mppgal55

The application process took kind of a long time for me. I started in early October, as I wanted to turn in my apps very early (some schools are on rolling admissions). I took the GRE early, and I spread things out because I applied while finishing my undergrad. I also wanted to give my letter writers plenty of time. Nothing really surprised me, surprisingly. For doing things differently, I definitely would have spent more time studying for the GRE. I literally spent 3 hrs reviewing vocabulary, did one practice test, and spent 5 hrs reviewing math - all the day before I took the exam. I got a 630 Q and 590 V, and I'm sure that my verbal could easily have been 680/700 and my verbal could have been a 650 had I spent more time studying. That said, I got in at 8/10 places I applied, so it didn't work out too badly. I know that one of my rejects was due to being straight out of UG, and the other was due to my GRE. Advice: GRE matters, but doesn't mean everything. My scores were not awesome, but they weren't bad either. EVERYthing is looked at. I had a very high UG GPA (3.9) and a record of awards/honors. I had no work experience, but 6 internships and lots of independent research. I had 4 letters of rec, and I know 3 were great. Pay very close attention to who you ask for letter writing - make sure they know what your goals are. Also, make sure you show through your SOP, letters, internships, etc. that you have a clear purpose, then show how that program can help you achieve that goal. My SOP was very direct, discussing my passion for public service, my history of internships and experiences that led me to my current goal, then discussing the individual program's research centers/faculty/classes that interested me and how they fit in with my interests.

Conversely, the skills-based curriculum is why I chose Heinz. I figure I can make up for the lesser number of "softer" classes because I can read and research on my own time. I can't, however, teach myself optimization exercises and financial analysis. Then again, I had a very research/social sciencey undergrad, and I have no lack of qualitative skills. The quantitative program appealed to me. Beyond that, the systems synthesis exercise, the amazing career center, and the DC program really clinched it for me. Best of luck making your decision!

I applied there, but decided not to go, actually! I'm from Indiana, but have never at any time attended IU. For me, SPEA didn't fit my needs. I really want the policy focus, not the overall public affairs, and I wanted a program with proximity to DC.

It seems like your gut is saying go with Spea. Go with your gut. If you listen to other people, you'll regret it later. Name matters insomuch as the network it gives you. If you already have networking via Michigan, than you would be expanding even more by going elsewhere. For enviro, especially enviro policy, IU is one of the best in the nation. Everything you wrote indicates you would be happier and more fulfilled at IU, plus it is less money, so I don't see why you wouldn't go there!

I'm attending Carnegie Mellon's Heinz school for the MSPPM - DC track. I can't believe I actually made a decision - sending in the deposit and turning down the last few schools almost gave me a panic attack. What about you?

How can you speak to the caliber of students at an admitted day you did not attend? You can say that Harris had some great people, but you can't say anywhere else didn't unless you were there. I met a variety of students at the Heinz admitted student day, and all had impressive backgrounds and were incredibly intelligent. To the OP: Financially, the first two are better options, and the programs are more highly regarded. As for choosing, consider several things. Do you hope to work in the Midwest? If so, Chicago has stronger connections there, while Heinz has strong East coast and Northwest connections and Maryland's connections are pretty focused in to the DC-area. Do you plan on pursuing an academic career or do you hope to find work right away? Chicago is known more for the academic or theoretical nature of the program, whereas Heinz emphasizes quantitative and professional applications, and Maryland is much more research-focused. Have you visited or made efforts to speak to each school? Consider how the faculty treated you and how accessible the staff was. More than anything, think about what skills you already have, and how each program could supplement your current knowledge. For me, I have a great deal of qualitative background. I already have a theoretical foundation, research experience, and Midwest connections. I disliked both the lack of community and the lack of rigor at the Maryland school. I am looking for the quantitative skills that I can market to potential employers - the heavy focus on business-type coursework at Heinz is perfect for me as it completes my skill set. Which school completes your skill set?

While there is a thread for stats and where people did and did not get in, there isn't a good place to tell everyone what you have decided on. So, why don't you put 1) where you have decided to attend and 2) why you decided to attend that program. I think it is really interesting to see where people are ending up and why, and now that April 15th is essentially here, most people should be decided.

I don't know about switching, but the curriculum is mostly the same. With the DC track, you have space for 12 units of electives first semester (1 class) and 18 the second. You automatically get the policy analysis track by doing the DC track, and apparently it is very difficult to get another concentration in addition to that. I just got back from visiting Heinz, and I'm in the DC track, so if you have any questions about it I have lots of paperwork I could refer to. An observation on switching - I think it would be relatively easy to do so, even though they don't advertise it that way. They only admit 25 people to the program, and they want all 25 to do it. I'm sure some people won't decide to attend Heinz, and some people will decide to stay in Pittsburgh, so there will be some spots. I know this year and last year only 16 and 14 people actually ended up in DC and the director really wants 25.

