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3dender

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  1. Upvote
    3dender got a reaction from LaughingCat in MPA (or MPP) programs for k-12 domestic education policy   
    All the school's you've listed are the ones I would suggest for non-DC East Coast.  Sanford is known for its education faculty, and Harris has some good ones as well.  I'm not sure about HKS or Ford.  You might check into NYU -- it's an MPA but I'm not sure how education-focused it can be.
    I only have one other suggestion, and it's overstepping my bounds a bit but I'll go ahead and say it anyway because I feel strongly: unless you want to help dismantle public education, please don't work in charter schools.  There are good ones out there, but the movement itself is absolutely a Trojan horse for school privatization.
  2. Upvote
    3dender reacted to nobraintrain in PhD stipend in decision making?   
    After doing an undergrad in a small town, will do anything to stay away from small towns as far as possible. It affected my applications, though, not the decision.
  3. Upvote
    3dender got a reaction from JuniusBattius in Chapel Hill, NC   
    Being a town and not a city, there is little in the way of studios.  For that price you will need either a roommate or to look at the most budget-y of complexes, which I would hesitate to recommend.  They're safe enough, but not in very good condition.  In Carrboro there is one on the west side of town called Collins Crossing.  They have tried to renovate it in recent years (basically kicking out all of the Latino/immigrant residents in the process), so the prices may have increased.
    A marginal step above that, there is a large sampling of complexes that will be more expensive than your price, probably in the $800 range for a 1BR.  There are many such complexes along Martin Luther King Blvd. in Chapel Hill, off of Estes Dr. Extension across from University Place (also in Chapel Hill), off of Hwy. 54 Bypass in Carrboro, and off of Smith Level Rd. in Carrboro.  There are also 1BRs on Fidelity St. which I mentioned above, but they will certainly be above your preferred budget.
    I wish I could be more helpful with your request, but I'm unfamiliar with this market as it's been over a decade since I was involved with it.  My hunch is that you won't be able to live alone for less than $800, if that.  Sorry!
    P.S. Just found one called Estes Park that apparently has 1BRs for $710.  That's the cheapest I can imagine.  But now that I think about it, another route would be Craigslisting to see if people are renting out garage apartments.  A friend of mine was recently staying in one for $500/month.  Definitely rundown, but cost effective.  This one was at 208 Hillsborough Rd.  Good luck!
  4. Upvote
    3dender reacted to went_away in Let's Talk Debt   
    Amen to that. Welcome to 1-3 month STC's (short term contracts). It's the 'glamorous' life of a temp worker. Veterans' preference will do FAR more for one's career prospects than an elite international affairs degree. 
    Those who do the best coming out of these programs have a strong combination of things working in their favor. First they are probably quite successful BEFORE going to a top grad school. This means they come from a well-off family that values education and they were able to go to a top undergrad (think University of Chicago or U Penn). Next they joined the military as an officer and/or had a series of very elite level internships at top institutions. They likely also have family friends/acquaintances who are high level executives in the federal government, diplomats, or a Senator or Member of Congress. By the time they go to grad school they are already well on their way with a solid career assured to them. 
    Others working low-prestige jobs see these glittering examples of success and think a grad degree on its own will get them there. Sadly, that's really not the case and most will struggle. Doing well is a result of a long series of good choices, fortunate breaks, family wealth (in most cases), and big investments in yourself. 
  5. Upvote
    3dender reacted to parkjun888 in Let's Talk Debt   
    Let me ask you all a question. Unless you are independently wealthy/getting a HUGE scholarship, how are you NOT taking on loans that end up in triple digits?
    Let me give you a scenario (a scenario for at least 1/3 of all students seeking their Masters, regardless of study):
    ~Assuming that you will NOT be working (aka full time student; also not being RA/TA because the gods wouldn't give you one)
    ~have to pay rent, spending money for living expenses.
    ~And let's say that the scholarship your school offers you is a small amount each year but nowhere near enough (because you clearly didn't make the necessary blood sacrifices to the gods).
    ~Sure there are lots groups and organizations throwing out money, but let's be real, $1000/year will only take you to the door of your classroom.
    ~Oh ya, add a 2 year program into this scenario because paying off a one year program is a completely different matter (a lot easier to manage). 
    ~I understand that the salaries people could make after graduation differ greatly due to... whatever reason. But let's assume that all salaries start at $50,000/year.
    So basically, how does a normal human being finance an out-of-state, 2 years master's program, full time with/without a job that doesn't pay enough, cover rent, and pay for living expenses? And how would one do it by simply taking on a loan $20,000-$50,000?
