sly06

washndry, I'm not the best person to give advice since I applied to and will be attending only one school. If I was in your shoes though, I would keep in mind that the economy isn't that great even for MPA grads (see http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125223926&sc=fb&cc=fp). Syracuse seems to have the "best" reputation along with a strong alum network, so that is probably what I would choose. And since the program is only one year, you will not be racking up too much debt either. Best of luck with your decision!

They said the remaining first round assignments (since they are all work-based) will get sent out early next week. Second round will start after 4/15.

Hi, I read this on NPR and thought it might be relevant, especially since it features a recent MPA graduate. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125223926&sc=fb&cc=fp It seems like a Catch-22. Graduate degrees have become almost a requirement for a lot of jobs (when in the past, a BA would have sufficed), but the debt cripples people who struggle to find jobs despite outstanding education credentials. Not trying to scare anyone, but just be wary of too much debt. (And hoping our economy and employment markets improve.)

Hey Tammy-san, Anthro and history are definitely important when you are trying to understand why certain (environmental, social, economic) problems exist, but I think data-based training helps you deal with the "how." As a policy-maker, if you have several different problems to address with what you're drafting, how do you prioritize which programs or regulations get attention/funding? You'll need to be able to go through data and draw conclusions. (Is carbon a more dangerous pollutant or is ___? Would it be more socially-beneficial to provide tax credits to struggling homeowners or to single-parent families? Does school performance increase when a school district puts more money in facility improvements as opposed to increasing teacher salaries?) And after you put together a set of policies or programs, quant skills will help you measure their effectiveness. If in government, it helps you decide whether a program is worth expanding to other regions or agencies. If you're in a nonprofit, this information helps attract institutional donors who want hard numbers to help make their philanthropic decisions. (Cost-effectiveness is key.) It helps to think of theory-based approaches as deductive, and data-heavy analysis as observation-heavy and, therefore, more inductive. You'll need both to become a good policy maker.

Are people who still haven't heard back RSVPing to prospective student "experience day"?

Kabutar, I applied by the priority deadline and still haven't heard anything either. And there aren't that many "results" posted on this website. I'm thinking they're about a month slower than they were in previous years. Waiting feels more stressful than applying :-/

I feel better. Thanks!!

Congratulations!! Thanks for your response. I hope you're right about the FAFSA thing. I only submitted it recently. (What was the lag... do you remember?)

Speaking to an admissions officer back in January, I had the impression that decisions get sent out in February. The "results" from previous years shows a lot of February acceptances/rejections as well. I'm wondering if those of you who applied to the Masters programs at SPEA have heard back. If not, when do you expect decisions to be sent out? I've been checking my inbox incessantly... this is getting to be unhealthy. If the admissions person had told me I wouldn't hear until March, it would have saved me a month's worth of anxiety. Thanks.