Hi again. I'm in a similar boat about the straight from undergrad thing, so I know how you feel! I called Marie, the director of the DC-track at Heinz, and she told me a bunch of stuff about the specific program that convinced me. If you want to work in DC, the DC-track is a gauranteed job. All but 3 people that have done the program ended up employed within 3 months - the other 3 1) went home to china 2) went to law school and 3) turned down a bunch of offers, ended up with her dream job in January. All of the apprenticeships thus far have been paid, and over half of the class usually ends up working for that company. Plus, there is a DC mentoring program for those students and you'll get paired with an alum in your field who is in DC. If you decide not to go to DC, you can stay in Pittsburgh. Anyhow, the DC program is much smaller and more personalized, and the director was awesome. You can always call her if you still can't make up your mind!

I wonder if you turn down CMU if they'll give the money to me... Have you visited these programs? How the directors treat you and how you feel in the city and on the campus makes a huge difference. I'll also throw my hat in for CMU - if you want to work in DC after graduation, that is your best bet, and with a totally free ride I don't see why you wouldn't consider it. The program has an excellent reputation, and the DC aspect allows you to personalize the program to whatever your interests are.

Hi- I'm currently living in Muncie; I'm finishing my undergrad at BSU. Living situations vary by 1) how much you want to spend 2) how close to campus you want to be (do you have a car?) and 3) how close to bars/partying you want to be. Cardinal College Leasing, Windermere, Silvertree, and University Park are good places to look. Campus is beautiful, but the town of Muncie is very small and has very little entertainment options. You can get drunk, shop, eat, see a movie, or walk the trail, and that's about it. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me!

oops, double post.

First: Loans make me sad. This thread is greatly depressing, even while it is also helpful. From what I read on CNN, all of the changes to student loans are applicable to those taking loans out starting in July 2010...aka, almost everyone on these boards. So that's good news, I guess. But really, how much help is repayment after 20 years? It's closer than 25, but it is still a long ways away. For me, it all goes back to this question, over and over. How much debt is too much? Everyone has a different view. Do I take out $65K in loans to have a 95% certainty of finding work, or go to a different school and take out $40K in loans with about 70% certainty of finding a job? Plus, the first has starting salaries that are nearly double the second. Not sure I want to work at those places, but still. Still, though, $65K in loans sounds like too much debt to me. *insert stress of decision-making here*

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Replying because I was reading through old posts, and these rental companies are awesome! Thanks for posting this.

Well, first, I'm more than likely choosing Heinz because of it's fit for me, specifically with the DC-program. Also for perspective, I plan on studying energy policy, and the other schools that are still on my radar are IU-B and UMD-CP. That said, I would be considering CMU just as strongly if I wasn't doing the DC program (in fact, one point for Heinz is that I can drop out of the DC program and stay in Pitt if I so choose). So first, I really like Heinz' quantitative focus. While my undergrad experience has been great, I don't have a lot of actual skills to put on a resume, which frustrates me. I can do research on my own, with faculty on campus or at other universities, to make up for any lack of research opportunities (I'm not sure you even have to worry about this though, as in the 2 yr program you can be a TA in the second year, and FWS positions are frequently RA positions). I could go to a school with more research opportunities or with more emphasis on softer policy aspects, but I can make up for a lack of that with individual readings while I can't make up for a lack of quantitative training. I'm not looking to get a phd - I want a job, and I want one right after I graduate - and I feel that Heinz will give me the training I need to get that. I'd suggest calling and asking about faculty in your field or taking classes outside the school - I'm under the impression that it is easy to cross-register. The curriculum looks pretty set in stone, but after talking to the director I found out that many courses are "mini" seminars that are 6 credits/half semester, so you actually have room for a lot of electives - even more if you can test out of some of the core. Another great draw to the program is their career placement. CMU has awesome connections in the policy field. They host networking nights in Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston, and DC. They have a large amount of people in the public and private sector. There is a very nice career fair for policy -oriented folk in Pittsburgh each year. Heinz also sponsors a DC-colloquium for all students with two days of site visits, networking, and panels to get people into the field. They also have many on-campus recruiters. For the DC-program, every single student has been hired by the end of the summer except for 3 (1 went back to China, 1 went to law school, and 1 declined several offers until she found her dream position in January). The director of the DC-program is extremely dedicated to helping the 25 students in the program succeed. Yet another draw for me is the alumni mentoring program. They do this program for both the Pitt and DC students, where you sign up and are paired with a local alum who is 5-10yrs into their career. I really like the connection this would give me to the area, and it is a great way to learn from someone in the field. I also like the location of the school. CMU places people all over the country, so it wouldn't limit me to the beltway if I decide I want to stay closer to home and move to Chicago or Indianapolis. Plus, the school is only 6hrs from my family vs. 14hrs, so even though I'd be far away the second year, Pitt kind of serves as a stepping stone for me. The connections are national, not regional. Anyone in policy knows Heinz, and in environmental policy they are pretty well known as well. Plus, as an added bonus I'd get to take some technology policy classes, which could be interesting. I was considering LaFollette strongly at first, especially since they are close to home. I like Madison and they have an international MPA with a certificate in energy policy. Despite those benefits, I got no funding at all, which disappointed me (it ends up being the same cost for me to attend UW-M as CMU). Even more, Wisconsin places people in Wisconsin or the midwest - only 4 students last year went to DC. While I don't necessarily have my heart set on living in DC, I certainly don't want to go to a school that makes it more difficult for me to work there. I wasn't impressed with the career placement services either - there seemed to be a lack of on-campus recruiting, networking incentives, and mentoring. Other regional schools like IU and Minnesota (another school I considered) take networking trips to DC each year (IU goes to Chicago as well). That's just my two cents, on information gathered from websites and speaking with program directors. I ask a lot of questions so I end up with a lot of information; hope this helps somewhat! I'm also planning on going to the visit day for CMU (I was unable to go to MD's), and I'm waiting to accept until after I've met with everyone (especially financial aid). Are you planning on visiting?