    I know I sound like a dick right now, but I feel like I'm missing some huge memo about financing my graduate education. I agree with all of you that having massive debt is a TERRIBLE idea, yet you all fail to mention how you're doing it by only taking on $20,000-$50,000 in debt. Chances are the school's full cost is going to be $40,000/year (on average) for public and around $60,000/year for private. It's like that scene in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" when they talk about blowing up the Death Star and a pilot complains that it would be impossible with the little means that they have and then some snub nosed brat named Luke chimes in, "It's not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they're not much bigger than two meters." (As you can clearly see, I prefer Star Wars over Star Trek).
    If I'm wrong, I'll shut up. I apologize for my tone in advance.
  6. Upvote
    3dender reacted to DiscoTech in Do I have a chance at Law School   
    http://www.top-law-schools.com/
    Your sub-3.0 GPA will be a more of a problem for graduate school than law school. Law schools are hurting to maintain enrollment given the terrible job prospects for lawyers who don't graduate from top schools. One of them will gladly take you loan money so long as your LSAT score isn't terrible. Graduate students aren't as willing as law students to sign up for hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, which is why graduate schools (even the diploma mills) maintain some standards. 
    The better question is whether you SHOULD go to law school. The folks on the website above will give you the advice you are seeking. It will be frank/brutal, but it will likely be accurate.
     
  7. Upvote
    3dender reacted to sturdyelm in The (un)official Duke Sanford MPP Thread!   
    I mailed my deposit yesterday as well, so I'll be heading there this fall.
    Congrats everyone (no matter where you go)! I know this decision requires alot of debating and thinking.
  8. Upvote
    3dender reacted to makingtheleap.back in The (un)official Duke Sanford MPP Thread!   
    I'm going Sanford yonder. An exciting end to a long process. 
  9. Like
    3dender got a reaction from sc9an in Chapel Hill, NC   
    April is a little early to find a lot of stuff.  We are on a college schedule here, so you see leases starting in either June or August for the most part.  
    As far as specific places to look, there are some decent townhouse complexes that will be in your price range located on Fidelity St., which is a great location in proximity to downtown Carrboro.  There's a complex at the end of Fidelity (400 Davie) that has a bunch of brick townhouses, maybe not 3BR but at least 2.  There is also the White Oak complex at 105 Fidelity that's even closer to town.
    On the North side of town, there are a few complexes off of N. Greensboro St. which are also at an excellent, walking/bus location.  These complexes are located on Todd St., Sue Ann Ct., Thomas Ln. and possibly even Pleasant St. (though I haven't been down there for awhile).  Finally, there's a complex a little further west of downtown (actually very near where I live), on Westview Dr. which is right off of W Main St. near a cool coffee shop called Johnny's.  I'd be surprised if you couldn't find something that fits your family out of all of these possibilities.  (Garages, however, are few and far between in the rental community.)
    I'm much less familiar with Durham, but I know that in general you will get more bang for your buck over there.  The 25-min. commute gets unpleasant from what I hear, but if you're a student you get a free pass on the Robertson's shuttle that connects Duke and UNC.  I will be attending Duke this fall and will be commuting via shuttle.  I hope this helps, and if you have any further questions just let me know.
  10. Upvote
    3dender reacted to QK91 in The (un)official Duke Sanford MPP Thread!   
    Thanks @3dender! I was on the admitted students online chat today and Izzi let us know that we will hear back by the end of the day on Friday. Fingers crossed! 
  11. Upvote
    3dender reacted to luz.colorada in Rejecting my advisors admission offer   
    I'm sorry this didn't go well for you, but I don't really think it's your fault. You are just finishing undergrad, right? If that's the case I really think it's understandable that you applied to several schools and want to go to the best one. You're not an MA student that received extra money/ teaching opportunities based on the assumption you would be getting your PhD there. Your advisor should be happy for you instead of resentful that you didn't accept their offer. 
  12. Upvote
    3dender got a reaction from alan2016 in Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) Decision!   
    Bottom line: Berkeley's rep is not better than Sanford's, Harris's or Ford's, especially outside of the west coast.  So if "reputation" is the only reason you're trying to fit that square peg into a round hole, you should re-channel your energy.
  13. Upvote
    3dender reacted to LizFromCA in Duke Nicholas vs. GWU Trachtenberg vs. UCSB Bren???   
    @3dender Haha I might actually end up at Sanford with you, instead of Nicholas. I think I'm down to UCSB Bren MESM vs. Duke Sanford MPP.
  14. Upvote
    3dender got a reaction from devpolicy in Duke vs Princeton   
    I think @QK91 summed it up pretty well.  And from reading between the lines it looks like you're leaning toward Princeton on points 2 and 3.  I would actually go further than QK on both points, because it's my impression that Princeton is one of the 3 or 4 globally recognized U.S. universities, whereas you can't say the same about Duke.  
