Karakoy

That's awesome! Keep going!

I wanted to give personal statement advice for those who continue to Pickering. To note: I was rejected by Pickering last year and their decision made me do a lot of self-reflection. I started the process by looking back at my application and noticed many little mistakes and that I came off as unfocused. While working on my Rangel app, I had many drafts over 20 each with a different intro. It was a difficult process because most of the feedback I was receiving was to be personal and that's not much to go off of. So here's my advice based off of the process I put myself through this time around and things people told. 1. Completely throw out your personal statement. 2. Start from scratch. I did not look at what I had written for Pickering when I wrote my PS for Rangel. (It was obviously unsuccessful, so it made no sense to revisit) 3. The intro is so important and it's your chance to grab the readers attention and be personal with them. (Like I said I had over 20 intros I had drafted) 4. Be personal with your essay. Make it about you and the things you did. 5. Don't sound like you're reading your resume. 6. The personal statement is your opportunity to speak directly to the review community and explain why you want to dedicate yourself to public service. 7. Think of the application and fellowship as a whole. Not just the one component like the FS. There are many gears at work. 8. Be concise. Don't come off like you're all over the place. 9. If you mention grad school, talk about one school, not 6. 10. Don't be afraid to ask others for help throughout the process. Have many people read your app. 11. Don't think you are a shoe in because you meet the basic requirements. 12. Really think about who can write you a recommendation, make sure they know the program. Don't get hung up on titles, university rankings, or the person's position within a university. Be strategic, yet mindful (added). 13. Lastly, a lot of people applying to these programs have similar academic and career exploits. This is why you have to be personal and really explain your intentions. I hope this helps and that you apply to Pickering and other fellowships.

Good luck everyone

I am speechless.

Got my notification! I'm a Finalist!!!!!

Based off of past timelines, I am guessing that we'll be told either on the 25th or the 26th. They have the 26th listed as the notification date on both of their info videos. I'm sure they have everything sorted out already, but are just preparing for the mass email inquiries and other things.

How's everyone holding up?

Ughhh to think that notifications will come out next week. So fast...

I'm starting this thread to connect with other applicants to Cornell CIPA 2018.

The info video they posted on the website for this application cycle said they would be sending Finalist notifications on the 26th of October. It also mentioned that they will be holding interviews on the 15th and 16th of November and announcing fellowship recipients on the 17th of November. How are the grad school applications going? I've started a few, but haven't worked on the personal statements yet. I'm looking into MPP and MPA programs.

Hi, everyone, I too am applying to Rangel this round. Can't believe the application period came and went so fast. In about 4 weeks from now, we'll know the verdict.