aaresident

^I received the same email.
Also just received an email that I will be getting additional funding! I am so relieved right now. 

Spring Preview was pretty informative and fun. I met a few students who said that they had been convinced by attending other previews, but were seriously considering Ford now. I myself have been pretty convinced to take up the MPP!
Key points I picked up:
1. Strong academic points of the school include :
(A) Ford's Writing Center with three Ford faculty hired to critique your policy-related writing through individual appointments. Apparently no other public policy school in the nation has such a dedicated Writing Center to help its students with policy writing. The 5-week writing course that the Center offers is pretty recommended. (B) Ford strongly supports an interdisciplinary focus, with all Ford students required to take some credits outside of Ford, and with a ton of other Michigan schools (e.g. Public Health, Education) being highly ranked nationally. Apparently the process for taking non-Ford modules is pretty easy; you shouldn't need to apply for endless approvals for those. Also, other than the option of doing a dual degree in another discipline (which you can apply for after getting accepted into Ford), you can also apply for certain Certificate programs across the U of M schools, of which there are a ton. (C) Also, they are pretty flexible with you exploring whatever interest you want. You don't have to declare a concentration in Ford, and so if you aren't sure that you want to specialize in a particular area of policy, this school will support that. 2. Ford's Careers & Alumni relations office seems really strong. They have an open door policy, so you can apparently ask them to take a look at a cover letter due in 30 minutes time before you send it off. They also hire some upper-level students as Peer Advisors, which does help in having someone approachable to speak to about career matters. They also send out a Mon afternoon newsletter collating upcoming career-related opportunities, like employer visits on campus or certain funding deadlines. They also seem quite aware that it's not just connecting you with opportunities that matter, but also helping you identify your interests and career aspirations, and have had past workshops to help students with that. They also seem to have strong alumni relations: "once you're in, you're always a part of the Ford community". 
3. While the compulsory Core Curriculum is somewhat quantitative methods-heavy with 3 quant classes, you can take up qualitative research methods classes as your electives. Though there are a ton of Ford professors who have a more economics focus, there are also some more recent qual professor hires: http://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2017/tamar-mitts-and-fabiana-silva-join-ford-school-faculty-fall-2017.
4. If you have a quant background and want to test out of the quant core classes, you can test out during orientation week. However, you may not want to do so as most of the 1st year students will be bonding around these class experiences, the professors who teach the quant core classes seem universally beloved, and you will have to substitute those classes with other credits anyway.
5. While GSI positions are by no means guaranteed, you can apply for GSI positions across other U of M schools and apparently Ford GSIs have a pretty good reputation. You can also try working at various Centers across the U of M.
6. Not sure how much this matters to you, but this will be the last year with the current well-loved Dean of the Ford School. Her successor has not been confirmed yet.
7. The students really seem to have fun here. The Fab Ford Idol karaoke at a local bar was really well-attended and apparently a faculty member even did a song.
Feel free to message if there's anything in particular you'd like to know about - there was way too much information to recount in full!
 