    Also, for point 3, I heartily agree with your suspicion that the Princeton area -- an hour or so from NYC -- is way more interesting for an international student.  That's where I'd want to be if I were coming to the U.S. for the first time.  Don't get me wrong -- I've lived near Durham for 15 years now and I like the area.  It's only 20 minutes from Raleigh too, which is a cool, up-and-coming mid-size city.  But it's no NYC.
    So unless you see something about the Core or other course offerings at Sanford that really sways you, it seems like Princeton is a better fit.  I say this reluctantly because I too am going to Sanford and would love to have another highly-competent international student in my cohort. . . but the good news it that you can't really go wrong when choosing between two amazing places, so congratulations on that at least! 
  15. Downvote
    3dender got a reaction from beautifullife in Duke vs Princeton   
    I think @QK91 summed it up pretty well.  And from reading between the lines it looks like you're leaning toward Princeton on points 2 and 3.  I would actually go further than QK on both points, because it's my impression that Princeton is one of the 3 or 4 globally recognized U.S. universities, whereas you can't say the same about Duke.  
    Also, for point 3, I heartily agree with your suspicion that the Princeton area -- an hour or so from NYC -- is way more interesting for an international student.  That's where I'd want to be if I were coming to the U.S. for the first time.  Don't get me wrong -- I've lived near Durham for 15 years now and I like the area.  It's only 20 minutes from Raleigh too, which is a cool, up-and-coming mid-size city.  But it's no NYC.
    So unless you see something about the Core or other course offerings at Sanford that really sways you, it seems like Princeton is a better fit.  I say this reluctantly because I too am going to Sanford and would love to have another highly-competent international student in my cohort. . . but the good news it that you can't really go wrong when choosing between two amazing places, so congratulations on that at least! 
  16. Upvote
    3dender reacted to MarieG. in Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) Decision!   
    Thank you so much for this input. It's good to get an outsider's perspective on these "pseudo-promises" they've been making. I'm heavily leaning towards Duke. @3dender - I'll message you privately, as I see you chose Sanford.
  17. Upvote
    3dender reacted to alan2016 in Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) Decision!   
    If you're "highly likely" to secure one for all semesters, why have they not offered it yet? I'd be very wary of an admission's officer's pseudo-promises as their sole job at this point is to get you enrolled.
    I found the following with a couple quick google searches: This year they're offering 13 fall GSIs and they offered 17 for spring 2017. (Sources: https://gspp.berkeley.edu/assets/uploads/page/2017_Fall_GSPP_ASE_Positions_Listing.pdf and https://gspp.berkeley.edu/assets/uploads/page/2017_Spring_GSPP_ASE_Positions.pdf)
    That sounds like a lot of spots until you realize there are 95-100 students in the class, and some simple division brings the "highly likely" claim into serious question. Perhaps you have desired skills/background for teaching some sections and that's why the individual made that claim. If not, then make sure you're very comfortable with full tuition, fees, and Bay-area cost of living before attending Berkeley and view this as a hope rather than a likely event. Right now, with no aid offer, you're not a priority for them, but instead a nice funding source to help them make budget. 
    In my opinion, you look to be well credentialed and desired by a lot of schools. Either make Berkeley pay for the privilege of your attendance or take the money and attend one of these other great schools.
  18. Upvote
    3dender reacted to QK91 in Duke vs Princeton   
    Congratulations on your acceptances! With funding out as a factor I would consider curriculum, brand (bleh, but it matters, right?) and location: 
    Curriculum: Which program has the core and classes that you really want? I know that Sanford has a strong core, while maintaining the flexibility to tailor your MPP with a selection of electives from across Duke's graduate schools (law, Fuqua, etc). While you can choose a specialization you don't have to, and outside the core you can pretty much design your program based on whatever classes you want to take. I didn't apply to WWS so I am not entirely sure what their curriculum looks like, but I have heard that it has a pretty specific core, specialization and advancement requirements.  Brand: Duke and Princeton are both amazing, but I believe (other commenters, feel free to correct me!) that WWS has an edge over Sanford, especially in international policy circles, and is considered on par with HKS (that Ivy thing...).  Location: Where do you want to live??  Good luck! And hey - if you choose Duke, I'll see you at Sanford! 
  19. Upvote
    3dender reacted to thelionking in Stay in DC or go to Boston?   