I'm looking at about 67K in loans, assuming I don't get some massive amounts of grants, which I don't think is even possible for graduate school. You are not alone. I am scared sh*tless about this amount of loans, though...especially since I had 1 fully-funded offer that I turned down, and another half-funded one that is still in the running. Am I crazy to even consider that much dept when I could go for free or much less? I don't know. I do know, though, that the more expensive school offers many many more post-graduate options, which matters to me. Hopefully the investment will pay off and it won't take me 20 years to pay off the loans.

Now that the applications are done and the acceptances/rejects are done, I actually have time to think about the rest of graduate student life. For anyone already attending, how did you meet your group of friends? I'm planning on going to a city I've never lived in where I know no-one. Moreover, I'm coming directly from undergrad, which is a bit abnormal for my field (public policy - MPP). At my undergraduate university, it was super easy to meet people because of the abundance of clubs, greek life, and dorm life, plus everyone was kind of in the same boat of wanting to meet new people. In graduate school, people live off campus, there aren't that many organizations, classes keep people busy, and I feel like people are either 1) going to want to focus only on classes, 2) be married and want to dedicate time to that person rather than a group of friends, or 3) will be much older than myself and thus be uninterested in being my friend in particular. I've considered having a roommate as a person to get to know, but on the other hand my roommates now are terrible and I'd really like to avoid miserable living situations. This could just be my anxiety running rampant, but what suggestions do you people out there have for making friends in grad school?

I looked at LaFollette and Heinz for this fall (and a lot of others), but have chosen Heinz. I'm a bit biased because I clearly like the program, but I do have quite a bit of information about it, specifically the DC-track program. What kind of things are you interested in knowing?

I have a lot of relevant internships, but no post-grad work experience. If I decide to go into private sector this figure would change, but public I'd expect to get around 46K.

If you have good enough LSAT scores and are planning on going to law school in the US, I'd do Oxford now and Harvard for law school. Best of both worlds!

If anyone else is considering the DC track program, I spent an hour on the phone with the director today and found out all sorts of information. If you're interested, let me know (pm or on here). I don't want to clog this with the information if no one else is looking at that track. I will put that they had 100 applicants for the DC program this year, and 25 were selected.

I'm considering UMD-CP for the MPP (and maybe the MS in conservation bio later on). I can't make up my mind... but, on the maryland website under current students/housing there is an "off campus housing" site. On that site, there are tons of links to shuttle routes, local apartments, a roommate search, etc.

I'm seriously considering Heinz. My other top choice right now is Maryland-College Park. I honestly can't decide. I'm not too worried about having MSPPM v. MPP, because I figure anywhere I apply for a job will likely be familiar enough with Heinz to know what it is. I'm looking at the DC-track, so I'm a little concerned about not having a focus area because I want to do environmental/energy policy and it seems likely companies would prefer I have some specific training. At Maryland, I have an assistantship and the faculty in environmental/energy policy is absolutely amazing - they have people right in my area, and I would be able to work with them closely. I don't really know about research opportunities at Heinz, and I can't seem to find a faculty member there in my field. (I've emailed to try to find this out). Also, I ideally would like to work in public service, and I am getting the impression that CMU aims more towards private sector work. That said, I can't find any concrete career facts from Maryland, and Maryland's curriculum is more "floaty" coming from a poli sci background, I really need to get some serious quantitative work under my belt, which CMU offers. Heinz has a lot of really great benefits - networking nights, almuni mentoring, great reputation, etc., but it is so expensive I really want to be sure before I commit. So, hopefully visit weekend will help, and in the meantime I'm emailing people left and right and reading old boards on here for advice. Does anyone think that Heinz will offer more merit aid after people decline the program, or do you know how to go about asking? Also, if you know anything about research at Heinz, I'd love to hear it.

I was looking through the admitted students website, and there is another form you have to fill out in addition to the FAFSA. The posted deadline is March 1st, but it is an open deadline. I'm kind of nervous that I didn't hear about this form earlier (I hope I still get need-aid or I can't attend). Did everyone else already know about this form?