Spring Preview was pretty informative and fun. I met a few students who said that they had been convinced by attending other previews, but were seriously considering Ford now. I myself have been pretty convinced to take up the MPP!
Key points I picked up:
1. Strong academic points of the school include :
(A) Ford's Writing Center with three Ford faculty hired to critique your policy-related writing through individual appointments. Apparently no other public policy school in the nation has such a dedicated Writing Center to help its students with policy writing. The 5-week writing course that the Center offers is pretty recommended. (B) Ford strongly supports an interdisciplinary focus, with all Ford students required to take some credits outside of Ford, and with a ton of other Michigan schools (e.g. Public Health, Education) being highly ranked nationally. Apparently the process for taking non-Ford modules is pretty easy; you shouldn't need to apply for endless approvals for those. Also, other than the option of doing a dual degree in another discipline (which you can apply for after getting accepted into Ford), you can also apply for certain Certificate programs across the U of M schools, of which there are a ton. (C) Also, they are pretty flexible with you exploring whatever interest you want. You don't have to declare a concentration in Ford, and so if you aren't sure that you want to specialize in a particular area of policy, this school will support that. 2. Ford's Careers & Alumni relations office seems really strong. They have an open door policy, so you can apparently ask them to take a look at a cover letter due in 30 minutes time before you send it off. They also hire some upper-level students as Peer Advisors, which does help in having someone approachable to speak to about career matters. They also send out a Mon afternoon newsletter collating upcoming career-related opportunities, like employer visits on campus or certain funding deadlines. They also seem quite aware that it's not just connecting you with opportunities that matter, but also helping you identify your interests and career aspirations, and have had past workshops to help students with that. They also seem to have strong alumni relations: "once you're in, you're always a part of the Ford community". 
3. While the compulsory Core Curriculum is somewhat quantitative methods-heavy with 3 quant classes, you can take up qualitative research methods classes as your electives. Though there are a ton of Ford professors who have a more economics focus, there are also some more recent qual professor hires: http://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2017/tamar-mitts-and-fabiana-silva-join-ford-school-faculty-fall-2017.
4. If you have a quant background and want to test out of the quant core classes, you can test out during orientation week. However, you may not want to do so as most of the 1st year students will be bonding around these class experiences, the professors who teach the quant core classes seem universally beloved, and you will have to substitute those classes with other credits anyway.
5. While GSI positions are by no means guaranteed, you can apply for GSI positions across other U of M schools and apparently Ford GSIs have a pretty good reputation. You can also try working at various Centers across the U of M.
6. Not sure how much this matters to you, but this will be the last year with the current well-loved Dean of the Ford School. Her successor has not been confirmed yet.
7. The students really seem to have fun here. The Fab Ford Idol karaoke at a local bar was really well-attended and apparently a faculty member even did a song.
Feel free to message if there's anything in particular you'd like to know about - there was way too much information to recount in full!
 

Spring Preview was pretty informative and fun. I met a few students who said that they had been convinced by attending other previews, but were seriously considering Ford now. I myself have been pretty convinced to take up the MPP!
Key points I picked up:
1. Strong academic points of the school include :
(A) Ford's Writing Center with three Ford faculty hired to critique your policy-related writing through individual appointments. Apparently no other public policy school in the nation has such a dedicated Writing Center to help its students with policy writing. The 5-week writing course that the Center offers is pretty recommended. (B) Ford strongly supports an interdisciplinary focus, with all Ford students required to take some credits outside of Ford, and with a ton of other Michigan schools (e.g. Public Health, Education) being highly ranked nationally. Apparently the process for taking non-Ford modules is pretty easy; you shouldn't need to apply for endless approvals for those. Also, other than the option of doing a dual degree in another discipline (which you can apply for after getting accepted into Ford), you can also apply for certain Certificate programs across the U of M schools, of which there are a ton. (C) Also, they are pretty flexible with you exploring whatever interest you want. You don't have to declare a concentration in Ford, and so if you aren't sure that you want to specialize in a particular area of policy, this school will support that. 2. Ford's Careers & Alumni relations office seems really strong. They have an open door policy, so you can apparently ask them to take a look at a cover letter due in 30 minutes time before you send it off. They also hire some upper-level students as Peer Advisors, which does help in having someone approachable to speak to about career matters. They also send out a Mon afternoon newsletter collating upcoming career-related opportunities, like employer visits on campus or certain funding deadlines. They also seem quite aware that it's not just connecting you with opportunities that matter, but also helping you identify your interests and career aspirations, and have had past workshops to help students with that. They also seem to have strong alumni relations: "once you're in, you're always a part of the Ford community". 
3. While the compulsory Core Curriculum is somewhat quantitative methods-heavy with 3 quant classes, you can take up qualitative research methods classes as your electives. Though there are a ton of Ford professors who have a more economics focus, there are also some more recent qual professor hires: http://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2017/tamar-mitts-and-fabiana-silva-join-ford-school-faculty-fall-2017.
4. If you have a quant background and want to test out of the quant core classes, you can test out during orientation week. However, you may not want to do so as most of the 1st year students will be bonding around these class experiences, the professors who teach the quant core classes seem universally beloved, and you will have to substitute those classes with other credits anyway.
5. While GSI positions are by no means guaranteed, you can apply for GSI positions across other U of M schools and apparently Ford GSIs have a pretty good reputation. You can also try working at various Centers across the U of M.
6. Not sure how much this matters to you, but this will be the last year with the current well-loved Dean of the Ford School. Her successor has not been confirmed yet.
7. The students really seem to have fun here. The Fab Ford Idol karaoke at a local bar was really well-attended and apparently a faculty member even did a song.
Feel free to message if there's anything in particular you'd like to know about - there was way too much information to recount in full!
 