    I think we've said all we can say at this point. You're going to need to decide for yourself if you are willing to have a long distance relationship during a portion of your studies (until he finds a job in Boston) or for the entire duration (if he doesn't). Are you and your partner willing to do that? You will need to talk to him about this. If you are considering it, he needs to determine what the job market is like in Boston and how likely it will be for him to get a job there in his field based on the job market and his credentials. If decisions like this are difficult for the both of you to resolve, you should keep in mind that you are likely to be in a similar position after you get your PhD and want to apply for high level positions as such jobs are not plentiful and often require moving. So there is no time like the present to develop a practice of making big decisions like this together so you both know where you stand on such issues. Good luck! 
     
  20. Upvote
    3dender reacted to DiscoTech in Stay in DC or go to Boston?   
    Well, it just seemed like we're missing the biggest piece of the puzzle, no? Your fiance might be perfectly fine with a move to Boston and then the decision really just comes down to staying within BigFed or going up to Boston.
    Also, should we infer that Boston's program is better for your career. It is not 100% clear, but sounds like it is.
  21. Downvote
    3dender reacted to flashmob in Stay in DC or go to Boston?   
    ^ well duh, but isn't this form for stressing out and venting or should I take my therapy elsewhere?
  22. Upvote
    3dender got a reaction from rising_star in Stay in DC or go to Boston?   
    So if i'm reading the subtext correctly, it sounds like you really WANT to go to Boston (hence the anxiety attack?) but think it's too impractical.  If that's correct, however, you never explained why you really want to go to Boston instead of DC.  What about the program is better?  
    You also say that a plus of DC is that you could keep your job in FedGov, but you never said if you actually like your job in FedGov and want to continue doing that.
    Basically, I saw you talk a lot about what you SHOULD do but not a lot about what you WANT to do.  You need to figure that out and decide how important it is to you.  
    And if you end up going with the less desirable choice (which I'm guessing is DC, again just on subtext), then you need to talk with your fiance about what he's prepared to do to make it up to you.  Yes you can't "make him pick up his life" for you, but he also can't make you stymie yours for him.  It's a two-way street and you BOTH have to work (and make sacrifices) for each other.
    </impromptu counseling session>
     
  23. Upvote
    3dender reacted to DiscoTech in Stay in DC or go to Boston?   
    It sounds like you've asked a bunch of people on what to do except you fiance. With the federal government hiring freeze, I would probably stay in DC since it sounds like you would get to keep you employment. I also don't understand BU offers that you even want to consider it. Is it better or would just prefer a bigger program?
    Also, anything your fiance's opinion should probably trump what randos on the internet say.
  24. Upvote
    3dender reacted to coffeewalk in USC Price vs. GSPP   
    So, USC's event basically involved me sitting in two rooms for  3 hours and 4 hours. Because the event was separated by those who got Deans Merit and those who didn't, I didn't get a great idea of what my classmates would be like, especially since there were people from all different programs at the event. There also weren't many opportunities to talk to current students except for 1-2 who sat with us at lunch and a 15 minute panel of just MPP students (who seemed kind of meh about the program). 
    In contrast, I had very high expectations for Goldman, because it basically needed to prove it was worth the $20k more than USC (assuming I have a GSI/GSR/reader position all 4 semesters). It definitely met and exceeded these expectations. There were many opportunities to talk to tons of current students in various environments, the faculty on the faculty panel seemed to love there jobs and are doing really interesting research, everyone I met or have talked to before Goldman raves about what a collaborative and non-competitive environment it is, which is I really value. Also the students there have really interesting research opportunities and summer internships. Secondary factors I really value is that it is a public university, the campus is beautiful and more entrenched in the community, and the Goldman school itself on campus is two small buldings that feel very welcoming where students and faculty often hang out working. The one thing that makes me nervous is how easy it will be to get some kind of assistanship the first semester (the others seem easy).
    I do think USC has a lot of great programs, and I liked the idea of their international labs. I also appreciate that a lot of the professors are involved in organizations outside of USC, meaning their skills have real world application.
  25. Upvote
    3dender reacted to caffeineoverdose in Johns Hopkins SAIS 2017   
    I just attended the open house yesterday and I am deciding between Berkeley Master of Development Practice (MDP) and SAIS DC. I didn't get any funding from SAIS, so I spoke with financial aid office about any potential funding. They said the chance is so slim that it's fair to say it won't happen. This is not something that strictly applies only to my case, rather to anyone who is seeking additional funding this year.
    Instead, they provided me information about grad plus loan for the first year and also mentioned that funding may be possible next year if my academic standing is good. (I think someone here mentioned above 3.4 is recommended–and it's true) Employment opportunities didn't seem too promising. Campus jobs (such as office clerk) pay $11+/hour. They mentioned pay rate of RA/TA positions varies by faculty members.
    I loved the SAIS open house. Although I would love to attend SAIS, because of the funding and employment opportunity while studying, I am leaning towards Berkeley MDP. 
     
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