in a similar situation to you this past year - lots of internships, research, extracurricular experience and study abroad, only I had a higher GPA and average-ish (for these boards) GRE scores. I got into 8/10 schools I applied to - I didn't get in to Ford or Duke. I would check out Carnegie Mellon - it is a skills and quant-heavy curriculum, and they didn't have an issue with my lack of work experience. I would look at American and Georgetown as well if your GRE scores are good. Best of luck!

One thing I noticed during my application process is that a lot of schools waive application fees and gift scholarship money or extra credits to RPCVs and AmeriCorps alum. At CMU, you are guaranteed a minimum of $6,000/semester for being an alum of these programs, and the people I know got much more. At IU, you get 6 credit hours and the professional experience requirement is waived. At some schools, they even have a Masters where they incorporate PC into the program (IU, Washington). These things all indicate to me that they are valued by MPP/MPA programs, if not all than a lot. A lot of people that I met did these programs as a way to take some time to figure out life before grad. school. The added experience and certainty of goals can only help you! Also agreeing with fadeindreams, TFA is more selective than PC, but I'm not sure how Americorps ranks on that scale. I thought it wasn't very selective, but I've heard that this year their selectivity increases a lot (more applicants due to crappy economy).