@sturdyelm Thanks for that info! I was called on Calling Night by a first year MPP student. I was rushing out for something, so the call was short. My caller alerted me to the existence of the Spring Preview, talked a bit about the possibility of getting a GSI position at Ford, promoted Ford for great courses and fun, and also offered to link me up with other dual MPP/MSW students (as I am seriously considering that route). We linked up via email where he offered to help answer any further questions. I think this Calling Night linkup is definitely a good opportunity to ask informal questions about Ford, so I would email them, @turkish coffee, to ask about it if you don't get a call soon.
@TheSenator @turkish coffee I'll definitely be at Spring Preview. If I'm taking an MPP at all, it'll be at Ford. Funding will be an issue though (as I'm considering taking this up with an MSW, or alternatively just taking an MPP or MSW alone) so I've still not 100% decided to commit to this. Let's see how funding and Spring Preview goes.
 

@sturdyelm - Really great info. Thank you for all of that.
@aaresident - That's awesome you're considering the joint degree route with a MSW. My significant other is currently at Columbia for her MSW and I think she's sort of regretting not applying to Michigan as I've raved about the school nonstop since September (and they have a really great MSW program).
@turkish coffee - I completely agree with your response to @sturdyelm. I found a couple of current Fordies via social media sleuthing and talked with them. They all said the same thing re: ton of money to give away after matriculation. While it may not be the most prudent choice to attend a school based on the chance of receiving non guaranteed funds, this appeared to be a somewhat common route to financing their tuition.
 
Also, The Ford School is the only school I applied to. I will be attending. I don't think I'll be able to make it to Spring Preview though (previous plans for that weekend involving airfare and hotel). I'll be anxious to hear all about it.

@aaresident My friend (who didn't get NCS) got their notice really early. Like before I did. Good luck on everything!

thank you so much, but don't give up hope yet, especially if this is your top choice school. There is a fellowship that covers full tuition for two years and provides you with an internship in the Mayor of Detroit's office (that's a big deal!), and Michigan will give you an answer if you apply before you have to accept/reject your offers from other schools, so you'll know ahead of time if you have the funding or not. 
 
On top of that, Michigan has a lot of GSI (same thing as TA) positions available and there's a good chance you'd get it for at least one semester. These positions cover tuition fully for that semester that you work, and also provide you with health insurance I believe. Let's say you only did it for 2 out of your 4 semester, that's still a 50% scholarship essentially, along with your 1/3 tuition scholarship, your tuition is suddenly is much more manageable and maybe comparable to other schools you are considering. I don't want to push you in one way or another, I just want you to know that these opportunities exist, and Michigan probably has more money to give than any other school when it comes to TA/RA positions and summer internship funding. If you're interested in studying a language, which Ford allows, you could always apply to the FLAS academic year fellowship, which would fully cover your tuition the second year as long as you take at least 1 regional studies course and 1 language course each semester of that year. 

By the way, if anyone is still wondering - I checked, and Wolverine Access hasn't updated yet. So you'll probably hear from email first.

Decisions will come out tomorrow, since only admitted MPPs can apply to this Ford fellowship, and it says the Fellowship application opens Tuesday, March 14. Wishing Ford could see all of our investigative research and analysis based on data we have found

In with funding! 2 yrs Full tuition+ health insurance+$9500 stipend per semester

Jesus I don't know how this happened.

Ok, keeping fingers crossed.
 
A little helpful tidbit: I'm friends with a current Ford student who's friends with student on the interview panel, and according to this person, the interviews were for "exceptional candidates who are being considered for fellowships." So, that's good news for us methinks! Don't wanna get ahead of ourselves, obviously...
 
Ahhhh, the wait is killing me! I keep checking my email a thousand times a day (even on weekends, which is just stupid). I'm so anxious to hear!   Patience is the name of the game.
 
Good luck everyone!

I got the same e-mail and searched the Grad Cafe forum to see what I could find.
 
In couple of people had the interview and that were interviewed disclosed that they received full tuition fellowships plus stipend.
 
I'm hopeful that's the case for those of us receiving that e-mail this year!  Fingers crossed.

I was really nervous before my interview, but it was much smoother than I thought. I know this sounds lame, but really own why you're interested in Global Activities and having a global field placement. They're just looking for passionate people who know what they're talking about, have a specific angle they want to study, and who have had some sort of experience with global studies (albeit living in a foreign country, study abroad, or have taken classes about immigration/the globe). Just be confident! Good luck!